Intuition Is The Highest Form Of Intelligence
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A few minutes after he’d taken off in the car, I’d had time to consider what we were doing. I wasn’t sure why we needed a place that would let us go unnoticed and wouldn’t have much security. Then again, I was used to being underestimated by everyone except me; it wasn’t a bad habit to keep up. So I decided on something else entirely.
“There’s no need for stealth,” I told him as I pulled into the parking lot of a strip club that had been open since before most people could remember. “You’ve got the best disguise there is.”
I didn’t know what kind of car they drove but I assumed if it was a limo with some tinted windows, this place was about as good as you could get. It wasn’t far from where my old apartment had been and even closer to the nightclub we’d gone to the night before.
As soon as he parked his car next to mine, I jumped out and ran over to the entrance. When I stepped inside, the only thing missing was the smell. The dim lights were almost blinding in their intensity, giving everything a purple glow and casting shadows against all corners of the room.
It was dark enough so nobody noticed me until I spoke; when they did notice me, their eyes widened in recognition. Most of them looked confused at first, unsure how they knew me, then they just smiled politely and moved away.
The bouncer nodded and held the door open for both of us while we passed through. He glanced down at my hands and frowned but didn’t ask any questions. After that, the rest of the evening went without incident.
I found myself wishing things would stay quiet, and that we could be left alone to talk or plan in peace. But we never really seemed to have a chance. From the moment we walked onto the main floor, every woman within ten feet of me turned and made a show of examining me, smiling at what she saw and batting her eyelashes with an obvious amount of lust.
Some came close enough to try and feel my hair or run fingers across the fabric of my clothing, others stood back more reservedly but were still making their interest known.
One girl even took me aside as I ordered two beers and a Coke for myself. She put one hand on my arm and leaned forward. Her makeup was overdone with fake eyelashes and a pale blue shadow that matched the dress she wore perfectly. “Hi there,” she purred. “Are you single? Are you looking to meet someone new?”
I felt like telling her to shove me off. But since I was here for a job, I couldn’t exactly say no. Besides, we weren’t trying to pick somebody up; it was already set in motion and I doubted either of us was going to be able to change our plans now. Instead, I just laughed and shook my head. “Sorry,” I told her. “I’m not available. Maybe some other day though.”
She pursed her lips as if disappointed. As soon as she left, another young girl appeared behind her. “Do you want something better than beer and soda?” she asked. “How about a drink from the bar instead?”
I thought it was worth taking a gamble, especially when we were in a place we knew nothing about and didn’t expect anything. “Let’s see what we can do,” I said, handing her my credit card and putting on a friendly smile.
After waiting for a few minutes, we were served two drinks: a gin-and-tonic for me and some fruity concoction that smelled sweet but tasted terrible.
“This isn’t half bad,” I told him once we’d sat down at one of the tables with my back to the dance floor.
“It’s not bad. But it’s not really good, either.”
He reached down to take my hand, his eyes on mine. His touch was gentle, almost hesitant; as if he expected to be rebuked. And yet I sensed he wanted it just as much as I did. If anyone else had come near me and tried something like that, I would have slapped their face and kicked them in the balls. But he was different, and the knowledge sent my heart pounding. I leaned toward him.
For a while, the only sounds were our breaths as we drew closer together. Then I heard something soft brush over my cheek. I followed his gaze to find that a waitress had brought over a tiny flower—a daisy, white petals glistening in the light. The gesture was so small I wouldn’t have noticed it except if he pointed it out to me.
I smiled up at him. “I don’t think they’re quite ready for us,” I whispered.
His mouth brushed softly over my ear. “I don’t care. I’ll pay for whatever we order tonight. So long as you let me kiss you again.”
That was enough to make me melt into him. My fingers closed around his wrist while his other hand slid down to hold mine tight to my side, pulling me close. A part of my brain told me what was happening was wrong, that I should pull back and get out before this got ugly, but most of me were already lost in the sensations.
We kissed slowly and quietly, barely making any noise at all despite the music blasting from overhead speakers. He ran a thumb along my jawline until the tip of his finger traced my chin and touched the curve of my lower lip. It looked as if he meant to draw me nearer still but stopped himself short of doing so.
Then he pulled away from me, breaking the connection between our bodies, and rose to stand upright, towering above me. I watched him walk to the edge of the room where a mirror hung against the wall and look at himself in the reflection, checking to see how close we were.
There wasn’t much space between us, just a narrow gap between the table and railing, but it was still too far for his comfort level. For a moment, he stared at his own profile. Then, without another word, he turned to leave.
But before he went, he looked back and gave me one quick wink. Then he disappeared through the crowd.
***
As the evening progressed, I found myself being introduced to a dozen more men who were eager to make my acquaintance. They all looked good enough to eat. One was tall with dark hair and broad shoulders that made for perfect viewing distance.
Another had the kind of chiseled features I usually preferred in men, although I wasn’t sure if I could ever get past the scar he sported on his upper lip. A third man was cute as a button but probably needed to work on his social skills.
Most of these guys were attractive in their own way, but none of them held a candle to what I’d experienced with Dylan. And after a while, all their compliments seemed empty and insincere.
My attention eventually wandered back to the club’s dance floor. After seeing a lot of strange things in my life, this one was pretty standard. Except for one thing.
There were a group of five men dancing together at the center of the floor. Each man wore leather harnesses attached to chains hanging from above, which they used to lift each other high in the air and spin them around.
When they dropped their partners to earth, the impact caused an audible thump that echoed throughout the nightclub, sending people scurrying out of the way as if in response to earthquaking. They laughed together, slapping each other on the backs.
As they spun through a series of dips and twists, I couldn’t help staring at the muscles that flexed under their clothes—not because of their physical beauty, but because of what it said about their training.
It was clear even from twenty feet away that these guys worked out regularly. I also suspected that if they weren’t here on the prowl for someone new, then they were at least curious to try out a few tricks.
One of them caught sight of me when I glanced in their direction, and he winked at me. I returned the gesture before returning my gaze to watch his friends lift him higher.
After watching them go by several times, I began to feel restless. I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that they were so much more exciting than all the rest or that I hadn’t yet seen anyone who made me want to stay longer.
The truth might actually be in between those two possibilities: I just knew I didn’t feel like having another night full of meaningless conversations and half-hearted groping, and I was looking forward to heading home. But then suddenly, I heard a voice call out, “Hey, baby!”
My head shot up toward the stage, searching for the owner of the voice. It took a second before I recognized him as one of the men who’d been dancing earlier. His friends called out something to him, but instead of answering, he pointed across the room.
“Who are you talking to?” asked a deep male voice next to me.
A man wearing a black T-shirt that read, KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED, had appeared beside me. He stood so close to me that it felt as though he’d reached over and grabbed me by the shoulders to hold me there.
I glanced up at his face, expecting to see him smiling, but his eyes looked troubled. I’d only noticed him because he was so close to me. If I’d known he was going to be standing behind me, I would’ve stayed away.
“Just some guy,” I told him. “He’s a friend.”
The man leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. “Does your friend know you’re out on the prowl?”
I glanced around the room, hoping no one was listening. “Why do you think that?”
“Because every man in here is staring at you and trying to get your attention. You don’t have to be shy about it. This is a place where you can come and play.”
It wasn’t hard to tell who he was. Every man in the place was staring at me now that they knew I was looking. I wanted to tell him I wasn’t interested, but instead of doing that, I decided not to waste my time playing games.
I turned my head and glared at him. “No thanks, Mr. Peeper.”
Then I walked away and headed back through the crowd.
“Hey, wait! Baby girl!”
My heels tapped on the floor as I moved quickly through the throng. When I’d gone far enough that no one else was anywhere near us, I stopped and turned back. The men who’d been waiting for me were still watching me, their gazes hopeful.
But after glancing at each other, one of them finally shrugged and shook his head. Then he gave me a wave, while the others followed suit until the whole group was waving goodbye at me.
That was a first, but I didn’t let myself enjoy it for long. Once I got back to where I’d started, I realized that it wasn’t the same person who’d tried to talk to me as it had been on the dance floor. I wondered how many guys would have bothered to walk over if they’d thought they wouldn’t be recognized.
Maybe that should’ve discouraged me, but instead of thinking I was too good for them, I realized that they were exactly right to assume that.
Once I was outside, I crossed the street. A car slowed down to avoid hitting me with its bumper, causing me to stumble onto the sidewalk and almost fall. It was a beat-up old van that was probably a piece of shit anyway, so the driver didn’t look back when he pulled off.
But he did stop another car before turning into the parking lot behind the club and leaving me standing there alone. As he drove past me again, he rolled down his window and said, “Sorry.”
“What do you want me to say?” I replied, glaring at him as we passed.
His lips twisted, and he shook his head before driving off once more. My glare faded, but I found myself wondering why he’d stopped. Did he realize he’d hurt me? Or maybe he thought he’d hit me by accident and couldn’t bear the guilt of someone finding out what he’d done.
Whatever his reason, the gesture seemed to reassure him that he hadn’t really caused any damage.
At least not yet.
***
The day after Thanksgiving, I woke up from an unusually peaceful sleep in my bed, which was covered with soft sheets and smelled faintly of lavender. I stretched and then sat up, enjoying the warmth that lingered in my muscles.
Even though I usually liked mornings—when it came to food and sex—and even though the air was chilly compared to the heat of the night, the chill felt pleasant and comforting.
I could tell that winter was on its way when I stepped out of my apartment. It was darker than usual, and the clouds cast dark shadows against the buildings. I’d never noticed the city lights from this angle, or the way they reflected off of the water. And it occurred to me just how beautiful the sky was without the moon.
I made my way downstairs and toward the front door of the building. On my left, I saw two women walking side by side toward the corner where I’d seen three men sitting earlier that evening. At first glance, the three guys were all dressed similarly.
They wore jeans and T-shirts and seemed like ordinary tourists taking in the sights. But when they caught sight of my heels clicking across the pavement, they all stood up and started following me, their eyes focused on my ass.
Their lecherous stares annoyed me. I’d been used to it, but not since I’d become involved with Nicky, who was completely devoted to me. I wasn’t about to put up with these types of creeps making fun of me or trying to take advantage of me because they thought I was easy.
I’d learned early on that men weren’t always gentlemen, and that sometimes, they might make assumptions about you based on the wrong reasons, especially if they had money.
So when I reached the corner, I turned right instead of left and kept walking straight ahead. I glanced over my shoulder every few seconds, checking to see whether I was being followed, but thankfully, none of those losers were chasing me. Not only that, but when I turned around one last time to check for them, I realized that all three had gotten out of sight.
When I got to the corner where the three guys had been sitting earlier, I waited for a break in traffic before crossing to the other side. Just as soon as a gap appeared between cars, I stepped out into the open and made my way across the street.
And froze.
Because there was something familiar about those three men, and I knew without a doubt that they’d been following me for miles now. I’d never paid much attention to what I looked like, but after seeing myself on the street, I could tell that these guys were definitely staring at me and probably laughing at how I wasn’t able to catch them.
“Excuse me,” I called out, stopping to stand directly in front of the three jerks who couldn’t possibly care less that I was there. “What are you doing? You’re following me.”
One of the guys grinned and shrugged while another snickered and laughed. All of them were tall, and although their faces were hidden beneath their hats and sunglasses, they were still clearly recognizable because of the clothing they wore.
The first guy nodded his head, and then said, “We’ve been following you for a while now.”
“You have?” I asked.
He smirked at me. “Yep.” He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving mine. “We think you’re pretty fucking cute.”
My blood instantly ran cold, and the hairs rose on my neck.
I’d encountered a couple of weirdoes in my life before, and I didn’t like being threatened by anyone. Especially people who had no respect for themselves enough to be proud of who they were and where they came from. So despite my fear, I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. I could feel my body trembling, and my face heated with anger. “Do you mind telling me why?”
All three chuckled again, and the man who was standing closest to me added, “Yeah. Why don’t we ask her?”
Then the one next to him reached out and touched my arm lightly. My skin burned under his touch. I wanted to slap it away.
But I didn’t. Instead, I glared at him and said, “Don’t do that. Or else you won’t live to regret it.”
His hand disappeared, and the three guys laughed even harder.
I’d heard enough of their bullshit. This was a job, and I’d be damned if I let them get away with disrespecting me like this.
So I reached for the gun I’d worn underneath my long coat and pulled it free. As soon as I’d removed it from its holster, I pointed the barrel at each of the guys’ chests and held it steady. Then I said, “Okay, boys, listen up.”
They stopped laughing and stared at me. The one who’d touched me had the nerve to grin widely and say, “Oh, come on. We can take you.”
At his words, the other two began to laugh too. But just then, a car honked its horn behind us, and the driver yelled at the guys to move the hell on. One of them shouted an apology, and I saw that he was reaching into his pocket as well. He pulled out some money and tossed it onto the ground. That was good enough for me — I wasn’t about to wait for more trouble with those jerks.
Without further ado, I lowered my weapon and handed the pistol back to its holster. As soon as I did so, all three guys stood quickly and scurried away, disappearing down the sidewalk without looking back at me.
I’d already seen all I needed to see. They were just low-lives who would be easy marks for anybody who wanted to mess with them. And they were lucky I hadn’t decided to shoot them dead on the spot for making a mockery of everything I’d worked for.
After they were gone, I walked back across the street, ignoring the traffic signs, and went straight on down the road until I came upon my own apartment building. I climbed the stairs, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. When I opened the refrigerator, I grabbed a beer, drank half of it in one gulp, and slammed the empty bottle against the wall.
As I did so, my phone rang.
I sighed loudly and picked it up, saying, “Come on. What is it now?”
It was Lizzie. “Where are you?” she demanded angrily. “I’ve been trying to call you since this morning.”
“I’ve been busy,” I snapped. “And I’m not about to tell you what kind of work I’ve been doing. Because it isn’t any of your business.”
She growled something at me, but I refused to answer her again. I ended the call instead and threw the phone back on the counter.
There was no way in hell that I was going to let these idiots stop me from living my life. No matter how much they tried to make me pay for what I’d done to their boss’s father.
I had a job to finish. It might take months, or years, depending on exactly who I was investigating. But if I found enough proof, I knew I’d be able to find my brother and save him from the fate of his murderer.
The End