by W. J. May
“I guess so.” I looked at the building again and a knot formed in the pit of my stomach. “You sure we won’t get caught?”
She opened the car door and got out. “Just act confident and you’ll be fine. Come on.”
I slid out of the car and locked the doors. “Okay,” I replied, trying not to chicken-out. She’d obviously done something like this before at other bars, so she knew what she was doing.
Clutching my purse tightly, we walked to the front door and found that there wasn’t a line yet.
“Slow night?” asked Susan, handing the bouncer her I.D.
“It’s early,” he replied, looking at the fraudulent card.
“True. I know it gets pretty crazy here at night.”
He didn’t reply.
I stared at him nervously as he looked over her fake I.D. His nametag read “Honi”, and he was bald with a spider web tattoo that wrapped around his neck, and had muscles the size of coconuts on each arm. When he looked up, his dark eyes went directly to mine.
I smiled innocently.
“You’re next, Cupcake,” he said, handing Susan back her I.D.
Cupcake?
I cleared my throat and handed him the I.D., our fingers brushing. His skin was unnaturally cool, even for October, and the brief contact gave me the chills.
He smiled a big, toothy grin. “You nervous?” he asked, his eyes glittering in the darkness.
“No,” I answered, trying to look confident, although I was almost peeing my pants.
He glanced down at the I.D. and then back at me. “Your I.D. doesn’t do you justice, Cupcake.” He smiled and handed me back the I.D. “You’re much better looking in person.”
“Uh, thanks,” I replied, my face turning two shades of pink.
“You two, behave,” he said. “Or we’ll have to get the whips out, and you don’t want that.”
My eyes widened. “Whips?”
He chuckled and looked at Susan. “She always this gullible?”
Susan smirked. “Only after dark.”
His face became serious. “That’s when you have to be the most careful,” he said. “Especially in this place. Pomaika`i, ladies.”
My eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
“Good luck.”
His words made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. “Oh.”
“Uh, thanks,” replied Susan, grabbing my arm and pulling me away.
I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that he was still watching us.
Chapter Five
Chelsey
“That was weird,” said Susan, handing the coat-check girl her jacket.
“I know. But at least he didn’t say anything about the I.D.s,” I whispered.
She slung her purse over her shoulder. “Exactly. Told you everything would be cool.”
I looked down the hallway leading to the dance area. It was dark and the music was so loud, it made my teeth vibrate. “You ready?” I asked, feeling anxious now that we were inside of the club.
“Yeah. Should we get a drink?”
“I’m just drinking soda,” I said, wanting to keep a clear head. I’d had a half-can of beer once, and even that had made me dizzy.
“Suit yourself,” she said. “But I’m having a Cosmopolitan. I’ve always wanted to try one.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a martini.”
“Oh.”
She looped her arm through mine and walked me toward the bar. “We’re undercover, remember? We need to play the part.”
“I can still do that without booze,” I said. “Not everyone drinks alcohol here, I’m sure.”
“Fine, I’ll just tell everyone you’re my sober-cab.”
“Great idea.”
When we entered the main part of the club, I froze in my tracks, amazed at how big the place actually was. Not only did it have two floors, but on the first level, there was an expansive oval bar already crowded with customers, and a dance floor nearby that rivaled my old high school gymnasium. Next to the dance floor was a stage with music equipment from Venom still set up.
“Look.” I pointed at the stage. “I wonder if they’re playing again?”
“The club would have charged us an arm-and-a-leg to get in,” she replied. “Venom doesn’t play for free.”
“I suppose. Too bad. We might have gotten information from them. About Melody.”
“Chances are we wouldn’t have been able to get close to the band, even if they had been playing tonight. I’m sure their security is tight.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.”
A new hip-hop song began to play. “Come on,” hollered Susan as the volume increased. “Let’s get a drink.”
I followed her to the bar, still paranoid that we were going to get caught and land in jail.
“Well, hello there,” said a hot bartender with light brown hair, green eyes, and a lazy smile. “Looks like we have some fresh blood here this evening. Excellent. So, what’s it going to be, lovely ladies?”
Susan smiled. “I’ll have a Cosmopolitan.”
“Great choice,” he turned to me. “And what about you? Same?”
I shook my head and ordered a diet soda.
“Sure you don’t want to add a little rum for fun?” he asked, leaning forward with a twinkle in his eyes.
“No, that’s okay.”
“Suit yourself,” he replied, and then began mixing Susan’s drink.
“So, Brian,” said Susan, staring at his nametag. “I heard Venom was playing last night. Did they put on a good show?”
“It was phenomenal,” he said, shaking her martini in a silver decanter. “Too bad you missed it.”
“Why is their equipment still here?” I asked, nodding toward the stage. “Are they going to play again?”
A guy standing next to me wearing a long, black, leather jacket turned around. He had dark hair and eyes so blue, they looked like tinted contacts. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “They are actually playing a song tonight. Just one.”
“Really?” I asked, perking up.
“Yep,” replied the stranger. “It’s the club owner’s birthday and he’s going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her.”
“That’s awesome,” I replied, handing Brian a twenty-dollar bill. “Does she know?”
“No,” he smirked. “So, keep it hush-hush or, I’ll have to kill you.”
Susan snorted. “Really, Ethan? You seriously think that old line is funny?”
My head whipped around. “You know him?” I mouthed.
“Susan, humor is not one of my strong-points, which is why I never attempt it.”
Brian burst out laughing. “Leave it to Ethan to try and freak out the ladies. Don’t listen to him, he loves messing with young girls.”
“So, I’ve heard,” replied Susan, taking a sip of her drink. She licked her lips and set the glass back on the bar. “I’d also heard that you left town, Ethan.”
He took a sip from what appeared to be a Bloody Mary. “Is that right. From who?”
“Nikki.”
His face softened. “Nikki... So, is she still working at the diner?”
Susan pushed her hair behind her ears. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
“You’re right. I do. Maybe I should pay her a visit,” he replied, tossing back the rest of his drink.
I hated tomato juice and watching him slam it down made me shudder.
“So, tell me… do you know where she is right now?” he asked, licking all of the red juice from his celery stick.
“I don’t know. She might be working,” replied Susan, watching him closely. “Enjoy your drink much?”
He dropped the celery back into the glass and then shoved it toward Brian. “More than you know. Brian, I’m taking off. Tell Faye I’ll be back later if she asks.”
“She’s gonna be pissed when she finds out that you flew the coop on her birthday,” replied Brian.
He smiled cockily.
“She could never stay mad at me.”
“Famous last words,” he replied.
Ethan smirked. “I’m seriously not worried.”
“Right,” said Brian.
“Excuse me… Ethan? Uh, when is Slade supposed to sing?” I asked, as he turned to leave.
He turned around to face us again. “About ten minutes from now. Remember what I said – don’t tell anyone. It’s a surprise.”
“I won’t tell,” I replied.
He stared at me for a minute and then reached into his pocket. “Here,” he said, writing something on the back of a card. “Bring this free pass upstairs to the V.I.P. room after he’s done. You can meet the band.”
“Seriously?” squealed Susan.
He winked. “Seriously.”
“So, is this like a bribe?” I asked.
“Yeah, I guess it is. Plus,” he grinned wickedly. “Something tells me that Slade will thank me later.”
“Ethan,” said Susan, who I noticed was finished with her Cosmopolitan. “You know, I have to say… I was wrong about you. You’re a really, really nice guy.”
“Well, thank you, Susan. Brian, why don’t you get them both another drink while they wait for the show to start. On me.”
“You bet. You sure you don’t want something stronger than that?” asked Brian, pointing at my untouched soda.
“No, this is fine,” I answered, picking up the glass and drinking through the little straw.
“Come here, you big lug,” said Susan, opening up her arms. She was obviously feeling no pain after that stiff drink. “Give me a hug.”
I knew it had to have been my imagination, but it almost looked like his eyes were glowing an eerie orange color when she threw her arms around his neck, and gave him a friendly hug.
Must be the lights in the club, I thought.
He stiffened up and stepped back. “Gotta go. Have fun, girls. Enjoy yourselves, and Susan, party like a rock star tonight.” He nodded toward me. “Your friend…ah…”
“Chelsey,” I offered.
He grinned. “Chelsey, is obviously your sober-ride tonight. Take advantage of it.”
She put her arm around my shoulders. “I believe I will. Hey, say ‘hi’ to Nikki for me.”
“Will do. Have fun tonight, girls,” he replied, walking away.
Susan removed her arm from my shoulders as Brian set another cocktail onto the bar. “I don’t know about you, but Ethan could use a little more vitamin E in his life.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Come on…. the guy is paler than my mom’s pit bull,” she said, taking a sip of her second Cosmopolitan. “Pugsley.”
“At least he doesn’t smell like Pugsley,” I replied.
“Actually, he smells like candy,” she replied. “Always. It’s kind of a weird smell for a guy, but yummy all the same.”
I agreed.
Chapter Six
Slade
“Let’s move as soon as this song is over,” I said to my drummer, Liam, as we stepped out of the dressing room in the back of the club and headed toward the stage.
“I think we should stay one more night here,” he replied. “Relax and have a few beers. Head out in the morning and sleep the entire day while on the road.”
“You just want to snuggle up to the club owner,” said Jimmy, who played bass.
Liam smirked. “Can you blame me? The woman is sexier than hell. I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of that before the night’s over.”
Sean, our keyboardist, snorted. “God, you’re such a dog.”
Liam grinned. “I won’t deny that.”
“I’d stay away from Faye,” I said, smiling at two girls who were staring at us with open mouths.
“Oh, my God, that’s Venom!” shrieked the shorter one, fanning herself quickly. “Oh, my God… oh, my God!”
“I love you, Slade!” yelled the other one, throwing me kisses.
I waved and kept walking.
“Why not?” asked Liam. “You want her for yourself, bro?”
“Not at all,” I said, grimacing at that notion. Even though I had to admit that she was a beautiful woman, Faye was also very dangerous. I could see it in her eyes. “She’s just not the kind of woman who has a one-night stand without expecting something more.”
“Hell, I’ll give her more the next time I’m in town,” he laughed.
I grinned. “Căcănar”.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I think he just called you an ‘ass’,” replied Bradan, our other guitarist.
“At least I get ass,” said Liam. “Slade is too good for most of our fans.”
“Sorry, but I’m not interested in using our fans for sex. It’s not my thing, and you should really refrain from doing it, too,” I answered.
He snorted. “Hey, I’m doing both of us a favor. They get to go back and brag that they slept with a member of the band, and I get to relieve some of my pent-up… anxieties by putting a smile on their pretty little faces. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Nothing, if you’re human,” I replied quietly. “But every time you have sex with one of those girls, you risk losing control.”
“I have more control than all of you combined,” he said as we entered the main part of the club. “They’re much safer with me than with you. Remember, I’m not like you cretins.”
He was right about that. Liam was a Lycan, while the rest of us in the band were all vampires.
Chapter Seven
Chelsey
Less than ten minutes later, there was a sudden burst of commotion in the center of the club.
Susan sucked in her breath and smiled. “Oh, my God, there they are!”
I turned toward the stage as the band, Venom, emerged from the crowd and stepped onto it.
“Wow,” I replied, feeling a little breathless myself. I couldn’t see much, but I had to admit that it was a little exciting to know that they were actually there and going to sing.
“Let’s go,” said Susan, grabbing my arm.
“Where?”
She looked at me like I was clueless. “Hello?! By the stage.”
“Are you kidding? We’ll never get close,” I said, pointing. There were already dozens of people fighting to get closer and more appearing from other parts of the club. To me it wasn’t worth the fight. “No way. Susan, people are going to get trampled and I, for one, am not going to be one of them.”
Her shoulders slumped. “You’re right. There’s no way we’ll get near them. Jesus, would you look at all of the people there already? It’s insane. Where in the hell did they come from?”
“Some of them were in the basement,” said Brian, pouring pink shots for a couple of girls who didn’t look much older than us. From the way they were embracing and kissing each other, they were obviously more than just friends.
Embarrassed, I quickly looked away.
“The basement?” said Susan. “What’s down there?”
“Private parties,” he said with a sly smile. “I’ve never been to the basement, personally, but I’ve heard things are pretty intense down there.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”
I didn’t know what he meant and wasn’t sure if I wanted to ever find out. “Let me get this straight, you’ve been here for a while and you’ve never been down there?”
“It’s very elite. Even for the employees that work here. I guess you could say that most of us haven’t ever seen the basement. You need a special invite from Faye, even if you work here.”
“That’s really bizarre,” I replied, shaking my head. It made me wonder if my cousin had somehow ended up down there.
The lights dimmed even lower in the club, and I watched as a tall, dark-haired guy began to speak into the microphone on stage.
“Good evening, everyone,” he said. “Sorry to interrupt your partying -–”
“We love you, Slade!” screamed one of the lesbians standing next to us. Then, both she and her
girlfriend lifted their tops and flashed the band.
My jaw dropped.
“Classy,” mumbled Susan.
“Wow, well, thanks,” replied Slade, still staring toward us. “You’re making me blush.”
The two girls giggled and lowered their tops.
Slade began talking again. “The real star here tonight is that very lovely lady who invited us to come and play at her club. Now… a little birdy told me that it was a special occasion, and we just knew that we couldn’t leave Montana without wishing her a wonderful birthday. Everyone, give it up for Faye Dunbar!”
The crowd began to clap as one of the glass windows opened up in the balcony, where a group of people sat drinking champagne and watching the stage.
“Stand up, Faye!” hollered someone in the crowd.
An elegantly dressed woman sitting in the balcony stood up and waved.
“Happy Birthday, Faye!” hollered a group of people in the back.
“Thank you!” she answered, beaming down at everyone.
“Faye, Birthday Girl, this song is for you,” said Slade as the band began to play the familiar jingle.
Slade put the microphone closer to his mouth and began to sing. His voice had a rich, deep timbre and it gave me goosebumps. I suddenly wished that I could get a closer look at him, but from the distance we were at, I could barely make out Slade’s face.
“God is he gorgeous,” said Susan, stirring her drink.
“I wish I could see him better,” I pouted, squinting my eyes.
“You still need glasses, don’t you?”
“Probably. They’re not that bad, though. It’s just the lighting in here.”
“Right… You know, maybe I should drive home tonight?” she said, smirking. “I’d like to wake up tomorrow in someplace other than the coroner’s office.”
“Whatever. My eyes aren’t that bad. Seriously.”
“If you say so…”
I turned back toward the stage. “Is he really that cute?”
“Hell yes. Look, don’t worry,” she replied. “You’ll see him soon enough. V.I.P., remember?”
“Exactly.”
“Just don’t forget why we came,” she said, winking at me.
