CIRCO

by Tara Ellis

It had been three hours since the show had closed and Artemis wanted to go out and have a little fun. This was his wife’s home city and he figured she could show him a real good time. She had told him about a place called The Gold House or The Gold Lounge, he couldn’t remember the name exactly. It had gold in the title so he figured it would be interesting. Natalie was already at the club waiting and he was walking out the hotel doors anxious to join her.

  He knew his employees liked to go out and hit the clubs when they were in a major city. He figured he might run into some of them. He wasn’t sure if Timsley would be hitting the bars that night. Artemis thought Timsley was acting very strange since yesterday morning and even throughout today’s performances. But he shook the thought, only concerning himself with happy things to think about.

 

  It was ten pm, Scarlett was standing outside of a Star Bucks holding a cup holder. She had plotted it out before hand; how to approach Artemis, what to say and how to play with his emotions.

  She picked up her IPhone and sent him a picture of her hand holding the little brown bag. Then a text was sent stating “Let’s renegotiate my contract.”

  Not even half a minute later her phone rang. She answered it. The voice on the other line was dry and cold. “Where the hell are you?” asked Artemis.

  She smiled. She knew she had him. “I believe you’re on your way to The Gold Room. You should be passing through the downtown area. Pick me up at the first Star Bucks you see.” She hung up the phone.

  Three minutes later a milky white Maybach pulled onto the curb. The car was worth around four hundred thousand dollars. She stepped in and handed him a cup. He refused and at that Scarlett said “No coffee? Well we can talk as I sip on this macchiato.” She was too coy. They both were in the back seat and it was completely extravagant. The two back passenger seats had individual TV screens in front of them. The passenger seats were separated from the driver seats by a wall of lavish features. It was ridiculous. Options for the seats included heating and massage. There was a little mini refrigerator, where a bottle of Moet was stored. Not only did the windows have tinting but they came with curtains; so a rich man didn’t have to look at the poor. Not really, but that’s how Scarlett perceived it.

  Artemis didn’t want to speak first, so he allowed his stepchild to go. He looked at her, behind those young eyes there was a killer. “How much do you think your little secret is worth to you?”

  “So this is black mail,” he said reassuringly.

  “Of course, what do you think this is?”

  Artemis nodded his head. “No one is going to believe you. You might as well drop this thing while you’re still alive and beg me for forgiveness.”

  “Ah Artemis. I’m not the one in the beggars position right now.” She sipped her drink. “Oh my god that is delicious and besides to a journalist I am an insider with concrete evidence.”

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “We will get to that soon. First I want to share what I have on you.” She brought the cup to her lips and took big gulps.

  “As I was watching the show opener of you and Britney something had caught my eye.” She pulled out her IPhone and showed Artemis the picture of himself with powder in his nose.

  “Thousands of people had already seen that today. You have nothing.”

  “The first portion of that statement might be true. But I also know that you prohibit cameras, cell phones and photography. And there is the chance of who wasn’t paying attention to the monitors at the time. The point is, from an audience member’s point of view it won’t get that far. But when it comes to mine, I have so much more on you.”

  He turned his head away from her, and then she continued. “I knew you would tell your visuals editors to take out the moment you saw yourself on the monitor. So I took free liberty of obtaining the video clip myself. And I have many copies with the names of journalists, news editors and bloggers on them.”

  “I suppose I could upload the clip on the internet myself, if you don’t abide by my rules. But hungry news outlets in this world love to place bids on blockbuster gossip such as this.”

  She spoke in a casual manner as if the heavy conversation was an everyday topic to her. She felt like a big portion of Artemis’s future was in her hands. And she could destroy it with a flick of her wrist. Artemis stayed quit for a moment, hearing her out.

  “I could just see the headliners now. What will your fans think? How will your producers respond? Your toys might get taken off the market. The DVD box sets could be taken off shelves. It could all be utter chaos for your family friendly image.”

  She put her cup down; reached in her coat pocket for her Newport’s and lit one.

  “So this is the real you,” said Artemis.

  She puffed out a thin little cloud out her mouth. “Oh let us not play games over here. You know exactly who I am.”

  “I agree, now tell me exactly what you want.”

  “We are getting to that, but I have to say more… I figured, after seeing the little rock you had stuffed in your nose, that every junkie has a stash somewhere. I went to your dressing room and found the little brown bag.”

  She spoke with her eyes closed and head tilted back as if everything that came out her mouth was so significant. Her swagger irritated Artemis even more to be in her presence.

  “Then I thought, this couldn’t be all, there has to be more. I went through your cell phone and found nothing. So I perused around your personal train car and found a little black book.”

  And at this moment Artemis looked like a deer in the headlights to Scarlett.

  “A little black book filled with names, numbers and addresses, none of which were in your cell. I noticed these numbers originate in Florida and the all names are of Cuban descent. Not to sound racist, but that aroused my suspicion. Then I decided to try a few of the numbers out to test my theory. And guess what I found out Mr. Sebring?”

  She was taunting him in her little childish way. He wanted to send his hand across her face. That would have wiped away her cockiness. But he held his impatience.

  “Every time I would call and ask for cocaine, meth, heroin, weed.” She then points at her stepfather. “Mentioning your name. I could be sold any level of increments from grams to pounds. From the impression they gave me you’re a highly valued costumer. So what is more to say, you maybe associated with a large underground drug cartel.”

  The smirk on her face widen into a smile. “I think I deserve a pat on the back for solving that one.”

  Artemis scoffed. He wanted to hit her; he wanted to fly his fists in her face. “Calm down old man you’ll only make things worse,” he thought.

  She took another sip from her cup and started once more. “I’m very sure it is only you and I that know about your double life. Because let’s face it you don’t have too many people to trust with this secret. Your assistant Steve is a Jesus freak. Britney is a big mouth who loves to gossip. Timsley is a well known drunk that no man would give a secret to. And lastly your wife, my dearest mother,” her voice oozed sarcasm.

  Artemis cut her off to say “Your mother does it too.”

  “Bullshit,” retorted Scarlett. “And I honestly assumed she did at first, because she’s with you. But then I threw that idea out the window. I know my mother. She’s a silly little creature isn’t she? She doesn’t understand the concept of moderation. If she was using it would be very apparent to everyone.”

  “So that only leaves you and me, depending on how nice you want to be with me.” She took a long drag off her cigarette.

  “It depends. What do you want.”

  “Now let’s get down to the business of this conversation. Artemis…” She held her head high once more. “Ever since I have found your little double life I’ve been thinking I deserve more out of this f
ranchise. I’m your biggest headliner so I deserve the biggest respect.”

  “You want a raise?” asked Artemis.

  “Not entirely.”

  “You want more time on stage?”

  “Not entirely.”

  “What do you even mean by that?”

  “Have patience I’m getting to it. First thing I need from you is to fire that little black Barbie doll Joyce. She has no real talent and I am getting tired of her face already.” She then went on and on about Joyce negatively as Artemis said nothing.

  “Second thing on the list and most crucial. You, I, and the rest of the producers will collaborate to establish another series based upon the circus. This time centering on my experiences. A documentary series, if you will.”

  It was a strenuous effort for Artemis to not crack a smile. She was annoyed by Artemis’s silence.

  “I want my own show Artemis. You have the resources. I have the mainstream appeal, it will happen. I know when your next board meeting is. We will enter the room with each other and propose the spin off. Then we will go to the network heads for a time slot. If I don’t get this, I guarantee the rest of your life will be shit.”

  He nodded his head.

  “And lastly, we go back to as things were, like nothing has changed. I ignore everybody and you try to win my affection, like always.”

  “I don’t think I can do that anymore,” said Artemis in a soft grumbling tone.

  “Well you sure as hell better,” snapped Scarlett. “Never tell anyone about this conversation Artemis or I will punish you.”

  Artemis sat thinking for a moment. Scarlett eyes were drilling holes into him.

  “You will get your show,” he says.

  Her eyes didn’t let up.

  “And I won’t say a word; everything will be as it were.” He then turned to Scarlett; the intensity in their gazes was equally matched. “But Joyce will stay.”

  “If she stays your career is over.”

  “I need her.”

  “For what, she is not even true to her craft as a trapeze artist. You been putting the trampoline under her.”

  He interrupted her. “She didn’t know the trampolines were below her.”

  “What!” She burst with over the top laughter. “Are you serious? That is priceless. This whole time you had her believe she was doing something.”

  Artemis cracked his knuckles. He wanted to teach her a lesson for coming at him with such disrespect. But then he thought of the potential outcomes to that scenario. He contained his anger. It was smart not to show the girl any emotion because she would have played on it.

  “Why do you want to keep her around?” said Scarlett “You don’t even have full confidence in this girl.”

  “I have the upmost confidence in Joyce.”

  “It is either this girl or your career Artemis, choose one!”

  Artemis sat there thinking for a moment. He wanted to choose his next words wisely.

  “The truth is, in order for us to venture out with this new endeavor, it is beneficial to have extra money. Joyce is filling the seats in stadiums and in living rooms. You getting rid of her will hurt your chances.”

  He saw her face relax. He was hoping that she went for it.

  “Fine, get that extra capital. But at the end of the season she is gone.”

  Artemis took a long breath of air that was filling with Scarlett’s smoke. He agreed. Artemis felt completely emasculated by a young girl, his own stepdaughter.

  Scarlett stepped out the car and headed for her hotel room. She was full of pride strolling through the night. On her way, her fans would recognize her, call out her name and ask for autographs. And she ignored every one of them.

  So it came to this