"GURLY'S"
It was broad daylight, but the neon lights were still on. They were always on. The first thing that caught your eye was the big pink neon lights. They twisted themselves around until they formed the image of a woman on her hands and knees, her ass hung in the air in a provocative manner. Directly above this hung another neon light that spelled out the word “Gurly’s” in an elegant blue cursive.
This place had no class.
I grabbed Jennifer by the wrist and dragged up to the front double doors. The bouncer nodded at me.
“Who’s the girl, Frank?” he asked.
“A friend.” I replied.
“She got any ID?”
“Yeah, Charlie, here you go.” I grumbled, and promptly fished twenty bucks out of my pocket and handed it to him.
“Thanks, Frank. Have fun.” He smiled.
Charlie was a big guy. He used to be a body builder, but now his muscles all turned to fat. Still, I wouldn’t want to get in his way. I was upset about losing the twenty bucks, but I didn’t hate him. He was just doing his job. Besides, it helps to keep people like him happy. He and I, we had an understanding. I take care of him, he takes care of me. He’s saved my drunken ass on more than one occasion.
The first thing I felt after entering was the thumping bass from the music. It reverberated through the walls straight into my chest. As we entered the club the music became louder and clearer. I didn’t recognize the song. It was some pop song, I imagine. I never pay attention to stuff like that. It was pretty empty, not that many people come to a strip club at four in the afternoon. I quickly glanced at the stage and saw some topless girl dancing for some old, wild haired guy in front of the stage. I didn’t recognize the girl, she must have been new.
I took Jennifer over to the bar and sat her down.
“Hey Frank, who’s your new friend.” the bartender asked.
“Shut up, Pete. It’s not like that.” I snapped.
“No offense meant, mate. Didn’t mean anything by it, still, apologies all the same.”
What I said earlier about this place having no class? I was fucking wrong, cause one thing Gurly’s did have, was Pete. Peter Poppins was the coolest cat in town. He wore a tight, black, short sleeve collared shirt that revealed tattoos running up and down both arms. His jet black hair was slicked back and his face was covered in various piercings, but they didn’t cover his ladykiller smile. Together, with his white tie and suspenders and his round rose tinted glasses, he looked decidedly out of place in this joint.
“Don’t worry about it, Pete. I’m just a little edgy right now. Is Jesse in today?”
“Yeah, in the back office, just a sec.” Peter walked around the bar into the back of the club and promptly reappeared a few second later. “Head on back,” he said.
“Thanks, Pete,” and leaning in close I asked him, “Keep an eye on the girl for me, okay? She’s not from around here and she may be a little disoriented.”
“Sure thing, bud.”
“And Pete, no funny stuff, okay? I mean it. She’s…special to me, alright?”
“You got it,” he said, reigning in his smile to a half smirk. Peter was a skirt chaser, but he also knew when to respect another man’s wishes. I knew I could trust him to look out for her.
I made my way to the back room and was greeted before I even entered the office.
“What brings you in today, Frank? Sandy’s off tonight,” boomed the thick, bass voice from inside the office.
Jesse Gurly, was the biggest, blackest, meanest motherfucker in this whole city. He owns the strip club, but I know that ain’t the only way he makes his money. He’s never done anything for free in his entire life, and he’s probably got more blood on his hands than any coroner down at the precinct. And he’s probably the closest thing I have to a friend.
“I’m not here to see Sandy; I’m here to see you.”
“What do you need, Frank?” I couldn’t stand the way he said my name, like it tasted bad coming out.
“I need an alibi. For today.”
“You expect some trouble coming your way?”
“Yeah, well no. I mean, I already had some. I just need to get my bases covered so I can think this one through.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Cops, I think. I don’t know. I haven’t figured it all out yet. I was just on this case last night and now—“
“Last night?” He cut me off, “So you were a part of that massacre, huh?”
“Yeah, I mean no. It’s complicated. I didn’t have anything to do with it, but somebody thinks I did. I just need to get somewhere so I can think things though. I can figure this out. I just need time.”
“And you're sure that someone’s after you?”
“You think I’ve just been drinking too much. That what your saying, Jesse? Course someone’s after me! I just left a guy half dead back in my apartment!”
“Alright Frank, alright. I think I can help you out. I just hate to see you get in over your head.”
I didn’t mean to snap at him. I never mean to snap at anybody. I just get angry when I can’t figure things out. He was right, though. There wasn’t anybody after me. They were after the girl. But I couldn’t tell him that. Can’t risk it. He’s too connected. He was true to his word, though. He said he’d cover for me. He even set me up with a place to stay at Sandy’s. God bless him for that. She might be just what I need to get my head straight. I was going to owe him big time for this.
I went back to the bar and Pete and Jennifer talking. A little too comfortably from the looks of it, too.
“We’re leaving,” I said as sternly as I could.
“Awww, c’mon Frank. You don’t have to go so soon. She was just telling me about New York, I’ve never been there, ya know? Stay for a while, have a drink. On the house.”
I never could say no to a free drink.
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