The Cracks in the Labyrinth

Chapter 13 (Part 2)

"What's with that face?" she asked. "No need to make this weird."

"Hey!" The bartender shouted behind the counter, rubbing his index and middle fingers against his thumb.

"Right," she nodded. "Pay for a private dance."

"You're kidding."

"Show me some money or a credit card. Hurry!"

He did as told.

As soon as the cash was on the table, Lili pressed against him and moved to the raunchy music beat. Time stopped, and the world faded. Only her soft skin existed, nothing but her sweet perfume breathed life into him.

When she pulled away a moment later, Adam almost fell out of his chair. She turned around, winked over her shoulder at him, and bent over slowly to touch the floor with her hands.

This is what sailors must have experienced when sirens lured them to their deaths.

Too distracted by her hips' hypnotic sway, Adam didn't realize she was now on his lap. The heat coming out of her was melting his brain.

"I'm not charging you for this," she said in a low voice. "Just needed Carlos to leave us alone."

"The barman?"

"Yeah."

"Don't get in trouble. I'll pay for the dance."

She pointed up, and Adam's eyes followed her finger to find a small, black convex crystal he hadn't seen before.

"Our income comes from somewhere else."

"Is that a...?"

"It's Video Loco," she mimicked the jingle from the famous hidden camera-practical joke television series.

Everyone's watching me, Adam thought. He had put duct tape over every 'peephole' in every device he owned to avoid something like this.

"Fuck. You are recording me?"

"Smile, honey. You are on TV."

"Why?"

"We do this to everyone."

"Are you extorting me?"

She canted her head closer to his.

"Don't be silly."

"Then why tell me?"

"Dunno. Have told no one before." Lili thought about it. "Only you."

"I'm confused."

"No secrets between us. I wanted to show you who I am. Flaws and all."

"Why?"

"Dude! My breasts are literally on your face. Do you need me to spell it out?"

The blood rushed to his cheeks. He needed to change the subject. Fast.

"Isn't it a dangerous way to make money?"

"It pays the bills." She shrugged. "Besides, it's a numbers game."

"What did you say?"

"A safety net, dummy," Lili whispered in his ear. "No one wants their dirty little secrets sticking their heads out, and, if someone plans to mess with me, I have an ace up my sleeve."

"Should I even ask?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"The phone numbers of most of my clients are in my cell, and I can be very persuasive."

When her neighbor stood up, Adam feared the dance was over, but then she teased her way down to the floor, spreading her legs open.

"Lili, listen..."

"So, you didn't find him?"

At first, he thought she was talking about Rafael, which was impossible. A second later, it clicked for him.

"Papa Smurf?" Adam sighed in frustration. "That little spawn of Satan exploited me and then disappeared."

She tittered.

"Sorry. I shouldn't laugh."

"You think it's funny? He had me fight a hobo in the parking lot."

Her smile faded at once.

"Oh, God! That's terrible. I assumed he'd only give you the PC if I were with you, but I never imagined he—"

"Wait. Unless you were with me?"

"An excuse to see me again. The boy can't resist my charms..." She looked at his crotch. "Unlike you, it seems."

Once again, his face turned red.

"It's not you. Everything about this day has been terrible."

Lili stopped dancing.

"Wow, thanks."

Adam dropped his gaze, and the song ended. Now that a strange silence had fallen over them, he couldn't meet her eyes again. A part of him felt bad for not being aroused, but the rest of him...

I'm a pig for wanting her. She deserves better than rubbing her body against strangers.

"I..." He exhaled instead of apologizing.

"Don't say you're sorry. It is not your fault." She toyed with her Santa Claus hat while she waited for the next song to start. "This whole mess happened because of your dead ex-girlfriend."

To be continued...