Chloe could always feel the disparaging looks of LA's club goers when she determinately went up to the bouncer; the way they sneered and pursed their lips, when they eyed her no-name clothes and makeupless face. She never would have admitted it, but there would always be a minuscule part of Chloe Decker who was bothered by this. Somewhere in the rearmost corner of her mind was the girl who felt insecure when she heard the cool girls laughing.
Her face betrayed nothing of the sort. Every time she ignored the giggling and staring when she walked along the long line of people queuing up for a chance to get into LA's most elite night club; ignored the short, glittery dresses of the women and the arrogant grins of the men. She ignored them right up until the moment she stepped up to whoever bouncer was on duty this night and greeted him in her best bored detective voice.
Only then, when he nodded at her politely and immediately opened the cord to let her in, did Chloe allow herself a nonchalant glance at the crowd and the corners of her mouth to imperceptibly go upwards at the dropping jaws and gaping mouths.
„How the fuck did she get in?"
„Did the bouncer just seriously, like, let her in?"
„If you let her in, why not me and my friend?! I mean, look at her clothes!"
„Hey, man! Come on! What is this shit?"
„Who the hell is she?"
„What the hell man, you let this frumpy bitch in, but not us?"
.
.
„Hi", said Chloe distractedly, barely paying any attention at all to the bouncer. Her mind was already on their new case. The bouncer – a tall and lanky man with dark skin and short hair – merely raised his eyebrows expectantly, apparently waiting for something more.
Chloe, now giving the bouncer her full attention, looked back confusedly and upon closer examination of the man's face realized that it was completely unfamiliar to her. Deducing that he was probably new she smiled and explained: „I'm Chloe Decker. Lucifer's partner. Let me in, please?"
The bouncer stared at her as if she had grown three heads. Then he laughed.
„Lady, you got moxie, I'll give you that", he chuckled, shaking his head. Now get back in line please - it starts on the other side of the building" He pointed to where the queue went around the corner.
„Excuse me?", said Chloe perplexedly and blinked at the bouncer, temporarily at a loss for words.
„Hey bitch, get in line like the rest off us!", yelled a man's voice.
Chloe slowly turned her head and immediately settled on a white twenty-something guy sneering at her from his corner spot in the queue.
„What did you just say?", she exclaimed, her face flushing involuntarily.
„You heard me, bitch!", he shouted, causing the bouncer's gaze to darken and holler back „Watch your language, man!" as a warning.
He then turned back to Chloe and told her patiently: „While I don't agree with this man's choice of words, he's right, Miss. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave and get in line, please."
„Ok, look", said Chloe, trying to stay calm. Surely this could be sorted out. „You're new, right?" She ignored the sigh and eye roll from the bouncer and went on: „I'm sure you've had your instructions – I'm Chloe Decker, I work with Lucifer. In fact, I'm his friend and you're supposed to just let me through." He scoffed and did not move an inch from his position.
„Yeah, right", he said condescendingly and Chloe blushed when she realized how often he must have heard this claim before and how pathetic she must sound to him.
„I know you haven't seen me before, I'm happy to show you some kind of ID", Chloe went on and started to rummage in her bag with the sinking feeling that it would not get her anywhere. She could feel the heat creep up her face when the first snickers and giggles were coming from the other patrons.
Chloe held out her ID to the bouncer, who was looking quite angry by now, trying not to pay attention to the sniggers and loudly whispered conversations behind her.
„Miss, I don't care about your ID. Now get back in line!"
„Might wanna get a change of clothes first. You ain't getting in dressed like this!", laughed a Latino man in designer clothes, who was standing next to Chloe, and looked the detective up and down derogatorily. His companion, a chinese-looking woman in an impossibly tight purple dress, joined in with a patronizing „Give it up, girl". While two women looked at her pityingly, the other people chuckled or even outright laughed at their comments, including bitch guy.
Chloe took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.
„What is wrong with my- Nevermind. Maybe this will help." She flashed her badge. „LAPD. Now move along."
The bouncer looked at her completely unfazed.
„You got a warrant to go with that?", he asked and raised his eyebrows.
Chloe did not answer.
„Didn't think so."
„Look", she said desperately, "Can you just page Lucifer? I'm sure he would clear this right up"
She wanted to say more but was interrupted by the bouncer's half-amused, half-annoyed snort.
„Lady, if I called the boss every time someone claimed to be his 'friend', he wouldn't have a minute to himself all night. Now. Go. Away. You're not getting in!", he said through gritted teeth, clearly exasperated with Chloe's apparent inability to take a hint.
„Okay, okay, I get it!" Chloe put up her hands in defeat. „Guess I'll have to call him myself then", she muttered to herself, rolling her eyes and taking out her phone. She turned back and took a few steps away from the crowd of Lux' party goers who were following her every move with voyeuristic interest and scathing commentary.
After the third unanswered call she was getting agitated. Lucifer had known she was coming but he had no reason to believe she wouldn't get in without him and therefore no reason to look at his phone. What if he was entertaining the Brittanys again?
„Come one, pick up", she mumbled over and over again like a mantra.
He finally picked up on her fifth attempt.
„Lucifer! Thanks God you finally picked up!", she blurted out, her whole body flooding with relief.
„Detective! Where are you? And would you mind leaving my father out of this?"
Chloe had never been so glad to hear the ridiculously melodic voice of Lucifer Morningstar on her phone before. He was shouting but considering the almost deafening bass sounds in the background this was hardly surprising.
She quickly filled him in: „I'm at Lux. At the entrance. And I can't get in because someone failed to inform your new bouncer that he's supposed to just let me in"
Lucifer heaved a heavy sigh at the other end of the line.
„Who is it?", he asked. Chloe peered back over her shoulder.
„Uh... tall, black guy, kinda slim, short hair", she described him.
„Ah, Tony. Yes, he's new." He sighed. „Maze is usually in charge of the bouncers. I'll have to have a word with her on that. Get him on the line, I'll handle it"
Chloe briskly walked back to the entrance and held out her phone to Tony.
„Would you mind? It's Lucifer", she said smoothly and raised her eyebrows. There were bouts of barely restrained laughter.
Tony sighed ostentatiously.
„I really don't have time to talk to some guy pretending to be Mr. Morningstar. People have tried this before, you know. Get a new trick."
„Yeah, honey. At least come up with something believable. Have fun waiting in line – pretty sure it's around the block by now", jeered the woman in the purple dress from before. She was shivering slightly and now had a thin black scarf wrapped around her shoulders. Chloe vindictively hoped she was very, very cold.
„You should use the time to reconsider your wardrobe", she kept mocking, taking a pull from the cigarette in her hand. Chloe was starting to feel at the end of her wits, not to mention humiliated.
She held the phone to her ear again.
„Did you hear that?", she asked Lucifer. „Seriously. Could you just come out?", she hissed. Lucifer sighed again.
„Yes I did hear that. Put me on video, that should do the trick. If not, I'll come and get you"
Chloe thought she'd also heard him mutter 'Oh, Maze, you're in deep trouble' , but it was drowned out by the music. Perhaps it had only been wishful thinking on her part.
She switched to a video call, turned the volume to maximum and, after a quick check that Lucifer was clearly visible standing in a roped off section inside Lux, thrust the phone in Tony's face before he could protest.
„Hello, Tony. It's me. Lucifer Morningstar, the one and only."
Tony's eyes grew wide as saucers when he recognized his employer and he instantly straightened up.
„Mr. Morningstar! I'm so sorry, I didn't realise – I...I didn't think it was really you, you know the crazy things people come up-", he stuttered.
„Yes, yes, save the apologies for later! Let the detective in, she's really been waiting long enough. As for the future: the detective is my partner and gets to come in here whenever she likes. No waiting in line, no bag search, no questions asked." He paused. Then, in true Lucifer fashion, he added: „And no matter how badly she's dressed"
„I heard that!", Chloe called him out indignantly, but of course stayed entirely ignored.
„Did I make myself clear, Tony?", asked Lucifer. Chloe, still holding the phone in front of the man's face, suddenly realized the whispers and laughter behind her had completely died down. She was slightly embarrassed to find that she felt more than a little bit smug about this.
„Yes sir! Understood, sir! I'll let her in right away, sir!", babbled Tony and all but saluted. Chloe privately wondered how Lucifer usually treated his employees that his displeasure would warrant such a reaction. While she knew he was prone to yell or at least raise his voice when he was angry, she had a hard time imagining him as a particularly terrifying boss – rather the opposite, if she were honest. Then she remembered that Lucifer had mentioned Maze as being the one in charge of the bouncers and suddenly it all made a lot more sense.
Chloe turned the phone towards her to speak to Lucifer again.
„Thanks, Lucifer. Oh, one more thing: there was this guy" Chloe vaguely pointed behind her „Called me a bitch. Can you believe it?"
She looked at him innocently. Lucifer immediately understood what she was getting at and broke into a wide grin. She knew that if he had been standing in front of her, she would have seen the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
„Why, this is simply unacceptable, Detective!" he said loudly and raised his glass. „Obviously I cannot tolerate this kind of behaviour in my club. No worries, I'll handle it" He winked at Chloe and said, with his voice raised loud enough for everyone around her to hear: „Bitch guy will not set foot in here!"
„You copy that, Tony?", asked Chloe laconically and ended the call.
„Yes, Miss Decker", said Tony assiduously, unhooked the velvet rope beside him and, with a slight bow, motioned for her to come in.
Before she went inside Lux, she straightened her jacket and addressed the hopefully-freezing woman, who was gaping at her.
„Have fun waiting in line", said Chloe, flashing her the fakest smile she could muster and then strode to the entrance door with her head held high, not giving the other patrons so much as a second glance.