Kiss Me Back

by Sidney Halston

  Yes. It was my inventory day. Guy is hot. Get your ass over here, chicks, and help me check him out. The rest of the girls all reply with OMW and I contemplate whether to text Fox but then I’m too pissed off. Fuck him.

  On my way too, I text the girls and head to work before I’m late to check out the new boss.

  By the time I’ve taken the two buses to Panic, I’m seething. I can’t believe I got stood up. Just like I thought, Fox is a self-absorbed asshole who didn’t even bother to call me. It’s still a bit early and Helen, Gina, and Jane are all huddled together by the VIP bar. Gina spots me first and waves me over. “Looking good!” Jane compliments me.

  I look down at myself and smile. It’s hard to keep up with their conversation since they’re all talking at once and giggling. “Oh look, there he is!” Helen points toward the stairs where Nick and Matt are walking with a good-looking guy I’ve never seen before. “Isn’t he hot?” she says dreamily.

  “You think everyone’s hot,” Jane retorts, which makes me laugh because it’s true.

  “Can’t help it,” Helen says with a shrug as Gina glances at her phone.

  “Gotta get to our stations, guys. Let’s hang out again, Lola. You’re always so quiet. We need to loosen you up a bit.”

  “Okay, yeah. I’d like that.” I head to my station with Helen. They didn’t treat me differently, in fact they were nice and included me in their conversation. Maybe I need to open myself up a little more.

  I chance a glance at the front of the club and I notice, to my surprise, Toro by the door instead of Fox. I’ve never been confrontational, but I’m no wallflower and if cornered, I push back. So, I’m not sure what I’m going to do when I see Fox. I’m leaning toward kneeing him in the balls.

  But the club is packed and for the next two hours I don’t even have a chance to think about him as I work the bar. And…my tips are ridiculously good. At least I can thank him for getting me all dolled up. I’m making a killing instead of thinking about being stood up.

  Fox

  I wake up abruptly, utterly confused.

  What time is it? Hell, what day is it?

  And my head…fuck it hurts.

  With a yawn, I stand up and stretch my arms over my head, then tumble forward tripping over an empty bottle of vodka on the floor. “Shit.” I curse through my cotton mouth.

  Work. I need to be at work. I scramble around the room for my phone. It’s nine o’clock.

  “Fuck!” I roar. I’ve never been late to work. I look back down at my phone to see that I have three missed calls. Two from Matt and one from Toro. Quickly I send out a text to both of them. I’m sorry. I’m on my way.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. I need this job. I can’t get fired. Since I don’t have time, I forgo my daily ritual of getting ready, and instead just wash my face and towel dry my beard. But then I look in the mirror. “Damn it.” I can’t show up late and looking like a slob. So, I jump in the shower and hurriedly wash my hair and when I’m done I quickly tidy up my beard. I really don’t have time to dry my hair, so I tie it back. As fast as I can, I throw on a pair of black slacks and a dark gray shirt and grab a tie on my way out. That’s as good as it’s going to get right now, I think, as I run out my front door and to the car. I’m swerving in and out of traffic, trying to forget about the pain in my skull, and in record time, I’m parking and running into the club, trying to knot my tie as I stumble inside feeling self-conscious about my appearance.

  “You’re late,” Toro, the absolutely zero-personality head bouncer, says without so much as a glance at me. He’s standing at the entrance to the club, where I should have been over an hour ago, doing my job.

  “I know. Sorry, man. Shit day. I got this.”

  Toro holds the velvet rope open for a group of women, then closes it before finally turning to look at me. “What the fuck happened to you?”

  I look down at myself. I’m not in my usual tailored suit, but I don’t look like a sack of crap either. “I told you, shit day.”

  He stares at me for a moment longer before handing me the clipboard with the VIPs and walking inside. I take a deep breath, trying to tune out all the noise around me and start to do my job. Around midnight, Toro comes back out and we switch. There are other bouncers and security but Toro and I are the ones with the most experience. In a way, I’m second-in-command.

  I walk into the club and immediately something hits me.

  “Fuck!” I groan out loud.

  Lola. Burgers. Date.

  “Shit! Fuck! Shit!” Without hesitation, and ignoring everything and everyone around me I go straight to the red bar where she’s usually working. There’s a big group hovering in the corner by the bar, mostly men, and when they part, I see that all their attention is focused on Lola.

  At that moment, Toro’s voice comes in through my earpiece. “You’re needed upstairs. Bosses want a word with you.” But I ignore him as I watch Lola.

  A surge of jealousy, one that I have absolutely no right to feel, washes over me at seeing Lola surrounded by men. I stand back and watch her work. Something I’ve done many times. Too many for it to be healthy, actually. Men are speaking to her and she looks up and nods at pointed times, smiling and looking aloof.

  There’s just something about aloof women and the challenge they pose. Some men are dogs and they love the chase. And then add Lola’s air of mystery to the sexy-as-fuck outfit she’s wearing and you have a crowd of horndogs salivating for the woman I stood up. Yes, I’ll admit I’m one of those dogs, or well, I used to be one of them. Now I just want a fucking chance with Lola. The woman who’ll probably never give me a second chance.

  Ouch!

  Her shiny black hair goes down to her mid back in soft waves and, even though I can’t see her face, I have a great view of her ass, and it’s actually the most I’ve ever seen of it. She usually dresses in an I-don’t-give-a-shit sort of way, but this outfit says, I did give a shit. I tried. I dressed up. And knowing that it was for me and I stood her up makes me feel infinitely worse. I’m not sure what the hell to do.

  If it were any other woman I’d charm her into forgiving me, but with Lola I’m in uncharted territory. “Sorry” feels inadequate. She gave me a chance and I know that took a lot for her. I’m not even sure how I know this, but I do. She’s special. And she deemed me special just by finally saying yes to a date. And I fucked it up.

  The men yell something over the music, and she smiles and tucks some hair behind her ear as she continues to pour drinks while working the computerized register. Again, they say something and she just nods and smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

  She’s probably thinking of all the ways she wants to kick my ass when she sees me.

  I walk closer to the bar but she hasn’t seen me and I can tell she’s really not paying the men any attention as they continue to speak at her.

  “Lime, doll,” a guy yells.

  Nothing.

  “Lime,” another one of the guys says louder but she’s looking down at the register. When he looks like he’s about to get upset, I reach over the bar, grab a few lime slices and hand them to him just as she looks back up. Her brows are furrowed in confusion. “He asked for lime,” I clarify.

  “Oh.” She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth and glances at the guy. “Sorry.”

  “ ’S okay. Loud in here.”

  She nods, a small flush shading her face. She turns back to whatever she’s doing at the register as the men walk away.

  “Hey,” I yell over the music, but just like with the men, she doesn’t respond. Hell, she doesn’t even flinch. “Lola, hey.”

  Nothing.

  I reach for her hand. She stiffens and looks up, then scowls and turns her back. I make my way around the bar and get in her face. She’s obviously pissed but I need to apologi
ze.

  “I’m so sorry about today.”

  She gives me the finger, then turns and gets busy with something else. I hear a few people around us laugh. Wow. I did not see that coming. Maybe she isn’t mousy, after all.

  “Please, let me explain.” There is no reaction from her. None at all. And I’m irritated that she’s giving me the silent treatment. But I have to go deal with my bosses, so I’ll have to talk to Lola later when I don’t have to yell over loud booming music.

  With a huff of frustration, I turn and walk upstairs where Nick and Matt are waiting for me in Nick’s office. Shit. It must be more serious than I thought. Nick’s behind his desk smoking a cigar, and Matt is in the chair across from him drinking whiskey from a tumbler, looking cool and relaxed.

  “You wanted to see me?”

  Nick blows out some smoke, then ashes the cigar. “Have a seat.”

  I pull the chair next to Matt and sit.

  “You okay? You look like shit. We called you earlier.”

  Fuck. The one day I don’t have a suit and I look like shit?

  “Yeah, I…uh…rough day. I’m sorry I was late, it won’t happen again.”

  “But you’re okay? You need to talk or something?” Matt asks.

  “Nah, man. I’m good.”

  “Okay, if you say so,” Nick says, leaning forward. “We have some news. As you know we recently acquired a new club.”

  “Yeah, Duality,” I chime in.

  “Yes, exactly. Panic brings a crowd that wants the Miami feel. This place has been around since the eighties and people come here more for nostalgic reasons. They’re hoping to run into a celebrity or just want to say that they’ve been to Panic,” Nick explains.

  “But Duality is going to be edgy. It’ll bring in a different crowd. Think kinky Cirque du Soleil. The first floor will be tame. One enormous dance floor. There will be dancers set up all over, as well as fire breathers, jugglers, men on stilts. All for our vanilla crowd. Then on the second floor things change. The music will be sexier, the dancers and guys on stilts will be mostly nude, or rather topless.” I look at him sharply, and he clarifies. “It’s not a strip club. This will be a classy, cabaret kind of experience. No touching, no dollar bills, nothing like that. The servers and bartenders upstairs will also be a little skimpier on the dress code. It’s going to be sexy and sultry but that means we have to be even more careful with security. Not only for the guests but also for the staff.”

  “Sounds interesting,” I say. I’ve seen the billboards all around Miami and Miami Beach announcing the opening—but all they say is: DUALITY. A SEXY NEW EXPERIENCE. I did find it mysterious and intriguing, but I just thought it was a tag line. I didn’t realize it was going to actually be a new kind of club.

  “What’re your goals, Fox?”

  “My goals?” I echo, surprised by the sudden change in topic.

  “Yeah. Goals. Career goals.” He pauses a moment to take a puff from his cigar. “We’ve been watching you. You’re always here. You come in early. You’re the last to leave. You’re a hard worker, taken on a lot of initiative.” I’m pleased they’ve noticed.

  “Yeah, it’s…” I shrug. “When I do something I like to do it right, I guess. Is that a problem?” I sit back skeptically, my ankle on my knee. What is going on?

  “Are you planning on leaving? How long can you keep up the insane hours?”

  Shit. Is this because I was late today?

  “Today was an off day, but I’ve never been late before and I’m not planning on going anywhere. I want to grow with you guys—work here and maybe at the other club at some point. Help wherever I’m needed. The hours don’t faze me. I’m used to working long hours.”

  “I see that. You’re a machine,” Matt says.

  “Okay?” I cross my arms and I know I look defensive but it’s because I am. I’m not sure what’s going on.

  “Glad to hear you’re all in, Fox,” Nick says as he glances at his brother. “Like I said, we’ve been watching you and you’ve impressed us the hell out of us. We want to offer you the position of head of security at Duality, which means you’ll be on the same level as the general manager in terms of authority.”

  “What?”

  “You’ll work more hours, but your pay will be double. We’ll be hiring more security for Duality, and we’re also going to be moving some of our more experienced staff over there until things get settled or at least to train the new staff,” Matt adds. “You know me and Nick obviously. But there are two other owners: David, who I’m sure you’ve met, and our silent partner, Iggy. You’ll be introduced to him eventually. We’re all putting a lot of money and time into making this a success and we want you on board.”

  I did not see this coming. At all. But I’m sure by the grin on my face and the pride I’m feeling that they know I’m excited at the news.

  “So, I take it that’s a yes?” Nick asks.

  “Yes. Of course, that’s a yes.” I stand up and shake their hands.

  “Great. There will be a soft opening in two weeks, which includes a private party and some special guests and then by the end of the month we hope to have the club totally up and running. All the marketing is in place,” Matt says.

  “This’ll be your last weekend here. I want you over there starting Wednesday. Get a feel for the location. Make sure the staff knows what to expect. This is a big job, but we have faith you can handle it. If you need anything, ask us—or Toro. He recommended you for the job and can help you with anything you need.”

  “I will. I’m not sure what to say…Thank you. I won’t let you guys down.”

  “We’re counting on that,” Nick says as he pours himself a drink. “The staff respects you and you’re always here. Just don’t burn yourself out or they’ll come to hate you. That’s my one piece of advice.”

  “Yeah, listen to him,” Matt says. “You weren’t here when Nick was working twenty-four/seven and yelling at everyone who crossed his path. We were losing staff left and right. He was a world-class dick. I quit about a dozen times.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “He never followed through and kept coming back. Like a stray kitten. Couldn’t keep him outta here,” Nick teases and I chuckle.

  “No. I meant, what did you do to balance your hours?” It’s always been difficult for me to go home and forget work. Even though the staff likes me and I’m easygoing for the most part, I’m intense and work a lot and expect that from others. I can see how I could overwhelm my staff if I don’t ease up.

  “He’s still an overbearing dick. But he’s getting some at home, which makes him more tolerable for the rest of us,” Matt says then hands me some papers. “Here, take this. It’s a list of the employees who’ll be relocating to Duality.” I clench the paper in my hand, my mind racing.

  This is it, I think. This is the beginning of everything I’ve ever wanted. I mean, it’s not like I’ve dreamed about being the head bouncer of a club but I have dreamed about being someone important somewhere and this is a great job. People need me and I’m good at this. I wish I could rub it in my father’s face. I’m not stupid, after all. I am valued.

  I leave the office elated. What a whirlwind of emotions. The shittiest day of the year turned out to be one helluva fucking great day. Barring the Lola incident, of course.

  Unfortunately, the vodka from this morning is still lingering in my system and my head is still pounding. By four in the morning, I am more than ready to go home and climb into bed, even though I’m thrilled by the news about my promotion.

  But I still need to talk to Lola.

  The club is empty and the lights are on, which always makes the club seem oddly eerie. I’m leaning by the front entrance waiting for her to finish cashing out so that I can have a moment to talk to her. I wait and
wait. “Where’s Lola?” I ask Helen as she walks out.

  Helen looks over her shoulder and shrugs. “Not sure. She looked hot today though. Killer tips tonight.”

  “She left by the back entrance,” Toro chimes in as he begins to turn off the lights to lock up. By the back? She never leaves by the back. Shit, she’s not only ignoring me, she’s making it a point to avoid me.

  Fuck.

  I royally messed up. I guess my promotion can’t fix this day, after all.

  Chapter 4

  Fox

  It’s Tuesday—my last day at Panic. I’ve been texting Lola but she hasn’t responded. Today, I’m not letting her off the hook. Like it or not, she is going to listen to me.

  “Yo, Fox, I need you to check out something for me,” Matt says and hands me a credit card slip. “Last Saturday, around one-thirty A.M.”

  “Sure. What am I looking for?”

  “We got a charge-back on this credit card. Guy says he only ordered a rum and Coke and that this was all an error.”

  I look at the bill—it’s over a thousand dollars. There was a three-hundred-dollar bottle of champagne and a number of shots, top-shelf drinks and then a one-hundred-and-fifty-dollar tip. “Jazmin was the one who took care of him and she says she remembers him clearly. She says he’s an older guy, maybe sixty, completely bald, had on a gray suit. Was alone but there was a group of women and he was buying them all drinks. She says they took off to the dance floor a few times but he kept coming back and ordering for the girls.”

  “Okay, I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” I go up to the surveillance room where we keep all the monitors and start looking for the footage I need. The club’s closed today but we still have to come in for a few hours to do inventory, check on the security equipment, things like that. Generally, it’s a quiet few hours.

  I see Lola on one of the monitors and I wonder what it’ll take for her to forgive me. I deserve her irritation but if she’d just hear me out, I’m sure she would understand. She has earbuds on and is counting bottles of vodka. I can see her lips moving as she counts, which I find endearing. Or maybe she’s singing along to whatever is playing in her ears. I have no clue, but I can’t stop watching. I need to get her alone to explain, to apologize. I blow out a breath and start to play the videos. I sit back, my legs on the desk as I watch the footage. There’s Jazmin and Lola, too, as well as other employees and a shitload of customers. It’s hard to see with all the strobe lights and the large crowd, but I focus on looking for a bald guy, like Jazmin said.