Forever yours
Revisited
By Eric Burnfeild
He sighed deeply. Not there either. He went to the next bag. Surely someone working would have some with them. He felt something circular in the bottom. There! He pulled it out only to see it was a hair tie.
"Fuck!" Francis massaged his temples to get some frustration out. He can not work without protection this week. He went to the bathroom and got a glass of water before laying down on the futon in the end of the room. Besides from the inconvenience of having to wear a condom, this hurt a lot. It felt like someone had poured lime juice in his urethra and then lit it on fire. He drank and closed his eyes for a moment. The music that slipped in from the door was anything but calming. The constant beat kept his heavy head awake. He just had a few more hours to endure before he could fall asleep in a soft clean hotel bed. He hoped he could at least get six hours of sleep tonight, and maybe catch up some from yesterday.
"Hey!"
A voice brought Francis back.
"What?" Francis rose from his spot. It was Gilbert.
"Get your ass out here! We need you in the bar!"
"Stop barking? You're doing a great job. You can borrow my apron if you want."
"It's your job mind you!" Gilbert checked his tie in the mirror and brushed some dust of his blazer.
"Just admit you want to mingle instead." Francis finished his glass of water.
"There is a drop off tonight I need to keep everything in check, okay?" His voice trembled for a second and he cleared his voice. "Unique New York, Unique Unork- Damn it. She sells seashells by the shore. She sells-" Gilbert only spoke broader till he sounded like a cowboy.
"Fine. Don't worry bout it."
"A-me-ri-ca-n. Ger-ma-ny. Just like Trump. T-r-u-m-p." Gilbert eyes were closed as he almost religiously repeated the words trying to make them sound genuine.
Francis joined Gilbert at the mirror, putting his hair up. "I just needed to piss, Mr. President."
"For ten minutes?!" Gilbert fell back in his accent and sighed before starting to chant again.
"Do you have a rubber?"
"No." Gilbert eyed Francis for a second. "You didn't pick one off the bar did you?"
"Of course not. I got a text."
"Mhm."
"Got a wife and a pretty expensive room at a hotel." Francis tucked his shirt down in his pants again. "Definitely Américain." Gilbert gave him another sour look. "Scön bitte Gilbert?"
Gilbert continued to eye Francis and took a condom out of his inner pocket. "Fine. As long as it's not that German..."
"Promise." Francis kissed him on the cheek before turning on his heel.
The music blared through the speakers. It was dark between the coloured beam of lights and spill of spotlight from the stage. Hips, breasts, lingerie and skin. The light made her look awfully pale and scrawny. Francis ducked under to the bar and started serving the already starving men flipping their money at him. It didn't matter if he served them watered down gin, he only saw the whites of their eyes as they drooled at the stage. Like wolves who's stomachs were never filled.
"A white lilly, please." A man in a black bomber jacket.
"You want ice with that?" Francis looked all around him to make sure no one was listening.
"Yea." Francis saw the tattoo on his hand as he slid the bag over. Francis gave him a glass and he pretended to drink. He took the bag and put it in the trash and took the glass back.
"How many left?" Francis leaned over as he asked.
"I'm last before pick up."
"Good. Get out." The man disappeared in the crowd.
"Hey!" Francis strutted to the other side of the bar. "I want more whisky, damn it!"
"Certainly, sir. "Francis felt a cold rush go through his spine. Francis poured a glass straight. He texted Gilbert underneath the tabletop.
NYPD.
How did he not see him before. The man was practically glowing red from all the alcohol.
"Hey! Woho! Do that thing- Yea!" Francis saw the officer dancing the best he could back to the stage.
Stage left. NYPD.
Francis tapped the bar and tried to look over the heads of the patrons. Where the hell is Gilbert? Francis looked at the hostess list. D.D at VIP. Francis looked up at the balcony and thought he saw her white corset. He texted her right away. NYPD Stage left. She was laughing and drinking champaign with a man wearing her matching white eye mask. She was charming her way into his pocket it seemed as it was their third bottle of liquid gold. She looked down at her phone for a second and her smile faded. She met Francis eyes before standing to her feet. She seemed to get him to order more as she left with their tray. She passed Gilbert's table upstairs. Francis saw Gilbert usher her away without a second glance. D.D met Francis eyes again as she started to skip down the stairs.
Francis served some more patrons before D.D had made her way through the crowd.
"Another!" D.D said between her breaths.
"What the fuck is he doing?"
"I don't know. He just..." D.D took a deep breath.
"What?!"
"Sorry. I don't know he just told me to fuck off!"
Francis gave her a glass of water. "Catch your breath." Francis pulled out a bottle of something he could sacrifice. He aimed, cut the cork and it blasted of to the second floor. Gilbert jumped in his seat and spilled some of his drink on him. He stared down at Francis with fury as Francis pointed at his phone. Gilbert took it out of his pocket and his expression changed. He turned to the man who's ass he was licking and Francis got a text back.
Deal with it.
Francis gridded his teeth as he texted back.
Wtf so you mean deal with it?
Gilbert didn't even look at his phone but kept talking.
There was a scream through the booming music. Francis turned and saw a girl being dragged off stage. He jumped over the bar and pushed through the crows. Francis dragged the men standing around her away.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"She fell!" The man was laughing as he sat down again.
Natalya was laying motionless on the floor. Francis picked her up and waved for the other dancers to continue. He rushed to the dressing room cursing his way there. He kicked the door open and gently put her on the futon. She was sickly pale. He felt the back of her head to feel if she had been hit by a bottle. No glass. He felt her pulse before listening to her breath. Wheezing. He pried his fingers under the lace to undo her corset. He pulled the strings to no avail.
Gilbert came stomping in. "What the hell is going on?!"
"Give me a knife!" Francis tired to cut the string with his teeth at this point.
"What?!"
"She can't breathe!" Francis looked up at the dressing tables next to him and grabbed a bottle opener but to no avail. The lacing just got tighter from him pulling on it. He smashed his fist into the mirror and glass shattered everywhere. He moved some shards before he found one he could grip and without thinking drug it across the corset.
The woman gasped for air and coughed. Francis threw the shard on the ground and grasped paper as quickly as he could. His hand burned and was warm throbbing with warm blood. Gilbert stood motionless seeing what just had happened. Francis patience had run thin and he didn't think before he opened his mouth."What the fuck were you thinking?!"
"What?" Gilbert took a step back before coming to his senses.
"Pulling the fucking corset so tight?!" Francis pressed on the wound in hopes of it sealing quicker.
"So this is my fault?!"
Francis hissed through his teeth as he felt the pain throb in his hand."You can't do it properly!"
"I would've let you do it if you were here on time!" Gilbert was yelling at the top of his lungs at this point.
"She could've died!" Francis brow had pearled with sweat as he sat down on a chair next to the futon.
"Shame both of you!" D.D had gotten inside the dressing room with a towel and water. She quickly sat down with Natalya and reminded her to breathe slowly. "You two need to get your act together." Gently she nursed Natalya who was wide eyed and confused. The stress melted in the room as D.D was able to stay calm and rational. "The pick-up came." D.D gave the men a look that could kill. "I took care of it since you two were busy fighting!" She took a deep breath before returning her focus on to Natalya.
Francis and Gilbert remained silent as Natalya was slowly getting back to the moment.
"Francis, get your hand stitched and clean this up." Gilbert brought a broom and a shovel from the closet. He threw them on the ground and the glass crumbled. "After that get out. I don't need your help tonight." Gilbert left the room without another word.
"How are you feeling, Natalya?" Francis leaned back in his chair.
"I'm...fine..." She covered her chest with her elbows and tucked her knees in.
"Francis, would you?" D.D looked up at Francis with a needing look.
"Sure." Francis took a sharp breath as he rose to get Natalya her belongings. The glass crunched under his shoes and he the wall were the mirror had been looked like an empty hole without it.
"The corset seems to be fine." D.D laughed softly and threw the tattered string from the corset on the floor.
"Did I cut you Natalya? Do you need a band aid?" Francis stopped for a moment to discretely close Natalya's bag before returning it.
Natalya coughed as she tried to speak."No. Just a scratch."
"Sorry this had to happen." Francis gave D.D the bag and Natalya a sympathetic nod.
"Thanks." D.D took a shirt out of the bag and handed it over to Natalya. "You should-"
"Oh, yea." Francis went over to the sink in the bathroom. The cold water was soothing. The cut was deep but nothing some bandage couldn't handle. Francis patched his hand and by the time he was done D.D had already left. Natalya was left on the futon. She had taken her heels of and faced the wall. Francis started to clean in silence.
"Why did you go through my bag?" Natalya's voice was hoarse and airy still.
Francis stopped sweeping. He though before he answered. "I was looking for a hair tie."
"Bullshit." Francis sighed and continued cleaning.
"I was looking for a condom."
"You got herpes or something?"
"No, please don't start-"
"If you keep fucking like a rabbit you will."
Francis paused again. He heard Natalya tapping away on her phone. He couldn't see her face but he could hear her mood in her tone of voice.
"Or maybe you'll get killed by your sugar daddy."
"Natalya, please..." Francis threw the glass into a bin and made a last sweep to make sure the floor was clean.
"It's disturbed. But maybe you like being tied down and choked, I don't know."
Francis sat down on the futon next to her. She was still texting not giving Francis even a look. "I just need to find a place to stay, then that will be it. I promise." Natalya stayed face stayed motionless till her phone buzzed. "Shouldn't you cut it off with that guy already?"
"He loves me."
"Like a daddy?" Her eyes blazed and before Francis could react he got a smack across his face. Her hand was trembling and she slowly pulled it close to her.
"I..." She looked Francis up and down and pulled back afraid to get hit back.
"No, I'm sorry. I'll go." Francis dried a tear that had made it's way down her cheek. Francis rose and took his scarf and coat. "It'll be fine. I promise." He dressed and looked at the time. 20:03 "Now get some rest, will you? And don't let Gilbert tie you in next time, oui?"
Natalya nodded silently as she seemed fixed to a spot on the floor. Francis stepped out to the back and felt the cold weather sweep him in. He had two hours before he needed to be at the hotel. Francis went to the front of the establishments as he swiped through his contacts. There wouldn't be any of them who wanted a quickie on a Tuesday evening. Francis got to the front and looked around. There were some regulars smoking talking about work. Francis borrowed a light and lit a cigarette. He only saw people he knew would not be interested.
Then he saw a figure he didn't recognize. Tall and fair in a beige long coat. Francis tried to see if he was with someone. Seems he was alone. Francis took a moment to eye him. Glasses, watch, nice shoes. He would have the money for it. It was worth a shot.