Were All Animals

by Mima

  Looking into Maggie’s eyes as she spoke, Chase wasn’t sure if he really heard much of what she said. Their conversation was impersonal as if they were strangers. It was a brutal truth that was a bitter pill to swallow and a part of him wanted to rise from the chair and leave. The fantasy that had sat in the back of his mind was gone and that was the hardest thing in the world to accept, especially when it was the one thing that kept him going all along. Nourishment for one’s soul is harder to find than that of the body.

  He simply nodded in silence, his eyes suddenly unable to focus on her, almost in the same way as if he were to stare at the sun. His focus drifted around the room, which suddenly appeared sad and pathetic, expressionless people talking, eating, depleting his hopes even further than they already were, he wondered if he had made a mistake. Maybe there was no place in the world for him.

  Chase did manage to catch a few words here and there; enough that he could’ve passed the test had Maggie quizzed him on their conversation but yet, he wouldn’t commit to it fully. If she noticed, he sensed she would’ve cared even less than he did. He wondered why she was doing this at all? Did she feel some sense of obligation to him or was this merely for her boss, Jolene?

  We used to be best friends.

  Chase wondered if close friends even existed outside of high school. Perhaps that’s why so many married couples referred to their other half as their ‘best friend’ in Facebook photos, maybe they had no one else at that point and if you’re committed to someone, it wasn’t as if they could argue the point. Then again, maybe they were merely empty words. It was starting to seem as though most words were when you really got down to it. People liked to talk and say meaningless shit. Perhaps that is why he preferred to stay in silence with only his thoughts.

  The conversation continued on the way to his car and Maggie gave directions on how to get to the location where he’d meet her boss, Jolene Silva. With the incredible buildup that suggested Jolene was a queen among women, he was rather surprised when they met her in a small office, one that was almost isolated from everything else. It was a dark, dreary building that appeared somewhat abandoned by most of its tenants and although he was curious why he decided not to ask.

  They arrived at a simple, unmarked door that looked as if it had been awkwardly painted with a brush and Maggie gave a gentle knock. A voice that carried an enticing accent called out from the other side and he stepped back as Maggie pushed her way forward, sticking her head in, while simultaneously blocking his view of the person inside.

  “I have him here.”

  “Send him in!” Her accent somehow seemed thicker and when he was finally approved to enter the room, he was met by a curvy, Columbian woman that he could only guess was in her early 40s. She was quite beautiful in a refined way, wearing a professional skirt and blouse, her perfume flowed across the room with her, as she reached out to shake his hand. Her rich, brown eyes studied him carefully, but seemed reserved in their friendliness, as if unsure of what to think of him, yet she still managed to give a stronger sense of warmth. He noticed that Maggie had slipped out and closed the door behind her.

  “Come, sit down,” She was curt yet her tone did hold a certain amount of friendliness that didn’t make him feel bullied, so much as encouraged to follow her instructions. The office was simple, as was her desk and the chairs on each side. A single lamp sat aside as if it wasn’t being used, a Mac opened, she quickly closed and edged it over, almost as if to clear the space between her and Chase. She now appeared friendlier, her eyes warmed into a deep brown, a mixture of intrigue and curiosity swept over her face.

  “You, you are very tough one aren’t you?” Her words had a sense of jovial behind them that he hadn’t expected and Chases’ lips fell into a smile.

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “No no, I mean, you can handle yourself in a fight. You are strong, powerful.” Her words started off as a question seemed to end as a statement. She gripped her hand in a fist in order to demonstrate what she meant, her face tightening up as did her chest. “Know what I mean?”

  “Oh, yes, I mean, I think-

  “No, I know, I know,” Her voice softened assuringly, as she leaned forward on the desk, her large breasts resting on it, her eyes grew in size. “There is no need to be bashful with me. I can see you. You are a strong man. That is what I want for this job. I need a strong man to look after my girls.”

  Her girls?

  “I need someone who can protect. I want them to feel protected, you know? Yes?”

  Chase quickly nodded. “Yes, I mean, I think I understand.”

  “Did ah, that one,” Her fingers pointed toward the closed door behind him. Maggie must’ve been waiting outside, he assumed. “Maggie,” she said the name slowly, almost in the same context as if she were talking about a disease. “Did she tell you what I do?”

  “No.”

  “It is a business for women. It is very popular in other places, big places, New York and California.” She spoke loudly, with confidence and yet, it a tone that was nurturing and kind. “You know?”

  He nodded.

  “Some people, they like to call it a ‘sex club’, but I do not know. That sounds…gross,” She repeated the words as if not sure if her pronunciation was correct. “I do not like that term. It sounds disgusting and creepy, I do not see it that way.”

  “It is a club for women and only women. It’s a place where women of a certain class can come if they want to experiment,” she hesitated, leaning even further ahead on the desk, reading his expression. “with other women.”

  Oh.

  “It’s not for men,” She shook her head. “It is not just any woman off of the street. It is a very…selective group of people who might want to learn about their bodies or try stuff with other women. It doesn’t mean they are gay, just curious and it allows them to come to our events and do so, but not with others knowing, right?”

  Chase opened his mouth but didn’t respond.

  “That one, Maggie, she said you would be open to this and would not be in judgment,” she gestured toward the closed door again. “She said you were trustworthy to keep the secret, which is very important. I need someone who does not talk, as I see already, you do not do much of.”

  “I can keep a secret,” Chase assured her.

  “Now, don’t you get all dancing in your pants,” she blatantly pointed at his crotch. “This is not for you. It’s not for your entertainment. You will be outside, minding the door. Although from time to time,” her lips pursed together, she tilted her head. “You may be required to throw people out, that kind of thing, for the most part, you will not be allowed to see. That’s something we cannot allow for women protection and privacy. They don’t want to be viewed, you know?”

  Chase nodded, but he didn’t really understand. A sex club for women that weren’t gay? Is that what Maggie did?

  Almost as if she were reading his mind, Jolene answered his question. “Maggie,” she continued to say her name as if mud were climbing in the back of her throat. “She, she doesn’t do something funny. She is like a..what you call, hostess? She shows girls in, explain the rules, that kind of thing, you know?”

  “You would be seeing the door, making sure that only people with the special cards come in. Most do not know where we are or what we do, so if someone approach, they are good. I will show you the card,” She opened a drawer and pulled out an average looking business card. “They do change, from event to event. They will not necessarily indicate what we are, like this one, if you look at it.”

  At a closer look, he realized that it appeared to be the business card of a podiatrist. “It is confusing on purpose so that we do not get others try to get in or media people. We don’t want media people.”

  “How do you get your…customers?” Chase asked his first question.

  “Clients? We find,” Her answe
r was short but direct and he merely nodded. “We do not want just anyone. We want attractive and women who are clever, not dirty women. We do not want prostitutes or strippers unless we hire to entertain. We have a clean environment and a good reputation.”

  “I’m sorry,” Chase hesitated and her eyes studied his face. “I’m not sure if I really understand what you do here.”

  “We invited certain women, women who may be curious sexually for other women and for a fee, which is quite high, we provide them with an atmosphere that allows them to experiment if they want.” She answered slowly as if choosing her words carefully. “There is privacy form to fill out. No one can tell anyone about what they see or do here. It’s confident…confidential. It is a fantasy land for women that are not lesbian but are curious. No one can bring their phones in or take pictures. If they do, we may remove them. You may remove them and they will not be allowed to come back.”

  “Does that happen much?”

  “No, not here in Canada but in other places, yes.”

  “So it’s just like, someone’s house or a bar where you do this?”

  “We do it different places,” She answered carefully. “We rent hotel suites sometimes, but others, we create like a fantasyland in a bar we borrow…rent and we make it plush, comfortable, relaxed. We serve drinks. We have toys for those who want them and we have private areas. It depends on how many we have, where we go.”

  “So, what kind of women come to something like this?”

  “Many,” she smiled for the first time in the meeting. “Women from different countries and ethnicities, women who are married, women who never been with woman before and others who have, women in business, women who stay at home with kids, women who are shy, women who are a bit show-offish, I don’t know, I guess famous women sometimes but that,” she pointed toward Chase. “Top secret. Celebrities sometimes. You cannot tell. Some wear masks to hide their identity too. It’s a personal thing. Whatever makes them comfortable.”

  “The parties sometimes go on all night, but not everyone stays all night. Some just watch and talk, others participate with one or more people. Some, they never want to leave,” Jolene let out a laugh, her head falling back slightly. “That is when I know I do well. Those come back and they pay, well, they pay well.”

  “Wow. I didn’t know this existed.”

  “You show no judgment.”

  “I’m the last person that can show judgment,” Chase spoke honestly. “I’ve done some crazy things.” He decided not to go on.

  “I can tell this about you,” she spoke pointedly. “Maggie suggested you would be open minded and that’s hard to find in men. I mean, in this type of environment. I need someone who isn’t trying to get a peek.” She demonstrated peeking through her fingers as if they were a peek hole. “You cannot look.”

  “I won’t.”

  “I know this about you. I can see it.” She suddenly was jubilant. “I like you Chase.”

  “By the way, what is that name? Chase?” She shook her head in confusion. “Does Chase not mean to run behind someone?”

  “Yeah, it’s a weird name.” He smirked. “My mother is a strange lady.”

  “It is the hormone when they have baby. They go a little crazy.” Jolene said while pointing to her head. “My mother pick ‘Jolene’ from that song, by Dolly,” She said ‘Dolly’ extra loud and pushed her own, large breasts forward. “I think she somehow knew, ah?” She glanced down at that and began to laugh heartily.

  Chase felt his face grow warm and for the first time since arriving, looked away from Jolene as he smirked. “Maybe.” Was all he could say.

  She laughed harder. “You blush, it is so cute! I like you Chase. I like the shy boy. My country, they never shy like that.”

  “Where is your country?” he finally looked back in her eyes.

  “Canada.”

  “I mean, where was…where are you originally from?”

  “I am from Columbia.” She confirmed what he suspected. “Have you been?”

  “Nah, I haven’t been anywhere, actually.”

  “You must go!” She stood up from her desk. “The women, they would love you there. You and your blushing face.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Maggie was waiting by the main entrance. Busy checking her phone, a grin on her face, for a moment she didn’t even seem to realize that Chase was approaching her. Startled when she suddenly looked up, her expression returned to her usual, blank exterior. It was as if they were strangers, a reality that was digging into him like a splinter that seemed to get sharper with each moment, almost to the point that he felt as though it was time to make an excuse and leave. Jolene had his information, so Maggie had performed her part of the mission. She was off the hook.

  Her expression turned to one of worry as they silently left the building and headed for his car. It wasn’t until she was on the passenger side that she spoke again.

  “So, what do you think?” She sounded skeptical, as if unsure of his reaction. She nervously picked at her nails; although now, unlike when she lived in Hennessey, they were manicured perfectly. “What did you think of Jolene?”

  “I like her.” His answer was simple and purposely changed the topic. “How do we get to your place from here?”

  Taking in her instructions, they made sense with what he knew of Calgary, although it was a little difficult to adjust to big city driving after living in the country for so long, he did manage. It wasn’t until they were sitting in front of her apartment building, that either spoke again. It was awkward and he would’ve been content to end with a simple ‘goodbye’ and head back home. On the road, he would be able to think; to allow his emotions to flow through him again, rather than crouching in the corner.

  “You know Chase,” she started slowly as if carefully picking her words, once again leaving him with a sinking feeling of talking to a stranger rather than an old friend. “I know Jolene is kind of hard to understand, so I’m not sure if you fully know what she was telling you about the job.”

  “Sex club for women,” His reply was gentle, yet abrupt and he nodded. “I think I got it. She wants me to mind the door and keep it quiet.”

  Maggie appeared content with the response. “Okay, I guess you do understand then, but Chase,” she hesitated again and he felt himself growing slightly frustrated. “Are you okay with it? I mean, it’s kind of…different.”

  “Maggie, I don’t care,” his response was sharper than he intended, but he hated when women over-analyzed something that was relatively simple. “I don’t care if there’s a huge orgy or if they’re sacrificing a virgin; as long as I get a paycheque, I’ll do the job and follow her rules. It’s pretty simple.”

  “I thought-

  “Maggie, I’m hardly the moral king, why would I have an issue with it?” he reminded her, considering that she really only knew the half of it. Although Maggie knew he wasn’t exactly loyal to Audrey, she didn’t know the full extent and certainly, not about the movies or her own sister’s attempt to seduce him. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

  “You know I work for her too, right?”

  He shrugged.

  “Okay, umm, okay then,” she replied, her face slightly flushed. “I guess you’re just waiting for her call or did she hire you on the spot?”

  “She said she’ll call.”

  “Okay, good,” Maggie said, staring at the dash as if more words were on the tip of her tongue but rather than say more, she reached for the door, saying a quick ‘goodbye’ and got out. No hugs or emotional ending, he felt his anger rising to the top and he would’ve done anything at that moment to attack a heavy bag; a combination of dejection and fury ran through him. His personal disappointment over, what felt like an ended friendship with Maggie, along with a slow, burning anger that had been gaining strength since meeting her at the restaurant. It was as if he
had been tossed aside, no longer qualifying as ‘friend’ material and why? He could’ve easily accepted the excuse that Maggie disapproved of his friendship with Kelsey, but something told him it was something more and that was merely an excuse.

  Kelsey. He thought about her a lot on the drive home. She’d be heartbroken if he left Hennessey and yet, he wondered if perhaps that would be the best thing for her. Maybe what they both needed was to be away from one another. It didn’t matter that she was edging toward her 18th birthday, he knew that there was a deeper reason for rejecting her and yet when he attempted to justify it even to himself, he really couldn’t.

  The truth was that he was intensely attracted to her. It wasn’t just her physical attributes that enticed him - although they certainly were powerful - it was her spirit that gained her the most attention. Her wide-eyed innocence combined with her excitement toward life, a positive disposition that rarely faded and when it did, never for very long. Where Maggie was always kind of guarded; seductive, yet standoffish, Kelsey was the polar opposite; open and warm. There was a reason why his children loved her, they could see something in her that was comforting and safe and perhaps, he did too.

  Did he worry about what others thoughts? Was it a matter of having to deal with the disapproval of Maggie and did it even matter what she thought anymore? Why did she care? It wasn’t as if Kelsey had taken a position in his life that she, herself, wanted to fulfill. Hell - she didn’t even want to be his friend anymore, let alone an intimate relationship with him. It didn’t make sense. The two sisters had a terrible relationship, causing Chase to wonder if Maggie even knew what her objections were toward the two of them.