15 Burgoyne

Her eyes were olive green.

They cut right through you with a wavering softness. Her youthful face framed with a sophisticated layered haircut. The color was rich mahogany that was so dark that at first glance you saw it as black. Their rich hues centered her glowing face and pudgy nose in a semi shroud of secrecy. She watched me watch her. There was knowing in her eyes. A quiver in her lips as she refrained from comment. A daring filled with confidence. In my trance I saw her pull a card from her pocketbook. The snap registered in my brain moments after she had re-closed its clasp. My mind hypnotically trained on the fluttering rectangular shape as it turned slowly in its glide to the ground. White, pink, white, pink it turned before it settled pink side up sliding into the wall where she had stood.

In the instant that it took that card to fall, she was gone. Out of my life as fast as she appeared. I quickly crossed to grab the card that she had flipped to me. On it was simply Maria 15 Burgoyne. That was down by the river. It was not in one of the gentle parts of town. I knew that I had to go. I had to find her. I had to learn more about her. I needed to fall into those eyes again. I ached to watch her smile rip me to shreds. I hailed a taxi that drove like he owned the road. My destination drew laughter and scorn.

“Do you want to get your ass kicked tonight hotshot?”

I was in no mood for this battle and told the man to drive. Whether he saw a fool or a dead man he drove refraining from more comments. At least it was still early.

Burgoyne was more like an alley than a street. 15 was just two doors down. When I asked the taxi to wait he demanded another twenty then laughed as he drove away waving that bill after me.

I’m sure I heard, “Damn fool”

It didn't matter. Two doors down. My presence was conspicuous. Two dudes down at the far end of the alley leaning against a fence, looked up with delight. I had just become prey.

There were no numbers on the doors so I needed to make a guess and make it quickly. The taxi driver had said two doors down but that was padlocked with a keep out sign secured to the wall. I knocked anyway watching the two thugs eagerly approach.

“Fuckin what?”, came ringing out the window.

“Maria”; I answered back.

Before I could even think of backing away I heard a sound so primal, so unnerving that I froze like a deer in headlamps. A huge bulk of a man crashed through the wall and grabbed me by the neck. Slowly I felt my feet leave the ground and my lungs start to burn as they cried for respite. A bear? A man that could easily rip my head from my shoulders glared into my face.

“What the fuck do you want with my sister?”

My eyes started to roll into my eyelids and my bodily functions stopped responding to my brain. That simple pink card slipped from my hand and fluttered to the ground. Bear released his grasp on my neck. I felt air rush back into my lungs as I fell to my knees. I grabbed the card and slowly stood back up. Bear scowled at me,

“Why didn’t you say so?”

I looked after the thugs who had hightailed it back to their fence and confusedly searched Bear’s face for information.

“My sister’s gallery is in the high rent district on front street. You can’t miss it. There is a giant fish on the front porch. It’s called 15 Burgoyne. What kind of dumb fuck are you anyways?”

I must have looked pathetic. The hulking creature who moments earlier was in the process of ripping my head from my shoulders gently shook his head and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Come on, let me show you where it is. I know, ...woman. They mess you up”