Pieces of Truth

Chapter 7

Club Seil

~ ~ ~

Clint wasn’t surprised when I turned him down again for another evening out with the Lappell. Being part of the New York Chapter, as well as working for Harkin and Partners, made it mandatory for Clint to attend all meetings, mixers and social activities. Kyser Harkin was the president of the New York chapter of the Lappell and was, as it turned out, also Clint’s boss who had secured Clint his job in New York. Clint originally thought he had found himself a job that was set apart from the Lappell, thinking he could make his mark on his own from his family name and the Lappell’s influence, but he soon discovered after we arrived, he had walked straight into their fold. He had considered leaving them to try his luck with another business, but with their eyes set on Clint, he knew he would be turned away from all other companies, so for the time being, he felt he was stuck. I tried to see the bright side for Clint and told him these social activities should be considered a perk. It was some fun mixed with business, but Clint always shook his head, saying that he would much rather be home with me than at random clubs and restaurants. He was always sweet like that.

I did, with all my heart, want to wholly trust him, but now, because of a stupid piece of paper, the seed of doubt was planted in my mind. Tonight I was about to go out and surprise Clint to see if I could catch him doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing. Even wearing slick black pants and a sequined designer halter top, my long black hair cascading down my back, with a fresh-faced complexion and smoky eyes, looking all done up - I still felt really really dirty. “This is not me,” I said to myself. “I’m not the type of girl to spy on her boyfriend.” I started to untie my halter top as I stood in the middle of my bedroom, but then stopped and sighed. Yes, the idea was ridiculous. Yes, the idea would probably lead to nothing, but I needed to do something. I couldn’t keep on wondering about that f*cking note. It was doing more harm than good to our relationship. My heart was being led astray and not towards the direction of Clint.

I re-adjusted my halter top back to its rightful position, and slipped on my silver Louboutins. I needed answers and I was out of possibilities for what that note could mean. I had come up with a million different ideas, all from my far-fetched hyper-imagination, with nothing seeming to fit with Clint’s personality and actions. It all felt like a lost cause, a dead-end, but I knew I needed to do this, even if it just helped my peace of mind.

I stepped into the hallway outside the apartment and closed the door. I bargained with my conscience that if I found nothing of substance tonight, I would forget about the stupid note and get on with my life with Clint. He was so sure about me, and he had a big shiny rock in his sock drawer to prove it. I needed to get my head straight and stop obsessing about what could be and go with what I knew. He deserved more than this, especially given my behavior the other morning. I was still feeling guilty about my dangerous flirting with Josh. Going on a spy mission directed at Clint was sending my guilt level far and beyond what I could deal with. I was starting not to feel like my old self. I was becoming all different shades of strange and acting more and more like the type of girl I hated. I didn’t want to be so paranoid and insecure. I needed to fix this so-called problem, and stop flailing about with all these mixed emotions.

Josh had given me very specific instructions about getting into Club Seil. Seil? Seil? What kind of name is that?

Club Seil was situated between Fifth and Madison Avenues, only a few blocks away from our apartment. I took a cab and got out just past the club, trying my best to keep a low profile. There was already a long line of dolled-up patrons waiting outside the entrance where a couple of bouncers and a hostess stood. The two-story building had a rough black stone exterior which made it look gothic. Even the doorway into the building had wrought iron fixtures which reminded me of a medieval castle at night.

The hostess standing near the door was holding an iPad, and she had dead straight blond hair, wearing an electric-blue Herve Leger dress. I walked past the line, and straight up to the hostess to give her my name, but as soon as her eyes met mine, she nodded and said, “You need to go up to level two. I hope you have your pass and identification.” I nodded back to her. She tilted her head towards one of the two bouncers on her right side. “Clarence, you will need to escort her to the elevator and up to two, but you will need to see Lucille first.” A huge man with a buzz cut and wearing a very smart suit, nodded back to the blond.

“Follow me,” he said, his voice low and gruff. The queue began to erupt in to sounds of boos and hisses, but as the blond lifted her head to look at them, they instantly silenced. Not the type of establishment that tolerated anything less than classy behavior.

I started following the huge bouncer called Clarence. “Once you are finished up top, feel free to check out this level’s jazz bar, or perhaps the dance bar in the basement level,” Clarence said as I kept pace behind him. He then stopped and turned, looking back at me, making sure I understood what he just said. I smiled up to the man with the towering wide body.

“Oh, sure. Sounds good. I will.”

He half laughed as he turned back down the hall and continued to walk. He led me down a side hall way to an adjoining room where a woman sat behind a table with a laptop and a scanning device, next to a set of gold-trimmed elevator doors.

Really – gold-trimmed elevators doors?

“Miss Ross I presume?” she said, watching me walk towards her. The girl, who looked only a few years older than me, had a very short and edgy blond bob with striking cat-like eyes and a round face. She was wearing black pants and a white vest top. I was sure she noticed the uneasiness in my stride as I came towards her. “Or perhaps it’s OK to call you Miss Rossi?” My eyes swelled at her knowledge as I came to a standstill at her table. “It’s alright darling, there aren’t any secrets here. But I’ll pretend if you want.” She looked me up and down. “Identification please.” She certainly followed procedure, just like Josh said she would. I handed her my New York city license with my real details on it, obviously no surprise to her. “So Big Joe’s daughter is in our club. This is a treat. Though I must say Lenorah, you are every bit as beautiful as the pictures I’ve seen of you.”

Pictures?

I tried to respond but couldn’t find anything to say. No one had been this upfront with me in a long time. It was hard for me to answer appropriately. Her acknowledgements just made me feel vulnerable and exposed. Even being a girlfriend of a Lappell member meant you were in their spotlight. There was no escape from anyone in this city.

“You look speechless. It’s OK. We are all family here. We protect each other. I know who you belong to. And frankly, I can understand why. You are a welcome addition.”

Still no words would come from my mouth. There was so many things that were wrong with her last statement, I didn’t know where to begin. Her head flicked up to the bouncer.

“Did you tell her what’s on the top level Clarence?”

The bouncer smirked, leaning up against the elevator doors. “I’d thought she would enjoy the surprise Lucille.” Her eyes formed tiny slits as she looked at the bouncer and then back to me. Finally I managed to find my voice. It had felt like a lifetime since I last spoke, having had to register so much crazy information in these last few minutes. It would take me weeks to dissect everything she said and what she meant, but for the time being I could only say, “Can I have my license back?”

Her eyes danced with mine before she slid the card back across the desk to me. “Of course Lenorah. You wouldn’t want to lose that.” I took the card, slipping it quickly back into my clutch and then turned to Clarence as he pressed the button for the elevator doors to open.

“Gee, talk about my train of thought being diverted, I almost forgot,” Lucille began. I swung my head back around, wondering what else this woman was about to say. I was already tongue-tied after her last few comments, and any more like that would send me sprinting off into the darkness.

“Pass,” she said and looked at me, holding out her hand. This time I knew exactly what to do. Josh had given me a small coin to hand out as a ‘pass’. It supposedly represented wealth and something in the history of the Lappell. All the members had access to these particular coins and used them as calling cards for identification of their membership. They also used them for various meetings as well and admittance to certain gatherings and places.

I reached into my snakeskin clutch and withdrew a tiny gold coin Josh had provided me with the previous day. He had also told me that he had added my picture and details to the list of attendees this evening, without Clint’s knowledge of course.

Lucille took my coin, and ran the scanner over it to confirm it was authentic. When the light on the scanner turned green she turned back to me. Her eyes and smile lingering on my face a moment longer, and then she gestured to the elevator. I stepped in, and Clarence stepped in behind me.

“You look relieved Ms Rossi. Did Lucille scare you? She shouldn’t, she is harmless,” he stated, retrieving a key from his jacket and using it to start the elevator before pushing the number two button for the second floor.

“No, she didn’t scare me.” I watched as he put the key back into the inside lining of his jacket pocket.

“Good, because she is nothing compared to what you are about to walk in to. Most of our members’ partners don’t like coming here.” He grinned widely, even licking his lips. That threw me off. Now I had a feeling of sheer nervousness. What the hell?

The ting that signaled we had arrived onto the second floor, caused both our heads to swing towards the opening elevator doors. As they opened, I stalled, not wanting to walk out. Clarence noticed my hesitation. “Would you like to go back down? You don’t have to go in.” There was compassion in his voice this time, like he had seen this happen before. I shook my head, and took a big step forward out of the elevator. Before I could turn back and thank Clarence for bringing me up, the doors closed, leaving me without any escape.

Finally I let my ears and eyes turn in the direction of the music that was playing. I can only describe it as half Broadway musical and half hip-hop. It was a strange kind of musical mix that caught my attention immediately.

Then I saw where I was. F.U.C.K. Were my eyes seeing correctly? Am I in the right place? The song Lady Marmalade started to play in my head.

It was a burlesque bar. An up-market yet hardcore gentlemen’s club. There was a sea of multi-colored lingerie-clad women, serving, dancing erotically, and standing all around me. They were entertaining the men in all the corners of the room. The bar was pretty expansive with cedar wood details, small leather chairs and a finely crafted saloon-style bar.

I did not expect this. Not. At. All. Why had Clint failed to tell me he had meetings around half-naked women? Was it because Clint was cheating on me? Is he a cheater? Is that what the note could mean? I was already jumping to conclusions, but the fact that Clint had failed to tell me about this meeting place, had me making up all kinds of reasons in my head as to why he could be hiding that information. Clint was a huge player back in Morewell before I even met him. Would it be so hard for me to believe he couldn’t go back to his old ways?

As I scanned the place, the first person I recognized was Josh, who was already looking for me when our eyes found each other across the room. I knew he was expecting me to arrive at any second. He was standing with a group of men in suits, surrounded by dancing girls. He shrugged his shoulders as he saw my enraged look, but then motioned his head towards another corner of the room. I followed the direction until I saw a face I recognized. It was Melanie, Josh’s over-nighter, and she was wearing a purple lace-up corset and sheer panties, with black garters that held up black fishnet stockings. Her hand was stroking a man’s back as she leaned in and spoke into his ear. I had to shake my head twice as I zeroed in on that man’s back. That man, was MY man. I knew the back of Clint from anywhere.

What kind of f*cking meeting is this?

I had to assess my next move. My head said stay and watch them talk and then decide what to do, but my heart, and the lioness in me, made me march right up to the two of them so I was standing inches from where I could see Melanie’s manicured fingers circling the hair at the base of Clint’s neck.

No wonder Clint got off on my corset!

Now, what I should have said was, “Bitch, take your hands off him!” but what came out of my mouth was, “Surprise!”

Melanie’s eyes flicked behind Clint to where I was standing and she rolled her eyes. “You again. What are you doing here?”

Clint’s back tensed in recognition of my voice, and he turned around to face me. My nostrils were flaring and my teeth were clenched. He shoved Melanie’s hand off him in a rather forceful movement, while his face tried not to look so stunned.

“Nor, Nor, Norah! What are you doing here?”

My eyes were seeing red as I spoke. “Well, you have always said you’d like me to take more interest in your role with the Lappell, so I thought I’d come and see what it was about. I thought I would be a welcome surprise, although now I see you don’t need my support.”

Clint’s head went from mine to Melanie’s barely-there lingerie, and then he stepped back and put some more distance between them. “Whoa, this is not what it looks like. Melanie works here. We were just talking. That’s all.” His hands were up in the air like he was trying to prove he was innocent.

Melanie’s face sneered at me as she leaned up against Clint, trying to rest her palm on his shoulder. Clint quickly moved away from her grip and came to stand as close as he could to me.

“How do you know this girl Clint?” Melanie asked, watching Clint try and inch closer to my body, only to have me move away.

“This is my girlfriend.” Clint tried to hold my hand but I moved so he missed taking hold. Melanie began smirking as she watched the start of our domestic play out in front of her.

“Oh really! Is she? That’s interesting because…”

Suddenly Josh was beside us. “Hey Mel, Kyser wants you serving his group. Best you get over to him right now.” Melanie’s eyes immediately responded to that demand. She looked over to a man in the corner of the room, who was waving her over. She picked up a serving platter from the bar and started off across the room, but not before she stopped and turned back to us.

“I guess we’ll have to do what you said at a later time Clint. See ya.” She skipped off. Josh looked from Clint to me, raising his eyebrows, and then he followed behind her.

Clint looked directly at me, a very serious expression on his face. “I am not doing anything with her at a later time Norah. Melanie just likes to stir people up. Don’t believe a word she says, alright.”

I wanted to believe Clint, I really did, but I felt like I was on the right track now, closer and closer to figuring out the truth about the note. With the direction it was taking me, all I could feel was jealous rage mixed with the possibility of betrayal. I tried to keep my emotions just bubbling under the surface. I didn’t want to completely explode at Clint without any real proof, so instead I just fuelled the anger I felt by focusing on what I saw and trying to get more answers.

“Do you let every girl you talk to, play with your hair like that?”

Clint’s back straightened as he realized I had been watching him and Melanie from afar. It surprised me even more when he didn’t try to explain himself. “Are you accusing me of something Norah?” Clint’s voice was harsh, mean, different to how it usually was when we fought. It felt like he was truly offended that I was implying he might be doing more than what I saw.

“I don’t know Clint. Should I be accusing you of something? I mean, you conveniently forgot to tell me your meetings were being held at a strip club where you would be surrounded by half-naked women. What else haven’t you told me? Are there more secrets you are keeping?”

There. I had put my suspicions and insecurities out on the table for Clint. He would either tell me there was more, or deflect my questioning to deter me from the truth.

“You know what Norah? I am happy this happened,” he spat out at me, bitterness in his voice.

“You are?” I said, shocked.

“Yes, because I’ve had to watch a guy make a play for you, three times a week for two months.” And like that, we were back in our apartment, arguing about Samuel again, his hurt and fury coming at me in full force.

“So?” I yelled at him.

“So...” he began, “now you know how it feels!”

OUCH! I could hear the built-up resentment in his voice as he said it. Like it had been building more and more with every gift I had received and now, he finally could turn the tables and throw some of that jealous hurt back at me. I couldn’t believe he was even trying to do that.

“Whoa! So that’s how it is! Actions I have no control over, being thrown back in my face!”

This was the first time I had heard Clint be spiteful towards me. It was like I was getting a glimpse of what I knew always existed in him, but hadn’t seen until right now. Clint’s facial expression went from hard, to very soft and scared. I knew he regretted the words he said, even before he tried to apologize, but I was already too angry to see anything but red at that point.

“Norah, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Norah, my Norah.” Clint reached for me but I took a step back.

“You know what Clint, f*ck you, and your secrets, and the Lappell. I’m outta here.” I saw Josh walking back over to us, but I couldn’t stay a moment longer. He no doubt witnessed our verbal battle and saw how flushed and angry I must have appeared. I was barely hanging onto stopping the darkness from erupting from somewhere deep in my body. I had kept it asleep inside me for months. Waking it, would be like waking a sleeping dragon. I couldn’t let that happen. I had come so far and didn’t want to back-track on my progress.

I bolted for the elevator. I had to get away from Clint as fast as I could. I was so hurt by what he said to me, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to cry or scream because of it. Whatever my impending reaction, there was no way I could be near Clint right now and around all these naked women.

I zoned in on the elevator as I darted between the people in the crowd. It was already closing but I was confident I could just make it before it closed completely. I tried to lose Clint as I maneuvered myself between all the lingerie that was blinding my vision. I managed to slide between the closing elevator doors just before Clint had enough time to reach them. His eyes were desperate as he looked at mine when the doors finally shut.

I stumbled backwards into Clarence, who helped steady me and stop me from falling over. “Hey Lenorah. Leaving so soon?” As I stood tall, making sure my feet were in place, I noticed that we weren’t the only occupants in the elevator. Another gentleman, who looked to be in his fifties, was standing in the corner in a gray suit. He had silver hair and a silver beard, but his face was still kind of youthful. He was obviously a member of the Lappell, having just come from the second level. His eyes darted to look at me, but only for a second before he turned them back up to face the elevator doors. I stared at him for longer than I probably should have.

“Are you heading home Lenorah? Do you want me to take you to the ground level and show you out back? We have a back entrance where I can organize you transport home,” Clarence offered.

I was still fuming inside from my fight with Clint. I didn’t feel like running away any more. No; now I wanted to dig in my heels.

“No, take me to the basement Clarence. I want to check out the dance bar.”

The darkness in me needed a drink.