Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Gentleman's Club ❯ Vol. Ten, Chap. Twenty: Warming Smile, Frozen Heart ( Chapter 20 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

“So how long have you been back in Okinawa?” Charlotte asked him at the bar. Tony swirled his glass around on the wooden surface.
“About a month now,” he said causally.
“A month and you didn’t say anything?” she asked. She playfully smacked him on the arm.
“Ow,” he muttered.
“Serves you right,” Charlotte said with arms folded across her chest. Tony broke into laughter.
“What?” she asked. He smiled and shook his head.
“You haven’t changed at all,” he admitted.
“I have to,” Charlotte said, puffing up her cheeks.
“Liar,” he said with a smile. Earlier on stage, she spotted his familiar brown eyes locked on hers. In that instance, she felt as if she forgot to move. The music pulsed around her, but it could barely reach her. The sea of eyes on her in the audience didn’t help her. Charlotte couldn’t explain what was happening to her mind at that point. So many memories flooded her head, but yet she couldn’t certain. Why would Tony be in a place like this? That question led her to try and find out tonight.
The other girls watched the pair as they were with their dates. This young man with “Mommy” seemed to have an odd effect on her.
“Who do you think he is to her?” Brit whispered.
“Can’t you tell?” Mimi whispered back.
“No…” the wild stripper said, shaking her head. The older dancer sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Look,” she hissed. Britt turned back to Charlotte and Tony. The man stuck up his hand in the air at the bar tender.
“Bar tender!” he shouted. “Get me another one!” Charlotte smiled and shook her head.
“Tony,” she said. He gave her an innocent puppy dog look.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re still drinking, aren’t you?” she asked. Tony gave off a roaring laugh.
“It’s mother’s milk,” he brushed off.
“But it isn’t good for you,” Charlotte countered with.
“I love booze,” he said. The dancer raised an eyebrow at him.
“More than me?” she asked.
“Come on now,” Tony said. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“Then, what would you say?” the dancer asked. The man gave her a big shrug.
“I’ll be whatever you want me to be,” he replied. Charlotte frowned at his answer. Figures that he would say it like, she thought. What else did she expect? He’d always been that thick in college’ why would he change now? Tony couldn’t help but to notice the look on her face.
“What’s the matter now?” he asked.
“Is that all I am to you?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” he asked. Charlotte leaned on the bar, frowning.
“I’ve always been like a little sister to you,” she complained. Tony tried to brush off the comment with a smile.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. “No, I don’t.”
“There you go again,” she pointed out.
“Again?” Tony asked. Charlotte looked up at him with a desperate look in her eyes.
“Tony, what am I to you?” she asked. He narrowed his eyes at her rather puzzled.
“What?” the man asked.
“What am I to you, Tony?” Charlotte asked again in a louder voice. He looked around as he tried to quiet her down. Somehow, this scenario began to feel familiar to him. The man decided to end this fast before it got out of hand.
“You’re my friend,” he said. The dancer looked at him with sharpened eyes.
“That all?” she asked. Tony nodded as if uncertain of his answer.
“Pretty much,” he replied. Charlotte gritted her teeth.
“Charlotte?” he asked when her noticed her face turning red. She slammed her fists down on the bar.
“God, why the hell are you so stupid?!” the dancer yelled. “It’s always the same with you. In fact, the whole time I was on stage, you looked at me with pity. I am fine. I am not a little girl anymore!” Tony tried to calm her down, but she forced his hand away.
“Don’t touch me!” Charlotte snapped. “I need another drink.” She threw up her arm in the air. “Bar tender! Give me another!” the dancer commanded.
“Me too,” Tony said in order to lessen the situation.
From the balcony, Sandra watched Charlotte and Tony the whole time with ideas forming in her head. There is it, she thought. So, that’s what she really looks like underneath.