Just Another Girl

Tonight was the night! She had gotten inside the club without any trouble at all, Shiela had come through and her name was on the list. The music was loud and the smoke was making her cough but Nadine was single-mindedly scanning the crowds for the Turks. She hoped it was the disreputable-looking one here tonight. Finally, she spotted a bright red-topped figure at the bar. Thanking Lady Luck that he was alone; Nadine made her way to the Turk.

“Hello,” said Nadine, slipping into a vacant stool beside him. “I’m Nadine.”

The messily-dressed redhead finished his drink in one swallow before turning to her. He looked her over from head-to-toe quickly, professionally. Then his eyes lingered on her chest when he saw she wasn’t dangerous. “Reno.”

“Well Reno, do you think you could let me go up to the VIP room?” Nadine held her breath after making her request. This was the next to the most important hurdle before she could get to him.

Reno laughed, a short humorless laugh. “It’s too crowded there already.”

“That’s alright, I don’t mind if it’s crowded,” said Nadine. She just wanted her chance. The Turk seemed to be waiting for something but Nadine didn’t know what it was. The silence stretched on and Nadine grew anxious. “Why not? Aren’t I good enough?”

“You don’t have an introduction. Do you know anyone there?” Reno knew from the pleading look in her eyes that she didn’t. Leaning forward slightly, Reno put his hand on her knee. “I’ll let you up there if you do something for me, too. A favor for a favor, got it?”

“What!” Nadine was shocked as she realized he had been waiting for a bribe of some sort. She didn’t have money or connections so he wanted sex but she wasn’t a whore.

Correctly interpreting her indignant expression as a refusal, Reno coolly removed his hand. “Suit yourself but you won’t get in now or any other night like this.”

“Wait!” said Nadine as he turned away from her. “I’ll do it. Afterwards, okay? Not now.”
“Sure.” He led her to the VIP room, searching her for weapons before allowing her to go inside. The well-lit, expensively decorated room was full of women, none over the age of 30, and male Shinra executives. She recognized a few famous faces but had eyes only for one. Reno escorted Nadine to him directly. Not surprisingly, he was surrounded by three beautiful women. Another person in the Turk uniform was unobtrusively standing a few feet near Rufus.

“Who’s this?” said Rufus and for a moment Nadine was afraid he wasn’t going to accept her.

“This is a friend of mine who wants to meet you,” Reno explained. Nadine realized this was the favor he meant. Rufus was probably paranoid about security, as the rich were, so Reno had to vouch for her.

Rufus’s eyes wandered to her bosom as she sank down on the chair in front of him. “Is your name Angel?”

“No it’s Nadine,” she said. Up close he was even more handsome than in his pictures. His fair complexion was flushed from the alcohol he had drunk. His eyes were bright blue but his best feature, Nadine decided, were his red well-shaped lips.

“These are Tina, Felice and Paula,” said Rufus introducing her to the three women. Paula, she knew, was the wife of a top Shinra executive. Nadine didn’t think she was competition as she was seated on the chair beside Nadine, drinking, while the two other girls were draped all over Rufus.

“Hello,” all the girls said to each other. All three wore very expensive designer clothes and Paula was wearing a tasteful diamond necklace that was probably worth more than Nadine’s apartment building. Rufus wore his trademark white suit.

“Why don’t you have a drink, Nadine?” said Rufus. Without waiting for her reply, he signaled one of the waiters hovering nearby who hurried to his side. “Take this young lady’s order.”

Nadine ordered a frozen margarita while Rufus turned back to his companions, apparently continuing their conversation. “So I called to see how she was doing and her father answered the phone…”

She concentrated on her drink, not understanding the joke, which was about people she didn’t know. The woman on Rufus’ left, Felice, was very beautiful, around 25 years old and she was very drunk. Felice kept looking at Nadine and giggling.

“So are you Reno’s girlfriend?” Felice asked when the joke was finished.

“Oh no, he is just a friend of a friend. I mean we aren’t like that,” Nadine babbled in dismay.

“Well did you friend say if ALL his hair is that red?” said Felice, slurring her words slightly. The other three girls laughed, even Paula.

“Yeah Felice really wants to know!” said Tina. Rufus looked put out but the two girls beside him didn’t seem to notice. Nadine recognized the symptoms – uncontrollable giggling, dilated pupils, very fast speech – they were obviously on the newest hip drug making the rounds of high society.

“I heard he has a big one!” Now Paula looked uncomfortable and Nadine blushed as the two women began describing what they thought Reno’s genitals looked like. Rufus was disgusted and pulled away, although he was still trapped in between the two girls whose voices became louder and louder.

Nadine was terribly embarrassed at the vulgar spectacle the two women were making but also elated because they seemed to be eliminating themselves from the competition. She would have a good shot at Rufus if they both left.

“...firecrotch!” This was the last straw. As the word left Felice’s lips, both girls almost collapsed on the floor laughing. Paula and Rufus’ eyes met meaningfully.

“Girls, I think it’s getting late, we’d better get you both home.” Even in their drugged state, both women responded to the no-nonsense tone of Paula’s voice. For the first time they seemed to notice Rufus’ annoyed expression. They said their goodbyes and left.