Call Me Sugar

by Sage Nyx

  “The manufacturer has sold thousands of these machines to casinos across the world,” Eva replies. “It would be too expensive to repair them all. It’s cheaper to take the occasional hit from hackers.”

  “This is mind-blowing,” I say.

  “Let’s leave her alone for a few minutes,” Eva suggests to Natasha. “Give her some breathing space. We’ll be back as soon as we have the items you requested. If you need anything while we’re gone, here is King’s number.” She hands me a slip of paper. “He’s upstairs working on his routine for tonight.”

  When they go back upstairs and leave me alone, I walk around to investigate the back of the machine. The thought of breaking open the slot machine and diving headfirst into the source code gives me a shot of adrenaline.

  I haven’t felt this motivated since a weekend long team coding competition at M.I.T. two years ago.

  I would’ve done this job for free.

  Just for the thrill and challenge. To see if I can really do it.

  They’ll never need to know that.

  I smile to myself and give the machine a pat. “We’ll become good friends, Peggy Penguin,” I whisper. “I can’t wait to see how you work.”

  When I finish this job, Eva and her group won’t be the only ones to have the valuable source code.

  I’ll have my hands on it too.

  Sugar

  “Dammit! This isn’t working!” I throw my hands up in frustration. “Take ten minutes everyone.”

  I walk off the stage to clear my head. Rehearsal for a new trick isn’t working and I’m quickly losing patience. One of my female assistants missed her timing and the whole illusion fell apart.

  If a live audience was watching, they would be able to see her curl her body into an impossibly tight space inside a hidden compartment in the box. Instead of giving the illusion that she had magically disappeared, they could tell that she is a talented contortionist.

  The worst thing that can happen to a magician is for the audience to stop believing in magic.

  No matter what, I can’t let that happen.

  I demand perfection of myself and those who work with me.

  My assistant hurries to follow me backstage.

  “I’m sorry, Sugar,” she says. “My heel caught on the box and I couldn’t pull my legs up fast enough. I screwed up. Let’s try it again.”

  I lean my head back against the wall and rub my tired eyes. I’m mad at myself for letting Jade disappear without a trace and I’m taking it out on my staff.

  “It’s okay,” I reassure her. “You’ll nail it next time. We could both use a break. I worked everyone extra hard today.”

  She nods quickly in relief and runs back onto the stage to practice again without me.

  I walk down the hallway to the staff’s break room and grab a water bottle out of the refrigerator. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I check it for the umpteenth time.

  Nothing from Jade.

  She doesn’t have my number, so it’s stupid to keep checking my phone. It’s a habit I can’t break. Deep down, I was expecting her to contact me. All the other women find me.

  It’s almost evening, and not a word from her.

  I’m more disappointed than I want to admit. This is one time I seriously fucked up and there’s nobody to blame but myself.

  Leroy walks into the room and barrels straight past me to the refrigerator. During rehearsal, he always stands at the corner of the stage, carefully watching my every move. If anything were to go wrong, he would be there in a split-second to help.

  He scans the contents and then slams the refrigerator door hard. “There are no good leftovers in here tonight,” he mutters.

  “What did you bring?”

  I’ve never known Leroy to cook a meal for himself. He still lives with his mother. Occasionally, she packs his lunch for him to bring to work.

  “Who me?” he says. “Hell no, I didn’t bring anything. I meant other people’s leftovers. I find all kinds of good stuff in here…lasagna, meatloaf. One time I found a whole pecan pie sitting there waiting for me to come along.”

  “You do realize you’re eating other people’s meals?” I say. “That they brought from home for their own lunch or dinner? This isn’t a food pantry where people drop off unwanted food.”

  “Then someone should put up a note saying that,” he argues. “How the hell was I supposed to know? I thought we were all one big family here. You’re always reminding us of that during your stupid motivational pep talks in the middle of the night.”

  He opens the refrigerator again and snatches a strawberry yogurt out of the door.

  “Never forget that we’re all one big family here,” he says, mimicking my voice exactly. “Here’s a newsflash for you. Nobody wants to be a happy family at three o’clock in the damn morning. You need to let your people get some sleep. Not call them all into work when you get a creative, wild hair up your crazy ass.”

  “Maybe it’s time I give another one of those talks,” I say with a frown. “Am I difficult to work for?”

  I hadn’t thought about it before. I always assumed everyone was as enthusiastic as I am about the making the show the best it can be.

  “Nah,” Leroy says, ripping the top off the yogurt. “You’re not a bad boss. I’m poking fun at you. If anyone doesn’t want to work for you, they can always leave. Ain’t that right? People in this town are lining up to work for you. Call Me Sugar is the hottest show on the strip.”

  “Maybe,” I say, not fully convinced.

  “What’s up with you today?” he asks. “You’re out of sorts. Didn’t you get any sweet pussy last night from your girl?”

  I drain the bottle of water and toss it into the recyclable bin.

  “Apparently she’s not my girl,” I say. “She split in the middle of the night without a word. She left. Just like that.” I snap my fingers. “I didn’t even hear the door shut.”

  Leroy is still prowling through the refrigerator with his free hand searching for something else to steal. He gives me a stunned look over the open door.

  “I bet that stung like a mean old yellow jacket, didn’t it?” he says with a chuckle. “How did it feel? To wake up all alone and realize you were abandoned? You know what they say. Payback is hell, boy. You’ve had it coming a long time.”

  “Why am I being paid back?” I ask. “What the fuck did I do?”

  “Let’s talk about that,” he says. “How many times have you left a woman’s bed and disappeared without a word? The universe has a way of bringing stuff back around. What goes around comes around.” He makes a circular motion with his hand. “It’s called the Tree of Life.”

  “Aren’t you talking about karma?”

  “No, it’s the Tree of Life that controls things. I read an interesting post about it on the internet one time. Well, actually I wrote it myself. It was good and explained everything.”

  I roll my eyes and shake my head without correcting him again. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in Leroy’s head.

  “The women always know what they’re getting into with me,” I say. “I’ve never pretended to anyone that it was something more than sex. They want it as much as I do, or they wouldn’t keep coming back for more. I’m not screwing anyone over.”

  “Yeah, you keep on telling yourself that,” Leroy says. “What happened with the girl? She was nice and different from the rest of them bleached blonde bimbos.” He points a finger at me. “And not afraid to eat. That’ll get her bonus points from me. You can’t trust a woman who pretends like she doesn’t eat. They ain’t fooling nobody. We know they eat. Otherwise their asses wouldn’t be as wide as a barn door.”

  He puts his hand on his chest and bats his eyes at me.

  “They’ll say, ‘I’ll only have a salad because I already ate three strawberries today and I’m stuffed’. Then as soon as we turn our backs, they’re digging little snack cakes with sprinkles out of their purses and sneaking off to the bathroom to gobble them down. Tho
se crinkly plastic papers in their purse always give them away. I know all their sneaky tricks.”

  “I don’t understand what happened with Jade,” I say. “Everything was great. Or so I thought. We had a fantastic time last night. You were there. Didn’t you think she was having fun? I want to see her again.”

  “She spent the whole night with you at your place?” Leroy asks.

  “Most of it. She left before I woke up.”

  “There’s your answer,” he says. “The lady was disappointed in you because you couldn’t fulfill her deepest desires. Face it, Sugar. Your dick is too small. No big mystery to figure out. I bet she wouldn’t have any complaints about big, ole Leroy here.” He grabs his crotch for emphasis. “You aren’t even going to argue, are you?” he says when I don’t respond. “Because you know I speak the hard, cold truth. You couldn’t give her what she wanted, so she’s probably already out there hunting for someone else.”

  He’s joking, but the thought of another man touching Jade makes me uneasy. Inexplicably so.

  “No, it’s something else.” I shake my head. “I need to talk to her and find out what’s happening. She might even be in some kind of trouble. There’s something off with her.”

  Leroy rolls his eyes at me. “For fuck’s sake, Sugar! Just because you haven’t heard from a girl doesn’t mean she was kidnapped by the mob. Stop letting your imagination run away from you. We’ve all faced rejection before. It’s time you did too.”

  “It’s not about that.”

  “Oh really? You’re a big boy, you can handle it. Rejection stings at first, but as soon as another girl crawls into your bed, the bad feelings will float away. This time next week you won’t even remember her name. You’ll forget her.”

  “I’m serious. Something doesn’t add up about her. Why would she be in town gambling all by herself? Who does that?”

  “Maybe she isn’t by herself,” he says. “Have you thought of that? You can’t go around believing everything women tell you. She seemed awfully damn young to me. She might be a teenager here with her parents on a family vacation.”

  I groan at the thought. “Fuck no! Don’t say that. If I ever screw up and accidentally hook up with a minor, I might as well kiss my career goodbye.”

  “Damn Sugar! I was only kidding. Would you snap out of it? You’re starting to scare me. She’s obviously older than twenty-one so you’re good. If you’re this hung up on the girl, quit fucking around and call her. Swallow your damn pride and get it over with.”

  “I would if I had her number. I thought she would stick around this morning.”

  “What hotel is she staying at?” he asks. “Surely you know that much. We can find her.”

  “I don’t know. Instead of talking about myself last night, I should’ve found out more about her. If I get a second chance, I’ll ask all the right questions next time.”

  “You’re a dumbass,” Leroy says. “A decent girl finally comes along to interest you, and you don’t even get a phone number.”

  “Can you do me a favor and go search for her?” I ask. “Go to the casino and check the slot machines. I’ve seen her playing the same machine twice, and that’s where my assistant located her yesterday. My best shot of finding her again is there.”

  “What do you want me to do if I find her?”

  “Give her my number and try to get hers. Tell her I want to see her again. She liked you and laughed at your jokes. Use your charm to help me out here.”

  “I can try,” he says. “After I finish eating. I can’t make any promises. Shouldn’t I stay with you during rehearsal though? I don’t want to leave you alone up on stage.”

  Leroy takes his bodyguard job seriously. He’s always worrying that I’ll be hurt or killed.

  “There’s no need,” I reply. “We’re almost finished, and it’s a simple trick. No explosives or sharp knives in this one. If Mr. Giovanni gets his way, there will never be danger in any of my tricks again. He’s such an asshole.”

  “Okay,” he says. “I’ll be back with a phone number. What time do you want me to pick you up to go meet the guys? A couple of hours? We’re still on for tonight, aren’t we?”

  “Yeah, that should give me time to finish up the rehearsal. Meet me in the garage with the car. I want to nail the trick one last time before we leave.”

  One night a week, Leroy and I meet up with my two best friends, Kit and Vulcan for a guy’s night out. They’re both entertainers in Vegas. Chained to their big hotels by contracts we’d all love to escape from.

  The three of us hooked up by accident and have been best friends ever since. Since we work for competing hotels, we keep our extracurricular activities under wraps as much as we can. None of our bosses would approve of what we do in our free time.

  Especially mine.

  We’re all adrenaline junkies who have bonded over the never-ending chase of the thrill. We usually schedule our meetups in the middle of the night because of our erratic show schedules. To keep things interesting, we take turns planning the weekly activity.

  Participation by all three of us is required.

  No matter what.

  Leroy always comes along to watch our backs and to keep his hand on his phone to call 911.

  There’s a high level of trust among us. Probably too much considering the crazy fucking ideas we come up with. Nothing is off-limits or too dangerous.

  We’re all fucked up the head. Maybe that’s why we’re bonded so tightly together.

  “Who is the party planner tonight?” Leroy asks.

  “Vulcan,” I reply with a grin.

  “Oh shit! You’d better take an extra helmet and body armor. What are you doing this time? Bungee-jumping head first off a bridge? Rappelling down the side of a skyscraper in the middle of the night? Why can’t you ever do this crazy shit in the daytime instead of when it’s dark?”

  “You know why,” I reply. “It would draw a crowd which is the last thing we need. Being alone with no one bothering us is the main appeal. That’s why we meet in the desert.”

  “Vulcan is a fucking nutcase,” Leroy says. “That boy is missing a few screws in his head. He’s seriously deranged.”

  “I agree. You have to admit he’s fun to be around though.”

  Vulcan is an extreme stunt performer at a hotel three blocks away. When he’s not jumping a line of cars on a motorcycle, he’s driving trucks through explosives. He lives life wide-open, never slowing down, or stopping to think about consequences.

  Things are never boring when Vulcan is around.

  After having several near-death experiences and accidents as a kid, he has the bizarre mistaken belief that he can’t die.

  It makes for a weird friendship.

  “Why do y’all do that stupid shit?” Leroy asks. “Isn’t it enough to have all the money and pussy you could possibly want? Why risk it all for nothing?”

  “Boredom,” I answer honestly.

  Leroy shakes his head and scrapes the bottom of the yogurt cup with a plastic spoon.

  “Don’t blame me if you die then,” he says. “My job responsibilities as your bodyguard doesn’t include protecting you from your own stupid self. I have to draw a hard line somewhere.”

  “I understand,” I say. “And I won’t blame you, because I’ll be dead.”

  “Very funny,” he says. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Being bored means changing the channel on the television or eating at a different restaurant. Not trying to kill yourself by doing stupid shit. You want to hear what the real definition of boredom is? Being dead. That’s what being bored means. Nothing but darkness. Try that and see how exciting your life is then. You boys are dumb as hell. Since you’re determined to do this stuff, I was wondering something. Can I have your shoes after you die?”

  “Why would you want my shoes?”

  “So I can sell them online. I’ve got a little business on the side. Ladies would buy any of your shit. I could make a killing.” He stops talking when he sees t
he horrified expression on my face. “Not that I want you to die. I love you like my brother. I’m just saying it could be a good business if things ever went downhill during one of your stunts. I believe in always having a backup plan.”

  “Glad to know you’re thinking ahead,” I say. “Seriously, though. Your Plan B is to sell my shoes? I’m not crazy about the idea, but sure. You can have my stuff if I die. Take everything. It’s all yours.”

  Leroy seems overly elated by my answer.

  “On one condition,” I add. “If you can find Jade for me.”

  “No problem. I’ve got contacts all over this town. If she steps inside a hotel or casino, I’ll find her.”

  I slap him on the shoulder on my way out of the break room. “Thanks man. What would I do without you?”

  “For your sake, I hope you never find out.”

  Sugar

  Two hours later, I’m impatiently waiting backstage for Leroy. He’s supposed to text me when he’s pulling the limo into the parking garage to pick me up.

  After being mobbed by fans many times before, I’ve learned never to step out the front door of the casino without Leroy by my side.

  The last time I risked it, a young woman tried to snatch several hairs from my head for good luck. When I walked through the revolving front door of the casino, she stepped in behind me and grabbed a fistful of my hair.

  I was trapped with my face smashed against the door until a hotel security guard ran over to save me. When she refused to turn loose, he cut a lock of my hair off with his pocket-knife.

  For two weeks, I had to step out on stage with the worse haircut ever.

  The life of a celebrity can be a bitch.

  My phone buzzes and I check the number. It’s from an area code that I recognize. I quickly hit the accept button.

  “Hello.”

  “We have a collect call from the Ely State Prison. Do you accept the charges?”

  My heart drops. I’m terrified something has happened to Dad.

  “Yes, I’ll accept,” I yell into the phone. “Dad? Is that you?”