Nick went up to his room to change, and to drop my bags, which I had taken with me. I had hoped that the evening and confrontation with AJ would go well so I would have no need for Lance or his hotel room again, so I took my bags along with me to the club. When he changed into his black leather ensemble, we went downstairs hand in hand like a couple.

In the elevator, he pulled my arm close and whispered in my ear, “Nikki, please promise me, no fights, no outbursts, no ghetto girl tantrums. You are going to be a good civil young lady like I taught you to be. No screaming, no yelling, can you promise me that?” he warned.

I smirked, I couldn’t promise him anything until I saw the tramp Vikki who had felt at ease stealing my man. Nick nudged me again, “Nikki, I want an answer from you. I’ve seen you angry before and I don’t want this to be one of those days.”

“Nick, the girls in that store snubbed me what did you expect me to do, kiss them, hug them like it was okay.” I answered.

He was referring to an episode a couple of weeks ago when AJ had left me in the capable hands of Nick to do some shopping. Nick left me at a designer boutique and a couple of minutes later, he had been alerted by the store security to pick up the riotous female he had brought into their respectable establishment unless they would alert the police that I was disturbing the peace. In fact, none of it was my fault; the girls at the store had snubbed me from the moment I walked in, eyeing my totality, and labeling me as a freeloader who couldn’t afford the least priced item in their store. I flared up after asking for the price the fifth time, then I called them every name I had in my books and more I had made up. Even after the manager tried to appease me, tried to calm me, and then when it all went futile, he went on to threaten me, I still didn’t want to cool down. I sent so many mannequins and displays flying; it was a shock that the police weren’t called. Luckily for them, one of the girls remembered seeing me with Nick’s bodyguard whom she knew, she called him and then he went on to call Nick. Nick appeared and saved the day, albeit with a disgruntled look on his face and a ton of apologies for the staff of that boutique. It was not a pretty sight that day.

“Yeah, whatever. Just don’t go making a fool of yourself.” The same words he said to me in the car that afternoon after the boutique incident, “Nikki, you made a fool of your self.” Like I didn’t know already, Nick here had to rub it in.

The elevator doors opened up and the mait’re de to the club ushered us in like special guests. “Your friends are here.” He commented, looking from my face to Nick’s face.
“Oh, they are. Thanks.” Nick handed him his coat and mines’.

The club was packed full to capacity. It was a small oval shaped club so a crowd of any size was bound to fill it up. A long bar stretched around it and the large dance floor was aptly located in the center of it, so anybody at the bar was bound to see anybody on the dance floor depending on the angle and how many people were on it.

It was painted black and white everywhere and had very dim lighting that contrasted with the gay environment. It had been called the Zebra club earlier until they changed management and had to change names. It was a retro-affluently designed club for the big boys serving only the best-imported lagers and wines and none of them fell under a hundred dollars a bottle. I had been thoroughly impressed by it the first time I came but after viewing it a couple of more times, and being totally spoiled by the VIP service, I blended right in.

As we forced our way through the thick crowd, Nick was tugged and pulled by every blonde girl in sight.
“Hello, Nick, wanna dance?”
“How about a dance Nick, I’m wearing your color?”
“Nick, they’re playing our song?”
The invitations were endless, some of the girls were older than I was, some older than he, and some older than both of us combined; it was pathetic.

Nick refused to let go of my arm for my own sake. He just politely declined their offers saying, “No, I’m with my sister here. I want to be a good boy tonight you know.” With a warm smile that sent their suspicions away.

They would give me a questioning glance, sizing me up with their ferocious eyes, before they would reluctantly let go of the helpless boy’s arm.

We found a nice spot by the bar, and he ordered a coke with a touch of rum for himself, but eventually I was handed the drink. The bartender didn’t bother to ask how old I was; in that dress I looked 22.

I took a sip of my drink and surveyed the hall, searching for AJ. I saw more groupies eyeing Nick hungrily, a few couples, and a couple of the body
guard’s girlfriends were dancing. After a thorough search I located him, his carefree dance steps and reckless antics on the dance floor were hard to miss.

There he was dancing with Vikki. I knew it was she because of her hair. She had jet-black hair that was a sharp contrast to her pale skin and it was braided in twists and knots. She was of average height, taller than I was, up to his height. She was wearing a tight black leather skirt that stopped on the tip of her butt revealing her well-rounded butt cheeks, long leather boots, and a fluorescent tube top that left her breast drooping. I couldn’t make out her face from afar but from my calculation she might not have been very pretty. Her legs were too skinny and the skirt showed too much of it. I looked on her right ankle and spotted a tattoo shaped like cupid’s arrow. Typical, to screw a girl with a tattoo.

AJ was in a black undershirt that doubled as a tank top, with faded black jeans and his dark rimmed glasses. He had a smirk that depicted how utterly amusing this episode must have been for him.

They were tugging at each other on the dance floor. Occasionally, he would grab a handful of her ass, and she would giggle, and kiss him voraciously on the mouth, her hand conspicuously placed on his ass. They were a spectacle to watch, and my stomach was turning just by looking at them.

Nick noticed the horrified look on my face, and he leaned over to ask, “Do you want us to leave?”
“No,” I forced a weak smile. “I want to stay. Can we dance?”
“Sure.” He dropped his glass immediately and led me to the dance floor.
He was headed to the left of it, the opposite of where I had spotted AJ and his circus act, but I dragged him to a safe spot in the middle, that was within their eye view. (That is, if they ever looked up from each other’s faces). The dance with Nick didn’t last long as the DJ turned off the music to make some announcements; it was some girl’s birthday.

Everybody headed simultaneously to the bar. Nick still had my hand tucked under his. As he was ordering another drink, someone tapped him from behind; it was AJ.
“Hey, what’s up man?” Nick exclaimed on seeing AJ. They shook hands and gave each other the gangster hug. Vikki was standing right behind him, so I had a chance to see her up close.

She had a square face, deep-set eyes, and a pouting mouth. Her make-up was just like Nick had described; black smoky eyeliner that sent her eyes back a couple more miles, charcoal purple lipstick, black fingernails and braided jet-black hair (that had an inclination to some reggae roots). She looked ghastly and desperate. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why AJ, my man, would be vaguely attracted to a girl who desired to look this bad. It was horrifying just standing next to her.

I heard him talk with Nick for a few minutes, appropriately ignoring me, until I tapped him.

“AJ, who’s the circus act?” I pointed to Vikki. She made no move to reply, I saw her squeeze his hand tighter. Since she didn’t reply I continued with my taunting, “Did the circus come to town, or did Zombie here just get raised from the dead?” Nick squeezed my hand, almost hurting me.

“Nikki, where did you spring from? Did they kick you out or what?” AJ uttered vehemently to me, and then he turned to Vikki and they giggled together.
I fumed. Then, out of the blues, Vikki spoke, “Hey, isn’t it past your bedtime, Lolita? I’m disappointed they let anybody come into these clubs and drink alcohol these days.”

Within the blink of an eye, and without thinking, I instantly retrieved my hand from Nick’s grip and aimed it behind AJ’s face for Vikki’s pouting mouth with my bare knuckles. My hand brushed past AJ but it didn’t make it to Vikki’s face because Nick grabbed my waist and shoved me against the bar so hard it banged against the counter, then he stood in front of me to shield any more sudden movements from me. Over Nick’s body I saw Vikki laughing at me.

“Is that all you got girl, common, bring it on. I got some more where that came from? Bring it on…” she chanted in a hoarse acidic tone.
I was livid with rage, blood filled my head and I couldn’t control breathing through my nostrils. Hot air escaped through it as I forced to breathe with normalcy. Nick was clutching my waist as tight as he could in an effort to stop me from going for her face again and AJ stood between Vikki and I, laughing to him self, but flaring at the outrage.

The rest of the club had no idea what had been going on, we had managed to keep it quiet within our perimeter, but the bartender had been alerted when a pair of glasses came flying down at him.
Nick said angrily, “AJ, you and Nikki need to take this outside, somewhere, anywhere just go and talk to her, man.”

“I’m not talking with this chick. She’s crazy,” AJ said, making no effort to call a truce.
“Well, you’re gonna have to, men. Common, take Nikki to the bathroom and I’ll take Vikki home.” Nick let go of my waist and took Vikki’s arm almost in one go and led her away from me.

I was left standing with AJ. “You and I need to talk,” I spat out. He took my arm and led me to the male bathroom. There was no sight of Vikki and Nick on our way. I wished I could see her for only one more second so that I could let off my aggravation.

“What the fuck is this AJ?” I fumed, once we stepped into the bathroom.

“What the hell do you think it means? She’s my new chick I think you should pay her some respect.” He folded his arms, looking away from me.

I stepped closer to his face. ‘That Gothic tramp is your bitch. What is this a joke?” I asked thoroughly humiliated by the outburst.

“Nikki, you’re only here cos you heard I have a new girl that’s all, if you didn’t you would have been long gone banging the other guy you hooked up with.”

“I never said I was going for good, you couldn’t wait a day for my side of the bed to cool off and you brought some ghost to take my place.”
“You did say you were leaving.”
“I did not.”
“You did too. You said, ‘I’m tired of this AJ, now I’m gonna have to leave’ that’s what you said.” He mimicked my voice, waving his hands in the air.
“This is bullshit.” I hissed. “So I’m back now and what the fuck are you gonna do about her?”
“Nothing, she stays it’s as simple as that. What did you think you would leave and I would mourn you, is that what you thought.” His voice rising in anger.
“I didn’t expect you to pick up the next groupie that walked into your pants like some easy fucker,” I spat out.
“You have some nerve, Nikki.”
“What nerve... you couldn’t keep it in your pants too long. You had to flip it out, didn’t you?” I was pointing my frail fingers at his face.
“You watch your mouth, you watch your fucking mouth, Nikki. And get your finger out of my face.” Slapping my fingers out of the way he pointed back, His black fingernails were so close to my face I could almost bite them off with my teeth.
“Unless, what…Unless what AJ.” I moved closer to him standing in his spot, I waved my hands in the air, daring him to hit me.

“I’m warning you, watch your mouth.” He grabbed my face and squeezed it with his hands; I could feel blood congeal in my face.

“What you gonna hit me now, is that what you gonna do? I leave you for 24 hours and you turn to some fucking female molester or some shit like that.” My heart was racing, out of anguish and apprehension of what he might do to me. I could see the veins in his neck pop out as if it were ready to burst and I knew this was not a good sign of things to happen.

He flung my face aside, shoving me away and then he turned his back on me: his back heaving up and down with rage. He stood at akimbo and waited some minutes for his breath to calm down. When it had, he pulled out a cigarette, his hands shaking with infuriating anger. He exhaled some smoke and then turned to me, his eyes reddened behind the glasses. “Nikki, you’re a crazy bitch, you know that. A good bitch but the craziest one I know yet. I could have hit you.”

I felt something trickling in my nose so I wiped it: it was blood. “Yeah well, you don’t have it in you, and I’m not gonna let you have it in you.” I went to the sink to wash my nose. He stared at me from behind. “What the hell happened to us, AJ, how did we get to this? I thought you liked me, I thought we liked each other,” I remarked, frustrated.

“Yeah, you did. When you get older you would realize that like is just a superficial thing when it comes to men. We like just as long as we can get sex, no more, no less.” He dragged some more. “Are you okay, did I hurt you, baby?” He moved towards me, consolingly.

“That was your plan?” I shook his hand off.

“No, it was not. How can you say that, I can’t hurt you?”

I gave him a knowing look that said, “I’ve been there, and it has happened”, I knew too well that he could hurt me; any man could, just by raising his fist and it would all be over before the girl could mention the man’s name.

“Okay, that’s not what I meant. Geez, Nikki, you’re awfully sensitive tonight. I know this shit happened to you in the past, but you’re in the real world now.” He finished his cigarette and tossed it in the sink, despite the fact that there was an ashtray beside it. “So what is this about? Why did you really want to see me, you wanted to see the competition, size her up a bit?” he teased.

I was not amused; my face had no traces of a smile. “I’m getting out of here to meet Nick.” I tossed the face cloth in my hand and walked away from him.

“Oh, it’s Nick now, he’s the new man now. I get it, I get it, I always knew you had a thing for him.” He snickered. At the door, he stopped me with a question, “So is this goodbye or are you planning on coming back?”

“Do whatever you fucking want AJ, right now, I don’t give a fuck.” I hissed, slamming the door behind me. “Have fun with your tramp.”