The Devil's Eyes

by Jennifer Loren

  ~3~

  Kayla

  After my first week at the club, Exie invites me to have breakfast with her and to shop for some new costumes, since I only have a couple that are worth showing at the club. “So how was your first week?” Exie asked barely bothering to look my way between her admirations for the passing men.

  “Do you come here because you actually like the food?” I asked her.

  Smiling with a wink, “Well, I do like their sausage.” She said taking a bite of her food. “Seriously, how are you doing?”

  “Fine.” Her expression seems to question my response. “I’m fine. Really. Why are you looking at me that way?”

  “I don’t know, but something about you doesn’t fit.”

  “What about me doesn’t fit?” I laugh.

  “I’m not sure yet, but all the girls, well, except for Meagan, come in, do their job, and are just as eager to leave as they are to get in and make that money. You, however, hover and stick around like you never want to leave.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” leaning back in my chair, I pretend to check out the passing runner.

  “Do you have a place to stay? Is that why you shower at the club? Why you stick around long after your shift is over?”

  “I, uhhh, I am between places right now.” I said dismissing her concentrated stare.

  “Where did you stay last night?” She leans in closer to me as she continues her interrogation.

  “Motel. It's not bad. It is clean, quiet, and easy to get to.” Exie’s head cocks in a caring position. “What?” I said as she rolls her eyes.

  “Don’t think this is an invitation because I like you, but I could use the help on rent and I do have an extra room … if you’re interested.”

  “Can I borrow your shoes too?” I laugh as her expression instantly changes to disgust.

  “Don’t push it! And there are some rules you have to follow. No men, no drugs, and no alcohol in my house. My little boy is only five and I don’t want him around that if I can help it.”

  “That won’t be a problem.”

  “Oh, and he is not good with boundaries- so make sure you lock the bathroom door. He has caught me a few times but I am his mother. Seeing your white ass might scar him for life.”

  Laughing, “Got it.”

  “Any kids of your own?” She asked with a sincere curiosity.

  “No, I like kids but me as mother is … well, it's best that I don’t.” I replied.

  “Details, please.” She pressed, leaning towards me again with a growing interest.

  “My sister was the motherly one. I have always been the selfish one, too selfish to warrant having children.”

  “Well, at least you are honest about it. I can’t say Jerran was part of my plan, but I wouldn’t give him up for the world. And as far as stripping goes, it is only a means to an end. As soon as I finish my degree, I am packing up Jerran and moving far enough away from here to start over.”

  “You’re going to school?” I asked, scooting to the edge of my seat.

  “Wow, girl! That got you perked up. Do you want to enroll? If so, I know this great counselor who can help you with grants and …”

  “No. School … that’s not for me.” I say, easing back in my seat with a disinterested, wandering eye.

  “Really? Hmmm, that’s what I thought too. I hated high school so I thought, why bother suffering any further? But college is different. You might like it. I actually thought you were in school when I met you. You talk differently than everyone else, more sophisticated. That’s why I thought you took the job- to help pay for classes or something like that.”

  “No, but I do read a lot. I love to read. I could read for days and never stop. I use to be such a bookworm. I would barely look up to notice much of anything.”

  “So, why not go to school?” Exie asked concentrating on my reaction suddenly.

  “Because that dream died a longtime ago and …” Pausing, I know there is no comfortable way out of this one, so I change the topic. “I think now I would like to see my new place.”

  “Okay, but I am not done talking to you about this.” Exie retorts, picking up her bag to leave.

  “Wonderful, so excited to be moving in then,” I said as I walk back to Exie’s car.

  “Oh my! Did you see him?” Exie stops abruptly and turns to watch a man who smiles at her. “Ooh yea, he is fine.”

  “You’re not going to stop to talk to him?”

  “Why ruin what we have by getting to know him?” She said with a wink.

  ~

  The club is especially insane on Saturday nights. The clientele doubles since this is the night women come in. At the end of my shift, I get comfortable in a dark corner and watch them all chatting with one another like they don’t have a worry in the world. I imagine their lives outside this place to be dull and routine. The women, with their bachelorette party gear and high-pitched squawking, are the easiest to distinguish- with their Beamer key chains and Jimmy Chu shoes, preparing to marry Mr. Perfect, live in their perfect house with their perfect kids, and ignoring it all to pamper themselves with pricey treats and useless tea dates. To say I dislike them would be wrong. Jealous of them? Maybe, but I have a hard time believing they are any happier than anyone else. Tonight’s future bride dons a huge plastic penis around her neck, hanging absurdly in front of her precious summer dress. Why this is supposed to be funny, I will never know. It is more like wearing your true desire openly between your tits. When Nick walks in, I know I couldn’t be more right. Daddy’s sweet little girl’s eyes widened as soon as she spots him walking across the room. As always he has a group with him: business associates he brought out to impress and his usual accompanying suspects of Luke and Dwayne. Luke Norton bounces in as he always does with energy like no one person could ever contain. Dwayne Dobbins couldn’t be more opposite. His size is enormous and he never smiles, no matter how much Luke tries to get him to. But they both follow Nick- always. When Nick comes in and sits down, he doesn’t even bother to look towards the table of debutantes, causing the squawking Country Club Barbies to become louder, in their futile attempt to get as much attention as possible. The men sitting with Nick take notice, but not Nick. They don’t interest him a bit. Time and again they make spectacles of themselves, but only succeed in gaining the attention of the college boys sitting next to them. Chuckling to myself quietly, I squeeze tighter into the dark, enjoying the show. I assume they will eventually give up. I don’t understand the point. Do you have to have every man’s attention? Apparently they do. Whispering among themselves, one lucky woman finally stands up and straightens herself to perfection before walking away. The bride scoots her chair slightly away from the table primping until receiving nods from her cheerleaders. The lone brave woman walks up to Nick’s side and waits for him to look her way. Obviously annoyed, he sits back casually and looks her up and down before meeting her eyes direct. He doesn’t say a word, but simply watches her begin to fidget and tremble.

  “Ummm. Hi!” She squeals. “I don’t mean to bother you but my friend over there is getting married next Saturday and we are playing a kind of scavenger hunt game for her bachelorette party.” She pauses as if she expects him to finally speak. “Well, anyway, she has to get certain items on her list in order to get all her points and one of those items is to get a kiss from a handsome stranger. On the cheek, of course.” She giggles pleasantly.

  Nick almost breaks a full smile when the men around him laugh aloud. “I don’t kiss on the cheek.” He said smoothly giving her the opportunity to end it there, but instead, she drags the bride over to him and asks again.

  “Please? Just once?” She said laying her head on the bride’s shoulder.

  Nick looks the bride over from the corner of his eyes, “You’re getting married?” Blushing she nods. “Why?” He follows up, in a condescending tone.

  “Because, he is sweet and can provide for me and I love him.”

  “And yo
u think he loves you?” Nick asked shaking his head at Luke who is vibrating from holding his laughter inside.

  Taken aback, she pauses to answer with a firm voice, “Yes, I do. I have a lot to offer and most men would kill to have me for their wife.” Nick’s obvious disinterest angers her even more. “You know, you’re not all that and you sure as hell would be lucky to have me.” She said proudly, walking off arm in arm with her friend.

  Nick excuses himself and walks up behind her, catching her eyes perfectly when she turns. “If you want a kiss, Sweetheart, come with me.” The bride gives a quick smile to her crew and nearly has to run to catch up to Nick.

  Curiously, I watch him direct her into his office and shut the door. They are gone long enough to cause her crew to become uncomfortable. They are hoping for the best, but it is unlikely. When his office door opens, the bride stumbles out, straightening her sweet dress before she gets out into the open. She sits with an awkward smile at her all-girl table, minus the plastic showpiece that was previously around her neck. She is a mess, her dress once pressed perfectly is now twisted and wrinkled. Her hair once pulled together long and fresh, now drooping and awkwardly weighted to one side of her head. “What happened? Are you okay?” The women clamor around her.

  Nick walks out in perfect order, and perfect swagger, passing her with a downward glance. “You forgot your panties.” He said tossing her underwear onto the table in front of her. After being embarrassingly ignored by the group of debutants, the nearby college boys feel justified by the turn of events and break out into hysterics. Slinking out the side door, the mortified women exit without another word. Nick sits down and goes back to business as usual. I wonder if Meagan will ever find out or care. Nothing seems to ever be said between them, but the gossip increases by the day. I can only imagine what excitement this will start.

  As I wait for Exie to pack up, I stand outside talking to Dawson who, from what he says, is Nick’s new punching bag. He is trying to move up and get more responsibility from Nick but doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere with him, or so I understand from his nonstop complaining.

  “Oh, baby, can I get some more money?” Meagan asks as she exits the club with Nick.

  “What for now?” Nick responds with a sigh.

  “I want to do some shopping and pick up a few things that I am sure will make you happy. It’s all for you, baby.” Meagan said with her baby voice.

  “No. I am not giving you cash. Tell me what you want and I will get it.”

  “Nick, please. I want to surprise you.” She says with a whine.

  “No, Meagan. Get in the car.” Meagan plops down in the car with her bottom lip protruding. Nick glances at his driver Tanner and the two seem to share some knowledge no one else is privy to. He sighs, but before he gets in the car he looks my way and, again, the two share a look. Tanner watches me closely as he walks towards the front of the car, nothing that would alarm me but almost as if he is worried about me. Strange man.

  Luke walks out soon after, checking out Exie as she walks in front of him, and motioning for Dawson to follow him without taking his eyes off Exie’s ass. “You ready to go?” Exie said running out with her keys in hand.

  “Very much so. Can we pick up something to eat on the way?” I asked, jumping into the car eagerly.

  “We can go to the store on the next corner. I need to pick up some cereal for Jerran, too. That boy is eating like crazy this summer.”

  “He’s not eating it, Exie. He’s hiding it so he can get to the toys quicker.” I said, not realizing my mistake.

  “Are you shitting me?” She yells at me.

  “I thought you knew that!”

  “No! Where is he putting it?” She exclaims in exasperation.

  “If you don’t know, then I am afraid to tell you!” I laugh.

  “Oh, that boy is in so much trouble.” Exie screeches out of the parking lot as if Jerran can hear her.

  ~

  It has been several weeks since Nick humiliated the bride-to-be and I had almost forgotten about her until one Friday night. As I sit in my usual corner admiring the crowd, a man comes steaming in with a group of friends. “YOU! I want to talk to you!” He yelled pointing at Nick.

  “Don’t yell in my club.” Nick calmly replies.

  “I will do whatever I want to, and YOU are advised to step outside if you don’t want your club destroyed.”

  “Sir, I think you should leave.” One of the bouncers suggested strongly.

  “Oh! So this loser can’t take care of himself? He has to get one of his goons to do it?” The man proclaims, playing proudly to the crowd.

  Nick waves the bouncer back, “What is your problem?” Nick asked eyeing the man with darkened eyes.

  “You forced yourself on my wife and I am going to give you the ass-kicking you deserve!” The man yells. Nick begins shaking his head as he takes a drink from his glass. “My beautiful girl! And you just couldn’t handle her turning you down.” The man pulls out a picture and shoves it in Nick’s face. During the escalating events, I glimpse Kyler ready to have a heart attack. “Look at her! Look at her, Scumbag! She is too good for you and you know it. You are never going to touch her or anyone else again.” Nick snatches the picture from the man’s hand and laughs. “This is funny to you, Asshole?”

  Nick tosses the picture back behind him. “No. No, it’s not. What is funny is that you believe your whore of a wife.”

  “Stand up you spineless punk!” The man yells in sheer rage.

  Nick takes out his phone and scrolls through it calmly before standing up and putting it in the man’s face, “Is this your whore? The girl with her legs spread on my desk?” He asked as the moans from the video echo in the room. “I didn’t fuck her. She wasn’t worth my time. She wanted a kiss so I gave her one- between her legs. It’s not my fault she begged for more. The only penis that fucked her was the plastic one she wore around her neck. She said it gave her more pleasure than you ever have.” Nick smiled deviously, pressing his cell closer and closer to the man’s face as he punches him in the side of his head, pulling him back by his hair to shove the phone in his face again. “Look at her! Look at her sucking my dick. Your girl’s a fucking pro. Do you still see your sweet girl now?” Nick yelled slamming the man’s face into the table once, twice, and yet again, all the while forcing him to listen to his wife’s orgasmic moans. Nick stops once the man begins to cry and plead for mercy. Only then is the man allowed to be picked up and carried out by his accompanying friends. Nick takes a single deep breath, cleans the blood from his hand, and sits back down, taking a drink before gesturing to get the club going again.

  Few approach Nick the rest of the night, I am the only one brave enough to take him his specially made tea. “Thank you,” he said barely glancing up at me.

  “You’re welcome,” I said waiting for him to look up at me but he won’t. I have to force myself to say something before the doubt takes me over. “That guy was wrong, but you should have ignored her to begin with. She would have been humiliated enough by that alone. Your ego got in the way of your judgment.” I said before walking away proudly.

  The following night Nick comes in earlier than usual and in time for me to take the stage. He sits alone as my music begins and displays nothing but disinterest in me. I become unnerved and begin to force my usually flawless show. Nick finishes his drink and begins to twirl his glass impatiently. I try to refocus and get back into what I know I can do. The small crowd of businessmen seems more than appreciative, yet Nick sits back and yawns. I finish smiling, exiting the stage while holding back my fervent anger.

  “Are you okay?” Exie asked, seeing the look on my face.

  “NO! He is such a fucking asshole. He sat out there on purpose.” I yell throwing my things on my table.

  “I know he did. But, did you really think you were going to get away with what you said to him? That he was going to let it go? Or maybe thank you for pointing out his flaws? You know better than that, Kayla.
You need to let it go and move on.” Exie lectured, standing over me like a mother.

  “Not sure I can do that.” I said looking away from her judging eyes.

  “Oh God. Please, Kayla, let it go. You can’t win against him.” Exie finishes, leaving me to deal with my anger.

  “No. He can’t win.” I mumble to myself.

  “Well, there she is.” Meagan said with a most annoying expression. “You know, you bored my boyfriend so much with your little routine that I had to beg him not to fire you.”

  “Really? You did that for me? I’m so sure.” I said rolling my eyes.

  “Sweet little Kayla, while I can barely stand to look at you, if he fires you, then I have to get to know some other poor slob and deal with her. I already know how to deal with you, I don’t want to have to break in someone new.” Meagan said as Exie huffs.

  Ignoring Meagan’s smirks and mumblings, I change and prepare to tuck into my dark corner but on my way there, I see Nick laughing and enjoying himself and I want nothing more than to ruin it. I take the first opportunity to sit at the table next to him and take out my book to read. I go out of my way to ignore him. When Meagan comes out, I sit up straight in front of him and block his view waiting for him to say something but he never does.

  “I think somebody is trying to ignore you, Nick.” Luke comments.

  “I think somebody better fix her attitude or she is going to be fired.” Nick replies.

  I turn around quickly, catching his eyes briefly before he turns from me. Defiant still, I whisper directly in his ear, “Fire me then. But you know damn well I am the best you have here. Don’t let your ego get in the way again … Nick. Give me a chance, you might like it.” I said grabbing my bag and heading to my dark corner. Tensely sitting at the edge of my seat, I wait all-night for him to either, fire me, yell at me, or do something to vent his anger but I get no reaction. He goes on like I never existed. Every night I wait outside for Exie but watch Nick leave before us, not even giving me a glance. If not for Dawson, I would feel as if I were invisible. Desperate, I try something new and begin flirting with Dawson who is more than receptive. As if I had arranged it myself, Nick walks out as Dawson whispers a compliment in my ear and I kiss his cheek in appreciation. I agree openly to go on a date with him and finally I get a glance from Nick but not much more.