Forrest

FORREST

“AHHH.” A deep groan broke from the Night Stalker Club office as I passed by.

Fucktastic!

A loud thud followed, vibrating the door. This was fucking ridiculous. Call me old-fashioned, but they could do it at home before they came over.

I quickened my pace toward the entrance of the rooftop. Sex noise didn’t surprise me, but considering my friends were the ones making those noises, it was awkward. I couldn’t listen to that. I couldn’t blame them if they wanted a quick fuck with their wives though. They had the best lives, but ignoring the stabbing pain settling in my chest was hard.

At the rooftop, the sun just sat down from the horizon. My eyes were steady as I watched the red, orange, and yellow colors before the twilight beckoning the sky. Those colors reminded me of fire, passion, danger, energy, happiness, and hope.

I leaned my elbows against the concrete parapet, flicked the ash from my cigarette, and breathed in the remaining inch I lit up while watching for the sun to set.

The lights started to scintillate around me to somehow light up the darkness surrounding the city. I stubbed the butt till it stopped smoking. Exhaust and city pollution came back to life.

I knew people said cigarette smoking was dangerous to your health, but this thing was a reminder that life wasn’t fair. People thought I was a weird shit to choose a deadly companion than a woman—that I didn’t have a beating organ in my body, that I was an ice king if that even existed. What they didn’t know was, I was a good guy, that I didn’t even like this another part of me, but it grew inside me already, and I had to embrace it for some reason.

The thing was, hard life taught me to be prepared.

The only question was, would I ever want to be that person anymore? The old version of myself—when I felt I was a better version of who I was today?

I walked down and met the nightclub manager, Kyland in the locker room. I quickly cleared my mind and pretended I didn’t hear what happened earlier.

“Bro.” He patted my back.

“Hey.” I wore my black button-down shirt and rolled each sleeve above my elbows. My tattoo peeked out. It was an orange flame full of anger with black smoke swirled from my wrists up to my arms.

“How’s your trip?”

“Great. Thanks for arranging my sched.”

“Anytime.”

“Got to go to work. Bills won’t pay itself.” I wore my black apron with the club logo and walked out.

The former notorious playboy, Pyke Hughes, the club owner didn’t give a damn about the uniform. I was glad he preferred black.

The main bar had its dimly-lit dived with only yellow lights emblazoned from the low ceiling. Monday was not the busiest, but the customers entered in somewhat rush as soon as the club sign lit open.

The music visualizer from the 3D walls created colorful particles in balls shaped that synchronized to the beat of the 90’s pop song played by the DJ from the booth towering the dance floor.

Her makeup was simple as if she just came from long hours of work. She tapped her colorless perfectly manicured nails against the bar counter leisurely. Based on her dress, she didn’t come here to flirt and

stirred it for a few seconds. Placing down the martini glass on the counter, I strained the mix and garnished it with olives.

She gave me a polite smile, muttering

learned quite a few, and not only on mixing drinks but also the different types of people; from rich kids, playboy, bad boy, flirt ladies, cheating husband, horny guys, brokenhearted, dirty business, and sex, but I also developed a

the order

the dark red C shaped lounge chair with a half-moon-shaped silver table. With only a red light illuminated

did my job, and time passed by like a blur. Sometimes, I wanted it that way—it made me forget something I had in mind for the time

Kyland asked, opening a bottle of beer.

I shook my head.

bar

“That’s mine, man.” Kyland groaned.

literally brothers-in-law now. Pyke married Camila, Kyland’s cousin.

back? Go ahead.” Pyke raised the beer to offer back and laughed

own, dude?” Kyland scowled.

Does your wife not good

back the thought of what had just happened earlier because if my memory

“Leave her alone, Hughes!”

quitted the moment they were in their serious relationship. I guessed people did change because no one had seen it

I mean sex, the hardcore kind, kinky, and dirty. Have you

you trying to liberate

to figure him

thought I didn’t like women or I was into

sexual exploitation is just fine.”

out of the club with a woman either. Waiting for a perfect

girlfriend. No wife. But I can assure you I have a sex life.”

into laughter, high-fiving each

last week

have to travel to see my family.” I only had a long conversation with them when they invited me during a weekend or if it was not a work-related topic. I thought they respected my privacy and never asked personal questions, but I caught Pyke often intently staring at me as if he was studying what was behind my facade.

He nodded subtly, seemed not to buy

parked my Onyx black 2001 Chevy Camaro Z28.

on the screen of the GPS. Instantly, Simple Man played over the Bose speakers. I pulled out into the driveway, tapping my fingers on

that no one would even

places. I chose the colors according to my preferences—black, gray, and white. The dark gray curtain was drawn to block the light from the outside of the floor to ceiling glass window.

been awake for more than twenty-hours now. I slumped body to my authentic crocodile skin couch and kicked my shoes off and massaged my temples.

number on my speed dial and it was picked up

geek presented our proposal to the Diabetic Research Center in New York two months ago

As much as I didn’t want to disappoint him, I couldn’t let his hope high. But if he believed in me and this project, I should at least believe in what we did. I knew

it. We could use a

His brain was more than enough for the project, and he knew it. “That’s why everyone is paid handsomely.”