Were All Animals

by Mima

  “Fuck!” Maggie shouted while simultaneously started to cry harder. “I don’t know where she is! She’s not at my dad’s and she didn’t go home. And if she’s not with you, where is she? Oh my God, she’s so crazy, what if she went to some stranger’s house. She doesn’t know the city, Chase-

  “Why don’t you call the police?” Jolene interrupted and walked over to join them, having just dropped a massive stuffed animal, the entire room looked like a combination of a child’s birthday party and a luxurious, naughty night in. Sex toys that he hadn’t even known existed were placed throughout the venue, not to mention candy dishes of condoms to keep things ‘sanity’, a creepy kind of reality that he tried not to think about as he helped Jolene create this ultimate fantasy environment that women paid big money to experience. It felt like the most unlikely atmosphere to have this particular conversation.

  “Maybe you should go to the police,” Chase added as he glanced around the room. “I don’t think we want them coming here, though.”

  “Good point, we take you to the police. Maybe talk to them and see, yes?” Jolene’s words were strong, showing the assertiveness needed in this kind of situation. “I’m sure she is fine but, I don’t know. Maybe if everyone text her, she will reply to someone.”

  “I texted her a thousand times and she hasn’t replied,” Maggie was insistent, she stopped crying and was now panicky. “I shouldn’t have said those awful things to her, I was horrible to her the other day.”

  “Maggie,” Jolene spoke calmly, although Chase was sure he heard a condescending tone underneath her expressions of concern. “We all get upset sometimes. It does not mean the world eats us, it means we are upset. She’s not a little child.”

  Chase had to admit that Jolene had a point. Kelsey could be erratic and emotional but she wasn’t a moron either. Perhaps they weren’t giving her enough credit. As much as he wanted to find her to make sure she was okay, he also didn’t think it was necessary to assume the worst. It seemed a tad dramatic, then again, maybe he was being too casual?

  “She’s my sister, you don’t understand,” Maggie responded like a child herself, causing Chase to be apprehensive and decided to say nothing. “What if she’s hurt?”

  “You will learn if she is, but for now why make assumes that she’s in danger?”

  Neither of them corrected Jolene’s grammar. Although she insisted that they did in order to improve her English, she always got defensive and angry when they tried.

  “Chase, can you text her?” Jolene calmly asked. “Give me her number, I text her too.”

  “She doesn’t know you,” Maggie reminded her.

  “I do not care, Maggie,” Jolene spoke her name in the usual disdainful tone. “I will tell her who I am and to let us know she’s okay.”

  “She won’t reply.” Maggie insisted but gave her Kelsey’s number, while Chase sent out a pleading text for her to let them know she was fine.

  “Ok, I will text too.” Jolene concentrated on her phone, something she did when texting. She spoke and wrote slowly at times, self-conscious of making errors, although no one seemed to mind when she did. “There. She will respond.”

  “She’s not going to-

  “Ah, there she is,” Jolene cut off Maggie. “She says, ‘I am fine. Tell them to leave me alone’.”

  Chase and Maggie exchanged looks. Jolene turned the phone toward them to prove her point, Kelsey’s number showed up clearly, as did her reply.

  “Now,” Jolene continued, “Can we please get back to work. We have a lot to do. Unless, Maggie, you have another emergency?”

  Looking crestfallen, Maggie shook her head no. She was in charge of picking up supplies and Jolene added more to her list before she exited the venue.

  “That Maggie,” Jolene shook her head as she pulled a second love seat into the centre of the room, creating a ‘space for intimate conversation’, “A good worker but too dramatic. Young girls, always are too dramatic.” She stopped and rolled her eyes. “I was too but one day I saw that nothing is worth it.”

  Chase nodded. He couldn’t disagree with that statement. He didn’t understand why women made such uncomplicated situations difficult when most things in life were simply a matter of problem and solution. You had a problem, you solved it. You didn’t like something, you changed it. You weren’t happy, you find happiness. He got that women were wired differently and overthought things, but it seemed like a waste of time to him. Then again, maybe he should’ve given more thought to things. Perhaps that was the balance between men and women he decided.

  “What happened, Chase?” Jolene asked, after moving the chair slightly to the right, she sat down. “I need a break. So, what happened? Mr. Jacobs, tell me a story. Make it a good, I’ve had a long week.”

  Grinning he joined her in the ‘intimate conversation’ area, sitting beside her in another plush chair that was a pricey rental from a business that was usually quite happy to see them arrive. The Latino man would actually clap his hands and bow when they walked in his door. “Well, hello Ms. Silva! What a pleasure to see you again!” They would give a rushed kiss on each cheek, then get right to business. Chase remained quiet.

  “There was a bit of a ruckus the other night,” He said and immediately noticed a curious look on her face. Realizing that it ‘ruckus’ probably wasn’t a word she was familiar with, he corrected himself “I mean, there was a bit of…drama, as you put it.”

  “I gather, so tell me more…”

  Chase hesitated for a moment, glanced toward the door as if Maggie might still be there and launched into the detailed story. Jolene looked intrigued, reacting to every tidbit; giggling when he told of Kelsey meeting him naked, about Maggie showing up with her ‘friend’ and then the blowout, followed by what he learned about the Telip girls’ childhood. She pouted with the story’s conclusion.

  “Well, I do understand now. Kelsey left because she was embarrassed,” Jolene spoke evenly. “She puts on a good act but she felt stupid and maybe, a little awkward for not telling you the truth sooner. Maybe even a bit jealous of your friendship with her sister, even though it is just friendship, you know?”

  Chase nodded and considered her words.

  “I think it will blow over,” Jolene nodded and Chase joined her. “It’s sister stuff. But the molesting thing, it does explain a lot. There’s a lot, how do you say, weird things with Maggie. She’s not okay but at least you know why. I do too, I guess, so that’s good.”

  “How did you get Kelsey to respond to your text so fast, by the way?”

  “I told her I might be hiring again,” Jolene gave a mischievous grin. “And that you recommend her.”

  “I did?”

  “Of course not but she will meet us later today, so you can talk to her.” Jolene insisted. “I get the job done, as they say.”

  “I guess so.”

  “Every problem has a solution and sometimes, those solutions aren’t necessarily as complicated as we like to think,” She raised an eyebrow as an older man walked in the door. “There’s the owner of this place,” she gestured in his direction. “I must talk to him about something, you can finish arranging things here, you know what I want, yes?”

  “Sure,” Chase rose from his seat and got back to work. Trying to arrange furniture and setting up for an event while wearing a suit was hardly his idea of comfort but considering she was doing the same in heels and a dress, he wasn’t about to complain. Jolene was all about having a professional image and she insisted that this was something that could be lost in a second. He learned a lot from her and actually, she was probably the best boss he ever had. Even this situation with Kelsey, she calmly and rationally knew how to resolve it.

  Kelsey dropped in later that morning, looking fresh and together as she pulled her suitcase behind her as if she was a gypsy with no place to go. Wearing a similar outfit as previously, he was
relieved that she wasn’t dressed like a teenager hanging out at the mall all weekend but rather an adult woman. Not that he thought Jolene was even remotely interested in hiring her but he still wanted her to look respectable in front of his boss, who judged people harshly at times. Also, he knew she already didn’t like Maggie and hoped her impression of Kelsey would be better.

  “Hey Chase,” She spoke casually, as Jolene watched her from the corner of her eye across the room, where she and the venue owner were making sure a special swing was firmly supportive for ‘the girls’. He didn’t ask and in a way, preferred not to know; the early intrigue of working for female sex parties wore off quickly for him.

  Not aware that they were being watched, Kelsey shrugged out of her lady-like coat, that reminded Chase of the one Jolene owned and displayed a figure fitting leopard print blouse and tight black pants, leading to a long pair of sleek boots with heels. She plunked down on the chair that Jolene was using earlier that morning, only briefly glancing around the room but appearing unmoved by the setup. “What’s up?”

  “I could ask you the same.”

  “I was out, discovering the city,” She replied as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about disappearing for a few days. “So did you fuck Maggie?”

  This question came up as Jolene started to make her way back to the centre of the room, where Kelsey sat. She made a funny face when she heard Kelsey’s bold question.

  “No, she’s still a lesbian, Kelsey,” Chase spoke firmly, a little insulted by the question.

  Jolene interrupted their moment of hostility, clapping her hands together. “Well, you must be the missing Kelsey that I’m hearing about all morning?” Her voice had some softness in it as she leaned up against the chair arm that was opposite of Kelsey, who suddenly sat up slightly straighter. “I hear you were on an adventure, maybe?”

  “I was exploring.”

  “You look fine,” Jolene commented and glanced toward Chase. “Didn’t I tell you? She’s fine.”

  “I think Maggie thought she might not be,” he calmly remarked.

  “As if she cares,” Kelsey said and rolled her eyes. “Maggie is all about Maggie drama and only Maggie drama.”

  Jolene let out a short laugh. “I like this one, Chase.” She pointed toward Kelsey.

  Kelsey seemed to light up with this comment and turned toward Jolene.

  Chase suddenly realized that it was up to him to make an official introduction. “Oh sorry, Jolene, this is Kelsey and Kelsey, this is my boss, Jolene.”

  “Pleasure,” Jolene rose from her seat and reached out to shake Kelsey’s hand. “Nice to meet you.

  “You too,” Kelsey looked slightly enamored by the attention and Chase realized that there may be a reason for that; she didn’t get a lot of it, at least, not that easily.

  “You and I, we must talk,” She gestured toward the door. “Chase we are going to go for a coffee across the street. We will be back soon.”

  Kelsey looked stunned but quickly jumped up from her seat and grabbed her coat and suitcase.

  “You can leave that here, Chase will be here and will look after it.” Jolene pointed at the luggage and Kelsey mindlessly let go. “Ok?” She turned her attention to Chase.

  Nodding, he replied. “Yeah, sure. Jolene, can you grab me a coffee on your way back?”

  “I grab you lunch on the way back,” She winked at him and led Kelsey toward the door.

  He wasn’t sure what was going on, but something told him that Jolene had something up her sleeve. Regardless, he suspected that Maggie wouldn’t like it.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Where Kelsey had been for those unaccounted for days, Chase would never know. He suspected Jolene had the answer but decided to leave it alone. The less he asked, the less he knew. Eventually, Maggie would bombard him with questions and it was better if he had nothing to tell her. He had his own family drama.

  It was that same afternoon, after rushing around with Jolene and eventually going home for a quick nap before the party began, that he received a call from Audrey. She hardly ever picked up the phone to reach out to him, usually preferring to communicate through text, Skype for the kids, he immediately sensed something was wrong. He was right.

  “Albert is moving in,” She referred to her boyfriend who had suddenly appeared in the picture shortly after the couple officially broke up. Chase had his suspicions that Albert had actually been around before but didn’t care. It was water under the bridge. Even this piece of news didn’t really concern him, other than how it would affect his children.

  “What about the boys?”

  “He loves them.”

  “Are you sure he’s…okay?”

  “What do you mean by ‘okay’?” Audrey spoke with a tinge of offensive in her voice. “What are you implying, Chase?”

  “I mean, he’s not….fucked up or anything?”

  “More than you, you mean?” Audrey asked as bitterness crept in. “Does he fuck other women on the side, take off all hours of the day or night? No, Chase, he’s not ‘fucked up’.”

  Ignoring her suggestion, he continued, “I mean he’s not, you know, too friendly with the kids?”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I was thinking of someone who recently told me about being molested as a kid-

  “Oh, you were talking to Kelsey and Maggie?” She asked nonchalantly, her frustration seemed to dissolve. “Chase, I’m a professional counselor, I think I would know the signs. Albert isn’t a pedophile if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

  He cleared his throat and said nothing. Closing his eyes, he felt a surge of mixed emotions; relief that the kids would have a father figure around, yet disappointment that he was about to be replaced by another man.

  “Chase, this really is for the best,” Audrey spoke up as if sensing his concern. “Trust me, this will work out. Just be available to the kids if they need you.”

  That was the concern. He didn’t think they did.

  “Did you just find out about Maggie and Kelsey? I thought one of them would’ve told you long ago, where you’re so…close.” She changed the topic and in a way, Chase was kind of glad. He felt a heaviness in his chest when they talked about the kids and welcomed moving away from the topic. It was too much to deal with right at that moment, with a lack of sleep and too much caffeine in his system. He knew Audrey saw him as nothing more than a sperm donor; an absentee father who was a child support payment away from being irrelevant.

  “Ah yeah, I had no idea.”

  “Kelsey told me about that a while ago around the time she was babysitting for me, so I assumed you knew,” Audrey explained. “I kind of saw the signs, though, to be honest.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah.”

  Another twinge of hurt stabbed him, causing him to wonder why neither of them felt comfortable talking to him about it, yet Kelsey had been forthcoming with Audrey, who was hardly a friend. He didn’t verbalize his concerns but instead ended their conversation with the excuse of having to return to work. It was kind of true.

  Lying on the couch, he felt nausea creeping in, left with an unsettling feeling that filled ever corner of his body, he realized that his busy lifestyle was merely masking these unsettled emotions that he hadn’t wanted to deal with for so long. Losing his father, his lack of a relationship with the man who had brought him up and here he was, being the exact same parental figure to his kids. The difference being that his father was physically in the same house while he grew up but was he ever really there at all? He never stood up for Chase nor did he really show any involvement as a parent. Like father, like son. Chase hadn’t really been ‘there’ for his kids either, except for those months he was jobless while Audrey went out to work.

  Then again, he couldn’t go back to Hennessey. Even if he did, the kids had adopted their new father
and he was more stable than Chase had ever been. Was it better to leave things as they were or did that make him a terrible father? He considered contacting his sister to talk about it, but clearly, she wasn’t available to him. Since moving to Calgary, they met only once and it was strained and awkward. She brought her boyfriend, who stared at Chase as if he were a freak show and neither had ever suggested meeting up again.

  His former life was crumbling and even though he had hoped to have a clear path between his past and future, sometimes that wasn’t possible.

  The day floated on into the evening and after a shower, shave and change clothes, Chase was back to work at the same venue he had helped Jolene set up early that same morning. He was tired but it didn’t really matter. This was the easy part of his job. He simply had to let women into the event, comparing their special cards to a list of names, in case someone tried to sneak in with a fake one. Things were pretty underground, so the majority of people weren’t even aware that this kind of event even existed. They moved cities so quickly, most not willing to talk about their experience, therefore keeping it a small, selective club. He noted that many were from out of town, often from neighboring cities and provinces, probably to keep animosity. The women were beautiful, though; it was rare that someone unattractive slipped through the doors and although this was an enticing concept to him early on, it seemed to fade as the weeks and months went on.

  The only unfortunate thing was that their parties ran really late. Sometimes until 6 in the morning, depending on how late guests decided to stay. He wanted to get home and sleep but was stuck guarding the door for the night, in case there was any trouble or some random person attempting to get in. Occasionally, Jolene would watch over things and allow him a break but their staff was quite limited. Bartenders tended to belong to the establishment they used for the parties, however, the staff was asked to sign a confidentiality agreement, promising to keep quiet about what took place; although most were used to that anyway. The staff was also monitored carefully to make sure they wouldn’t do or say anything to make Jolene’s clients feel uncomfortable.