ALICE

 

 

“What’s a white token?”

I had never seen Ethan so excited. He was like a kid on Christmas Day, bouncing around the bedroom. “A white token,” he said, as if he didn’t really believe his own words. “A white token.”

“Yes,” I said, rubbing my eyes as I sat up in bed. “But what is it?”

He’d come bursting in and woken me up about a minute earlier but I’d yet to get any sense out of him.

My first thought when I woke up and heard the door opening was that I was back in the cage. I had thought I’d be able to just stop thinking about it once it was over but I realised it was going to take more time than I thought.

I looked up at Ethan, so happy, so giddy with excitement. “Sit here,” I said, holding out my hand. “And tell me everything.”

“I had an IT guy digging into what happened at the company. He was able to isolate the programme that caused the problem and then reverse its effects back towards its source.”

“Which was?”

“Fry Enterprises. That's where it originated from, Jason Fry's personal empire. They went bust. We’re back in business. It’s like a Christmas miracle.”

“Hang on. Wait a minute. What about the people that work there?”

“We bought them out. Without them as rivals, our stock went through the roof. None of them lost their jobs. Well, except maybe one.”

“So Jason’s bust and you have your fortune back?”

“Our fortune, Alice. It’s both of ours.”

I couldn’t take that in. That was too big, like trying to look at the sun. I concentrated on other things. Let my subconscious work on that.

“But you still haven’t told me what a white token is.”

“There are only a couple of them in circulation and no one knows where.”

“But what are they?”

“You know how university professors can get tenure? A guaranteed job for life.”

“Sure, but-”

“A white token is like tenure to the club. Guaranteed membership that can’t be taken off you.”

“And your IT guy just had one of those for you to use? Why not use it on himself?”

“He didn’t just have it. He said he fell asleep about four in the morning, sat at the computer in the office. When he woke up, there was an envelope and it was in there with a note.”

“What did the note say?”

“That the money in the envelope was for him and the token was to be passed onto me.”

“But who left the envelope?”

“No idea. Whoever it was disabled the security cameras first. But I’ve a pretty good idea.”

“Who?”

“The man who issued the red token, who set all this up. The owner of Club Darkness.”

“Who is he?”

“I get the feeling you’ll be meeting him pretty soon. Now how about some breakfast? I'm starving.”

He bounced around the kitchen like he’d bounced around the bedroom. He only calmed down when we were sat eating. “A white token,” he said. “And I never thought I’d see the inside of the club again.”

“You sound like you love it more than me.”

“It’s not like that. You know I love-” He fell silent.

“What?”

“You know I love you.”

“You love me?”

He nodded. “It’s weird. It’s like I’ve known you all my life, like you were out there, missing, and now I’ve found you again. And I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

“You’re happy to be dating a barmaid then?”

“I’m in a relationship with the most perfect woman in the country.”

“What about other countries?”

“Well there’s a girl in Germany who’s pretty hot.”

"I heard about her. Little tavern in Bullshitasberg." I threw a piece of toast at him as he laughed.

We went to the club together that night. I never thought it would happen again. The car park gave me the shivers as we walked through it, remembering what had happened last time I was here, Jason grabbing me, Ethan breaking his nose. It seemed like a very long time ago. Could I carry on working here? Ethan had said his fortune was mine after all.

But I didn’t want to just take his money. I wanted to be able to look after myself, not depend on him. But I suppose I was already depending on him, and him on me.

The doorman stopped us in our tracks. “You know your membership was revoked, Ethan, I’m sorry.”

Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled out the white token. The doorman blinked, looked from it to him and then to me. Then he stepped aside, nodding slightly with a wry smile on his face. “Never thought I’d see one of those again.”

We headed inside. Rowena was at the far side of the main room and she saw us enter. “You,” she said, pointing at Ethan. “How did you get in here?”

Ethan held out his palm. She looked down at it. “I think we should sit down and have a chat.” She looked happier than Ethan at the sight of the white token.

We sat together in a corner booth, me and Ethan on one side holding hands, Rowena on the other.

“So where did you get that?” she asked, turning the token over in her hands.

“I can’t reveal my sources,” Ethan replied. “We’re good here?”

“Definitely,” Rowena replied. “You’ve obeyed the rules for once, maybe you’re growing up.”

“If I am, it’s thanks to her.”

“What about you?” Rowena asked, her attention turning to me. “You’re supposed to be behind the bar tonight.”

“About that,” I began, looking firmly across at her. “I was thinking of maybe quitting, seeing if I can get painting again.”

“You want to quit? I don’t think you fully understand what the white token means.”

“What?” Ethan asked. “It means membership, right?”

“There’s a bit more to it than that but we can talk about that another time. For now, enjoy yourselves. I’m guessing I’ll be behind the bar tonight, seeing as my staff are up and leaving me.”

“Oi!” a voice screamed from across the room. We all turned to see the doorman struggling with Jason Fry who was fighting to get past him and reach us. “Ethan Powers, you son of a bitch!”

“Jason,” Rowena said. “You know the rules. No violence on company property.”

“All right,” Jason said, holding his hands up. “All right.”

The doorman backed away slowly, walking him as he walked across to us.

“No violence?” Jason asked, pointing at Ethan, “but he’s allowed to waltz back in here like nothing happened. I won the auction, don’t forget that.”

“Calm down,” Rowena said. “Or go home.”

Just looking at him made my skin crawl. The last time I’d seen him was when I was locked in the cage at his say so. I wanted to claw his eyes out but I stayed still. I was learning the rules of the club. Instead I gripped Ethan’s hand ever tighter.

“You ruined me,” Jason said.

“I had nothing to do with it,” Ethan replied. “Maybe someone out there doesn’t like you.”

“I’ll get you for this,” Jason said, lunging for him.

The doorman saw it happening, grabbing Jason before he could do any damage, dragging him backwards.

“Get him out of here,” Rowena said. “He knows the rules.”

I watched him go, screaming and hurling abuse at us the entire time.

“Does he get a red token?” Ethan asked.

“I don’t think he needs one,” Rowena replied. “But as you know, that’s not my decision to make.”