Darlene by Avyn Pearl

Chapter 1
    Paulo is so close I can feel his breath on my neck. As he talks, I soak in the smell of sandalwood in his aftershave and the warmth of his muscular body. His husky voice drips of Portugal—the coast, deep, delicious espresso, the delicate pastries of the padarias in the city. I close my eyes for a second, imagining his lips like petals falling down my skin, kissing the prickly bumps that rise.
    "Ah, bela ," he whispers excitedly. "So nice."
    A smile crosses my lips, one of obvious mischief. "Uh huh." I look down intently. A breeze reaches me from the window across the room and a few strands of my hair tickle my lower lip. I push them aside with neatly manicured pearl pink fingers. "It's huge."
    " Yesss!"
    Paulo is just as excited as I am. An urge creeps up from deep inside of me. This is more than I could have hoped for. I lean in to Paulo a little more. " How much do you think this baby is worth?" I try to peek into the binocular microscope at the large, shiny diamond.
    "Millions, bela , millions. It's perfect."
    Finally, I lie back on the couch in my small but cozy studio apartment and grin.
    "Hell yes!" I say this aloud, but it's really a congratulatory word to me. This victory clearly established my mark and proves that I'm the best damned gem thief in the world. Paulo recognizes this fact at the same time because he immediately leans over to give me an awkward hug.
    "You do it!" I smile again at Paulo's broken English. "You do it, Darlene! We call Hezzy now?"
    "Yeah," I both reply and nod. "We have to process this baby—a nd get our money."
    The smile on Paulo's face soon fades. "You know, gorgeous, we been working together sis' months already. Time to break up, no?"
    Sadly, I know it's true. I'm too pretty for jail. One of the reasons I'm so good is because I don't keep partners long and I move around a lot. It keeps me out of trouble. "Yes, Paulo, I'm afraid you're right." I slide a pink slim cigarette out of its case and fire it up with a blinged out lighter. Yes, that's the type I am. I ask him, "Are you heading back to Portugal after this?"
    "Ah, no!" Paulo shakes his head. He pulls a cigarette of his own out of the pocket on his open silk shirt and leans closer to me to light it from my own embers. He takes a few puffs, then exhales, enveloping us in a plume of carcinogens before speaking again. "I'm going to Italy. I have lady there." A sparkle dances in his eyes.
    "Paulo! You've been holding out on me!" I laugh, as does my friend. He pats me on the knee, a sign of endearment, I know.
    "Yes, bela . You know, I think about settling down from this, start me some children."
    For a second, I'm affected by this remark, a picture of Paulo with a beautiful Italian girl, and their beautifully dark-haired offspring. My mother would have wanted the same for me. Except, of course, they'd be French Canadian, Haitian and Greek, and whatever DNA their father would share. But I'm not the housewife type. I've always been a free spirit. I tell myself I should call my mother tomorrow, though.
    "That's a good thing, Paulo. A very good thing."
    "And you?"
    "I don't know, Paulo. I miss San Diego. I think I'll go back there and see what I can get into."
    Paulo grins. He knows that I'd only go somewhere if I were already thinking about a job. And I am.
    "Clever, bela . The gem show is there next week. Long enough time?" Paulo's eyebrows come together with genuine concern over whether I'll be able to pull off the job so quickly.
    Of course, I'm no amateur. "Sure." I shrug. "Should we go?"
    "Yes, my sweet." Paulo stands to clutch his messenger bag. He slips the huge diamond inside just before closing the tiny buttons on his shirt. We'll walk the few blocks to a corner store and pick up a throw-away mobile phone to call our friend, Hezzy. And in about twenty-four hours, I'll be on a plane to sunny SoCal.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 2
    In case you're slow, my name is Darlene. It's Darlene Roxelle Laurent, to be precise, but most