Under the Stars

“A snake can change its skin, but it’s still a snake,” she hisses. “Now get it together.”

She’s right. Maybe I only want him to have changed so we can walk away before this goes too far. If only…

I think about everything I said to Roland, why we’re here and what I want. I want answers. We might all be monsters, but we don’t all give little girls away like they’re meaningless commodities.

Nodding, I push off the wall and do my best to calm my racing nerves. “It’s different for me.”

“No, it’s not.” She’s walking ahead of me. “He gave you to Guy the same as he did me.”

Not exactly the same… I went after him. I rolled those dice and lost.

Joshua is leaning against the glass window when we reappear, and he perks up when he sees us. “Right this way, ladies!”

Molly skips up to him and takes his arm, and I follow them through the narrow entrance. Her ability to play the part of the innocent amazes me. Once we’re inside, I see what the place lacks in width is made up for in height.

A balcony overlooks the main floor, and along the back wall a staircase leads down to what I assume is a basement bar. A steady stream of patrons goes up and down the stairs carrying fluorescent red, blue, and yellow-colored drinks.

The inside of the bar is as brightly painted as the exterior, and rainbow Christmas lights are twined around all the banisters and skinny columns. The music blasting is early-1980s art rock.

We stand in a small circle on the black and white tiled floor. “They didn’t card us,” Molly shouts in the middle of our group.

“I’m friends with Jake,” Joshua shouts back.

“Friends?” Molly looks from the stocky guy at the door to the skinny kid leading us around.

“Okay, he’s my uncle.”

“Where’s Gavin?” I ask, but Joshua frowns at me. “I mean…” Shit.

“Brisbee,” Molly shouts.

Joshua shakes his head. “Jake said he hasn’t been in tonight. Probably doing something with Kevin. He might not come in after all.”

“No…” The whisper is out before I can stop it, and Molly cuts her eyes to me.

“I’m getting a drink,” I say, not really wanting one.

We’re only supposed to be here two days. Losing tonight is a setback, and I don’t want to extend this errand any longer than we have to. Molly is determined to confront Gavin. I have my own questions, but otherwise, this isn’t the same as the other men. He never touched her. He never touched me. It’s possible he’s trying to make up for the sins of his past…

Molly appears at my arm. “You’re doing it again.”

Tilting my head to the side, I lean against the bar. Joshua is talking to a group sitting at one of the high tables.

“What do you want to do?” I ask. “Call it a night?”

“Nobody said we have to do this at night. Joshua can get us his address. We can go to his home tomorrow.”

“Ambush him? Do you think that’s smart?”

I lift the fluorescent blue drink in front of me and take a sip. It tastes like Malibu rum and pineapple juice. Too sweet.

“How would you suggest we do it?”

“You’re actually asking for my input?” That’s a first. She doesn’t answer, only glares at me impatiently. “I think we should call and arrange a meeting at a public place. Some place he can’t do anything.”

“Where we can’t do anything.”

“What do you want to do, Molly?”