“You Seraphino?” She mewled as she parked her tookus on the desk. She pulled a compact out of her purse and began doing a repair job to her paint, but she didn’t need any repair. Like I said, Angel.

“Yeah, sweetheart,” I said in my best Bacall imitation, right down to the chin pressed against my chest. I would have sweat bullets at that point, but women don’t sweat…they perspire. And we don’t even perspire… we glisten.

“I gotta job for you…” she said….a voice to go with the figure and the face.

“Yeah?” I said, trying to be glib. I don’t do glib, but serious? I’m as serious as they come.

“Heard you’re really good at….locating things.” She smiled, her teeth beamed like pearls, which looked nice surrounded by those ruby lips…If I still had the equipment downstairs I woulda’ had a hard time standing, ya know? But I digress. I reached over and grabbed her wrist.

“You getting’ fresh, sister?” She smiled again and grabbed my chin. Her nails were like steel and scratched my foundation right to the core.

“What of it?” I asked, tryin’ hard not to laugh….like I said…I do serious.

“Well, if that’s part of your weekly expenses, then I’m all in, babe.” She planted one right on me and kissed like it was goin’ outta style. I was ready to forget the cash when she pulls out a wad of bills as thick as my purse and throws it on the desk with a laugh.

“That oughta cover it, dollface!” Imagine…her callin’ me dollface. Maybe the twenty g’s I gave that doc in Beverly Hills was payin’ off after all. I thumbed through the bills like yesterday’s newspaper and tossed the wad into my bag.

“Whatya lookin’ for?” I asked. She leaned closer and whispered in my ear,

“You ever heard of the Jade Firebird?” Her breath was as sweet as a pack of Menthos and twice as nice. I nodded my head yes.

“Sure…but that’s the trick, ain’t it, doll?” Her face turned crimson at the word trick. She leaned closer and stared me in the eyes; her own baby blues big enough to drown in.

“Yeah….so what’s it gonna be? You gonna find it…?”

“I can find anything…holdin’ on is more a problem with me.” I joked.

“Listen sister. I need that Jade Firebird and I need it now. And you gotta have the key to the whole shebang to make it work!” She tried to be angry but she just came off as pouty. I reached into my purse and she thought I was goin’ for my piece.

“Whoa…easy there, babe…I just want the key and I’m outta here…” She hopped off the desk and stood with her hands on her hips….did I mention her figure?

“Okay, Liz…Love you!” I said as she walked out the door.