Chapter 7: Clubbing Gone Wrong
Ember Corbin
It had been eight days since my deal with Lance. After that, we never talked with each other ever again. I saw him once near a café and wanted to go say hi but refrained from doing so. He didn't want to be friends with me, I had to respect that.
It was evening, and I was sitting with a chocolate ice cream tub in my hand while watching a movie on Netflix when my phone rang up. I paused the movie and picked up the call seeing it was Candy. It was supposed to be her work hour soon, then why was she calling me?
"Hey," I greeted her. "Is everything okay? You were supposed to get ready for work."
"Hey, Em. Yeah, everything is okay."
"Then, why did you call me? Do you have less work pressure today?" I asked curiously.
"Tomorrow is Sunday, which means you are free tonight. Why don't we have a girls' night out today?" she offered.
I looked at myself, wearing a long oversized t-shirt with shorts, sitting comfortably on the couch. "As much as it sounds intriguing, first of all, you are at work, and second of all, I don't feel like leaving home now. I want to chill."
"You should come to the casino I work at. Since I am a bartender here, once my shift ends, we can go clubbing in the basement."
The casino she worked at? She wanted me to come to a place owned by the person who wanted me to avoid his existence?
"It's free for you because you work there, but it's not free for me," I tried to reason, "I can't waste so much money on an entry pass. It's the most expensive casino in Las Vegas; it will cost me an arm and leg."
"That's the twist, Em," Candy chirped in. "Today, the boss of the casino is coming, so all the staff can bring a plus one for free and enjoy clubbing. You can be my plus one, and we will enjoy it till we pass out."
Great, Lance is going to be there as well.
"Not today, Candy."
"No, Em. Today is the only day you can come to this luxurious place without having to pay. Think about it. Your once-in-a-lifetime chance to dance in the club of Berserkers. Aren't you always talking about wanting to explore more? Come on here, explore what it's like inside here!" she encouraged.
Finally, I had to give in. "Fine, I will come. When does your shift end?"
"Yay! In three hours."
"See you after three hours then." With that, I cut the call and sighed.
While the odds of bumping into Lance were slim, I just had to ignore him like I did in the cafe. It was going to be hard, but I could do it. Yes, you got this, Ember. You are just going there to have some fun.
I pushed myself up from the couch and went to my closet room.
Placing my hands over my hips, I scanned my closet. What should I wear tonight? It was a club of the most famous casino, Berserkers. I had to wear something stunning and click awesome pictures to post online. Even though my social media accounts were private, I liked uploading pictures.
I took out a black backless mesh dress that reached slightly above my knees. It was one of my favorite cold-shoulder dresses. I paired it up with silver hoop earrings and a small pendant that had my name carved on it. It was customized by my mom when I was born. I put on some light makeup with nude-colored lipstick and let my hair out.
After I was ready, I checked the time. I should leave now, otherwise, I would end up being late. I slipped into my black stilettos and rushed out of the house taking my clutch. I got into a cab and made my way to the casino with the hope nothing would go wrong tonight.
###
After I reached the casino, I entered with confidence. I was on the ground floor and looked at the bar. Immediately, I found Candy working with another girl next to her.
I walked towards Candy. Noticing me, Candy had a teasing look on her face as she said, "Wow, girl. Look at you. Someone said they didn't want to get out of the house."
I feigned innocence, saying, "I don't remember anything like that. Who is that someone?"
Candy patted my back and said, "Give me a few minutes. I will change into that awesome dress I bought with you last time."
I gave a curt nod, and she went to change her clothes. While waiting for Candy, I pulled a barstool and sat on the bar. Placing my hand on the counter, I looked at the polite girl with auburn hair.
"Hey, your eye color matches my name," I started a conversation.
She smiled at me, her dimples immediately showing on her face. "Amber?"
I shook my head and said with a bright smile, "Ember."
She chuckled. "Oh."
"I am Ember Corbin, and you are?"
"Faith Mabel," she answered politely. "Do you want a drink?"
"No, I am going to drink at the club in the basement. I can't be wasted here, otherwise, I will miss all the fun," I stated, making her giggle. "You have a nice smile and laugh, both. You are pretty."
"Thank you, Ember," she replied nicely.
"You seem too young. Are you even eighteen?" I inquired. Was it even legal for underaged people to work in such places?
"I turned nineteen recently," she informed me.
"Nineteen? Then, why are you working here? You should be in a library to study or club with your friends." I was surprised to see her work here at such a young age. Candy didn't tell me about her.
Faith handed me a glass of mocktail. Before I could say something, she said, "It's on the casino."
"Okay, thank you." I took the drink and started taking a sip. "You didn't tell me why you are working here."
"Well, my parents died a year ago, and I was still in my senior year of high school. My college scholarship got canceled for some issues as well, and I was in a bad state. I was looking for a job and decided to apply here because of the nice pay. I lied about my age at that time because I wasn't eighteen yet," Faith continued, "One day, someone caught my lie. He asked me why I was working at such a place my age, so I told him the truth about my background. He understood my reasons and told me that I was really brave for facing everything so fiercely."
"Agreed. You really are courageous for getting a job at a casino so young," I praised because I was honestly touched by her story.
She smiled and continued, "Due to my scholarship getting canceled, when I didn't have enough money to enroll in any college, he randomly asked me what college I wanted to get into, and the next thing I knew, I got the admission there. Can you believe that he paid for it without me even asking for it?"
I shook my head because I couldn't believe it, either.
"I was really grateful, so I ended up hugging him. He might have hated it because he's always so aloof. But since then, he has treated me like his little sister. He is so good at heart. I never knew someone would do so much for me. You know, no one dares to flirt with me because of him."
It seemed like that person was really kind-hearted. It reminded me of someone, but I stopped thinking immediately.
"Lucky you. Tell that person to make me his sister too," I mumbled wistfully.
"He would definitely agree. He's such a softie, after all."
"Really? Who is this incredibly kind but powerful man?" I asked.
"Lance is the owner of this place."
As soon as Faith said those words, I choked on my drink, coughing hard. "Oh, my God, are you okay?" asked Faith, patting my back.
I coughed some more before I caught a breather. "What... what name did you use?"
"Lance," Faith confirmed, arching an eyebrow in confusion but continued nonetheless, "Speaking of Lance, do you know he's coming here today? I can't wait to get the chance to catch up with him. He will want to know my test scores from my last exam. He's more like my dad than a brother," she chuckled lightly as she said that.
"Why's he coming here today, though? Just to meet you?"
"Actually, he's coming to play today, which is the reason the staff members can bring their plus one tonight as he hates crowds. The casino is off-limits for regular customers for today. Thus, everyone will be busy clubbing in the basement while Lance will gamble with some people in peace. He hates noise."
How much of it was a coincidence that I was talking to a person Lance really cared about and getting to know more about his kindness?
I needed to stop going in that direction. Even if I met Lance tonight, I had to pretend like I didn't. I promised him, after all.
I decided to divert the conversation. "Why won't you go clubbing as well?"
Faith answered me, "I don't like disco lights, loud music, and dancing, to be honest. Besides, Lance won't mind if I stay here."
"I see. He really seems to care for you."
"Indeed," she agreed.
Just then, I spotted Candy coming out, completely dressed. "Here comes my best friend!" I exclaimed, thankful for not having to talk about Lance anymore. It hurt to talk about him when I knew he didn't want me in his life, even as a friend. "You look stunning."
"Thanks. Let's go," Candy said enthusiastically.
"It was nice meeting you, Faith," I told her, and she flashed me a big smile.
I walked away with Candy, making our way to the basement. When I was about to take the staircase, I heard Faith exclaim, "Lance! I'm so glad you could make it today."
I instinctively turned around, only to find those familiar green eyes already staring at me. As our gaze locked, I wondered if I bothered him. He just got inside the casino and saw me. Did I ruin his mood?
I should ask him and should apologize if I did. I was about to go to him but stopped remembering the promise I made.
Lance Storm doesn't exist in your life, Ember, I informed myself.
"Em, come here," Candy hollered from the mid-stairs.
Forming my fists into a ball, I tore my gaze away from Lance and headed down the staircase. I followed Candy to the basement, pretending not to feel his intense gaze on my back. I wanted Lance to be my friend, but I had to respect the promise we made because I treated him as my friend, whether he did or not.
###
Candy showed me the perfect example of betrayal.
It was supposed to be a girls' night out, and I was in no mood to talk to any stranger tonight. Many men approached me, but I politely declined their offers. I thought it was our best friends' time, but Candy left me for the hot guy she met here. It was the same man whom she met at the café.
Apparently, the guy actually enjoyed Candy's company and asked her out on their last date. They had been on three dates just over this week.
Lance should be a matchmaker because he had sent his guard to distract Candy.
I was drinking while sitting at the bar. After my second drink, my favorite song started to play in the background. I took my third swig and decided to dance because I always had to dance to this song.
I swayed my hips, dancing lightly on the slow beat until the fast beat started. People started to gather to dance as well. When I turned around with my drink in my hand among the crowd, my glass was about to fall, but I grabbed it. But the drink fell on the white dress of a woman standing in front of me.
"I am so sorry," I mumbled, feeling bad for ruining her dress.
"You should be," a woman said sternly, her high-pitched tone already giving me a headache.
I looked up at her. She had silver hair, which was obviously dyed as she seemed to be of my age. "Yeah, I am," I said in an obvious tone.
"You pour the drink over me and have the audacity to act like you weren't wrong?" she breathed out, her nose flaring in anger.
"But I admitted I was wrong," I replied without hesitation. No one had the right to think they could use me like tissue paper. I made a mistake and I apologizedâthe end of the story. But if this woman here wanted to exaggerate the matter, let her be my guest.
"How dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?" she said aloud.
The music stopped, and all eyes were on us now. Damn, her high-pitched voice was so annoying that people even stopped dancing thanks to her. Why couldn't she just talk normally, instead of making it sound so screeching like that? Did she think it made her sound posh and rich? Hell, no. It was just plain annoying.
"Are you an opera singer? Because that's the only thing your voice says about you. But if I were to take your behavior into consideration, it makes me want to ask you, are you that high school bitch I was looking for my entire life?" I gasped dramatically. "Oh, my God. Where were you until now? Did you get lost in the dumpster? I searched for a bitch like you as soon as I stepped into my high school, but everyone had been so friendly with me."
The crowd went completely silent.
"You motherfucker!" the woman shouted and took out a revolver from her clutch, pointing it straight at me.
Everyone gasped, but I looked into her brown eyes fearlessly. "I am sorry, but were you cursing yourself? Because that curse suits you," I said politely as if I just complimented her purse.
Just as the woman was about to press the trigger, everyone gasped in horror again. Even I was shocked. Not because of her gun. But because someone else put her at gunpoint.
It was Lance.