Page 40 of Lucifer's Revenge
“What’s that?” When Brenda didn’t continue, she nodded. “Did you break up with a guy? Was he cheating on you? Did you lose your job?”
“None of the above, as I said, it’s stupid.”
“Okay,” Sally said with a shrug and went down to the other end of the bar to take the empty glass before the man sitting there, but he got up and left, so she paid his tab, put the low tip in the jar, and cleaned the bar. With nothing else to do, she began wiping down the bottles on the shelves.
“Okay,” Brenda said with a sigh. “I’ll tell you, but it’s really stupid.”
“If it upset you that much, it’s not stupid to you.”
“You’re right.” Brenda drank half of her soda, and ordered another whiskey shot. After she downed that one, she began to talk.
“I have a regular nine to five job, which I love. This has nothing to do with that job. Back in January, I was bored and surfing the net. I was in the arts program at the local college. I graduated back in May, and have found this job I love.”
“Okay.”
“Anyway, and I was surfing the net, I came across a class that was being offered by one of the professors at the college, however, it had nothing to do with any degree or course curriculum.”
“Something totally unrelated.”
“Correct. Anyway, it sounded like fun, so I joined.”
“What was the course about?”
“Doing fabrication makeup, changing a regular person into something else.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“Well, back in January, the professor said that our big exam won’t take place until Halloween. We had months to come up with something to transform someone into a Halloween character. We could do anything we wanted, as long as the person we made over was a willing participant.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Thank you. Anyway, as much as I wracked my brain, I was blank. Nothing, zip, nada came to mind. Toward the end of March, the professor said that one of the students had come to him asking for help. She took on a project to make over twelve people. She couldn’t do them all. The professor asked anyone if they wanted to be on this woman’s team.”
“I understand, were there any rules?”
“Yes,” Brenda said bitterly and asked for another shot. She didn’t speak again until she finished it. “The fucking bitch said that there were four people that she would work on, no questions asked. That she was in charge, and if I or the other two who volunteered to be on the team to help her, didn’t follow her rules, or the rules of the people being made over, then we were off the team. No second chances.”
“And what happened?”
“I got kicked off the team today.”
Sally stood there wondering what the punch line was, but when Brenda didn’t say anything she poured another shot and asked, “Why?”
“Because she’s a first class bitch. The first time we met the team to work on, I stated who I was going to work on, she said no, that was one of her four. When I started to protest, the guy in question had to open his fucking mouth and tell me that if I couldn’t follow simple directions, then I was off the team.” She did another shot, and finished her soda.
“What happened?”
“I would go to the location and draw pictures, and ask questions about the people I was supposed to make over. They turned on me, told lies to the original guy, who told them to the team leader. She went to our professor and he just told me I was off that team. I now have to come up with something of my own.” She shook her head, and swore. “If I ever get my hands on that bitch, Lily Richards, I’m going to definitely go to jail, because I am going to mess her up.”
“Who?”
Brenda sighed, and because she had enough alcohol in her, she talked more. “The guy I wanted to make over is dating her. They have been for months. I think it’s all her fault that I can’t date this guy, and when I questioned how much money his bar made, I was shut down. I don’t understand why, though. Whenhe gets his head out of his ass and realizes I’m a better woman for him, then I will have what I want. I will be his first lady to his presidency of the motorcycle club. I can have all my friends come to the bar and drink for free, and I’ll have the handsome owner in my bed. For some reason, this guy likes this bitch more than me.”
“What’s the name of the bar?” Sally asked between clenched teeth.
“Hell’s Coffin. The same name as the motorcycle club. I’ve never met the bitch he’s dating, but I know I’m better than she is. I’m young, I’m beautiful, and I’m successful. He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
Sally stood there in silence for several minutes, and made a quick decision. She wrote on her order pad, then slipped the note into the woman’s purse. “I don’t want to be mean here, Brenda, but I can see you’ve had too much to drink. Did you drive here?”
