Chapter One: Act 2 (Part 2)
1348 Words
Trenton crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the hardwood floor. “So, if you don’t know their names, how do they know yours? I can’t imagine you posting fliers or paying for a billboard to promote your business.”
Chad shamefully leaned forward. He pulled out a handkerchief and patted his forehead with it. “Don’t laugh, okay? The only reason they knew my name is that I screamed, ‘Call me f*****g Mr. Dunbern!’ I do that every session I have with them.”
Trenton’s eyes watered as he held in his laughter. He coughed to gain composure. “More than once?” he spat. Some of the guests looked on with worry. He assured them he was fine, and they resumed their activities. “It makes sense that they don’t mind being so direct with you in public. Will you be getting back with them?”
“Ha ha! No. They want fast money. My working girls at the brothel are not prostitutes!”
“Then… what are they?”
“They’re nuns of my church who dedicate their lives to the art and beliefs of s****l and intimate entertainment.”
They stared intensely into each other's eyes. Suddenly, they threw their backs out and wailed like madmen.
A waiter in pristine white attire stood at attention before them, holding a bottle of wine and rolling his eyes. He forced a smile when Chad and Trenton looked up at him. “Would you gentlemen care for some champagne?”
Chad straightened himself in his chair and shook his head. “Bring out your best whiskey! We’re not wining and dining, here.”
The waiter gasped, tucking the bottle under his arm. “We, sir, do not carry such filth! We represent elegance, poise, and rich—”
“Filth?” Chad turned to Trenton. “Did you hear that, Trent?” He glared at the waiter. “Champagne is basic—practically a fruit fetish for those too scared to guzzle virgin piss. What are you?”
The waiter slammed the bottle on their table. “How dare you speak to me like a tone-deaf child. You, sir, should see your way out.”
Trenton grunted and pulled out a platinum card. It was embellished with a Victorian moon crest that only the elite powers of the district carry. He placed it on the table and dug through his pockets.
The waiter bowed, stuttering. “I apologize, sir. I did not realize—”
Trenton twirled a small wad of white notes. “If you leave this establishment, now,” he urged the waiter, “you’ll be set for a while. It’s six thousand pounds for your troubles. Don’t worry about telling anyone about your horrible table manners.” Trenton winked.
The waiter scrutinized him, posing with a snarky attitude before snatching the wad from Trenton. He slowly unraveled the bundle, but Trenton ripped the notes away. Confounded, the waiter’s jaw clenched. His eyes flashed as though he were slapped in the face.
“I’ve triple-checked it myself.” Trenton glanced at the lanky server. “Guess my card is not enough to convince you it’s real.”
Without hesitation, the waiter plucked the wad from Trenton’s hands and booked it out of the bar and to the entrance hall. Trenton and Chad waited for him to exit the revolving door before gagging uncontrollably.
“You don’t carry paper.” Chad retorted. “What did you pay the bastard?”
“Certificates that look like £1,000 notes from a local sweetshop.”
An unsettling pause blanketed their table before they broke out into laughter once more.
“Why, you little s**t!” Still laughing, Chad sighed, “I’m afraid I’ve lost my appetite. Shall we?”
“Without eating? Alright.” Trenton tucked his card back into his coat pocket. “Allow me to accompany you.”
Chad nodded.
They entered the foyer, where a crowd of masqued dancers gathered. Trenton spotted Anara as she waltzed with the man who escorted her. Jealousy raged within him, but his stoic expression never faltered. He longed for her to be in his arms but hesitated to venture from the entrance hall.
Chad noticed this and grinned, pushing through the crowd as he strolled toward them. Trenton followed, anxious to reach her first, but the people surrounding him blocked his path.
Chad bowed in front of Anara and the older man, who did the same. “Good evening, Sir Manlen,” Chad greeted him.
“Dear friend,” the man replied. “There’s no need for formalities. I don’t want to feel like my father. Phillip will do fine!” He shook Chad’s hand.
Trenton, finally within their circle, bowed his head.
“And you are?” Phillip asked.
“Trenton Welkers, sir.” They shook hands.
A storm of laughter rumbled in Phillip’s belly. “How could I forget? You got some company to lease a firm from me. How is that working out for you?”
“It’s wonderful. Too perfect, if I’m being honest. But, uh, I’ll have your payments ready by the end of this month.”
“Perfect!” Phillip turned to Chad. “Dunbern, is all well with your wife?”
“Well, Phillip. She couldn’t handle running a fantastic business with me…”
Drowning out their conversation, Trenton stole glances at Anara, who looked back at him with gleaming orbs of curiosity. She studied him as he did her, and his chest tightened as she subtly glazed her lips with the tip of her tongue.
Her eyes were hungry, but for what, it was unclear.
Cauva and Aquarius entered their semicircle and curtsied.
“Ah,” Phillip intervened, “these are my daughters.” He sorted them into place. “This is Cauva, Aquarius, and my youngest, Anara.”
The last bit rolled off differently from the rest, Trenton thought. She must be his favorite.
They curtsied in unison and said, “A pleasure to meet you.”
Trenton stared only at Anara, smiling. He reached out for her hand. “No. The pleasure is mine.”
Anara lent her hand, to which he bent down and kissed it. She blushed and glanced at Cauva and Aquarius, who’d already covered their lips with open fans, snickering.
Phillip, smacking his hands together, directed his attention to the women. “Why don’t you get acquainted with these fine gentlemen, while I deal some business with drunken gamblers at the bar.”
They nodded and watched him disappear into the crowd.
Before Trenton could formally introduce himself, the music from the second floor stopped. Trumpets played from the entrance hall. The crowd gathered around the bunch and cheered for a suave, elderly man.
None other than Dion Nulpei, the man drunkenly waved his glass around and yelled, “Thank you all for coming. You bloody bastards make my heart swell. My pocketbook, too. Cheers to the citizens who are here to celebrate my existence!”
“Cheers!” Everyone in the building raised a glass and drank.
Trenton glanced over at Anara. She’s already gawking at him with intense, sparkling eyes. Pleased by this, he sent a knowing smirk her way.
She looked away, hoping to hide her ripening face. When Chad approached her, she regained her composure and greeted him with a curtsy.
“So, is it true what they say about your father?” Chad queried.
She c****d her head to the side and grinned. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Rumor has it he’s never lost a bet, which would make sense. He’s a known figurehead in the business industry.”
“You’re quite right. However, he wastes his talents on drinking and gambling. I am proud of his accomplishments. I must confess, it has more to do with having earned too much throughout his lifetime and not knowing what to do with the time he has left.”
Trenton appeared next to Chad, patting him on the back. “Always inserting yourself into private matters, my friend?”
- Writer
