Someone Like You (Blue Club 1)

by Robin Hart

  He looked in the mirror as he buttoned the cuffs. Then unbuttoned them because he hated the feel, nothing like loose, moveable gi sleeves. He rolled them up a bit and liked the look of his tanned forearms showing. He looked at the tie and frowned, facing it down, willing it to disappear. Just a few hours, just a few hours more, he told himself every night.

  He finally tied it and looped it over his head, then tightened it, then looked over himself from top to bottom. He poked his front hair to and fro and then decided no one cared.

  He watched the last host file out in front of him through the door to the main club floor and inhaled until he felt air all the way down to his diaphragm, then let it out to an 8 count. It was what he did before matches, and made him relaxed and able to detect the tiniest movement of an opponent so he could counteract it. In Tae Kwon Do, because opponents used their legs to hit each other in the head, and that took some time, it was important to react quickly and take advantage of any pause or missed move. That meant initiating movement with sudden preciseness. If Nicole came to the Club Blue tonight, it would demand the same reactivity and calm. So he repeated his breath again.

  Then he walked out the front door. The club was well lit and showcased the luxurious blue settees and couches and sparkling granite. At the mini bar (which was just an L-shaped counter with some refreshments underneath) several women crowded around Justin, who laughed and poured drinks for them. He didn’t understand how Justin always looked happy. He thought that if Club Blue or others like it didn’t exist that Justin would have been a great waiter, or salesperson, with his smile and his ability to constantly flatter.

  But he commanded his own attention, and as he entered through the door, several of the women stopped paying attention to Justin, and several others waved from their couches to him.

  “John! Over here!”

  “You’ve been keeping us waiting!”

  “Not to do his hair, obviously.” Justin muttered to the ladies, but he winked at Sean, who just lowered his eyebrows in return.

  “At least I don’t spend an hour on it.” Sean walked to the bar and accepted an ice water, which Justin had ready for all of the hosts.

  “Does it really take an hour Justin?” A woman said, reaching up for it.

  Justin dodged, pretending to shield his hair. “Hey, perfection takes time.” He touched it lightly to make sure it was in place. Then he leaned forward on the bar to the woman he’d just dodged, so she wouldn’t feel slighted. “And don’t you all deserve perfection?”

  This was answered with coos and giggles and Sean had to leave because it made him feel nauseous.

  He went to the couch where the ladies had been waving.

  “Look John”, Suzanne, one of the regulars said as he joined them on a wide semi circle sectional. “We’ve even got a new friend tonight.”

  Sean looked up and froze, his eyes locked with Nicole’s.

  “Sorry, Nicole.” Suzanne said, putting her arm through Sean’s arm. “He’s not much of a talker. Justin is though, if you’d like that. And Chad.” She pointed across the room.

  “I know.” Nicole said. “He was one of the ones at my preview to the club.”

  “Lucky!” A blonde friend of Suzanne’s said. “I wish that had been the case for me.” She leaned into Sean too.

  “Anyway, he may be awkward, but he’s mine.” Suzanne said. “Right John?”

  He hmphed.

  “Adorable!”

  Nicole didn’t necessarily agree.

  “Get in line Suzanne.” The blonde said, laughing and maintaining her hold on his other arm.

  “And these muscles.” Suzanne touched his forearm and he jumped. “So nervous too.”

  “Seriously, there isn’t a host here like him.”

  “That’s for sure.” Nicole said. She stood. “You guys go ahead. I don’t think he’s my type.” He had too many women touching him.

  He looked up at her as she left.

  “Excuse me girls. I need to go check on our new guest for a minute. Can you wait for me?”

  “Of course!” They said in unison.

  When he caught up to Nicole he caught her by the arm a little too firmly, and she whirled around.

  “Whoa!” She caught him on the arms, looked into his face, and blushed.

  “Sorry. You okay?”

  “Yes. Why’d you grab me?” She pulled away, rubbing her arms.

  “Did I hurt you?” He felt like his life depended on her answer.

  “No.” She said. “I’ve had worse.”

  “Oh.” He said, looking miserable.

  “From children!” She said, and laughed at him.

  He smiled. That was the Nicole he knew. “Children hm? So I’m weak like a kid, hm?” He said, coming closer.

  “No, no.” She said, nervously backing up. “I was kidding. But what did you need?”

  He stopped. “Were you offended? Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I chased you away from your friends.”

  “No you didn’t.”

  “Okay, I just happened to show up right when you wanted to leave then?”

  “Okay, don’t take this the wrong way, it just makes me a bit uncomfortable.”

  “What does?”

  “Your style.” She said, gesturing to the women who waited. “I mean, I know you aren’t Justin or a man slut, but you picked this job. When you act like you hate it…”

  “Yes?”

  “It just makes us feel like we aren’t great to be around. Even when you’re being paid for it.”

  “If it makes you feel better, the pay isn’t great.”

  “It doesn’t.”

  “Good. That was a lie. The pay is good.”

  “Well then go earn it.” She said.

  “I do.” He said. “The girls like that I’m off putting. Makes it more challenging for them, and it’s easier for me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because.” He turned and walked back to the couch. Flirty huh? He’d show her. He sat back down.

  “What did you say dear?” Suzanne asked.

  “I was just saying how much I’m enjoying your company.” He put a hand lightly on hers.

  Suzanne’s face flushed deeply. After a moment, she laughed.

  “Oh John, you’ve just flirted with me! A huge step for you!”

  “Me next!” Said the blonde, who called to another friend who was talking to Chad, “Anna, John flirts now!”

  “No way, let me see!”

  Sean blanched. This had gone way too far. Suddenly there were like five of them, behind him, in front, patting his arm, tousling his hair like a simian grooming ceremony.

  “Ladies, ladies, there’s enough to go around.” He tried to say it in a cordial way, but just ended up sounding peeved. He shot a glance to Justin for help.

  Justin mused on whether he should save his friend from drowning in a sea of women. He knew Sean wasn’t even good around one woman, let alone a hoard of them. He knew these were good girls though, and that they were only this outgoing because they felt safe here in the club. Otherwise they would have been shy, maybe even afraid of being that touchy or that friendly with a guy like Sean.

  Dude was a dish, and the first real competition that Justin had felt in a while. This place had gotten boring, making Justin wonder what he was doing with his life, which wasn’t a good feeling. If he let himself think too long, he’d start regretting things, start going over the what-ifs. Otherwise, he was happy now. He decided to go rescue Sean after all, but only slightly. The attention would be good for him, and the girls deserved a Sean that had invited such attention.

  Now that he thought about it, what had caused Sean to flirt in the first place? It had been right after he’d talked to Nicole. Of course, Nicole was in the club. She must have said something. He saw her standing a bit away, looking peevish. He smiled, noting that he would never tell Sean. Then again she maybe just didn’t like how the women acted. Well, if that’s h
ow they wanted to pay to act, it was fine with him. He decided to have a quick chat with Nicole before rescuing Sean.

  Sean watched with wide eyes as Justin rejected him.

  “Anyone want to play Sorry?” He asked the women, who turned to him with confused expressions.

  “The board game?”

  “Gosh, yes, I haven’t played that since I was little.”

  Sean stood up, went to the board game cupboard and pulled out the worn box. He’d loved to play that game with Nicole. He smiled for a moment, then replaced the game and grabbed Catchphrase instead. It would probably be more fun for the girls anyway. It’s not that he didn’t like them; he just sort of saw them as sisters, annoying sisters, and in the case of a couple of the older ones, aunts. He knew better than to let them ever know that though.

  “I thought we were playing Sorry.” One of the women said as he came back.

  “This is more fun.” He said, setting it down, he looked up to ask Justin if he wanted to play and saw he was to the side talking to Nicole. He frowned.

  “John, pay attention. Whose team do you want to be on?”

  He forced his attention back to the women who paid for it. “You guys can pick.”

  “So funny when he says ‘you guys’.”

  “John do you mostly hang out with guys?”

  Justin approached Nicole with an ice water.

  “Are you doing alright, Newbie?”

  “Yes.” She said. “The club is wonderful.”

  “Care to join me at the window?” He asked. “I know you like the view.”

  “Ah.” She said, looking at John one more time. He tried to get the Catchphrase game started to no avail thanks to all the teasing. She regretted telling him to be more flirtatious. But she’d never been a prude. She couldn’t figure it out. She followed Justin to the window and continued to think on it.

  Maybe it was because he reminded her of Sean, that she had already felt he was hers. Like a little brother. She had certainly scolded him like one. Maybe she simply thought of him like that. Yes, that made sense, she thought. But not really, given how big he was. Either way, he had a shy way about him that made her want to protect him. Like he was innocent. But could someone like her protect something so innocent?

  “Penny for your thoughts.” Justin said, startling her out of her reverie.

  “Just thinking about the past, I guess.”

  “Oh?” He moved back to lean against the back of the sofa nearest the window and patted the spot next to him. “What in particular?”

  Nicole was beginning to see there was a lot more to Justin than perfect hair. Maybe to all of these men, she thought, surveying the room. And all of the women too. It seemed to her that everyone was a little different than they wanted you to believe, some better, some worse. She wondered why some wanted to pretend to be worse. Perhaps because they wouldn’t disappoint someone later? So people could be pleasantly surprised they weren’t horrible?

  “You have a way of getting distracted, don’t you?” Justin asked. “Has something upset you?”

  “No.” She lied. Lots of things here had upset her. But that wasn’t important. “Just nostalgic, I guess.”

  “For the host clubs of your youth?” He laughed at his own joke.

  “No!” She said, unable to laugh it off completely because of the grain of truth in it.

  “No, no, I know. Bad joke.” He said. “You said you thought Sean was someone you knew, is that it? He reminds you of someone in the past?”

  “Yes, I guess so.” She said. “It couldn’t be him though.

  “Probably not. But what if it was?”

  “I don’t know. It would be complicated.” She got that cloudy look again and Justin switched tactics.

  “You looked kind of peeved back there when the girls got all up ons.” He said. “This guy from before, someone you liked?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “No.” She said. “Not like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like romantic.” She said. “Just a good friend. The best.”

  “Ah.” He said. “Young love.”

  She pushed him, feigning anger. “It was not.”

  “Methinks the lady protests too much.”

  “Alright.” She said. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing your job?”

  “I am.” He said. “I think being a good listener is an important part of making women happy.”

  “Oh.” She said, feeling awkward at the reminder that this was someone in the service industry, not just a good friend.

  “But don’t worry.” He said. “I also just felt like you could use a friend.”

  “Great. Pity.” She said. “I think I prefer you just being paid to listen.”

  “I can do that too.” He grinned. “Cheaper than a shrink.” He saw she was looking again over to where Sean was. “Why don’t you go get to know him better? I have to go rescue the big lump soon anyway. If you will it saves me the trouble.”

  “I think I will.” She said. “Thanks for the chat. I enjoyed the view.”

  “Me too.” Justin said, turning back to the window. “Let me know if you need anything.” He called over his shoulder.

  She didn’t hear. She was already approaching John, eyes and ears fixed on the back of his head, his dark hair, and the words swirling in the air around him.

  Chapter 4: Progress

  Sean smiled at Hope, unable to believe what he had just heard.

  "So check your schedule."

  He didn't have to. He had kept it open.

  "Event?

  "Wedding."

  "Hm." He frowned. Weddings were awkward. Being paid to go to a wedding was more awkward. He was glad for once that Nicole had no friends in Idaho because he knew that none of the people at this gathering would be people who could potentially recognize him. He sighed.

  "I can go." He said. "Just give me time frames."

  "The fifteenth, three to five."

  "Done."

  He looked over to Justin, who was unbuttoning his shirt and loosening his tie. The other hosts were finishing their drinks and trailing back into the dressing room to get their stuff and leave for the night.

  "Yeah, I heard." Justin said, coming over to Hope and Sean before going to the dressing room. "Great job buddy." He nudged Sean on the shoulder. "And good luck."

  "Yeah, I guess I'll need it."

  "Just be cool." Justin turned and headed to the dressing room. "Then again I guess that's pretty much impossible for you."

  "Shut up." Sean resisted the urge to stick his tongue out. Justin just brought out the immature one in him he guessed. And it didn't help that an upcoming date with Nicole was making him feel 11 years old again, like he was seeing his best friend again, like the move hadn't happened.

  He turned and put a hand on Hope's shoulder. "Thanks for the help."

  "You're welcome." She said, folding up her date book and sticking it in her back pocket. "We are all behind you."

  "I appreciate it." He said.

  "You know Sean, I know you've already heard this, already thought it, but I have to add my opinion to the others that she is going to be pissed when she finds out."

  "I know." He said, picking up the remains of the board games around the room absentmindedly. "I've already weighed the price for that and decided that I can pay it."

  "That's good I guess." She said, going over near the front door and hitting the light switches.

  Sean put the games away and headed to the dressing room. He pushed the door open, but before going through it, turned.

  "Have a good night, Hope."

  “It's pretty much over now."

  "True. A good life then?"

  “That sounds formal and depressing."

  "I didn't mean it that way."

  "Goodnight Sean."

  Sean finally went through the doors and went to change. He thought that by continuing to talk to Hope, she might suddenly say ‘just kidding Sean’, or ‘it was a joke Sean’, and
keep him from fretting and hoping about it for the next few hours at home. But she hadn't. Then also, she'd looked somewhat sad leaving the club, looking around as if she hated the emptiness, was uncomfortable with the dark spaces she had tried to fill.

  He wondered what made a person like Hope a person like Hope, like he wondered what made a person like Nicole a person like Nicole. Maybe they had something in common. In his opinion Hope was more than a savvy businesswoman, she had her heart in this place, and her ideals.

  He went to his cubby, pulled out his casual T-shirt and jeans, and put them on, relishing the feel of the tie releasing his neck, the button up shirt hitting the floor, not to plague his neck for another night. He shoved his shoes and pants in a bag and turned to leave, but stopped and looked back to the racks of clothing. He wondered what he would wear for a first date with Nicole. First date? What a joke. He was acting like a teenager that had just been asked to prom, not a full-grown man with his own dojang (well technically he'd just taken over as head instructor when his master had gotten a bit too old to be demonstrating and hands on teaching).

  He ran his hands across a few of the blue shirts and then dropped his head. What was he even doing here? What was he doing taking a job for a woman. What was he doing going on a date for money he didn't want or need. What was he doing lying to Nicole?

  Somehow it felt more real than ever before how far he had gone with this, and now, he thought as he walked out to his jeep, was the time to think about how far he was going to go with it. Soon he would be at the point of no return. She could take care of herself. And if it was really about her safety, wasn't it something he should let her learn on her own rather than interfering?

  He got into his jeep and turned the ignition, hearing the car rumble and enjoying the feel of the engine. He rolled down the window so that the night air could caress his face and neck with its ticklish velvet fingers and breathed deeply the California night air.

  When he arrived at his town home and parked in the driveway, he looked up and noticed for the first time how dark and lonely his home really looked. He thought of his family back in Idaho, who had sat down for dinner together and had gone to bed hours ago. He wished he could talk to them about what he was doing, but knew he never would.