LA

By Joseph "Maniac" Cirillo III

"Hello LA this is your talk radio show. If you're new to this town or new to this whole radio thing you're listening to The Deb of Night, the only girl who will spend the night with you and leave first thing in the morning guaranteed. I see the boards are lit up, aren't I the popular one? Caller, you're on the air…"

Bob turned down his radio as he drove his car into the Santa Monica parking garage. He parked safely and cautiously looking both ways as he backed his car into the empty parking spot not far from the staircase to the Santa Monica Pier. He opened up his door and stepped out, ready for another great night in LA.

For as long as he could remember, Bob had always been a night person. The nights were the most exciting times for him. When he was in college, he would always make sure to schedule his classes in the late afternoon or evenings. At work, he would take late positions. He used to be unhappy, his old hometown didn't provide for him anything to do at night save for a few all night diners he could frequent alone on the weekends. Most of his night time action he would spend alone at home in front of a computer or reading a book, which got boring to him after a long while. When his work needed employees at their Los Angeles branch, he made sure he was at the top of the list for the job.

Bob loved his city. The late nights he'd spend out at clubs or at the all night diners were his best times. This city provided him with everything he could possibly want at night. Good radio shows, clubs open until sunrise, twenty-four hour diners. Everything he could possibly need.

His plan was to spend some time at the local nightclub, The Asylum, the most happening club in Santa Monica. But as he got out of his car he could smell the salt air from the Santa Monica pier and it just called to him to give it a late night visit. Bob walked down the steps in the tunnel out to the beach. He spotted some surfers keeping warm by a bonfire. He had seen them there for the last few months, but for the life of him he'd never seen them actually surf. Even though the waves offered plentiful fun for that aquatic sport, it was just too dark to see the waves that far out. Perhaps they spent their nights at the bonfires after a whole day of surfing. Bob of course never asked, he didn't like to pry into the affairs that were none of his business, and he wasn't much of a talking person anyway.

He walked up the steps from the beach to the boardwalk. It was bustling with activity with people walking up and down it, getting hot dogs or playing video games. He passed by the arcade with its beeping electronic sounds and flashing lights. There was a pretty decent line for the Call of Duty pinball machine. He leaned over the railing and smelled the salt air. No matter how many nights he did this it still never got old for him. Even if he lived here all his life he would still do this as much as he could.

Bob bought a hot dog at the local vendor, and ate it as he walked back down the pier. He wasn't that hungry but he figured it would hold him over until he went to the Santa Monica diner after the club started clearing out.

He threw out his wrapper at the trashcan in front of the club. There was never a line in front of the Asylum, they always let everyone in. There was plenty of room for everyone who wanted to hang out, a full bar, and an observation deck where people can have their drinks and watch the people dance in peace.

Bob went into the club and headed straight for the bar. The bartender was a big man who wore a tank top. Bob had seen him there a few times, and while he would've been scared by this guy at first, he knew the man wouldn't do anything to him as long as he kept tipping.

"What'll you have?" asked the Bartender.

"Sprite," replied Bob.

"Ugh. You must've been coming in here for weeks, and you still haven't had one real drink. It's a good thing you tip well."

Bob was handed his drink and took a sip from it. He promptly paid the bartender and gave him a nice tip.

As Bob sat at the stool drinking he looked around at the patrons in the club. He saw Jeanette, the sister of the club's owner, working the crowd. She was wearing her sexy schoolgirl outfit as usual, which always brought people into the club. He had never met her sister Therese, but he heard Jeanette mention her a few times. Neither time was the mention very positive.

Jeanette was always willing to talk to new guests coming into the club, and would occasionally flirt with new people if she thought they were cute. She even flirted with him the first time he came in there, but right now she seemed wrapped up in a conversation with some tall guy named Knox. He didn't know exactly what they were talking about, it seemed a little out of his league, and also none of his business. Something about a warehouse. Must be where the club stores its extraneous stuff.

Bob looked back at his drink and continued to sip it. He looked at the people dancing in their club outfits. Bob wasn't much for dancing. He could dance, but tonight he just didn't feel like it. He just wanted to watch the world around him and learn more from it.

All of a sudden a breathtaking woman in a gorgeous black dress walked up to him and sat right next to him. She had brunette colored hair, which was very dark, either naturally or from the light in the club. She sat right next to him, and looked right at Bob. Bob was just shocked and bewildered. He had talked to some beautiful women before, he even had talked to Jeanette a few times, but no woman had ever just walked up to him and started talking to him before.

"So how do you like LA?" the Mysterious Woman asked him.

"Oh, I love it here," he replied with a smile on his face.

"How long have you been here?"

"Few months. I transferred here from another branch of my job. I work in the afternoons and get to spend my nights hanging out here."

"You look like you come from a small town."

Bob smiled as he looked at this gorgeous woman. He could not believe his luck that such a beautiful girl would be talking to him of all people. Only in LA.

"Yes, I come from a small town," he replied. "Is it that obvious?"

"So what do you know about LA?"

"It's the City of Angels."

"Sure, that's what they all say."

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"No, I'm fine."

Bob looked into this woman's eyes and became strangely intoxicated by what he saw. She had piercing green eyes which just hypnotized him.

"I've seen you in here a few times," she continued. "You must be a night person too."

"All my life. I love going out at night."

"Really?" She was genuinely surprised. "I couldn't tell you were one of us."

"One of…what?"

"You know."

"I do?"

Suddenly she shook her head like she made a mistake and quickly tried to change the subject.

"Well you know honey, I could show you LA. Parts of LA you've never seen before. Are you interested?"

Bob's eyes widened as he listened to this gorgeous woman speak. He took another sip of his drink.

"Sure, I'm game."

"That's good honey, I've got such wonderful things to show you."

All of a sudden it became harder for Bob to see. Were they having a power failure at the club? It was starting to get very dark. He could feel himself getting more and more nauseous and the last thing he remembered before passing out was the beautiful woman's smile. Only in LA…

The End