Page 46 of Kings Fear No One
The place won’t be packed for another few hours. That’s when the more talented dancers take the stage and the audience fills out.
Ozzie nods his head to the hard rock music and offers dollar bills to any dancer that struts by. He’s got no shortage of them, apparently a regular himself.
I’m more distracted by the bottle of beer I’m downing. I’ve started peeling off the label, my mind miles away.
Things weren’t supposed to get so out of hand in the basement. I hadn’t intended on exploding like I did.
These days, I’ve got so much pent-up anger and hatred, I don’t know what to do with myself. It can’t be healthy, yet it’s the only way I know how to cope.
“My girl worked here,” Ozzie says over the music. “Her name was Sparkle.”
I glance over at him, half exasperated by the fact that he’s so damn casual. Like I’m not sporting bloodied knuckles and a busted lip after my fight. But I buy into what he’s saying anyway. I figure there’s no use not to. He’s already dragged me to this bar for drinks.
“What happened to her?”
“She dumped me. Her ex finished his stint in prison.”
My eyebrow rises. “And you still come here?”
“She still appreciates the tips,” he says, grinning. “So, you going to tell me what the fuck that was about? The way you went off, you blacked out.”
I give a shrug.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I’ve received a text from Teysha.
Dinner’s waiting :)
A deep breath blows out of me. I pocket my phone and pretend I never saw it.
“I don’t know what happened,” I admit. “That was the first time I’ve seen one of the pieces of shit from that place. I went into revenge mode.”
“You were fucking him up good. Blood everywhere.” Ozzie laughs, then catches the eye of another dancer. He waves a wad of dollar bills between his fingers to entice her.
It works. She prances over topless in nothing else but a g-string to pay him a few moments of attention. Sitting in his lap, she smashes his face into her huge tits and then snatches the cash.
“Thank ya, cutie.”
Ozzie’s grin has only widened. “That was Diamond. Maybe she’s the new Sparkle.”
My phone has gone off a couple more times. More texts from Teysha.
Over the course of the next two hours, it becomes a running theme. Teysha sending me increasingly upset texts.
I hope you’ll be home soon. I’ve missed you. <3
Please answer. Will you be home soon??
Please don’t ignore me. Please come home….
“Who’s that? Wifey?” Ozzie asks.
“No,” I lie, pocketing my phone. “Somebody unimportant.”
Hours go by. The Titty Bar fills up. The music shifts from hard rock from the ’80s into more modern songs for the dancers to perform pole tricks to.
I’ve lost count of what beer I’m on when I finally decide I’ve had enough.
The lights are still on in the apartment when I make it home. Teysha’s waited up for me.
