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“Why is that?”
“Because I’m very persuasive.”
Oh, I bet he is. He’d probably drug my drink when I refused his advances, or he’d flat out force me. Or try to. I’m stronger than he thinks.
“I don’t date customers, Charles. Bad for business.”
His face screws up with annoyance, maybe even a little anger. “Then I’ll stop being a customer. Just let me take you out. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“Now, now. Just accept my answer graciously. It’s nothing personal.”
His lips flatten and his gaze grows hard. “You’re a fucking tease, aren’t you? You think your shit doesn’t stink and you can just treat people however you want.”
“I’ve been kind.”
“You think you’re better than me, is that right?”
“Like I said—you’re a customer. That’s all.”
He scoffs, shoving his chair back and getting to his feet. “You’re a piece of trash.”
“A piece of trash you want to date.”
“Fuck you.”
He stomps off and I laugh. So triggered, so easily played. He showed me he’s exactly who I thought he was. Now I have something new to do. I love a good adventure.
Later that night, long after my shift is over, I drive along the darkened street in front of the old, abandoned youth center where a lot of kids, dealers, and sex workers still hang out. I’ve been cruising for about an hour, looking for Charles in various parts of the city known for attracting his type. Instinct tells me he’ll be out hunting after his interaction with me, and he wasn’t at his house.
Yes, I know where he lives. Some people might call me a stalker, but I’m just gathering information. Unlike a lot of people in society, I do something about the monsters haunting the night. The cops don’t notice, and by the time they do, there’s a victim involved. Not on my watch.
I pull up to the curb when I see Nix and lower my window to get his attention. He shuffles over, his long, dark hair hanging in his face, clothes too baggy because he doesn’t eat enough.
“Hey, Blush.”
“Hey, Nix. I’m looking for someone. Drives a silver Nissan Altima. Middle-aged dude with brown hair.”
“Like that one?” He points behind me and I look just in time to see the car turn onto this street.
It slows briefly, then speeds up too quickly for me to see the driver, but I catch the plates. Yep. That’s him.
“That’s the one.”
“He comes around all the time,” Nix says. “Likes dudes but picks up girls sometimes too. I’ve heard he’s too rough and people come back scared.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Nix leans on my car door. “Two Shoes has been missing for a week.”
I crease my brow. “Missing?”
“We saw him with that guy, but some kids said they saw him later, so we don’t know what happened.”
“What do you think happened?”
Nix chews on his lip for a second. “Someone hurt him. Maybe that guy. Two Shoes wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye to me.”
Nodding, I focus on the car’s taillights slowly disappearing in front of me. “I gotta go. I’ll be back around.”
