The Rooster Club

by N. M. Catalano

  “Thank you,” he said, and she could almost hear relief in his voice. But she immediately dismissed it thinking Michael was never vulnerable. “Take the N train and get off at Astoria Boulevard, my store is on that block.”

  “Ok, I’ll see you about 6:00.”

  “I can’t wait, see you.”

  “Bye,” she answered quietly.

  “Bye, Natalie.”

  Natalie hung up the phone and sat back in her chair. She was stunned.

  ‘What the hell just happened?’ she thought.

  Natalie was almost paralyzed with the rush of emotions flooding through her - fear, excitement, apprehension, and a very loud voice screaming, “What are you, fucking stupid?!”

  The train screeched to a smooth halt at the Astoria Boulevard station, and Natalie robotically stood, following the other people out the doors. As she climbed the stairs to the street, she looked in both directions. One way was the street corner, while the other led down the block. She took the direction down the street. Her heart pounded harder as she moved past each storefront. She had no idea what she was looking for, peering into each window she passed.

  There he was.

  Natalie froze.

  She allowed herself a few moments to take in the sight of him as it took her breath away. He looked magnificent in a suit, filling it out perfectly, and she thought no one should look that good. He still had the same dark sensuality, with a hint of mystery. But now it was more polished and refined. And that made him even more potent and dangerous. A wave of emotions seared through her, making her wobble in her high heels. Michael’s attention turned towards the window and he spotted her standing on the street watching him. Natalie blushed profusely as his smile erupted across his face. He walked briskly to the door and opened it. She stood transfixed, like a deer in headlights.

  “Come in,” he laughed.

  “Oh, yeah, that might be helpful,” Natalie laughed too, rolling her eyes at her silly behavior, shaking her head clear.

  He laid his hands on her shoulders and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. His familiar scent filled her and she breathed it quietly in, Halston Z-14 and him. The intimate contact of his hands on her body made her flesh burn.

  “It’s really good to see you,” he murmured softly before lifting his face from hers.

  “You too, it’s been a while, you look great,” Natalie replied, attempting to make safe small talk as her insides trembled.

  “You look phenomenal, the city agrees with you,” he pulled back while keeping his hands where they were, and studied her from the top of her head down to her black patent leather heels.

  He didn’t want to let her go. What he wanted to do was hold her to him, to make him believe she was there.

  Natalie’s body flushed with heat, the trail ignited by his eyes.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled, lowering her gaze, thankful that she’d stopped to buy a new skirt after she’d left the office, free of greasy mayo, a small indulgence, charging it to her credit card.

  He clasped her elbow in his hand and led her further into his store. The same feelings of possession consumed him, just like the first time he’d led her to the dancefloor with his hand on her lower back. They walked towards the big desk in the back that housed a phone, some photographs, and paperwork.

  “Tell me what you’re doing now,” he gestured for her to take a seat in front of the desk.

  Natalie was grateful for the safe topic of conversation, it would give her a minute to catch her breath. “Well, I’m working at Vici Luggage, as you know. Technically I’m an administrative assistant, but I’m also what they call a Market Developer, I monitor the image of our lines in stores. I go to school a couple of nights a week at FIT, I take marketing courses, and I live in the Village. And you? This is your store?” Natalie knew she was rambling because she was nervous. She eyed the space, impressed by what she saw.

  “Yes, this is mine, I bought it last year, and it keeps me busy,” Michael answered smiling. But to him, at that moment, nothing existed but her.

  “Congratulations,” she told him with sincerity.

  Natalie was happy he was successful, he deserved it. She remembered how much it had hurt him because he was a man who had nothing.

  “Thank you.” Michael took a seat next to her and looked intently at her. A few moments of silence passed as they gazed at each other, soaking each other up, feasting their eyes on the other. She began to squirm under his gaze, feeling it boring into her soul.

  Finally he said quietly, “I had to do it.”

  ‘Oh God, he’s gonna go there,’ Natalie groaned internally. She didn’t say anything, she couldn’t. She really didn’t want to know, while still dying to hear the words he had to tell her.

  “I had to leave,” he confessed with a tight voice.

  “I know,” and she did, deep down inside she’d always known he would leave, from the very beginning.

  Natalie picked up the framed picture on his desk trying to shift the mood. Everything dropped out from underneath her when she saw the beautiful woman smiling back at her.

  Michael winced. He didn’t want reality to tarnish this moment. He also knew it was inevitable.

  “That’s my wife,” he answered the unasked question, his voice soft.

  She wanted to hit him with it, smash his face in with the shards of glass.

  In Michael’s mind he was finishing the sentence with, ‘And her cold heart could never touch yours, Natalie. She’s a cold-hearted bitch, and I’m so sorry it’s not you.’

  She fought to keep her emotions hidden as she replaced the picture on his desk.

  “So,” Natalie breathed in deeply to regather her strength, “here I am. Why did you ask me to come here?”

  Natalie was tired of playing his games. He was married, and it was killing her.

  “Honestly, I just wanted to see you. I’ve thought about you, and when Johnny told me he’d seen you, I had to see you.” That wasn’t why. He couldn’t tell her that the moment he’d found out she was once again real, it had made him feel alive again, the first time since the day he’d left her.

  ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ Natalie thought.

  Natalie blurted out, sure that the shock was written all over her face, “I can’t believe you have the gall to say that to me, you’re married, for Christ’s sake!”

  “I know, I’m sorry, but…,”

  “But what?”

  “I never wanted to hurt you, Natalie,” there was anguish in his face.

  “Good job, Michael, but you didn’t succeed,” She’d had enough of not telling him how he’d perfectly done exactly that.

  There were so many things Michael wanted to say. But none of them came out, they couldn’t, because he was afraid she wouldn’t believe him.

  Natalie wanted to run but she couldn’t tear herself from him.

  “Come inside with me, just for a minute,” he was standing and taking her hand in his.

  She let him lead her to the back office where he closed the door behind them. She was here with him. Natalie’d thought for so long she’d never see him again. He had her hand in his, sending the same electricity shooting through her veins like all the times before.

  Michael’s heart pounded erratically in his chest. He felt like a teenager again, alone with the love of his life. He couldn’t believe it was real. He wanted to touch her all over, hold her tightly against him, to make sure she was real.

  “Natalie…I can’t believe you’re here,” his voice was tight with emotion.

  Natalie lifted her hand to trace a finger across his lower lip. His mouth opened to capture it, flicking his tongue along its tip.

  Desire raged between them, stronger than it ever had before.

  Michael pushed Natalie against the closed door, his mouth capturing hers, devouring her with his hunger. Need flooded her as she pushed herself into him and dug her nails into his forearms. She wanted to leave gouges across his body, everything within her screamed wantin
g to give him the same wounds she’d been carrying all this time. While wanting him to make love to her, take her, and make all the pain from the past go away.

  Michael was on the verge of losing control. He needed Natalie, he needed what they’d had before. He needed her, wanted her, more than he ever had. With each stroke of his tongue against hers, his hands tried to consume her. Every instinct roared at him to possess her, because she was his.

  Natalie tore her mouth from his, “Stop!”

  “Natalie,” he whispered roughly.

  “No, I said stop!”

  He held her tightly, his breathing ragged, and his heart pounding.

  “Get off me,” she pushed against his chest, fighting wanting him and knowing she couldn’t do it.

  “I’m sorry,” his voice was strained.

  “Me too, Michael,” Natalie shoved him away, opened the door, and left.

  Michael felt horrible, guilty, and ashamed. He’d hurt her again. He was married, and he hated it. Hated it because he wanted Natalie. All he ever wanted was her.

  On the train back to Manhattan, the pain that gripped her was worse than any other she’d felt before. She felt betrayed, and so sad. He was married. He’d left her and gotten married.

  And she hated him for it.

  15 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  1988…

  “Jesus Christ, Christina! You’re going out again?! What about the baby?” Michael yelled at his wife.

  “Don’t worry, I’m taking the baby to my mother’s, you don’t have to take time out of your oh-so-busy schedule to take care of your daughter,” she flung at him over her shoulder, on her way to the bedroom.

  Christina was still beautiful, even after the baby, and she was quite possibly even more alluring.

  That was her weapon. And her greatest tool.

  Especially with her husband.

  She knew what she had, and she knew how badly men wanted it. And that’s what she needed, what she yearned for. It made her stronger, more powerful, and more invincible.

  She didn’t care about anyone else, as long as she got what she wanted. And she didn’t give a damn where it came from. Everyone was dispensable to her, if they no longer served her purposes.

  Especially Michael.

  “Don’t give me that shit!” he yelled after her. “I love my daughter, she’s the most important thing in my life. And if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have all the clothes and the jewelry that’s exploding out of your closet.”

  Christina spun around to face him, her face contorted in a mask of loathing.

  “You wouldn’t have everything you’ve got if it wasn’t for me,” her voice dripped snidely at him. “My father is responsible for where you are, Michael, not you.”

  “I saved your father’s business. I’m the one who stopped it from going bankrupt. If you weren’t such a self-centered, spoiled bitch, you’d realize that, and appreciate what other people have done for you.”

  Smack!

  Michael didn’t see the swing coming, not until she’d hit him. It left a big, red hand-print on the side of his face.

  Fury raged inside him as his hands fisted at his sides. He’d never hit a woman before, but every muscle in his body was fighting against his restraint to do precisely that.

  “You were nothing but another guy in the club when I met you, with a smooth tongue and nice clothes. If you ever talk to me like that again, that’s exactly where you’ll end up. Be careful, Michael, or I’ll tell my father what you said about him, and you’ll really be fucked.”

  Michael breathed deeply as he struggled to regain his composure. He was more furious at himself for letting Christina push him this far.

  “There’s nothing you, or your father, could do to take away what I’ve worked hard for. Nobody gave me anything, no one did one thing for me that I didn’t do for myself. I have what I’ve got, and have gotten to where I’m at, because of what I’ve done. No-fucking-body else,” he told her in a steely voice.

  She looked at him condescendingly, with her hand on her curvy hip, and her long black hair sweeping across her shoulders.

  “And where precisely are you, Michael, hmm? What exactly do you have?”

  That was good question. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He stared at her, unblinkingly, as reality began to dawn on him.

  “That’s what I thought,” she spat at him, as she turned away, leaving him dumfounded, to get dressed to go out to the clubs.

  ‘Where the fuck am I exactly?’ he thought, stunned with the enormity of his reaction.

  Everything cringed inside him as the answer formed in his mind and his gut.

  ‘I’m fucking married to myself, to a selfish, conniving woman, who would fuck anything that would give her the fix that she needs, using anyone and anything in her path to get exactly what she wants.’

  The realization made him physically ill.

  His life had gotten out of control, yet again, and he had to clean up the damage, before it destroyed him.

  ***

  ‘This is going to kill me,’ Natalie thought as she sat in the back of the showroom.

  All of the salespeople were in town for the quarterly sales meeting. For the past few months, Ann, the over-zealous Sales Director, was nothing but a rude-ass bitch with Natalie. She used to joke and laugh on Monday mornings, busting Natalie’s chops about her clubbing. Now she barely said hi when she walked past Natalie, and when she did talk to her, she did it with venom. Steve, the Manhattan salesperson, literally snubbed Natalie when he blew in, with his nose in the air and a stick up his ass.

  ‘Fuck them! I’m not the enemy, I’m just doing my job! It’s not my fault they’re not doing theirs,’ she told herself, unsuccessfully trying to feel better.

  Mr. Stein had specifically asked her not tell anyone else in the office about her reports and visits to the stores. He’d explained that he preferred no one else knew what he was doing, he expected to get more honest feedback if nobody but the two of them were aware of it. Natalie felt very strongly about her work, and was loyal to Mr. Stein. At the time, she had no idea of the repercussions that would follow.

  One afternoon when she’d approached Mr. Stein’s office to give him her latest report, his door was closed. She couldn’t resist the temptation to get closer and listen.

  “Do you want to tell me why the fuck our product is being pushed aside like yesterday’s garbage in all the major New York department stores, Ann? What are your goddam people doing to fix this?” he was yelling at her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she shouted back at him.

  Ann was a strong woman. She had to be to get and keep the high position she held.

  “Don’t give me that shit!” he threw back.

  There was a long silence.

  “How did you get these?” she asked, sounding shocked.

  The pictures!

  “Never mind how. Thank God I did, and I couldn’t have gotten them soon enough. You’ve seen the sales reports, THIS is why the New York sales are as shitty as they are! In the one location that should be topping every place else!” Tedi bellowed.

  “I don’t know, Tedi,” she snapped.

  “Well, find out, and do it fast, and fix it immediately! Or there will be two very rewarding positions available in my company.”

  “Tedi…,” Ann began.

  “Ann, you know I like you, and you know that I think you’re a very ambitious, and smart woman. But we as a company cannot afford messy mistakes like this. And I can’t have people working for me who see it happening, and let it continue. Immediately, Ann,” he told her firmly, making his point very clear.

  The friendly familiarity they shared was apparent even in their argument. Ann had been with Vici for a very long time. Which must have hurt Mr. Stein even more, because he took a personal interest in everyone that worked for him. But he wasn’t going to let his feelings keep him from running the business the way it needed to be run, no matter who it was.

&
nbsp; Natalie ran to her desk as fast as she could, trying to not make it obvious she had been eavesdropping. Her nerves were strung tight as she heard the door open to Mr. Stein’s office.

  An hour later, when Natalie had finally calmed down, she jumped at the sound of Ann’s voice in front of her desk.

  “Do you know anything about some pictures Tedi has?”

  The blood drained from Natalie’s face as she stared at Ann. She’d been taken completely off-guard.

  Natalie stammered, “No, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Ann’s eyes narrowed at Natalie. “You don’t? Are you sure?”

  Natalie got her courage together as much as possible from the surprise attack.

  “I have no idea, Ann. Honestly.”

  “Yeah, ok,” she smirked, and walked away.

  Natalie was a terrible liar.

  And Ann knew it.

  From that day Ann had made Natalie’s life hell, making her take dictation for no good reason, complaining about her work, asking Natalie to run personal errands for her that were half-way across town resulting in Natalie’s work suffering, and taking every opportunity to make her feel completely incompetent. Natalie couldn’t go to Mr. Stein about Ann, she knew that would only make matters worse.

  Natalie’s job had royally started to suck.

  And today, sitting with the entire salesforce from all over the United States, Natalie felt that she’d been black-balled for doing her job, apparently too well. The word was out that she was some kind of a rat. And they were all going to make her pay.

  Natalie couldn’t understand it. She couldn’t get why they were pissed because she knew what she was doing would make the company more profitable, which would in turn be better for all of them. She had a feeling Mr. Stein knew what was happening, although he didn’t intervene to stop it. She knew he had his reasons. But there had been a bonus check for a $1,000 one Friday with Natalie’s paycheck, along with a hand-written note from him, thanking her for her hard-work.

  Natalie wasn’t sure if it was a pay-off, severance money, or covered with his guilt for making Natalie the fall-guy. She supposed only time would tell.