14/
After only a short drive through city streets, Kate pulled her car to a stop at the side of the road outside a building with large blacked out windows and a huge elegant looking door.
"This where you work?" Happy asked.
"Aha." She nodded. "You can stay in the car if you want. I won't be long."
"Nah. I'll come in with ya." He said
"Okay, but it's not opening hours so everyone inside will be dressed." She said with a grin.
"I'm not here for the entertainment Kate." He said with a smirk as he followed her to the door.
She pushed it in and was immediately greeted by a small, busty brunette. "Katie! Where have you been honey?" She asked as she embraced her.
"I've had some personal stuff to take care of Candy." Kate explained to the girl as she loosened her embrace.
"And who is this fine specimen of a man?" Candy asked looking behind Kate to where Happy stood, his arms crossed over his chest and his sunglasses pushed up onto his bald head.
Kate smiled at the other girl's obvious perusal of him.
"This is Happy. He's a friend. Is Maxine about, hon?" She asked as Candy continued to unsubtly look Happy up and down.
"Yeah she's out the back."
"Thanks Candy." Kate said moving across the lavish room they were in to a door at the back.
"This place looks like a brothel Katie." Happy said as he followed her down a dimly lit hallway.
"It kind of is Hap. Maxine runs the restaurant which is essentially a gentleman's club and she also runs an escort business on the side."
"You ever been involved in that?"
"Escorting? No." She said as she pushed open a door at the end of the hallway which opened into a lavishly decorated room, ornate chandeliers hung from the ceilings and red velvet sofas sat around it.
A middle aged, yet still very attractive brunette woman spied Kate as soon as she entered.
"Katie, hello honey." She said moving toward them, the long tresses of her brunette hair falling about the sides of her face. She placed one arm around Kate's shoulders and pulled her close, kissing her cheek. "How are you doing sweetheart?" She asked gently.
"I'm doing okay Maxine." Kate said.
"And who is this you've brought with you?" Maxine asked casting a curious and perusing look at Happy where he stood behind Kate.
Kate sighed. "This is Happy."
"And how did you meet?" Maxine asked noting Happy's protective stance over the young girl she'd come to care about.
"It's kind of a long story but he's been looking out for me while I was away and well …."
"You've sampled the goods?" Maxine asked with a knowing grin.
Kate smiled. "Yeah."
"Come sweetheart tell me what's been going on." Maxine said leading her over to one of the sofas while Happy awkwardly sat opposite them. "Your brother stopped by a few weeks ago to let me know you wouldn't be in for a while."
"Jason did that?" Kate asked incredulous.
"Yes he did. He told me what happened to your mother and sister. I'm so sorry Katie." Maxine said placing her hand on her shoulder.
Kate fought back the tears at the corners of her eyes. "He's dead now too."
"Oh Kate! How?"
"He was shot. I'm told he died instantly." Kate answered her, keeping her voice even and devoid of emotion. Happy could tell she was placing walls up around herself again and seemingly Maxine could too.
"Katie, I'll be honest with you. All of the girls here have experienced hardship or have come from very broken backgrounds. In a lot of ways, you were always the exception to that. You were strong and confident when you started here. I didn't need to primp your ego and build you up. Hell I could have put you out on the floor your first day here and told you to put on the best show this place has ever seen and you'd have done it. But every girl here came for a fresh start and I know you were no exception to that. I know you started working here to break away from what your family expected of you. Take all the time you need to deal with this Katie and you're welcome back here at any time."
"I'm not sure that I'll be coming back here to work actually Max. I've been living in America for this past month while everything with my family gets sorted and I'm actually thinking of moving there permanently."
"It will be sad letting you go Kate but I understand you need to do what's best for you."
"In a lot of ways it seems the perfect way to achieve the distance the club that I've always sought."
Maxine nodded, knowing of Kate's background. "And I'm guessing Happy has something to do with that choice too?"
Kate couldn't help but blush, "Something." She said. "Thanks for being so understanding Max."
"You know I'm always looking out for what's best for you girls. If I'm not looking out for my girls, then I'm failing my clientele."
Kate smiled. "Thanks Max."
"Wait here a moment Kate." Maxine said moving from the couch and to her office at the back of the room they were in.
She returned a short time later with an envelope Kate knew would be filled with cash. "You're last two weeks' pay from before you left and a severance bonus. I wish you all the best sweetheart in whatever you decide to do." Maxine said, placing the envelope in Kate's hand and drawing her close.
"Thank you Max."
Happy let out a low whistle as he flicked through the wad of colored notes in the envelope Kate threw onto his lap as she got into the car.
"I made good money there Hap." She commented seeing the surprised look on his face.
"My oath you did. The green ones are hundreds right?" He asked, unfamiliar with the currency.
Kate nodded. "And the yellowy ones are fifties."
"There's gotta be close to five grand in here Kate." Happy said still flicking the notes through his fingers.
"Yeah probably." Kate said glancing distracted at the time display on her dash. "I should go see Barry." She said as she turned the key in the ignition.
"Chances are they won't let you in looking like that." He said looking her up and down.
"No shit." She said with a smirk. "That's why I'm going home to change first. I need to call dad and find out where he is too."
"Good luck with that if Wombat's gotten to him."
"I can handle my father and Wombat isn't likely to mention anything that's been going on with you. I was serious about him and my mother. They'd been sleeping together for years whenever my dad was out of town."
Happy nodded as she pulled up outside her apartment building once again. "I'll be right back." She said sliding from the car to head inside to change from her shorts and low cut top into something a little more conservative.
She pulled out her phone as she headed back to her car dressed in jeans and a button down sleeveless blouse, its pale blue color highlighting her eyes.
"Hi Dad. I need to know what prison Barry is in." She said down the line as she slid back behind the steering wheel of her car.
"I told Wombat that I would go see him when I want to not when you all tell me to."
"No Dad. I won't be ordered around anymore. So where is he?"
"Barwon Prison. Okay. And I'm registered to be able to visit him?"
"Dad, I don't want to come past the clubhouse after."
She sighed. "Okay fine. I will then."
She tossed her phone into Happy's lap as she turned the key in the ignition. "It seems we're going past the clubhouse on our way home. Dad said it has something to do with planning Jason's memorial but more than likely it's so he can lay into me about how I spoke to Wombat."
"I know you hate the position they're putting you in Kate but you gotta watch your mouth."
"Why the hell should I Hap? They've never given a shit how they speak to me."
"An old lady isn't meant to speak out of line like that Katie."
"I'm not anyone's old lady Hap and I never intend to be."
"Not even mine?" He asked.
She did a double take, taking her eyes off the road momentarily to look at him. "You want me to be?"
"I think we've both established that we're good together."
"In the bedroom yes."
"You can't tell me you would have had the guts to stand up to Wombat like that had I not been standing behind you."
"Probably not, but that doesn't make me your old lady."
"Look Katie you've already noticed that we do things differently in the states. There is no way in hell I wouldn't be with you 24/7 if there'd been a death threat issued against you. Leaving family, old ladies, whatever unprotected is never something we do."
"Wait where is this conversation going Hap? You started out telling me an old lady shouldn't speak out of line and now your inferring that if I were your old lady you'd always protect me. Are you asking me to be your old lady Hap?"
"It's more than just the sex Kate. I care about you and I think you've realized that."
"Yeah I have." She said glancing across to him again. "So you want Barry's name off my hip?"
"Ultimately that's your decision, but I sure don't like seeing it there especially for the way it's scarred your skin."
Kate sighed. "I want it gone Hap. The sooner you can cover it up the better."
"Assuming you come back to the states with me I'll get to it as soon as we're back." He said watching her drive.
"I'll be going back. I can assure you of that." She said with a smile as she glanced over to him again. She caught the way he coyly tried to hide his satisfaction at her words.
"I've been thinking; it's going to have to be pretty dark to cover the blackness of those lines."
"I have no problem with that Hap."
"The eyes will have to be nearly black and it'll probably be bigger than you're thinking." He continued.
"I trust you to do whatever needs to be done to cover it Hap." She said as she pulled into the parking lot of Barwon Prison. "Speaking of, time to go deal with its reason for being there." She said with a sigh.
"You want me to come in?" he asked.
"It's probably better that you don't and besides I doubt they'll let you in if you're not on the list of approved visitors."
He nodded. "Good luck."
"Thanks I think." She said flashing him a half smile as she slid from the car. He watched the swagger of her hips as she walked toward the gate and waited to be let in. he had to admit she'd gotten under his skin and into his head far more than he had ever imagined she would.
"Katie! I was beginning to think you weren't going to visit." Barry greeted her as he was led into the visitation room. He rounded the side of the table and placed his arms around her. He felt how tense she was immediately and stepped back. "Are you okay?" He asked watching her take a seat in front of him as he took his own.
"Yeah I'm good Barry."
"You look well Katie. They did look out for you pretty well over there."
"Yeah they did."
"My bail hearing is tomorrow."
"Yeah Dad said. So you're expected to make bail?"
"Sure am cherub. I can't wait to be out of here and in your arms babe."
Kate sighed. "Look Barry that's not going to happen."
"What do you mean it's not going to happen Katie? Your dad told you we have to get married soon right?"
"I can't marry you Barry."
"What? Katie, you have to or they'll make you testify against me."
"No Barry. I don't have to. It's what Dad and the club want me to do but I can't. If you get convicted, you'll be inside for at least seven years Barry. I am not going to be a prison widow."
"Katie it's for the best. It keeps you off the stand and it's what you've always wanted."
"No Barry. It's not what I've always wanted, at least not anymore."
"Your ring's gone." He said noticing her left hand that she made no move to hide.
"Yes it is. I don't want to marry you Barry. I realized while I was overseas that I don't love you. I can't marry you if I don't love you."
"C'mon Katie are you for real? You always came back before."
"Not this time. Being away has made me realize that what I had with you wasn't love Barry. It was control; I was young when we got together and maybe it was that element of control that you had over me that made things exciting but as I've gotten older it's just been stifling instead."
"I can change babe."
"Do you have any idea how many times I've heard that Barry? You never have before and we know you're not going to now. The club has always come first and I don't want to fit into that world anymore and I especially don't want to do it while you're in prison for seven years."
"Katie, I love you."
"I know you do Barry. That's why you're not going to make me go through with this. If you love me, you'll let me go." She said quietly and almost pleadingly as she watched his knuckles whiten with the grip he had on the table.
"Look Katie, I'll be out tomorrow and we can talk about this then. It'll be different once I'm out."
"No it won't be different. I mean it Barry. Please just listen to what I'm saying. I can't spend all those years married to you while you're inside. That's not a marriage."
"Is there someone else?" He asked suddenly.
"It doesn't matter if there is. I made this decision long before you got arrested Barry."
"So there is someone else. You've been getting it on with an American Son haven't you?"
"I said it doesn't matter Barry."
"It does when you've been cheating on me." He snarled.
"Oh like you can preach to me about cheating on you!" She scoffed.
"Look I know I stuffed up and many times Katie but I never expected you'd do the same."
"I don't see it as stuffing up Barry. I see it as finding out where I'm supposed to be."
"Katie, wait till I'm out tomorrow. We can make this work. I'll make you happy."
"I haven't been happy for a long time Barry."
"Let me fix that Katie."
"Not this time Barry. It's over this time."
He nodded seeing how serious she was. "I hope then Katie that whoever he is he's able to bring a smile back to your face."
"Thanks Barry." She said giving him a slight smile.
"Your smile is beautiful Kate." He said reaching across and taking her hand in his. "I guess I'll see you at Jason's funeral."
"Yeah. I guess so." She said nodding sadly.
"I'm sorry Kate. Things should never have gotten this bad."
"No they shouldn't have Barry."
"You know that if we're not married you're likely to be called as a witness in my trial?"
"I'll cross that bridge when I have to Barry." She said quietly.
He nodded.
"I have to go Barry. I'll see you in a couple of days."
"Yeah. Bye Katie."
"Bye Barry."