The Investment Club

by Cooper, Doug

  Ready to go by eight-thirty, she realized it was too early to go to Dino’s and sit for two hours. She could’ve gone to OGs and bellied up to the bar to drink and play video poker, but she would’ve just gotten hassled by the girls wondering why she was dressed so nice and guys wanting her not to be dressed at all. No, she needed a place where no one knew her, and where those who didn’t would be polite enough not to bother her. She was on foot too, since she couldn’t ride her bike in the dress, so it had to be close. There were plenty of options between her and Dino’s, but as she went down the list, she thought most were too smoky, too bright, too trashy, or too something. She opted for the Velveteen Rabbit, an upscale cocktail bar on Main in the Arts District, not too far from the Oasis. It was a few blocks out of her way, but worth the extra steps. A long, narrow, dark, artsy, nonsmoking lounge that poured stiff, tasty drinks was exactly what she was looking for.

  When she arrived, it was still early in the evening, so she found a space at the bar on the far end in front of one of the three video poker machines. She fed a twenty into the slot. A bearded bartender wearing a denim vest and showing off a full sleeve of tattoos on each arm came over and set a drink menu mounted on a wooden board in front of her. “Here’s our seasonal menu, and we also have all the drafts on the chalkboard above the bar. Or if you’re feeling dangerous, I can whip up something special for you. What’s your preferred poison?”

  Crystal looked over the cocktail menu. “This all looks a bit too much for me. I was drinking bourbon earlier.”

  “Let’s stay with something simple and brown. You ever had a Black Manhattan?” Crystal shook her head. He said, “It’s the same two-one-two recipe, but instead of vermouth for the one, I use Amaro Averna, an Italian digestif. It’s going to be a bit more spicy and herbal. I think you’re going to dig it.”

  The first one was gone in three gulps. The next three lasted a bit longer, but not much. Her head was spinning from the alcohol. She walked back to the restroom. Her feet were heavy, and her movements, slow and deliberate. In the stall she bumped herself up to counteract the booze. She checked her phone. It was quarter to eleven. There was a text from Penny: Just got to Dino’s. At a table in the back. Les and Bill here too. See you when you get here.

  She hurried out of the restroom, stumbling on the way back to the bar. The bartender came over to clear the empty glass. He said, “Another? Or something else?”

  “No, just the check,” Crystal said. “I’m running late.”

  He looked her up and down. “You’re not driving, are you?”

  “No, I’m walking. Why?”

  “As long as you’re not driving, I was going to suggest we do a shot.”

  “OK, I’ll do one, but then I have to run.” She hit the cash out button on the machine to get the fifteen dollars in credits. “Put this toward the tab.”

  He put a leather check holder on the bar with two shot glasses. “I comped two drinks for your play, so you owe for two, or now just nine bucks with the credit.” He poured two shots of Fernet.

  Penny tossed two twenties on the bar. “Just keep it.” They toasted, and she guzzled the bitter digestif and headed for the door.

  On the street she looked for a cab, but there were never any in this neighborhood unless they had been called. She thought the fresh air and walk would do her good. Her gait was staggered and clumsy. She took off her heels and walked barefoot on the sidewalk. A few blocks before Dino’s, she ducked between two buildings and served herself up two more keyfuls of coke. Her teeth and gums went numb. She put her shoes back on and hurried the rest of the way. The numbness spread to her face. She looked at her phone. It was eleven-fifteen. She had two messages. She didn’t need to check to know who they were from. Cutting through the parking lot, she stopped at the door to adjust her dress and pull herself together as best she could.

  Right across the street from OGs, on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Wyoming, Dino’s advertised itself as the last neighborhood bar in Vegas. Several of the polls that claimed to be qualified to make such distinctions had recognized it as one of the best dive bars in America. Dino’s, like most places with any bit of history in Vegas, had mob ties going back to when Eddie Trascher owned and operated it as Ringside Liquors. Rinaldo Dean Bartolomucci, a.k.a. Dino, bought it from him in ‘62, and it had been in the family ever since, now being run by two of his granddaughters. But it wasn’t the history or the atmosphere that Dino’s was known for. It was the karaoke. Thursday to Saturday from ten until four, or even later if you tipped Danny G., the Vegas icon who had hosted karaoke there for over twenty years. Dino’s was a melting pot of Vegas, drawing post-reception wedding parties, late-night revelers looking for another stop before home, motorcycle gangs, after-dinner dates needing an activity to fill the awkwardness while they decided if they were going to hook up, and the locals accustomed to the affordable beer and shot prices.

  Crystal pushed through the swinging saloon doors. The L-shaped bar extended from just inside the door, along the right side, and wrapped around the back wall. The stage was next to the door on the left. All the tables were full, with most of the patrons huddled over thick songbooks, uninterested in the girl onstage singing—badly—Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” A group of men, which had to be a bachelor party, judging from the large baby bonnet and diaper on one of them, played beer pong in the game room to the far left by the restrooms.

  Crystal spotted Penny and the others in the last row by the back bar. Not ready to deal with them yet, she went to the bar and bought a bottle of water. Penny saw her and stood on her stool, waving her arms. Crystal sipped the water, pretending not to see her, and watched the girl onstage.

  Penny left the group and headed straight for Crystal. She started talking, pretty much yelling, halfway there. “Woo, look at you. Faaancyyy.” Penny took Crystal’s hand and rotated her in a circle. “Let me get a look at you. What is that, BCBG?”

  Crystal blinked several times and swallowed, staring blankly at Penny. “Uhm, yeah, I think it is.” Sweat beaded on her forehead and streamed down her temples.

  Penny grabbed a napkin from the bar. “You OK? You seem a little out of it.”

  Crystal took another drink of water. She could hear herself slurring her words. “No, I’m fine. I just walked here, so a bit winded.”

  “Well, just take a minute and go to the restroom and clean yourself up,” Penny said. “We’re in no rush. We got all night. Damon is really excited to meet you.”

  Crystal nodded. “OK. I’ll be over in just a minute.” She walked in front of the stage, stopping to talk to Danny G., who had just called up a duo called Matty and Stevie to sing “Hang On Sloopy.”

  Danny G., like most karaoke hosts who knew her, was excited about her singing. It gave him a chance to relax and also forced everybody else to step up their games. He covered the mic so only Crystal could hear. “Ah finally. Someone who can actually sing. Been a rough night.”

  “I don’t know how good this is going to be, but I’ll give it a shot.” She filled out a slip for Aretha’s “Respect” and put a twenty in his tip jar. “The sooner you can get me up, the better. Not sure how long I can stay.”

  Danny G looked over the sheet, smiling. “I got two other songs I have to do first, then I’ll slide you in.”

  In the restroom, Crystal splashed cold water on her face and patted herself dry with a paper towel. She dug out the concealer, mascara, and eyeliner, but other than the concealer, it was useless. She was too drunk. The steady tremoring from earlier had become swaying and jerking.

  On the way to the table, she forced a smile. The surprised look on Penny’s face and the muted reception by others communicated she looked worse, not better, than when she had gone into the restroom. Penny recovered and effused more energy to compensate. “Here she is. Damon Withers, I would like to introduce you to the beautiful and talented Crystal Moore.”r />
  Damon stood to greet her. The first thing Crystal noticed was how tall and young he was. She had pictured a male version of Maura. Damon was quite the opposite. He was six foot five, with a shaved head and smooth ebony skin. He had on a gray three-piece suit with a white open-collar shirt that both concealed and accented his athletic build. He extended his hand, a stainless steel TAG Heuer watch fastened around his wrist. “So great to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you. Penny usually only talks about herself.” He winked at Penny. “So when she started raving about someone else, I knew I should make time to meet you.”

  Crystal shook his hand. “Nice to meet you as well. I hope I don’t disappoint.” She smiled, entranced by the way the light reflected off his smooth, shiny head.

  Bill stood and hugged her. “Thanks for inviting me. Penny has been telling us about your last performance. Excited to hear you tonight.” He hesitated as he moved to sit back down, then stepped away from the stool. “Here, take my seat. I prefer to stand anyway.”

  Les looked at her with his usual soft and kind expression. “You’re looking especially lovely this evening, Crystal.” She knew he was lying and just trying to be nice. She thanked him anyway.

  Penny wasn’t as subtle. She handed Crystal another bottle of water and a few more napkins. “I got you another water, like you asked.”

  Two of the bachelor party crew got up to sing “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, always a favorite, since the Dragons were from Vegas. Crystal sat on the stool, knowing she had to wait for only one more song before it was her turn. Their conversation consisted of Damon asking her where and with whom she had trained, what shows she had been in, what bands she had performed with, and what direction she wanted to go. Bill and Les remained quiet and just listened, both looking quite interested and impressed. Penny couldn’t help herself and had to be part of the conversation. It wasn’t really clear if she felt left out, or if she was just trying to help, since she felt responsible for bringing them together and could see Crystal struggling. But if there were any lulls in the conversation or Crystal fumbled through a response, Penny jumped in to clarify or share information about herself to fill the awkwardness.

  After a woman in her fifties belted out a strong version of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” Danny G got on the mic. “Let’s give a round of applause for Sandra as her and her boots are walking off the stage.” Whistles and cheers radiated from the crowd. Danny G. picked up the next song slip. “You all should be happy you stopped in here tonight. Up next is one of my favorite performers. She doesn’t come in that much, so when she does, it’s always a special treat. Please welcome Crystal, as she reminds us about respect.”

  Crystal raised her eyebrows and flattened her mouth into a tight-lipped grin. “I guess this is me.” Getting off the stool, she felt light-headed and had to steady herself with the edge of the table.

  Bill put his hand on her lower back. “Easy now. You OK?”

  Crystal shook her head and let out a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just got up too fast.” She angled toward the stage. She had hoped the fresh air, the water, and the time would help her pull it together, but it was getting worse as everything caught up with her. Her stomach was knotted, and her legs felt wobbly. She stepped behind the mic, removing it from the stand.

  The music started. Crystal closed her eyes, trying to lose herself in the music like she had done so many times before.

  Dow Jones Close: Closed

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Date: Sunday, May 25, 2014

  Dow Jones Open: Closed

  The first line flowed from Crystal. “Ooh, what you want. Ooh, baby I got.” Her voice was flat and slow. Bill hadn’t heard her sing before, but based on Penny’s descriptions, he knew something was wrong. At times Crystal hit the notes and would be good for a line or two, but she would slip at the next change. She didn’t look like herself either. Sweat was streaming down her temples, and she had full black circles under her eyes. At the start of the second verse, she repeated the first. “I ain’t gonna do wrong while you’re gone.” Then she mixed the words up between the two, sometimes stopping in the middle of the line to find her place. Danny G., the karaoke host, sang along over his mic when she fumbled the words, and he sang the backup vocals to help her. During the instrumental, she swayed clumsily, knocking over the mic stand. It was difficult to watch. Leading into the chorus, she fell completely apart, misspelling and mumbling through the words. “R-P-C-E-S-T. That is why you’re mean to me. R-S-E—“

  Crystal collapsed. The mic hit the ground with an amplified thud. She lay on the stage not moving. The wordless music with the backup track eerily continued. People stood on their stools to see what was happening. Bill arrived first to the stage. Penny and Les trailed right behind him. Danny G. cut the music and rushed over.

  Bill sat Crystal up. Holding her face in his hand, he shook her gently. “Crystal! Can you hear me?” No response. He put his ear to her face. He could hear her breathing, snoring actually.

  Penny took out her phone. “Should I call an ambulance?”

  “I think she just passed out,” Bill said. “Les, help me get her to her feet.” Les got on her left and Bill on her right. Penny pulled down Crystal’s dress, which had risen to her waist in the fall.

  Crystal mumbled. “Just five more minutes. Please. Let me stay in five more—” She passed back out.

  Les said, “Let’s take her outside for some fresh air.”

  Outside they walked her over to Bill’s car and put her in the passenger seat. Bill said, “What do you think we should do?”

  Les said, “We need to get her to a hospital.”

  “Does she even have health insurance?” Penny said. “Maybe she has a card in her purse—oh, shit! Our purses.” She turned to run back in, but her agent, Damon, was standing a few feet away with her and Crystal’s purses.

  Bill removed a penlight from his pocket and looked at Crystal’s eyes. “Honestly, I think she just passed out.” He checked her pulse, timing it with his watch. “I saw this on the job many times.”

  “We don’t know exactly what she took though,” Les said. “I think it’s best to play it safe and go to the hospital.”

  Crystal sat forward in the seat, reacting to Les’s last word. “I’m fine. No hopsital,” she said, not even realizing her mispronunciation.

  Bill stroked her head. “Shhhh, don’t worry. Just sleep.” He looked at the others. “Tell you what, I’ll take her back to my place and keep an eye on her. If she gets worse, I’ll take her straight to the hospital.”

  Les said, “I’ll come with you and stay until I have to open the mission.”

  “Me too,” Penny said. “We can take turns watching over her.” She walked over to Damon, still just standing holding the purses. “Well, this didn’t go as planned. I’m sure it was just nerves or something. I’ve never seen her like this.”

  He handed her the purses. “Penny, it’s something a lot more than nerves. She’s beautiful and has, from what I could hear from time to time, an amazing voice, but she’s also damaged. I bet if we looked inside her purse, we’d find more than a bottle opener. I just can’t afford to take on a project like that. You did a good thing in trying to help her out, but she has to help herself right now. I hope you understand. I’ll call next week about the opportunities for you we talked about.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

  Penny hugged him. “Thanks for giving her a shot. Safe travels back to LA.” She climbed in the backseat behind Crystal, leaning forward, stroking her hair. Bill started the car.

  As they drove to Bill’s, her snoring was loud and consistent, which they all agreed was a positive sign. When they arrived, Bill carried her in his arms into his room and put her to bed. She never stirred. The snoring throttled to heavy breathing. Bill sat on the edge and stretched a cold washcloth across her forehead. Although he
hadn’t spent a single night in the room since Darlene passed, he did that night. He still wasn’t able to sleep, but at least this time it was for a different reason. He left only to freshen the cloth with cold water. The rest of the time he sat on the floor next to the bed just in case she woke up. He wanted to make sure someone was there. Penny lay down in the guest room. Les was on the couch. They had offered to take turns, but Bill just let them sleep. He didn’t see any reason why all three of them should be wrecked for the day. More than anything, it was his idea to bypass the hospital and come back to his place, so he felt responsible.

  At five-thirty, Les crept in. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he spoke in a whisper. “How’s she doing?”

  “Seems to be OK. Has hardly moved since we put her to bed. Just completely zonked.” Bill touched the side of her check. “Feels a little warm, so I’ve been keeping a cold cloth on her forehead.”

  “You should’ve woken me,” Les said. “You didn’t have to stay up all night by yourself with her.”

  Bill stood and motioned toward the door for them to go to the other room to talk. He stopped in the doorway so he could still see—and more importantly be seen by—Crystal if she woke. He said, “It’s not a big deal. You have to open the Oasis, and I thought you might need Penny’s help today, so I let her sleep, too.”

  “I would’ve been fine.” Les looked at his watch. “I do probably need to get going though. Just let Penny rest. I can manage. Usually get plenty of volunteers on Sundays.”