chapter 7

Lily was standing by her bedroom window, looking out at the streets where Clover was running. She chuckled under her breath and turned to face Bryan. Her room was the typical girly girl room, which the walls were painted pink and hung sashes of past winnings. Bryan was on her bed with pink and white sheets, putting on his clothes and buckling his belt.

‘I just saw Clover running down the streets. As usual she was sprinting,’ said Lily, sitting herself beside Bryan.

‘Do you think she heard you? I mean you weren’t really quiet,’ asked Bryan, looking a bit uncomfortable.

‘What is that suppose to mean?’ snapped Lily, standing up suddenly.

‘Did I not pleasure you? Why are you always so concerned about that lame excuse for a goth chick?’ said Lily angrily.

Bryan turned away and got up to his feet. He looked at Lily for a moment then turned to walk away.

‘Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry,’ plead Lily, after a while. ‘I just don’t understand how come she gets… so much attention all of a sudden… from you and.. from Alex,’ said Lily slowly.

‘Though we did it, but I could tell you were releasing stress and tension instead of enjoying it. Am I really not good enough?’ asked Lily in tears.

‘It’s not that,’ said Bryan, sitting down on Lily’s bed again.

‘I have hurt her so many times, so many times that I could last me a lifetime and it would take me more than a lifetime to pay back those sins,’ said Bryan again.

‘Why exactly are you here? Did someone send you here?’ asked Lily, this time a lot more serious. Bryan pursed his lips and nodded his head.

‘So you are here for Clover then,’ said Lily, disappointed.

‘Is she in trouble?’ asked Lily, laying on her bed.

‘It’s a lot more than that. She might lose more than what she lost this time,’ said Bryan after a pause. Lily kept silent and Bryan lay next to her.

‘My presence here should be short but I manage to procrastinate it longer than I should. In time I don’t think I can protect her anymore,’ said Bryan.

‘When that time comes, would you be there to help her?’ asked Lily. She doesn’t know what to think at that time. She was way beyond confused and angered that Bryan was still talking about Clover.

‘Even if I were to be there to help her, I would cease to be the same person she sees in her eyes,’ said Bryan.

‘Then there is no point talking and thinking about that girl anymore! Why are you so hooked up on her? Just finish your mission and only think of me from now on!’ screamed Lily.

‘I’m gonna go. It’s so obvious I’m nothing but a trophy to you but unfortunately I’m not gonna let you hang me on the wall like those,’ said Bryan, pointing to the sashes on the wall. He got to his feet and left the room.

‘Bryan!!!’ screamed Lily again, sitting up. The door shut with a bang. She heard the front door open and shut.

Downtown, Jimmy was walking with a blonde haired girl. She was holding on to his hand but he had his palm in his pocket. His handphone rang and he answered it at the third ring.

‘Hey it’s me. Meet me at Central Mochany Hotel in 15 mins. I have all you want,’ said the person on the other line. Jimmy off the call and turned to the girl.

‘Well, this is goodbye Kim. I wasted half a day entertaining you and now I have to go entertain someone else,’ said Jimmy bluntly, shaking off her hands. Kim stood at the spot stunted at what happened. Jimmy broke into a run and reached the hotel in few minutes.

‘You’re so cheap that you wouldn’t even call a taxi here?’ asked Adrian at the front door.

‘I was with the blondie we met at class earlier,’ replied Jimmy, catching his breath.

Adrian chuckled and asked ‘you dumped her already?’.

‘Of course, I have no interest with air heads like her. Plus she doesn’t pay me for dates! The more I’m wondering why I even went out with her in the first place,’ said Jimmy, annoyed all of a sudden. Adrian laughed loudly and held out his right hand.

‘So where are the tickets?’ asked Adrian. Jimmy searched his pockets and found it.

‘Here, two tickets for you,’ said Jimmy, handing two tickets to Adrian.

‘I see you bought another two. For you and Alex? I didn’t know you guys were ‘that’ close’ laughed Adrian.

‘Don’t talk nonsense! What makes you think I was gonna let you invite Clover all for yourself. We are competing remember?’ said Jimmy, looking at the hotel lobby.

‘But what about Alex? Won’t he be pissed we left him out?’ asked Adrian uncertainly.

‘I already called him but he said he had to attend a meeting overseas with his father,’ replied Jimmy, his eyes moving from one person to another in the hotel lobby.

‘Hmm, good. Here’s money for the tickets and there’s the woman you’re meeting tonight,’ said Adrian, gesturing towards a woman with a huge fur coat.

Jimmy pushed the money back to Adrian and said ‘I’ll be earning more than this tonight’. Adrian laughed then gave Jimmy a slight push.

‘Wish me good luck my pimp,’ said Jimmy, smiling widely.

‘Good luck my protégé. Play nice with her,’ replied Adrian, turning the other way.

Jimmy entered the lobby and heads turned to look at him immediately. He could hear whispers from nearby girls saying how hot and good looking he was. He smiled slightly to himself and entered the elevator. He faced one of the sides of the elevator that reflects like mirror. He checked his hair and straightened his clothes then faced to the front door. The elevator door opened with a small ‘ding’ and Jimmy existed to the hallway. He walked up to room 705 and knocked on the door 3 times followed by 2 slow knocks. The door opened to reveal the woman he and Adrian saw below. She pulled him in, closed the door, started to kiss him and unbuttoned his shirt.

‘Hold on. Payment first,’ said Jimmy, pulling himself away from the woman.

‘Is that how you respect your elders?’ asked the woman, slowly taking off her top. She had a very appealing body figure with a smooth elegant face to match. She didn’t look like she was 40 years old at all.

‘I’m sorry Mrs. Kent. Is your husband well?’ asked Jimmy politely, walking around the room.

‘He’s out of town as usual and I’m feeling really lonely,’ replied Mrs. Kent slyly, taking off her skirt. Jimmy scanned her from top to bottom and nod in agreement.

‘But if you want me to perform to my best, you have to motivate me first,’ said Jimmy, leaning against the table across the bed.

‘Its in one of the drawers of the table behind you,’ said Mrs. Kent, now taking off the tight bun on her head.

‘She’s one pretty interesting girl you have there. If I had to go through all those shit she went through, I would’ve already killed myself,’ said Mrs. Kent again, walking towards Jimmy, her long hair flowing down to her waist.

‘But this girl. Her information wasn’t easy to get at all but the harder I dig, the more dirt there was. Some people might get hurt is this gets out in the open. Are you sure this is worth finding out?’ asked Mrs. Kent, unbuckling Jimmy’s belt.

‘If I were to win her heart and if you want to experience the greatest pleasure then it’s all worth it. In the end we both get what we want right?’ replied Jimmy, standing still for her to caress his body all she wanted. ‘Stop talking already. I miss you,’ whispered Mrs. Kent into Jimmy’s ear. Jimmy smiled and threw her to the bed.

‘Was the package on time?’ asked an elderly woman, sitting on the couch, to Adrian.

‘Yup! On time as always. She’ll be one satisfied customer’, chuckled Adrian to his mother. The living room was empty as usual with a fire burning in front of the couch.

‘I wonder why you would help your friend sell himself like that. I mean why don’t you join him?’ asked Mrs. Timber.

‘Ah.. So you wouldn’t mind me selling myself to prostitution too huh?’ snapped Adrian, he sat himself on a chair next to his mother.

‘Sake, dear?’ asked Mrs. Timber, handing a small cup to Adrian.

‘Don’t think for a second that I’ll fall for that!’ snapped Adrian again. Mrs. Timber chuckled happily, tipsy as she stood up to sit on Adrian’s lap.

‘Why can’t you be like Jimmy? I mean you’re not as handsome but your build is still amazing,’ said Mrs. Timber, taking another sip from her cup.

Jimmy carried his mother up and dropped her back to her couch.

‘He has a reason to do this mom! And don’t even think of suggesting me to do this ever again! Even if it is just a joke!’ shouted Adrian.

‘I’m sorry baby boy. I’m drunk,’ said Mrs Timber, with an innocent voice. Adrian’s eyes narrowed and turned to walk away.

‘What I don’t understand is how could a boy like Jimmy ended up a prostitute willingly? It makes ones like me wonder,’ asked Mrs. Timber, laying her body straight on the couch.

‘Trust me. You don’t want to know,’ said Adrian under his breathe.

Adrian slammed his room door and lean against it. He let out a sighed with his eyes closed.

‘No one could ever understand what Jimmy went through. No one would accept him if they knew,’ thought Adrian to himself.

A small beep echoed from the other side of his room. Adrian walked towards the sound and found the source. It was a fax machine that his mother installed in the morning. Adrian pressed the receive button and it swallowed a blank piece of paper.

Written on that piece of paper were just the simple words of, ‘I have received full information. Meet me for drinks later. J’.

Adrian starred at it and sat himself down on his bed. He put his head on the cold pillow and closed his eyes, waiting for the call from Jimmy. As his mind wandered, a scream echoed through which shook the very core of his being. He sat up in cold sweat and wiped his eyes. Tears were overflowing and he was shaking. The door flew open and in came Jimmy.

‘Dude! You scared the hell out of me!’ exclaimed Adrian. ‘What happened man? I was just on my way up to call you went I heard you screaming like a lunatic!’ he continued.

Jimmy walked out and Adrian heard him saying, ‘it’s ok Mrs. Timber. There’s no need to come up or hold that knife anymore’.

Adrian chuckled as Jimmy walked in with two cups. He moved to the edge of his bed and let out a long sigh. ‘Was it about that night?’ asked Jimmy, filling both of the cups with Coke. He waited for a reply from Adrian but there wasn’t a sound. He turned to see Adrian, eyes swollen looking down at the floor as though he was possessed.

Jimmy walked towards Adrian and handed him a cup.

‘Was it about that night?’ asked Jimmy. Adrian kept still and silently, tears coming again to his eyes.

‘You know it wasn’t your fault it happened right?’ Jimmy asked again, looking at Adrian, hoping for a reply from him at least.

‘It was all my fault, I was the one who stabbed her. There was so much blood. What a bloody Christmas it was’, said Jimmy, taking a sip from his cup after that sentence. Adrian got up and walked around his room then paused in front of a mirror.

‘I know it wasn’t your fault Jimmy. In fact you suffered more than me that night. It’s just that…’ said Adrian slowly. ‘if only I was as handsome as you Jimmy,’ said Adrian again.

‘Then maybe she would have looked at me like the way she looked at you,’ Adrian said, this time shaking with a pain look on his face.

Adrian wiped his face with his back hand and turned to face Jimmy.

‘You know, you can get out of prostitution anytime you want right? How long has it been? Don’t you think she would want you to move on to a normal life?’ asked Adrian, sipping his drink.

‘Maybe but..’ replied Jimmy.

Adrian forced a smile and gave Jimmy a hard pat at the back.

‘I know, I know it’s not easy but try alright? For the time being, I’ll assign the usuals for you’, said Adrian, this time with an encouraging smile on his face.

‘So what did you dig up this time?’ asked Adrian.

Jimmy handed Adrian the envelope he received from Mrs. Kent and he opened it slowly. The contents were thick and everything was in its smallest detail. Adrian faced Jimmy unwillingly, shocked to the core as he saw pages and pages of it. Jimmy faced Adrian and asked simply, ‘so should we tell Alex? Don’t think he should know about this?’ ‘Yes but..’ replied Adrian hurrily.

‘He has every right to know too but for now let’s just keep this a secret between us,’ said Adrian at last. Jimmy nodded silently, arranging the papers in order and resealing them in the envelope.

‘Hey give that back! Alex stop it!’ screamed Clover, chasing after Alex who was waving her jacket to and fro.

‘It’s freezing! What if I get a cold?’ screamed Clover, this time squatting and clutching herself. Alex grinned and took out his own jacket. He walked towards Clover and put it over her.

‘Mine is like way better and thicker than yours anyways’, grinned Alex.

‘Baka!’ said Clover loudly, running past Alex. ‘What? Baka?’ said a shocked Alex.

‘Oi! I’m half Japanese! I know what it means alright!!’ shouted Alex after Clover.

They ran and laughed the night away, not knowing how dark tomorrow might be for the both of them.