by Mima
It was around 1 AM that night when Jolene rushed out and grabbed Chase by the arm, abruptly pulling him inside. Knowing the door locked automatically so that no one could wander in once he left the entrance, his concern was why she was silently dragging him through the event. She had been clear that he was to never see what happened inside these parties, so obviously something was very wrong. He could see it in her eyes.
Although rushed, he did see a lot as she pulled him through. For a moment, he was stunned; while many women were simply talking, touching an arm or hand of another lady, things didn’t look as raunchy as he originally imagined. However, the deeper they got inside the bar, the more that changed. A stripper was dancing around a pole to Pour Some Sugar on Me, completely naked except for a pair of thongs, while women watched, one suddenly jumped on stage with her and although he knew Jolene wouldn’t like that, she clearly was concerned with something else, as she continued to pull him through the crowd.
That’s when it got weird. The things he thought would be a turn on and make him weak in the knees, actually kind of made him feel awkward. Women were making out, some were openly using sex toys, unaware that he was even passing through, locked in their own desire while others watched, finding pleasure in what they viewed. Women were going down on one another in dark corners of the bar, many areas set up in advance for ‘some privacy’ but clearly, not that much. The entire thing was like a sexual zoo that seemed to get more and more bizarre as they moved through. Stuffed animals were a little weird for him, as were some of the toys in use, but he averted his eyes only to have something overhead grab his attention. It was Kelsey. Naked and on the swing that Jolene had put so much care into having installed earlier that day.
Oh, fuck!
Deciding that it was better to pretend he hadn’t seen that, he felt mixed emotions about her role in the night, deciding silence was the answer more and more in his life.
The lights were brighter as they wandered down a hallway that led to the ladies’ washroom; although that particular night, women were free to use either washroom, since other than occasional male staff, only women attended these parties.
Maggie met them, dressed professionally in a form-fitting red skirt and blazer, a look of horror on her face that told him that something was very wrong.
Oh, fuck.
She moved aside with a pleading look in her eyes as he passed and Jolene’s hand seemed to grow tighter around his wrist. They entered the ladies room, to find a young woman passed out on the floor, with what appeared to be vomit running down her face and chin. She was as white as a ghost and his first assumption was that she was dead.
“Chase, the cocaine, it took her,” Jolene commented as he glanced from the lifeless woman on the floor to those who stood around; one he recognized as the owner of the establishment but there was also an unfamiliar woman crying, he assumed she was a friend or someone who had discovered the unconscious woman. The owner had been asking her some questions and ushered her out.
“Chase, you must take her out of here,” Jolene was clearly distressed. “Take her to the hospital.”
He apprehensively touched the woman’s skin, it wasn’t cold but it wasn’t exactly warm either. “Is she alive?” Chase searched for her pulse and thought he found one, but then again, was that wishful thinking on his behalf? Was that his own heart pounding through his chest, forcing blood to rapidly move through his body that he was feeling, as his shaking fingers pressed into her neck. She was a thin brunette, dark curly hair disheveled, drool was running into her ear, while the stench of vomit was strong. He noted some was on her thin, purple top.
“But shouldn’t we call-
“No no no! We cannot,” Jolene abruptly shook her head and the establishment owner joined in, leaning down to look Chase in the eye.
“No man, we can’t have that kind of attention,” he was insistent. You got to get her out of here. Take her out the back.”
“Is your car there, Chase?” Jolene appeared more upset. “I come with you.”
“No no, you gotta stay here,” The owner insisted, while Chase decided to ignore both of them and carefully slid his arms under the woman and pulled her off the ground. Her head fell back with such abrupt force, he was frightened she was dead. Her body was so light, yet there was a heaviness that could be felt surrounding her as if she were an angel with cast iron wings.
“I’ll take her, but what do I say.”
“You found her outside.” Jolene insisted. “I’ve done this before, trust me.”
“You saw her outside when you were driving down the road, heading to the bar down the street,” The venue owner gestured toward the door. “She was on the sidewalk. You saw her and stopped the car, grabbed her and brought her to the hospital.”
“You didn’t call 911 cause you feared it would take too long,” Jolene added. “But she wasn’t here, you weren’t working, I don’t care, do not tell them she was here. We don’t want an investigation.”
Chase nodded and without saying a word, rushed toward the back emergency exit, rushing into the silence of the night. He quickly located his car and at first, hadn’t realized Jolene was right behind him.
“I help.” She grabbed his keys, opening the door and helping him get the woman inside. Although she continued to show calmness, it was clear a great deal of anxiety was lingering in the wings; she was scared.
“Chase, I trust you,” Her eyes were glossy as if tears were being fought off. “Okay?”
He nodded and jumped in the car, wasting no time getting on the road and speeding to the hospital. Fortunately, it was close, so the story that he felt it would be faster to bring her there than to wait for an ambulance seemed likely.
Arriving at the emergency, he flew into a parking spot and threw the car into park, jumped out, pulled the strange woman out the passenger side and ran into the emergency room. After repeating his rehearsed story of finding her on the sidewalk nearby, he was asked to go to the waiting room until the police arrived to talk to him. In the combination of rushed staff and lack of people around to notice during that late hour, he managed to slip out the door and back to his car. There, he felt his emotions pulling him down. No longer on the high of adrenaline, he felt overcome by anxieties, weak as he glanced at the now empty passenger seat and worried that the stranger was possibly dead. There had been much concern when he brought her in but something told him that being dressed in a suit and tie probably gave his story more credit than had he walked in wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Now he understood Jolene’s logic.
He managed to calm himself enough to drive back to the event, although he felt like a zombie, as he made his way through the streets and finally, the same parking spot he had before his rushed trip to emergency.
Chase sat in his car for a long time. Frozen, he was unable to move and felt a sense of calmness flow through him, while pain shot through his arms, an undeniable ache that resembled that after hours at the gym, begging for a hot shower and to sleep. But would he ever be able to sleep again?
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
“It is something I should’ve told you before,” Jolene spoke as the two sat at the bar, long after the patrons had left, as the sun began to peek through the morning skies. They were all tired. The venue owner, Bob, was behind the bar and had poured them each a shot after an eventful night. Maggie, Kelsey, and the others were now long gone, Jolene insisting that they discuss this incident later. Chase wished more than anything that he was home in his own bed but at the same time, didn’t know if he would be able to sleep even though exhaustion was overwhelming his body. He felt as though he was slowly shutting down, each limb was heavy, his back was starting to ache and there was a sharp pain traveling from behind his eyes to his ear, that were impossible to ignore.
“It does not happen often but sometimes,” She pointed in the general direction of the washrooms and although it felt like Jolene was a
bout to say more, her words suddenly halted and Chase felt as though he could lay his head on the bar and sleep. He wanted to talk about this but more than anything, he wanted to leave.
“Many bar owners will tell you the same thing,” The older man with a touch of gray in his hair spoke matter-of-factly to Chase as if he were a part of their inside clique that was allowed to know this secret information. He was also wearing a shirt and tie, something Jolene would’ve insisted on, although Chase noted the tie was now loose as if he welcomed the moment when he could take it off completely. Women didn’t understand how constrictive and uncomfortable they could be; like a symbolic noose around your neck, much like a collar you would put around an animal, just before you took him for a walk.
When Chase didn’t reply, Bob appeared slightly awkward and continued to talk. “It can fuck your business if you have this kind of attention on it, especially if the person dies. People want to blame the bar even though it’s not the bar’s fault. Customers sneak it in.”
Chase nodded in silence and stared at his empty shot glass. He got that but having worked for Bud, he knew that a lot of seedy things took place at a bar; in fact, Chase knew that more than anyone else. Chances were good that this guy was hardly the innocent victim of any accusations but at that moment, he didn’t care either. He wondered what happened to the girl. He worried that someone spotted him leave and maybe he was caught on camera. There was no way he could justify leaving when he was specifically asked to stay and talk to the police.
Maybe that was the key word; asked. No one told him he couldn’t leave but then again, that wasn’t exactly their job either.
“What about the girl?” Chase spoke up. “Will she tell the cops?”
“That she was at a girl on girl bar? Probably not.” The man behind the bar snickered while his eyes were self-consciously glancing toward Jolene as if looking for assurance.
“No, she will not tell,” Jolene insisted. “When the payment is made, there is a form that they must click ‘yes’ to before they can move forward. It states that no drugs are to be brought on the premise.”
“Does anyone actually read those things before they sign?” The bar owner asked with a smirk on his face, as he leaned forward, almost seductively glancing over Jolene’s body.
“It does not matter. It is all our words over hers anyway. We say no, we did not find her.” Jolene insisted. “Worst case, if they find out about the party, Chase can say he had to leave the party to get something and that’s when he saw her outside. She was taking drugs, no one will believe her and no one saw anything at the bar.”
“What about the woman that was in the bathroom?” Chase suddenly remembered her frightened face.
“She will not talk.” Jolene sat up a little straighter. “I talk to her. It’s taken care of.”
A chill ran through him that he chose to ignore. He wasn’t sure if he knew all the details but he also knew that it was better to not ask. The worst possible situation was that he would be caught in a lie but chances were good that the police didn’t have time for every OD case they ran into on the weekends, unless….
“What if she dies?” Chase couldn’t help but ask the question that had been lingering all evening.
“She will not die, Chase,” Jolene assured him. “She got to the hospital. She will be fine.”
He didn’t speak and neither did the venue owner.
It was well after 7 AM when he finally arrived back to his building. Turning the corner to his apartment, he was surprised to find Kelsey sitting outside his door, tapping vigorously on her phone. She suddenly looked up and quickly jumped off the floor. Her eyes widened as she began to talk but he immediately put up a hand to indicate that she stop.
“Kelsey, I’m exhausted and it’s been a really long night, can we talk tomorrow?”
“Chase, were you there when that girl died?” Kelsey shot back as he froze, his key halfway into the lock. “She died, right? You got rid of the body, right?”
“Kelsey,” He laughed in part because of his exhaustion and in part because of the absurdity of the question, followed by the relief of knowing that the stranger’s death was an assumption, rather than a fact. “She’s not dead, she Oded and I rushed her to the hospital. Where do you get this stuff?”
“Maggie said she didn’t look good when you took her away.”
“She didn’t look good but most people don’t when they’ve Oded, Kels,” he pushed his apartment door open and noted that she made herself at home, walking into the apartment despite the fact that he was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. “But I assure you, she was alive when I got to the hospital.”
“Did you stick around?” She asked as he closed the door behind them.
“No.”
“Can I stay?” She pointed toward the couch.
Shrugging, he threw his keys on the island separating the kitchen and living room and walked toward the bathroom. After throwing some water on his face and looking into his own red eyes in the mirror, he felt the miseries of the night creep up on him as he slowly recalled the events that would forever be etched in his memory. What if that woman died? It was completely possible, wasn’t it? He chose not to think of it and sensed that this would be a dark chapter in his life that he’d never truly be able to put in the past.
Slowly opening the door, he was relieved to see Kelsey settled on the couch as he made his way to bed. Undressing, leaving on only a pair of boxers, he climbed into bed and closed his eyes. Expecting that he would immediately fall into a peaceful sleep, instead, his mind ran continually as he drifted off. Nighttime visions of the woman’s corpse in his car, decomposing before his eyes inhibited his entire being, as he suddenly awoke, feeling a pleasurable sensation traveling through his groin. His hand reached down and he felt a face. It was Kelsey sucking his dick. As much as his usual inclination was to tell her to stop, in that moment he had no desire to discourage her, seeking the physical pleasure accompanying as a distraction to the last 24 hours.
His desire built quickly as he sent out a sharp gasp just as she stopped. Moving away, but only briefly while he put on a condom, he could see she was naked as she silently climbed on top of him, she pulled him inside of her and he gasped as a warmth filled his entire body as she moved on top of him, quickly picking up her speed as she moaned loudly, her legs straddling him with such strength that he was unable to move, as waves of pleasure were overwhelming and were welcomed, as his hands reached out to touch her body, squeezing her breasts as she moaned softly, her eyes closed as if she was only focused on finding the pleasure she sought. It happened fast. Really fast. Had she not displayed such clear signs of satisfaction, he would’ve feared that he was the only one who benefited from the encounter. His heart rate still not subsiding as she pulled away from him, a relaxation flowed through him and he craved another encounter with her immediately, even though he knew his limitations; he needed time to recoup.
Without saying a thing, she rose from the bed and went into the bathroom. He closed his eyes for a moment feeling peaceful for the first time in weeks; satisfaction was something he cherished now that he had fewer opportunities to obtain it and he was surprised to not feel guilt or discomfort about having such an intimate encounter with the same girl who used to chase him around Hennessey, practically begging him to sleep with her. It always felt so wrong but at that moment, it felt right.
He wanted to tell her this but when he opened his eyes again, she was gone. Not in his bed. Naked, he jumped up and looked through the apartment to find no trace she had ever been there. Had it been a fantasy? Maybe a dream? Had the anxiety of the night before caused him to create an illusion as an escape?
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he glanced at the clock and saw it was well after noon. He grabbed his phone but as usual, there were no texts. He sent her a message that didn’t mention what happened, just a simple, ‘where are you?’ that would not
be answered. She never answered. Maybe it was her version of silence that gave her a sense of power.
He sent Maggie a message and asked if he could drop by to talk about the previous night. He got a simple ‘OK’ and after a quick shower, he grabbed a banana on the way out the door.
Arriving at Maggie’s apartment, he secretly hoped to find Kelsey but she was nowhere to be seen. Casually, after the two talked about the OD victim from the night before he brought up Kelsey’s name.
“So, Kels is working at parties now?” He carefully entered that forbidden territory and noted Maggie was rolling her eyes.
“Oh, don’t even get me started. That swing thing was her idea. I think Jolene had planned to hire someone to swing naked and I guess Kelsey, being insane Kelsey, decided to volunteer her services.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t say anything.”
“I can’t. Jolene’s the boss and if you hadn’t noticed, she doesn’t like me very much,” Maggie reminded him and shrugged, brushing aside a strand of her hair. She wore no makeup and was dressed in a casual t-shirt and yoga pants. It felt weird to sit across from her and not feel an attraction. At least, one that wasn’t as primal as it used to be when his entire life seemed to be lead by his desires.
“Did you say something to Kelsey?”
“Does it matter, Chase? She doesn’t listen to me.” She shook her head. “I don’t even know where the fuck she is. She was here last night and I woke up today and she was gone.”
Chase shook his head. “She likes to disappear.”
“But where? Where’s she going?” Maggie put the question out that he had wondered too. “I mean, where’s she going in a strange city? Who’s she with? That’s what worries me.”
He nodded and didn’t reply. She hadn’t said a word to him during or after their encounter. Still, he thought he felt something surge between them, something stronger than he would’ve expected but her absence implied it wasn’t mutual.
