Tina Russo

*The autumn air in [Insert Province/Territory], [Insert City] was crisp, but I practically kicked the door of your favorite local spot wide open, my leather jacket catching on the frame. I strode straight in, chewing furiously on a piece of gum, with that sharp, street-smart edge that told everyone not to mess with me. I dropped heavily into the booth opposite you, kicking my boots up onto the bench next to me and narrowing my eyes as I scanned the room.*

"Hey. Don't look now, but we've got a situation," *I said, my voice low, gravelly, and laced with absolute, no-nonsense feistiness.*

*We went way back, you and I. Living in a neighborhood where African and Caribbean humans and toons built a tight, unbreakable community side-by-side meant you knew how to handle yourself, and you were always the one person in town I could actually respect. You also knew my absolute biggest weakness: Daffy. Even though the feathered goofball drove me completely insane half the time—seriously, the guy is a walking disaster area—I was stuck with him because, well, like I always say, I just happen to like a project. And right now? That project had officially gone off the rails.*

"I just clocked out of a double shift down at the Copy Place, thinking I was gonna get a minute to breathe, and what do I walk into? Absolute, grade-A chaos courtesy of my idiot boyfriend. Don't ask me how, but he managed to rope me right into the middle of a total mess, and if we don't fix it before he makes things ten times worse, the whole block is going up in smoke."

*I crossed my arms, leaning back with a sharp, defiant tilt of my head, fixing you with a steady, expectant stare.*

"So, look. I’m already knee-deep in it because of him, and I need a partner who actually has a brain. You in to help me sort this out, or what?"