(Author's Note: This chapter contains some strong language. Reader discretion advised.)
"Feel this."
Alizz looked up from her notepad. Across the table, Numli was proffering her a small square of fabric. As she reached out to take the square, their fingertips brushed just slightly. For half a second, Alizz caught his eye. She glanced down at the square in her hand. Her face felt unbearably hot. She rubbed the square between her thumb and forefinger, not really thinking about how it felt but the roughness of Numli's hands. After a few seconds of silence, Numli asked, "Well? Whaddaya think?"
Alizz snapped out of her reverie. "Oh. Oh! It's nice. It feels very light." She replied. "What is it? It feels a little like linen." She handed it back to him. Once again, their fingers touched. His hands were covered with thick, white calluses, so unlike her own. When they touched, it was like rubbing her fingers against sandpaper.
"Something my lab boys whipped up. It's synthetic, very cheap to produce. Ya like it?" Numli smiled at her. His teeth were yellow. Alizz nodded. "I was lookin' at the new line you released, ya know? I was thinkin'…hey, maybe you could release a line of summer wear with this fabric."
Alizz caught herself staring at him again. He hadn't shaved today. Stubble shaded his pointed jaw. He had a few pinkish nicks on his face and neck, the remainders of some long forgotten street fight. Although he'd finally bought some nicer clothes, the suit he wore looked rumpled and disorderly. He watched her intently, waiting for a response. Alizz's face grew hot again. "Summer wear. That's a good idea."
"It gets so damn hot here in the summer. Folks'll eat it up, I swear." Numli answered. "The fabric costs next to nothin' to produce. No matter what you sell the clothes for, you'll turn a profit. And I'm the only one in Kezan who knows how to make it."
"Wait, so…you aren't gonna sell it to anyone else?"
"Hell no, toots."
Alizz beamed at him. "Thanks for this, Nums. You're a real swell guy."
"Well, you're the one who helped jump start my company. Might as well give you somethin' in return. So it's all yours, Lizzie. If you want it, that is."
"Sure I do. How much per foot?"
"For you? Er, 30 macaroons for a hundred feet. That work for you, doll?"
"That's so cheap. You sure?"
"Sure I'm sure." He replied, rocking his chair back and forth on its back legs. "I do…have sort of a favor to ask, though."
Alizz blinked owlishly. "What's that?"
"Well…see…Lizzie, if anyone else knew I was doin' this, I'd get blacklisted by a lot of buyers. I need the money to pay back some debts I owe from back when I started the company." He pulled a toothpick from his breast pocket and started chewing on it. "You understand we can't be too open about helpin' each other out. If anyone knew, I'd take the brunt of the punishment."
"So…" Alizz began, "You're saying we can't do…this anymore." She poked her notepad with her pen. "Cut special deals in private, I mean."
"I'm not sayin' that, toots. Just that we can't make it public knowledge." Numli replied. "In fact, the best thing we could probably do is act like we're rivals."
"Rivals?" Alizz echoed, narrowing her eyes at Numli.
"Sure, Lizzie. All business ownin' goblins are technically rivals, am I right? We just need to play it up a little." He replied, using his toothpick to gesture. "You're an actress, right? Should be easy for a dame like you."
"I was a mascot, not an actress."
"Same difference, Liz."
Alizz looked at the rough goblin across from her, then down at her notepad. Rivals. What would that entail? Goblins were too smart to act hostile in public. Two business goblins openly going at each others' throats definitely meant something shady was going on between them. "It wouldn't work. If we were making similar products…or competing for the same resources…then, maybe. But we're in entirely different industries. Even if it was just a friendly rivalry, no one would buy it." Alizz answered at last.
"You forgot one thing."
"What?"
"Trade Prince."
"Trade Prince?"
"Here's how it'll go. Only the richest goblin in Kezan gets to be Trade Prince. You and me make like we're both aimin' for the office. There's no reason two Trade Prince candidates would ever help each other." Numli explained. "Instant rivalry, no hassle."
"Numli, neither of our companies are even halfway big enough to compete for Trade Prince."
Numli grinned toothily. "Not yet, Alizz. But they will be."
The 'rivals for Trade Prince' act started that week. Alizz announced to a crowd of eager reporters that she intended to become the next Trade Princess the very day after they spoke. The tabloids descended upon her like a swarm of locusts. 'Fizzlebolt, A Fool?' One paper asked. Every rag in Kezan was eager to mock her. Gallywix apparently laughed when he heard of Alizz's intentions. Though some applauded her for her ambition, public opinion was that Alizz Fizzlebolt, daughter of the great Ferengi Fizzlebolt, was a complete idiot.
Numli didn't think so.
She was on his mind during the day at work. As he left his office in the afternoon, he found himself wondering if he should swing by her house to talk about the papers. Her house was just a five minutes' walk from his new villa and she'd doubtless be worrying over what the tabloids said. The day was relatively clear, too, in spite of the ever present smog that hung over downtown Kezan. A nice day for a walk. Rays of yellow, tropical sunlight filtered through the grey cloud layer. Numli stepped over a few oily puddles as he crossed the streets of downtown Kezan.
He was almost to his new neighborhood when an unfamiliar car pulled up by the curb. Three goblins sat in the car, two in the front seat and one in the back. "Hey, Buckspanner!" The driver called, beckoning him with one finger. One look at the goblins told Numli who they worked for. Between the scars, the gang colors, and the tattoos, it was all too clear that they were with the mob. "Boss wants to see you. Get in."
"Sorry, I'm busy." Numli answered, turning his back on the goblins in the car and strolling away. They followed him slowly in the car, hugging the curb.
"This is serious." The goblin in the backseat said. "Boss wants to know where his money is."
"I have it. Stop bothering me." Numli snapped, still walking. He didn't look any of them in the eyes.
The driver sighed deeply. He was a tall goblin with most of his body elaborately tattooed. "Listen, buddy. Just get in the damn car so we don't have to beat you up."
"As if you could." Numli sneered, finally deigning to look at the goblins in the car. "Anyways, it's only been ten months. You just tell your boss to hold his damn horses. I'll have the money."
The driver stared at Numli incredulously. He brought the car to a screeching halt. "Looks like he's not coming quietly, boys." Numli kept walking. Behind him, the driver killed the engine. Car doors slammed and boots clattered on pavement. Numli stopped in his tracks. He turned around to face his attackers. The driver cracked his knuckles, pointy yellow teeth bared. Slowly, Numli reached for the switchblade inside his coat. As soon as he moved to grab his knife, though, the other two goblins pulled theirs. "Listen, we're giving you one more chance. Get in the car and we won't have to rip up that pretty face o' yers."
"I told you mooks to step off." Numli flipped open his switchblade. "You suckers really gonna assault me in broad daylight?"
"Don't see why not." The driver replied, cracking his neck. "What Boss wants, he gets."
Numli didn't even have time to respond. The two knife-wielding goblins suddenly rushed from both sides. Numli quickly ducked and sidestepped, just in time to feel the knife blades slash by his face. With a swift kick to the groin, he incapacitated the first goblin. Numli watched as his victim fell to his knees, gasping in pain and clutching his crotch.
The second goblin stepped over his friend, brandishing his knife showily. He took a few quick jabs at Numli, all of which barely missed him. With a quick slash at the knife wielder's hand, Numli forced him to drop his blade. The knife wilder hissed in pain, clutching his wounded hand. The blade spun across the pavement, coming to a stop several feet away. Numli grinned, moving to stab the knife wielder a second time.
Then, all of a sudden, the third goblin, the heavily tattooed driver, appeared next to Numli. The driver seized him from behind, grabbing him under the arms. Numli's switchblade dropped from his hand. Growling in anger, the knife wielder dashed up and punched Numli hard in the face. A sickening snap rang in Numli's ears. Pain radiated across his skin from the break, sinking down into his skull. Blood dribbled from his nostrils. The driver hauled the struggling Numli down the sidewalk and shoved him in the backseat of the car. Numli landed face down against the red vinyl.
"Hold him down. Make sure he doesn't try anything funny." The driver hissed, leaping over the car door into the front seat. The other two goblins piled in the back, pushing Numli's broken nose into the hot vinyl and tying his hands. His face was alight with screaming pain, searing his skin and making his eyes water. Numli struggled violently against his attackers, but to no avail. The car rumbled to life beneath them. "Be careful now. Boss wants him in one piece."
Numli's blood matched the cherry vinyl perfectly.
'Alizz Fizzlebolt Gunning for Trade Princess'! 'Fizzlebolt's Ambitions Revealed – Gallywix unafraid'. 'Fizzlebolt – Determined or Stupid'?
Alizz shuffled through the tabloids laid out of her coffee table. All day, she'd been hounded by reporters. They followed her around at work, while shopping. A few of them even tried to tail her into the bathroom. The tabloids were splashed with black and white pictures of her from the press conference. Every headline announced her intent. More than a few questioned her ability. After all, what did a young goblin in her twenties know about running a trade cartel? Gallywix, one publication claimed, didn't even know who she was. Another claimed he openly laughed when he heard her announcement. With a swipe of her hand, Alizz scooped the tabloids up and dumped them in the garbage.
She sank down into the couch, covering her face with her palm. Even in the silence of her house she could feel every goblin in Kezan laughing at her, like a million tiny needles. She didn't even really want to be Trade Princess. What was so good about running the cartel anyway? Sure, there was the fame, the fortune, the power, but you always had rivals gunning for your job and assassins gunning for your head. Even worse than the mocking tabloids, though, was the fact that Numli hadn't called. He hadn't spoken to her all day. The longer Alizz sat there, the more she thought he'd done this on purpose – convinced her to propose herself as a candidate for Trade Princess just to make her look like a fool. That was it. He'd made a fool of her on purpose.
The doorbell buzzed. Slowly, Alizz staggered up off the couch. Every part of her felt like death and misery. She lurched toward the front door, fully expecting another cache of reporters eager to mock her and take unflattering photographs. "I don't really feel like answering questions right now." She said aloud before even opening the door. "So if you could come back tomorrow, I'd appreciate it."
"I ain't here to ask questions." A voice said on the other side of the door. Alizz's eyes snapped open. Quickly, she jerked the door open. Outside on the porch stood Numli, looking several degrees worse than Alizz had ever seen him. He half-leaned on the door frame, dried blood covering his nose and chin. He flashed an apologetic smile at her, an expression that seemed entirely grotesque with the bright red blood staining his pointed teeth. "Sorry for droppin' in on ya, toots, but I was wonderin' if I could borrow a bandage."
"What happened to you?" Alizz murmured, staring in shock at the blood on his face. Purple bruises were beginning to form on his chin and forehead, especially around his nose, which looking more crooked than usual. Numli sniffed and fresh blood oozed out of his nostrils. Brown droplets dotted his white dress shirt. Tenderly, Alizz reached out and touched his cheek. "Your nose is broken, isn't it?"
"Gee, is it that obvious?" Numli responded, giving a wheezy chuckle. Alizz drew back her hand, blushing a fierce green. She stepped out of the way of the door so he could enter. Numli walked inside, looking around curiously at the inside of her home. "Nice place ya got, toots. I guess ya like antiques?"
"Daddy collected them. I inherited the villa after he died." Alizz answered, staring down at her feet. "I didn't really feel like buying all new furniture, so I just left it."
Numli grinned again. "No, I kinda like it. Looks cozy." He turned around to face her, wiping his nose on the back of his hand. His hands were streaked with crusty blood. "Ya got a bathroom I could use, Liz?"
Alizz frowned at him. "That looks like a serious break. You need to go to the hospital, Numli."
"What, I ain't welcome here?" He asked, laughing a little. His laughs were more nasal than usual, thanks to the break. "I never liked hospitals much anyway."
Alizz sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You can clean up here, but I'm taking you to a hospital." She lowered her hand, glaring at him poisonously. "And…to be honest, no, you 'ain't' welcome. I didn't even want to see you tonight. Bathroom's upstairs, third door on the right. Hurry up and get clean."
Numli's grin faded. He stared at her quizzically, cocking his head slightly. "Hell. Yer really mad, ain'tcha, toots?" He took a few steps forward. "Listen, I didn't know they were gonna roast ya in the papers like they did. Ya know…if it was me, I would have said you'd be a good Trade Princess. Anyone's better than that fat pig Gallywix."
Alizz's face burned with rage. She stormed up to Numli and slapped him hard across the face. Numli hissed, clutching his broken nose. "You don't think I can do it either! I'm only just a degree better than Gallywix, huh?" Alizz squealed, hot tears suddenly running down her face. "I can't believe you convinced me to do this! Now I'm the laughing stock of all Kezan and it's all your fault!"
Numli's eyes watered with pain. "Geez, woman!" He spat, tenderly holding his nose. "What's gotten into you?"
"Have you even read what they wrote about me in those horrible rags?"
"Yes, I did! I read everything!" Numli growled, teeth clenched. "And ya know what, toots? It wasn't that bad. Grow a thicker skin, would ya? Geez. I never knew women were so fucking sensitive. Hell, if I knew that, I never woulda gotten involved with you." He turned suddenly, not allowing her to respond, and stumbled up the foyer staircase. Alizz stood there in middle of the foyer, alone, listening to him mutter as he ascended the staircase and ducked into the bathroom. Her face burned with tears, frustration, and embarrassment. She wiped at the tears with her hands, but they kept coming. Upstairs, she could hear Numli crashing through the medicine cabinets and running the faucet. Slowly, she sank to her knees. Upstairs, the sound of the faucet cut off and she was left in silence.
Alizz was still on her knees when Numli came back down the stairs. He'd scrubbed all the dried blood off his face, but there were still many purple-blue bruises where he'd been struck. A dark mark where she'd slapped him was still visible on his cheek. He'd managed to snap his nose back into place, but it still looked weirdly off kilter. He saw her from the top of the stairs and let out a deep sigh. She looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red from crying. "I'm sorry." She sniffled, looking away to hide her inelegant blubbering. "I've just been so frustrated."
"Yeah, well, you shouldn'ta slapped me. Geez." Numli sighed, descending the staircase. He offered her his hand. Alizz took it and pulled herself up off the floor. "Stop crying now. You said you were gonna drive me to the hospital, right?"
"If we're supposed to be rivals…" Alizz muttered, still not daring to look him in the face, "…we probably shouldn't be seen together. If people see you leaving my house…"
Numli sighed again. "Listen, the only reason I came here is because your place was closer and I wanted to explain about the tabloids. I can just go home and drive myself to the hospital if ya want."
Alizz looked up at him finally. "Who did that to you, anyway?"
"Oh, no one. I owe a guy some money. You know how it is." Numli replied nonchalantly. "I've had worse. I can fix it up myself. Really don't need a doctor."
"Of course you need a doctor! How can you just 'fix it up yourself'? What if you get infected with something?"
"Eh, it's never happened before. I'll deal with that when I get to it." He glanced around, tapping his foot impatiently. "So? You gonna drive me or what?"
Alizz sniffled , rubbing her eyes. "How much do you owe?"
"What?"
"The guy who broke your nose. How much do you owe him?"
Numli glanced around awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well…I've been making payments. So my debt oughta be down to, I dunno, two hundred thou? Maybe a little less." He looked at her curiously. "Why do ya ask, toots?"
Alizz said nothing. She disappeared into the living room and reclaimed her purse. Pulling out her checkbook, she quickly scribbled down a check for two hundred thousand macaroons made out to Numli. Tearing it off, she walked back into the next room and proffered it to him. He stared down at the check, hesitating. "So you don't get hurt again." Alizz murmured, shaking the check at him.
Numli took it from her, frowning deeply at the slip of paper. "Lizzie…you don't have to."
"You won't let me take you to a hospital. I don't want you to get hurt again."
Numli grinned. "You can take me to a hospital if you really want to, but…damn. Are you sure you wanna give me this?"
"It's my apology for slapping you."
For a moment, silence. Then all of a sudden, Numli burst out laughing. Alizz looked up, face hot with shame. Numli wheezed with mirth. In one fluid motion, he ripped the check in half and let it fall to the floor. Alizz gaped at him, her eyes jumping between his face and the ripped check. He affectionately ruffled her hair. "Yer a good kid, Lizzie. Sheltered as hell, but good." Numli chuckled. "I couldn't take money from such a sweet girl."
"But…but…"
"You just drive me to the hospital, doll. We can take the back entrance so no one sees." He smiled sweetly at her. Alizz's heart fluttered in her chest. "We can sort everything out later. Whaddaya say?"
Alizz gazed at him for a moment. Her face felt as though it was on fire. How could he just forgive her so easily? She reached out and pulled him into a tight hug. Surprisingly, he hugged back, gently squeezing her shoulders and stroking her hair.
"Sounds good to me, Nums."
