“So, what should I call ya?”
“Uh…” I hadn’t thought of any names. “I guess you should call me Buffy…”
“Buffy?” he looks suspicious.
“Cos I’m a slayer,” I giggle and he laughs with me. He seems to believe me. “So, what do I call you?”
“My name’s Carlo but big boy is fine by me,” he pulls me into his lap and I squirm a little to avoid his hard-on.
“So, big boy,” I giggle stupidly. “Wanna buy me a drink? Cos I sure am thirsty.”
“I just bet you are honey.” He calls the bartender over, “What’s your poison?”
“Double vodka.”
“Whew,” he looks impressed and orders the drink. When it arrives I down it straight away and he orders me another one.
“Oh gee, don’t waste your money on ME,” I flutter my eyelashes.
“Don’t worry. My money ain’t about to run out.”
“No?” I down the second double vodka.
“No.”
“I bet you’re a movie star or somethin’,” I exaggerate a slur to sound drunk.
He looks happy. “Well, I sure LOOK like one honey. But no. I kinda service ‘em…” He winks slyly.
“You service ‘em? How?” I giggle drunkenly. I figure he’s more likely to trust me if I’m drunk. I’m right.
“Well, I get this little wh…” His words are drowned out by the noise of a table being overturned. We look behind and see Nick and Jay wrestling on the floor.
“Shit!” I yell, forgetting my cover for a split second.
He pushes me off his lap with a suspicious look, “You ain’t no Buffy.”
“Don’t even think about it, Blondie!” Jay says, grabbing Nick with both arms and restraining him.
“Look at him! He’s about to finger my girlfriend!” Nick exclaims.
“Can it, will you? It’s just acting! Chill out.”
“Well, she looks like she’s enjoying it!” Nick retorts. “She looks like a natural.”
“Duh, that’s because she is,” Brian says, nonchalently, and then covers his mouth with his hand.
“What do you mean,” Nick asks, his eyes narrowing.
“She used to be a hooker in Brooklyn and Atlanta,” Jay turns his head from Ali and Jade, to Nick. “Isn’t that how you met?” he asks, warily. He turns to Brian who lowers his eyes and shakes his head.
“No! That is NOT how we met. You’re just jealous. You’re actually gonna stoop to making up lies about my girlfriend? She’d never do that to me,” Nick yells, trying to convince himself. He looks over at Ali, only to see the guy’s hand further up her skirt, and kissing her neck passionately. “Oh shit. I can’t BELIEVE she would lie to me! How could she do this me?!” he yells. Then he turns to Brian, his face blood red from anger. “And YOU! You knew? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Brian bites his lip and puts a hand on his friend’s back, “Nick, calm down. She made me promise not to-”
“But you’re my best friend!” Nick yells into Brian’s face.
I move quickly away from the guy as he glares at me. He has totally twigged my disguise and I don’t like the look in his eyes. As he reaches out to grab my arm, Ali jumps off Slayer’s lap and knocks a glass of beer all over them both. She’s just realised what’s going on behind us.
“Shit!” all three of them yell simultaneously.
Jay sends the FBI agents in to get Jade and Ali with a single gesture and turns on Nick with a snarl.
“And to think she’s picking you over me! She knew you wouldn’t understand! You’re gonna judge her by her past, when that life was nothing to do with you?!”
“What do you mean picking me over you?” he turns around, now glaring into Jay’s cold stare.
“We went out. That’s how we met. We had sex one night and she found out about Jade. We got close, and when I came back,” he pauses, “we got even closer.”
“What the fuck’s goin’ on?” yells Jade as a FBI agent hustles the two drug dealers outside. “We could’ve got ATTACKED cos you dicks blew our cover!”
“Nick?” Ali asks, standing with her hands on her hips.
Nick stares right through her. “I don’t know you Ali. Not anymore.”
“What?” Jade looks at everybody. “Will somebody PLEASE let me in on this whole thing?!”
Brian reaches out to touch Jade. “Jade, Nick just found out about Ali’s past.”
“He did?”
“And about Jay…”
“Oh,” Jade moves away from Brian and touches Nick’s arm gently. “I know it sounds pretty bad but all that stuff happened a LONG time ago. She’s changed a lot. And she loves you Nick. It’s forgivable.”
He stares at her. “Jade, I thought you were ok but now you’re tellin’ me you think whoring is forgivable?!”
“Whoring?!” she yells. “Ali was NOT a whore!”
“She SO was!” Nick points at Brian. “Ask him, he knows ALL about it. So does Jay!”
Jade stares at them both. “Is that true?” They both nod and she looks at Ali in shock. “Ali?” She bows her head. “Why couldn’t you TELL me?” she asks.
“I couldn’t find the words,” she shrugs. “I’m sorry Jade. Nick…” she moves towards him but he steps away, holding his hands up.
“Don’t you friggin’ TRY to touch me Ali. Not now. Not ever,” he turns around and storms out, closely followed by Ali.
“Jady…” She looks at Brian blankly. “C’mon, let me take you home.”
“No,” she shakes her head as tears start to fall. “No. You both KNEW and you never told me.” Jade looks from Brian to Jay and then turns and runs.
I run until I can’t run any more. I can barely breathe. I feel betrayed by the three people who mean the most to me. How could they not tell me? Did they not trust me? And Ali…was she really…? I don’t know where to go. I can’t go home. Not anymore. I sit down on the curb of the street and stare out into the darkness. Then an idea hits me.
“JADE!” Brian stumbles out of the smoky bar after her but she’s already vanished into the darkness. He looks around for her. “COME BACK!”
There’s no response. He can’t even hear her running away. Where would she go? He heads for the parking lot and flags down a cab. He gives Jade’s address and sits back, looking out of the window for her. Why the fuck had he agreed to keep Ali’s secret from the people he loves the most? Nick should’ve known a long time ago. And Jade. They both deserved better from him. He feels so guilty. He needs to find Jade and make her understand that he was only trying to do what he thought was best. When the cab pulls up outside Jade’s place, he races to bang on the door. There’s no response. He looks up at the dark house and sighs. She hasn’t come home. Where would she go? Once it would have been to him. He heads back to the waiting cab and gives his own address. Maybe, just maybe she will come to him. It’s all he can do right now. Just wait.