Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4)

“You broke it,” Natalia said.

“I guess I'm good at that,” Tonya said with a little giggle.

Natalia didn’t think that was something she should be proud of.

“I'll get that fixed,” Tyrone said, rising.

“I have errands to run at lunch. Tyrone, can you walk me out?”

“Certainly.”

"Don't touch anything other than paper, Tonya.”

All the ladies laughed.

Natalia headed out the door with Tyrone.

“I think things are finally coming together,” she said.

“Let's take the stairs,” Tyrone said. “That elevator is still down.”

“Good idea.”

They trotted down the stairs. Natalia noted other Viperians heading down. It was the prime time for going out to lunch.

“Thanks, Tyrone.”

Natalia saw the limo pull up.

“No problem. See you this afternoon in the meeting.”

Natalia walked quickly to the limo. Bonnie opened the door for her. Natalia slipped in only to find the door on the other side open. Anpu slipped in and sat across from her.

“Why are you here?’ she said.

“We're discussing how you want to use the dance troupe,” he said.

'I see. And why would I do that?’

She wondered what was up. Bonnie had to know he was back there, but the limo pulled away from the curb without any response from her that Anpu was there.

“I'm sure we can think of something. Party. Celebration. Entertainment for your guests.’

“Any other reasons?’

"You can't be alone,’ he said.

“I'm going to pick up Lisa," she said.

“And until then, I am your company.’

He smiled.

“Uri knows about you."

“Of course, he does. He's not stupid,” Anpu said. “And neither am 1.“

“Who has decided this?"

“Council.’

I'm on the Council.’

He shrugged.

The limo pulled up to Lisa's business. She was waiting outside. While she was getting in. Anpu slipped out.

"Oh, Nattie,” Lisa said.

Natalia decided that Lisa was unaware that Anpu left.

“I have the blouse done. It looks better than the one I made for the lady at work.”

She pulled the blouse out of a bag.

"Wow," Natalia said, changing her focus to the blouse and pushing Anpu and the Council from her mind.

She quickly switched blouses.

“Lisa. This is... this blouse looks better than the blouse I had on and that is an expensive blouse.” Lisa smiled big.

“Can you do suits?” Natalia said.

"Of course, I can. I can sew anything. I hardly need a pattern unless you want something copied.” The drive to the tailors store didn't take them long and the limo pulled up in front.

“I hope she’s here.”

Natalia thought the store front looked empty.

Bonnie opened the door for her.

“I heard she is still here,’ Bonnie said.

“Thanks, Bonnie. I'll text when we're ready to go.”

Natalia opened the door to the shop. The first time she had entered, every nook and cranny had been full of sewing supplies. Now it was empty except for dust and cobwebs.

"Yige Zhi? Are you still here?”

Natalia didn’t know if it was proper to head on back without an invitation. However, there was no answer.

“Let's see if she’s in the back.”

She edged around the counter. The next room was how she remembered it. It was full of sewing machines, mannequins, rolls of cloth, mirrors, and shelves filled to capacity.

"Oh to have a room like this,” Lisa said with some envy in her voice.

Natalia saw that the door heading to the kitchen was closed. She opened it to find the same woman who had served her the first time she had been there. There was even a pot of soup on the stove. The woman gestured outside.

Natalia stepped out to find Yige Zhi arguing with three men. All three were Undent. She immediately got the idea that the men were harassing her. The once immaculate alley was strewn with all the items that Natalia figured had been out front.

"You box,” Yige Zhi said in a loud voice.

“I don't see any boxes,” one man said.

“You to bring boxes. You box. You move. You store.”

“I can't understand a single word you're saying.”

“Then get the fuck out of here,” Natalia said.

The men had ignored her presence when she had stepped out, now they seemed surprised when she spoke.

"Who the fuck are you?”

"Doesn't matter. Get out.”

One man stepped up as if to challenge her, then looked like he changed his mind. She was glaring at them and holding her ground. All three backed off and left.

"Stupid. Crap,” Yige Zhi said. “I need stuff moved.”

“I have a store for you. Will you work for me?” Natalia said, cutting right to why she was there. Yige Zhi glared at all the things in the alley as if she hadn't heard.

"My friend, Lisa, here is also a good seamstress. She'll be managing the store. She does good work. She sewed this blouse.”

Yige Zhi's attention immediately snapped to the blouse. She walked up and felt along the cuffs and the seams. Then she shouted out gibberish.

Natalia thought she was criticizing the sewing, except a moment later a young woman ran up the alley. She was Undent with black hair and eyes. Natalia had the feeling she was related to Yige Zhi. Yige Zhi said more gibberish. The young woman looked at the blouse.

“This is good work,” the young woman said.

“Lisa is a good seamstress,” Natalia said, gesturing at Lisa. “Who are you?”

“Kimi. Granddaughter.”

“I offered your grandmother a new place to go to work for me.”

"Well?" Kimi said to Yige Zhi.

"Well?" Yige Zhi said with a shrug.

“It's a much larger store. Big front windows to show your stuff and Lisa’s. Custom alterations for those people who have a hard time finding clothes that fit right off the racks,” Natalia said, feeling like she was doing a commercial spiel. “It needs a good cleaning and some updates, but it has the room for you.”

“What are you going to call it?” Lisa said.

Natalia felt relieved. Lisa was helping give Yige Zhi time to think.

“A Stitch By Design,” Natalia said.

"Good name,” Yige Zhi said. “Where is location?”

“The new area. A Hell Of A Place.”

“Bad area,” Yige Zhi said with a shake of her head.

“You won't recognize it,” Natalia said. “Come see this Saturday.”

“I need to move this now,” Yige Zhi said.

“You will work for me?”

Natalia wanted a verbal agreement.

"Yes. If you find me store, I will work for you.”

"And you are okay that Lisa is the store manager?”

Yige Zhi looked like she was chewing her tongue.

“Yes, she will allow this,” Kimi said. “Grandma.”

"Yes. She is a good sewer,” Yige Zhi said.

“Give me a moment.”

Natalia took a few steps away. She called Bonnie.

“Bonnie. I need some assistance. I need men and a truck to empty out the tailor's store. I'm moving her to number 4 Nattie Ave, but I'll need to get a key from Uri.’

“Ill arrange it."

“After work, we can go there and show her the building. Thanks, Bonnie.

“No, problem. She's a good tailor.’

“Let Mina know that the tailor problem is solved.’

Natalia ended the call.

"Yige Zhi..."

“Call me Yiggy.”

"Yiggy, are you teaching anyone else to do sheaths?”

“I'm her apprentice,” Kimi said.

“I'll want you to come, too.”

“If grandma goes, the whole family goes,” Kimi said. “I'm looking forward to a bigger and better store.”

“You'll love this place. I have men and a truck coming. Can we have lunch here?”

Yiggy moved faster than Natalia had ever seen with Kimi right behind her. Before she knew it, there was a table with four chairs positioned in the alley.

“Sit,” Kimi said.

All four of them sat and the woman from the kitchen served them soup and egg rolls.

“I take it the kitchen comes with?" Natalia said.

“My aunt Wang Fang,” Kimi said. “Yes. They are always cooking.”

Natalia made a note to see if she could get a license for a small food stall

"Well, I have to get you back to work,” Natalia said to Lisa after they had finished eating.

"We're cutting it close, but that's okay if I'm going to be quitting soon,” Lisa said.

A truck turned into the alley. It drove right up to them. Two men exited. Natalia could see they were Viperian.

“Take everything she wants moved,” Natalia said, gesturing toward Yiggy. “Bill it to me. Nattie Osrisca.”

"Where's it going?”

“Number 4 Nattie Ave. Hell."

Both men smiled and nodded.

“I'll stop by tonight, a little after five, and we'll go to the shop to show you and give you keys,” Natalia said to Yiggy.

It was Kimi who nodded.

"We'll be ready.”

Natalia led Lisa out. The limo was already waiting.

Lisa seemed out of breath.

"You okay?” Natalia said.

“I'm just so excited. I can't believe this.”

“It's moving fast, but things seem to do that.”

“I'll have to check bus schedules. That's a hike from my place.”

“I was thinking about that. There are apartments in that building. Maybe you could grab one. I'm sure it will need some paint, though.”

"Oh, Nattie. Walk to work? Sew for a living? Pinch me. I'm dreaming.”

Natalia laughed, then she frowned.

“I just hope this all works out.”

The limo pulled up to Lisa's work. The opposite of what happened when they picked her up occurred. Lisa said her goodbyes and left. Anpu slipped in.

“Is this going to be a common occurrence?” she said.

“Only when Mina isn't available,” he said.

Natalia remained silent for the short trip back to work. Anpu got out when she did, but didn’t follow her into the building. A security guard followed her up the stairs. While she walked, she left a message for Uri to call her. Then she called Kareen when she reached her office.

“Kareen, what is this with Anpu following me around?

Ill explain later.”

Kareen hung up on her.

"What the fuck. I'm on the Council. Why don’t I know about this?”

She could only feel perturbed for a moment. There was a meeting to go to, and she had to be on point.

It was three pm before Uri returned her call. She had just sat down from a trip to the restroom. “You called?" he said.

“Is that storefront still available? I hope it is. I just rented it."

Yes, it is, although I've gotten a lot of inquiries about it. Who to?

Natalia went over the issue with the tailor, including hiring Lisa.

“We're going over there tonight. I need a key for the place. And some for the apartments.’

I don't have one on me, but I'll get one delivered. I'll have Moralis pick me up for club night." “Okay. I'm feeling a bit frazzled. Oh, I need a license for a food stall. Can you check with Moralis on that?"

“Sure. Glad to hear we're not losing our tailor.”

'She’s training an apprentice, too. I'll let you know how everything goes when I get home.’

She ended the call.

She took a few deep breaths.

“What am I doing? Like I don’t have enough going on in my life.”

She took another few deep breaths.

“I have Lisa managing for me. Yeah, but now I have to pay her. I hope this store isn't a flop.”

She called Uri back.

"Yes?" he said.

“Who is doing signs for the shops?”

“The same painter who is painting the building numbers. Give me a moment.”

She was feeling overwhelmed with all that needed to be done.

“Here is his number.”

As soon as she hung up with Uri, she called and left a message for the painter.

Ursula stepped into her office.

“Now what are you doing, Nattie?”

“What? When?”

“Over lunch, someone saw you at a hotel with another man.”

“I was with my tailor, Lisa, and two other women over lunch. I haven't been alone all day.”

Natalia told her about the tailor.

"Oh, so that's what Mina was complaining about on Wednesday?”

"Yes. After work, I'm picking up Lisa and the tailor and heading to Hell.”

“Thanks, Nattie. Sorry to keep accusing you.”

“You're not accusing me. Someone else is. And the Council isn't allowing me to be alone.”

"Oh, you know about that.”

“It's kind of obvious when Anpu joins me in the limo.”

Ursula rolled her eyes.

“Nice of him to be discreet.”

She was clearly being sarcastic.

"And why do you know about this and I don't?”

Ursula shrugged.

“Don’t be surprised to see a security guard on your floor.”

“One followed me up here after lunch.”

"Have a good one, Nattie.”

Ursula left.

Natalia wondered why someone wanted to ruin her reputation. It certainly wasn't a Viperian with how promiscuous they were. They wouldn't think twice about her being in a hotel with another man. Or in a limo with another man.

At five, she left with the other ladies in her department. Bonnie had just pulled up when she stepped out of the building. Anpu was already in the limo when she slid in.

“Does your dance troupe do birthday parties for children?’

“I hear you're opening a new store in Hell. We do Grand Opening parties."

I'll consider that’

He slipped out of the limo when Bonnie opened the limo door for Lisa.

"Oh, Nattie. I'm so excited. I know this is going to be a lot of work.”

“Tell me about it.”

The limo took a turn, making Natalia wonder where they were going. They were heading toward the tailor's shop, but not to the front of it. The limo pulled into the alley, then stopped. Kimi opened a door, waving for Yiggy to get in. She followed, but Bonnie was there to shut the door for her. Kimi smiled with excitement. Yiggy looked as if she didn't care.

“Thank you for the help. We needed to be out of the store by tomorrow. We already told the landlord that we were out,” Kimi said. “The men were able to get the whole store emptied plus the storage in the basement. It did take them two trucks.”

“They'll be waiting for us at the store,” Natalia said.

A text on her phone had confirmed that.

The rest of the ride was in silence. Natalia could feel the excitement from both Kimi and Lisa. Yiggy almost looked like she had fallen asleep. Traffic, as usual, was heavy. Finally, the limo pulled through the rear gate of Hell.

“We've been granted permission to drive to the store,’ Bonnie said. “Pretty soon, it will only be cars or trucks after nine pm.’

Natalia saw other trucks. They were obviously workmen who were fixing up buildings.

“This is the store.”

The number four was painted in gold on two doors. One door had the number painted in the middle of the door. The other was painted on a plate over the door. The front of the building actually looked nice. Even the black frame of the doors and windows looked freshly painted. The red and gold speckle of the bricks looked splendid.

“This?” Yiggy said

Natalia thought she sounded disappointed.

“It's beautiful,” Kimi said.

They all spilled out of the limo.

"Why two doors?” Lisa said.

"Maybe one goes up to the apartments.”

The huge picture window separated the two doors.

A Viperian man was walking toward them quickly.

“Nattie?”

She knew he knew who she was even though she didn't know who he was.

"Yes?"

“Your delivery trucks are in the back. Here are the keys you need.”

“Thanks. Who are you?”

“I'm Paul. I'm the manager of the committee that decides things around here.”

She knew he had stopped himself before he said “in Hell."

“I'll need a permit for a food stall,” she said.

"Already heard about it. Already approved. It can't be out front. Only on the corners can there be cafes.”

“It will be in the back of the store.”

“No problem.”

“I called the sign painter, but I had to leave a message.”

“He returns his calls in the evening. He's a little busy.”

“That will be fine.”

Natalia looked at the keys. There were five of them. Two were marked “front’. One was marked “master’. Another was marked “basement’. The last was marked “stairs.’ She opened the front door and propped it open.

The air was stale.

Yiggy pushed past them all. She looked quickly around and headed toward the back. Natalia followed. The back was another huge area. Yiggy walked through hardly looking at the room toward a door. As if she knew the door, she whipped through undoing the locks and opened the door. Beyond was an alley with two large trucks.

One of the movers was waiting.

"Where do you want all this?”

"Give us a moment,” Natalia said. “We just got here.”

She saw another door. It was locked. She used the basement key, and it opened up. The light switch was right there and she was glad to find there was a bulb.

Yiggy pushed past her to go down.

The stairs were wide. They did a ninety degree turn halfway down. The basement was old brick, but it was clean. There were even shelving units there.

Yiggy walked through quickly then headed back up.

Natalia almost had to run to keep up with her.

"Apartments upstairs?” Yiggy said.

Yes:

"How many?”

“I'm not sure.”

Natalia could see a large bricked doorway that led to another area that she hadn't seen the first time. Yiggy saw it too and walked through.

“This is huge,” Lisa said. “I can see this side for alterations and the other side with the window for display.”

“Apartments,” Yiggy said.

Natalia stepped out front to try the front key on the other door. It opened to a large foyer. There were slots for mailboxes. Natalia counted ten.

“Looks like ten apartments.”

“Let's see,” Yiggy said.

“Yeah,” Lisa said.

Natalia used the stair key to open the door to the stairs. They all trotted up, led by Yiggy.

All the doors to the apartments were open. The floor plans were pretty much the same except they were flipped based on which side of the building they were on. They all had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, a dining area, and a living room.

"Oh, my word. This place is triple the size of where I am now," Lisa said.

They headed up the stairs to the third and last level. The apartments were the same. There was one more door. Natalia used the front door key to open it. Stairs led up to another door that wasn't locked. This door opened out onto the roof.

They all stood up there looking over the area.

“I need whole building,” Yiggy said.

“I need one apartment for Lisa.”

“No. I need whole building.”