Page 51 of Cutter's Hope

“Why?” I asked casually.

“You ever see a lawyer type or judge with long hair?” she asked, “While we’re at it, La Croix, is definitely out, Hex would have worked except he’s got tattoos on his hands so that nixes him, Pyro stands out too much with that hair…” she sighed and twisted in her seat.

“Nothing!” she called out. My treasurer looked up darkly, “You fancy a date at a high class titty bar with me tonight?”

Laughter erupted and Hope got up, moving in Nothing’s direction, he looked slightly poleaxed but she was right, he was the only white dude we had that with a little clean up could look respectable. I sure as fuck wasn’t cutting my hair. Hope spoke with Nothing and he looked my way. I nodded and he gave me a nod back, listened to her some more and nodded his agreement. Hope nodded and was swiping away on her phone. She said something to Nothing and he nodded.

“Okay, we’ll be back!” she called.

“Whoa, hey! Where you going?” I demanded.

“There’s a Good Will thrift shop over in Metarie not far from here. Gotta look the part. We’ll be back before you know it,” she called.

“Nothing you going with her?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he waved me off, and dare I say, might have even been blushing.

“Oooo! Can I go with you girls why you try on clothes?” Atlas teased.

“Good idea, At! Go with them!” I called out. Atlas looked over startled and I scowled.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered and set down his beer. I grinned on the inside. Hope gave me a fast kiss and was over and onto her bike.

“You watch my woman’s six!” I ordered and my guys nodded. No one really seemed surprised by my declaration. Maybe they were seeing something I wasn’t, who knows? I watched them go and tried not to get jittery. I knew she could, and would, take care of herself but damn.

“Fuck,” I huffed a laugh.

“What?” Ruth asked.

“I think I’m straight up in love with that woman,” I said.

“Shit, Brother; saw that the day you first pulled in,” Ruth chuffed a laugh and pushed his girl Sherelle off his lap. She smiled and he lumbered off towards the bathrooms. I smiled and chuckled and stared off into the distance where Hope had turned off and sighed.

Some things just weren’t worth fighting and with as good as it felt to be into her, I just plain didn’t want to. She made life interesting. I liked that, and I usually tried to keep what I liked around. Even when it wasn’t good for me. I didn’t think Hope was bad for me. Not like the last girl I’d been in love with. After all, there wasn’t anything worse than being in love with someone who just plain couldn’t love you back.

23

Hope…

“Seriously Nothing, stop holding yourself so stiff, I’m supposed to be your girlfriend,” I whispered harshly, smiling the whole time I did it. We were in line to get in to Objections. Line. Like this was some kind of night club except it wasn’t it was a ‘gentleman’s club’ and I was the only woman standing behind the red velvet rope, waiting along the runner of red carpet to get in.

I was dressed like a total hooker too. I’d found a skin tight LBD and with the addition of my garter and stockings, some heavy tramp makeup and some whore red lipstick I looked like the high priced escort I was pretending to be. The Metairie Good Will had been a gold mine in the men’s suit department. We’d found a very nice, if a bit big, light charcoal one and a shirt and tie to match. It’d cost me more for the rush dry cleaning and alterations than it had for the suit but with Nothing standing here looking like that, we were a lock to get in this place.

Some business men came out the front door, and the bouncer looked inside before the door shut. He let the suits in front of us go and we were next at the rope. I leaned into Nothing and smiled up at him and he valiantly tried to help me, to play his part. He smiled down at me and licked his lips.

“God, my wife…” he breathed and looked tortured for a second. He was going to rabbit, he was going to bolt,shit.I smiled up at him and whispered.

“It’s club business, she’ll understand,” I murmured.

“No, she won’t, Hope… she’s dead,” he said and there was nothing I could say to that. The bouncer had lifted the rope, was checking our ID’s and we were being ushered into the club. It was like the universe had hit the flush lever and we were swirling inexorably, caught in that vortex and right down the drain into the second circle of hell. For all of you non-Dante fans out there, that would be the circle of lust because holy smokes… these women were hot, the shit they had on was barely there, and they were writhing in the laps of oil tycoons and trust fund babies like their lives depended on it.

“Hope…” Nothing sounded strangled and I led him to a seat where I could see everyone, and to protect this brave and tortured man from the big bad lap dancers, I parked myself there first. Nothing’s hands settled on my waist like he was afraid to touch me at first but I met his dark and twisted gaze with a pleading one of my own and that seemed to center him out. He nodded and seemed like he was back in control.

I let my eyes adjust to the lighting in here and took a more solid look. On second glance it wasn’t that bad in here. The dancers were plying their trade, but the men were keeping their hands to themselves. I glanced around and spotted what was either the owner or a floor man, wandering throughout the throngs of men and dancers, checking hands with a shrewd gaze.

A girl in tasteful French lingerie, with a little round tray sashayed up to us, “Get you a drink?” she asked, and she was goooood, just a slight bite to her lower lip, a seductive and inviting sweep of her gaze over Nothing who I think had completely stopped breathing underneath me, and a subtle wink of her long lashes.

“What do you want, Baby?” I cooed for her benefit. Nothing swallowed hard, his Adams apple bobbing beneath the knot of his tie.

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