Chapter 6
1104 Words
The Deja Vu Showgirls club pulsed with vibrant energy, it's dimly lit interior, a hub of activity.
The air was thick with the smell of cheap perfume, cigarette smoke and stale sweat.
Male patrons sat at tables or leaned against the bar, their eyes fixed on the well lit stage.
On stage, a dancer with piercing green eyes and raven black hair swayed to the rhythm of a seductive tune.
Her movements were fluid, her body undulating like a serpent as she worked the pole.
The crowd watched mesmerized as she shed her clothes seductively, piece by piece revealing a toned tattooed physique.
To the side of the stage, a DJ spun a seamless mix of hip-hop and electronic beats, the music driving up the energy of the club.
The bartender, a friendly woman with a warm smile, expertly mixed drinks, her hands moving with a fluidity that belied the chaos of the club.
In the VIP section, a group of rowdy patrons, clearly celebrating a special occasion, laughed and cheered as they watched the show.
One of them, a burly man with a thick brownish beard, pulled out a wad of cash, waving it in the air as he shouted for the dancer to come closer.
Williams bemoaned his situation as he watched all these activities going on around him while drinking a beer in a quiet corner of the club.
If only Brian had accompanied him here, they would have rocked the building, commanding everyone's attention and he wouldn't have to feel like the total loser he really was.
Brian, the son of a very wealthy business man was the epitome of privilege and excess.
His life was a never ending parade of parties, women and luxury while he on the other hand, was Brian's closest friend and confidant.
He had always been content to live in Brian's shadow basking in the reflected glory of his friend's charmed life.
But tonight, everything changed with the news of Brian's impending marriage, Williams felt a growing sense of unease which started as a feeling of inadequacy and inferiority complex but soon blossomed into full blown envy.
Why did Brian get to have all the fun?
Why did he get to be the center of attention, while Williams was relegated to the sidelines?
Even the beer he was drinking at present was funded by Brian.
Before Brian left after dropping him off at the club, Williams had pleaded with him for some cash.
The more Williams thought about it, the more he felt his resentment simmering just below the surface.
To Williams, even the universe was against him.
As far as he was concerned, every other person was against his happiness as well as guilty for his present predicament.
He wished he had never been born or adopted.
He cursed the day he was born as well as the day he was adopted.
He cursed both his birth parents and his adopted parents.
He felt he would have been better off dead than going through life treated like a third class citizen.
As the night wore on, Williams envy turned into full blown malice.
He resolved in his mind to make Brian feel the same sense of insecurity and doubt that he, Williams, had been feeling since when the truth of his status was revealed to him.
As Brian drove home, his mind filled with conflicted thoughts about his childhood friend Williams.
His father's words of advice at the hospital had struck a chord and for the first time, he was beginning to question his friendship with Williams.
As he thought back, Brian finally realized that Williams had been subtly manipulating him for years.
He would often egg Brian on, encouraging him to take risks and push boundaries and then act innocent afterwards.
At first, it had been exhilarating but now Brian saw it for what it was - a toxic influence.
Determined to make a positive change, Brian resolved to start distancing himself from Williams.
He resolved to stop returning Williams calls and texts and when they did meet, Brian resolved he would make a conscious effort to steer the conversation from his personal life.
He knew it wasn't going to be an easy task and Brian felt a pang of guilt for essentially cutting Williams out of his life.
But it was necessary.
His father had warned him that Williams was not to be trusted and Brian was starting to see the truth in those words and that was why he hadn't told Williams the whole truth about the change in his marriage plans.
At first, he felt strange withholding the truth from Williams but later, it felt oddly refreshing and comforting that he could exercise and enjoy a level of privacy without anybody meddling in his affairs.
On getting home, he went straight to see his father in his study room.
"Hey dad"
Henry was busy going through some files and at the sound of his son's voice, raised his head, "Brian, you are back. Did you return to check on your mother?"
"No sir, I shall do that first thing tomorrow morning. How was mom doing before you left?"
"She was still fast asleep but Dr. Wilson says she should be awake by tomorrow"
"Dad, you asked me to meet you by 7 Pm that you had something to tell me"
Henry faced his son "Indeed I asked you to meet me by 7 Pm because I wanted to give you this"
And he handed a file to Brian.
Brian quietly opened the file and looked at his father in surprise when he saw the title of the single document contained in the file.
"I see you are surprised, you don't have to be. Study that document and if you want, you can do your own private investigation to find out if it's true. When you're done, you can now decide the path you want your life to take"
"Dad, I mean no disrespect but this is wrong. You ran a background check on Williams? What happened to respecting someone's privacy?"
"Brian, have you ever heard of the saying 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" Henry quietly asked.
"Yes, dad but how does that connect to Williams?"
"Well I believe the correct saying should be 'Keep your enemies and friends close, and keep your frenemies even closer. That's all. You may leave"
Henry returned to his reading without bothering about Brian any longer.
Brian walked out of the study room holding the file his father gave him as if it was a bomb about to explode in his face.
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