“Sex is the consolation you have when you can't have love”
― Gabriel García Márquez
The girl on stage was beautiful, save for the caesarian scar which peeked out whenever she dipped low against the pole. Colorful stage lights danced in wild arcs over her face and breasts as she dipped low with her knees wide apart, opening herself up for the clientele. Jackie appreciated the view and a hard on was forming in his tailored pants. He raised a hand with a fifty dollar bill tucked between two fingers.
She dropped forward on her hands and crawled towards him, at the stage's edge. The dancer leaned back, putting her hands at the back of her neck and knees apart showing off for him. He tucked the bill into her garter along with bills collected from other patrons. Then she slid off the stage, the way she balanced on her platform heels was an art form.
His eyes followed the titillating movements of her thighs and hips, the way her bare breasts bounced as she swung her upper body. He laid his hands on her thighs and caressed her ass when she flaunted it. Her eyes glanced towards the backrooms where dancers could perform 'special services' for good tippers. Jackie was certainly tempted, as he was always tempted, but held back for fear of his own life. He had gone to the backrooms for oral sex only, but it never carried the same satisfaction has intercourse had for him. Tonight, he was to meet someone who had an offer for him.
This person had contacted him through the ranks from an Associate through Vinnie's crew. It was a manilla envelope containing information which made Jackie curious enough for meeting. The contact chose this club as it was controlled by Jackie's organization and was crowed on Fridays. Jackie didn't object as he frequented the club when the mood would strike him.
The girl finished her dance and gave him a longing look before strutting over to another patron waving money. Jackie ignored her and lit a cigarette. He puffed on it feeling miserable with a hard on in his pants which would like go unanswered until he was home in his mansion where a bottle of lotion and pay per view porn was waiting. Now he realized why the contact had insisted on meeting in this club, it was to make the offer all that more tempting.
Vinnie, approached him from behind. Jackie could smell the cheap aftershave Vinnie wore as the man leaned close and whispered, “He's waiting for ya in the back, Boss.”
Jackie glanced wistfully at the stage as the next dancer in the line up began her routine. “Let's go.”
Jackie was led into the back by Vinnie and his other enforcer, Enzo. Both men wore nondescript suits which hid their guns and other weapons of choices they were willing to use to defend their Don. Not that Jackie needed bodyguards. They were more for show than anything else. Jackie hadn't needed a personal bodyguard ever since his 21
st birthday three years ago.
The backrooms carried the odor of sex, heavy perfume and aftershave, and even blood. With the crimson carpet and the walls painted black, it was a mingling of shadows and blood, or maybe it was what men imagined the inside of a woman's vagina look like. Vinnie opened an ebony side door and Jackie went inside.
A man with blonde man was reclining back on the red couch set against the far wall. His hair was neatly trimmed in a military style and piercing pale blue eyes studied Jackie's appearance. Not in a sexual manner, to see where any weapons were hidden. It was a natural look, subtle, and it was only because Jackie years of experience as a hit man that allowed him to notice it. His clothes were casual, but expensive with tight jeans and a black silk shirt. Black worn combat boots completed the outfit and the right boot was tapping to the rhythm of Depeche Mode playing on the speakers.
Vinnie and Enzo waited outside. Usually in any other circumstance, they would have stood inside at the ready to defend their Don, but Jackie was not a usual Mafia Don. Jackie sat down a few seats away from the blonde man and reclined back and lit a cigarette, “Before we get down to business, I got a few questions.”
The blonde man leaned forward, taking out a pack of cigarettes of his own. “What do you want to ask?”
Jackie noted the accent. It was European, he could discern that, but what exactly, he couldn't pinpoint and Jackie had heard a lot of accents. “How did you find out about this problem I got?”
The blonde man chuckled, but the mirth didn't reach his eyes. “I did five minutes of research before approaching you with this. I assumed because of your celibacy you would have the most interest.”
“And who else would be interested in this?” Jackie puffed on his cigarette. The faint glow gave his dark eyes a deep cavernous look.
“I can't give you that information,” the blonde man eyes reminded Jackie of glaciers. Cold, solid, and blank of any emotion. “But rest assured, that if you accept my offer, then you will be the only who will have this information and my service.”
Jackie exhaled a stream of smoke and ran the tip of his tongue across his lower lip. “And Kenneth Irons wasn't interested in this?”
Speaking the name sent a cold, dark chill through the small room. The blonde man tilted his head, clearly taken off guard by Jackie Estacado. Jackie smirked and flicked ash off the end of his cigarette, “I did five minutes of research myself. So tell me, why are you coming to me with this when Irons who could pay more had already approached you?”
The blonde man took a long drag on his cigarette, his eyes meeting Jackie's dark ones. “I choose who I do business with.”
“Doesn't answer my question, asshole,” Jackie retorted. “Listen, if I'm about to step on Irons' toes, then I want to know.”
Ever since the Darkness came into his life, there wasn't a lot of people Jackie was afraid of anymore. However, Kenneth Irons was a man that one tread carefully around. The man wasn't just the head of the top global company, Irons International, he also ran the criminal underworld for years before he disappeared. Now he had returned and was attempting to retake the power he had lost due to his disappearance. Thus far, Jackie was able to keep organization under Irons radar, but it was only a matter of time before they came to clashed. Jackie was a very dangerous being having taken over New York, but Kenneth Irons had connections to dark things and people with skills which gave Jackie pause. He had overestimated his abilities in the past and it had came back to bite him in the ass, hard.
The blonde man took his cigarette from his mouth and swallowed. “Let's just say, I rather deal with you than him. He doesn't have . . .the best intentions.”
“And I do? You're pimping me a, what do you call it . . . a Haibane?” Jackie's tongue rolled over the strange word.
“I rather deal with you than Irons.” The blonde man glared and then move to stand, “Don't waste my time if you aren't interested. The Yakuza might be willing to deal in this . . .”
“Sit down.” Jackie was annoyed and resumed smoking. “I haven't decided whether I want to do this or not. So just state your offer and let me make that decision.”
The blonde man studied Jackie coolly, then sat back. “Fine. You read the dossier I sent you?”
“Yes, though most of it I find hard to swallow. Let me tell you this, angels and I don't get along.” He had enough runs in the Angelus to sour the ideal of angels.
“They're not angels. They can't even fly with those small wings.” The blonde man took a folder which had been laying near his knee and passed it to Jackie.
Some of the contents were photos of people with wings and halos, Haibane. He had expected them to be performing religious rituals or acting like nuns or priests. Instead, they were acting like people. A blonde girl with glasses and a sweater was chatting amiably with a second girl with short dark hair and appeared to be part Asian in a small town cafe. A group of young men with wings and halo were hanging out on a stone bridge with motorbikes parked nearby. A little blonde kid lounging at the foot of a windmill tying a flower stem to the ring that floated above his, or her, Jackie couldn't tell, head. What caught his eye was a pretty dark hair Haibane hanging up bed sheets while children with little wings and halos played nearby. There was another picture of her riding a motor-scooter along a dirt path near tall electric windmills.
Jackie held up the picture, “What about her?”
The blonde man snorted, “Don't bother. She'll bite
it off and you can't get to the ones within the walls of Glie.”
“That's the name of the town?” He seemed to recall that the town was somewhere in Europe and had tall walls, like from Game of Thrones.
“It is. The Haibane in Glie are protected and outsiders aren't allowed within the town walls.” The blonde man leaned forward and pointed out a sky view image of a town with fields and forests at the outskirts. Surrounding all of it were tall walls. The entire area was a dozen miles in either direction. “Not even the townspeople leave, except for special circumstances, when a cocoon misses Glie and ends up growing in a different part of the world. Let's say the United States.”
“And they hatch from these cocoons? Like pod people?” Jackie was skeptical of this, but it sent the point home of why he would be interested.
“They don't procreate like humans. They can't get pregnant, hell, the Haibane girls don't even menstruate . They're not meant to have children.”
Meaning Jackie could have sex with a Haibane without getting her pregnant and dying. It was a guaranteed method other than abstinence. Oh, he had bargained promising to always use a condom and stick with women on the pill, even get a vasectomy. Yet, condoms break and slip off, girls can lie or forget to take the pill, and his body may heal itself after a vasectomy. There was the option of creating his own women with the Darkness itself, but that was an art he wasn't able to master yet and kept creating misshapen deformities he wouldn't touch with a pole. Being a sex addict forced into celibacy for the past three years had not been easy. He had gotten to know his hands quite well over the years.
“You'll tell me where this cocoon is going to pop up and I collect the Haibane that hatches?” Jackie glanced at the pictures, particularly the one with the teenage boys and children. “But there isn't a guarantee I am going to get what I want, is there?”
“No, there isn't.” The blonde man smashed his cigarette into an ash tray on the coffee table before the couch. “A male could hatch or a small child. Often, the Haibane born are either children or late teens. They do grow older if you want to wait before fucking her.”
“So basically, this could be a big waste of my time and money.” Jackie tossed the folder onto the coffee table unimpressed.
“True, but there is a chance that a pretty girl steps out of the cocoon. Imagine that.”
What I want is the dark hair Haibane girl. “I know where the cocoon is going to appear. I can lead you to it, but expect resistance from the Haibane Renmei. They are the ones who go out and get Haibane hatched outside of Glie.” The blonde man rose to his feet and lit another cigarette. “But they shouldn't be a problem with your abilities.”
Jackie cocked a dark eyebrow. “And how much are you asking for?”
“Depends. How much is sex worth to you?” The blonde man gave him a cocky grin revealing white teeth.
“20 grand?” Jackie snuffed his own cigarette out.
“Try 200.”
“Fuck you,” Jackie snorted.
“Yeah, I will be able to get fucked. Can't say the same about you.” The blonde man turned towards the door.
Jackie's eyes narrowed. “50,000.”
“Oh, come on. 175,000.”
“If it was a guarantee I was going get what I want, then I'll pay more than lets say, 100,000.” Jackie rose to his feet. It didn't matter much, but it did please him that he was a few inches taller than the blonde.
“Stop busting my balls. I could take this to the Yakuza and they'll pay my asking price. Fuck, I could take this to Irons and he'll make me a goddamn millionaire.” The blonde smirked nastily, clearing enjoying the negotiating.
“And didn't you say you didn't want to deal with Irons? 125,000.” Jackie stepped forward, bringing himself closer to the blonde.
The blonde squared himself and met Jackie's eyes. “150,000. True, but everyone else is going to offer me chump change, then I'll go deal with him then.”
“130,000,” Jackie replied. He could afford the blonde's price, it was going to be just a small dent in his finances which would easily be filled by the end of the month. One thing he learned from Uncle Frankie was to always drive a hard bargain, don't make it easy for the other party.
“Not going any lower than 150 grand.” the blonde man replied not backing down which Jackie couldn't help but respect him for. “Take it or leave it.”
“Fine.” It was Jackie's turn to smirk as he laid out his terms. “I'll give you a 50,000 down payment and the rest if, and only if I get what I want. I bring my own men.”
“Sounds fair. We have ourselves a deal.” The blonde held out a hand, “You can call me Edward.”
They shook hands. Edward told him that the cocoon will appear in three days. Jackie will wire the money the day prior and they would meet on a private plane where Edward will give the location.
After Edward left, Jackie stood at the door and motioned for Vinnie, “You know that stripper I got the lap dance from?”
“Yeah, Boss?”
“Send her here.”
He may not be able to have intercourse, but he could still enjoy a blow job.
