Maneater

Chapter Six

    "His name is Justin Crowley. He is a well-known talent agent and is pretty heavy into the club scene. He rubs elbows with rappers and pop stars and actors, and likes to think of himself as their friend...but I've heard that a lot of them can't even stand him. He's a complete ass, and that predisposition gets even worse when he drinks."

    Crystal stepped out of her car and slung her purse over her shoulder. She walked around the front of the car and handed her car keys to the valet.

    "One of his most recent haunts is Pulse. It's a nice, swanky club with these pulsating, red lights that flash all over the dance floor. He's there almost every weekend. He calls it work, says he's scouting for talent. Now that I know what he's about, I'm starting to think he's been scouting for something else there."

    Scouting for talent? Crystal thought, bypassing the line of club hopefuls and walking directly to the bouncer. She looked him in the eyes, then looked beyond him at the door leading into the establishment.

    The beefy Latino bouncer looked her up and down while smacking loudly on gum. Then, he held out his hand to her.

    She fished her ID out of her purse and handed it to him.

    He stared down at it for a full minute longer than he needed to, and handed it back to her. While still smacking on his gum, he unhooked the velvet rope and stepped aside.

    The music was loud and hypnotic as she opened the club doors. The door swung closed behind her, and she stood just inside of the doors, scanning the place. "Swanky" was the word Nicole had used to describe the club, and that adjective was appropriate. It wasn't just a wide open space with a concrete floor that drunk people could dance on. There were lounge areas with cushy couches and chairs, and long, leather benches lining a lot of the wall space. There was a stage, giving the impression that sometimes the club hosted live acts, but for now several bold girls were dancing on it. Their dance moves in no way matched the beat of the ADG song playing on the speakers, but they got an "A" for effort.

    Crystal looked around the club as she moved through it. She felt very much on display, with the outfit she'd chosen to wear: a short, lace dress with mesh areas that showed off her rich, brown skin tone.

    "What kind of girls he likes?" Nicole had repeated earlier at the restaurant. "That's hard to answer. He always told me that he had a weakness for blondes, which is why I stole his heart. But when I've stumbled across the porn he watches, the pornos always starred Black girls. Always. No blondes anywhere in sight. Black girls and white guys. He also told me that he likes his women classy, but the women I've seen him drool over...a lot of them were half-dressed, if they were dressed at all."

    "Is that why you looked me up?" Crystal had asked. "Because I looked like the Black, non-classy girl he'd be into?"

    Nicole had pursed her lips shut. Instead of responding, she'd pulled her cell phone out of her purse and showed Crystal photographs of her ex-boyfriend. "This is what he looks like."

    Crystal found him seated at the bar, flirting with the bartender.

    Tall, dark blonde hair, a five o-clock shadow, and dressed in a white dress shirt and dress pants. He looked like he was ready for a day at the office instead of a night out on the town. His smile was wide and contagious. It was difficult, picturing him verbally abusing his own girlfriend.

    She walked up to the bar and claimed the seat beside him. 

    He glanced at her. What was probably intended to be a brief glance was drawn out into a full-on stare.