Chapter 12
Sherry
I went to the few places I wrote down to try. I had already been in contact with the aquarium and I had a couple of hours until I had to go there for an interview. It felt good and I had a good feeling that I was going to get the job. Which left me to my other business that I had decided was now my business.
I needed to figure out what Charlie and Rex were up to, just for my own peace of mind. I knew that I was on the right track with the strip joint, but there was still a part of me that didn’t believe it. It made sense, but it was hard to figure Charlie for doing that kind of thing. After seeing Rex’s bedroom, I was leaning to the fact that he was the sex-crazed one that had pushed the establishment type. I just had to know for sure. It was just too juicy not to find out.
So I got that little matchbook out of my pocket this morning and I pulled it out of my purse now to see if I could get a ride there. When I told the man the address, the driver turned to look at me. “Why would you want to go there?”
I told him that I was going to meet someone there, but he seemed hesitant. “Rex told me that you would take me whenever I wanted to go, was that not true? I can always go get another driver and car if that is what I need to do.”
Usually I wasn’t that confrontational, but it felt strange to be questioned. If nothing else, it was just a titty bar. I mean, how bad could it be?
“That won’t be necessary. I just didn’t think that the boss would want you going there.”
“The boss?”
The driver turned back around and proceeded to go to the address on my little piece of paper. I had known then that I was going to have to figure something out, but now I wasn’t so sure of what to do when I did. The way everyone was acting made me more intrigued, but at the same time, it made me wonder what else was going on.
When we got to the place, the driver stopped the car and let me get a good look at the place before he asked me if I really wanted to get out here. “You know what kind of place this is now. This is not the sort of place that a lady like you should be at.”
It didn’t seem so bad. I have seen strip clubs before, but with Charlie and Rex as the owners, I really took my time to take it all in. It felt like it could be their place and I was staring, looking for some kind of clue that would tell me decisively one way or another.
“It will be fine. I won’t be long at all Ernest. Thanks for bringing me and don’t worry, I am not a lady.”
The older, dark man just gave me a look that he wasn’t sure about something, but I didn’t give into the wonder of what it was. I had other things to think about and as I walked up to the front, I noticed that a lot of the posters were the same that were in Rex’s room. I really hoped than that he was just in charge of the advertising and not some sex crazed maniac. I was into him and I didn’t want that to worry about as well.
When I got to the door, I was stopped by a tall guy wearing all black. It was the middle of a sunny day and even up in the north in fall it was still warm in the day time. He looked out of place.
“Can I help you?”
“I would like to go in. Please.” Why was I being stopped at the door? Was this normal for Chicago?
“I am sorry miss, but no unaccompanied females can come in. You understand, right?”
I didn’t, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I went back to the car. “Ernest, can you accompany me into this place? This guy won’t let me in without a guy. How sexist is that?”
Ernest didn’t want to, but he finally sighed after I gave him a sad look, talking about knowing that he was going to regret it. He wasn’t. I assure him of that, but I had little doubt that he actually believed me.
We walked back up and the two men exchanged a look and then the bouncer in front of the door finally shrugged like he didn’t care one way or another and he let us in. The place was dark on the inside and it took several minutes for my eyes to adjust to the new dimmer setting. There were several girls walking around with very little on and I pulled the shirt I was wearing a little tighter. I don’t know what I was going to expect here, but it wasn’t this. Was my brother really the owner of a place like this?
I went to the bartender and ordered a drink for me and a soda for Ernest who had to drive. I tried to casually ask about the owner and was quickly told that one was upstairs. “I will call him and let him know you are coming up. I am sure he is looking forward to seeing you.”
Something was being mistaken, but my curiosity got the best of me. They might as well know that I know what is going on. I was a little shaky as I made my way up the stairs, not sure which owner I was going to meet. What if I was wrong about everything and neither Charlie nor Rex even owned this place? There was really no telling who was going to be on the other side of the door when I got up there.
I swallowed hard and knocked. It was all that I could do. “Come in.”
I heard the command in a strange voice that I knew was Rex. What did he just say? It was hard not to recognize every sound he made. Something was happening on the other side of the door and when I opened it, I gasped. What the hell?