*Alejandro*
The bar was lit by a blue light, which changed occasionally. The smell of solid drinks lay heavily in the air. Soft music resounded in the background. People chatted quietly.
I watched as a bartender poured a drink for a man in front of me with skill.
Williams is seated in front of me. A blonde girl leans on him, speaking about what only they know. Williams and his women weren’t what I was bothered about right now.
Two hours ago, I went to the bar where Anna was bullied. I took a slow sip of my drink, my eyes settling on the sleeve of my white shirt, which had dust stains on it.
My Rolex wristwatch was missing from my hand. I leaned into the chair and hung my head behind it.
*TWO HOURS AGO* ( flashback )
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When my phone beeped during lunch with Mr Johnson, I waited patiently to check it inside the car. It was a message from Williams. It took him a pretty long time to text me. I had asked to see the girl and the other one that had surrounded Anna and stopped her from leaving.
Immediately, Anna alighted from the car; I parked the car some steps forward and watched her get into a cab before asking the driver to reverse. I had someone to visit.
The club was half empty when we got there. We weren’t going to disturb their business. I just wanted to see them and discuss with them normally without causing any commotion.
Williams was behind me, and we walked around the bar. No one stopped us. We took a hallway that had doors on both sides. On the second door by the left was the inscription, “manager.” Williams pushed the door open, and we stepped in.
The office was spacious.
A man in his mid-forties sat behind a table. There were files piled up on one side of the table, and a laptop opened in front of him.
He wore square-rimmed glasses which stopped on the bridge of his nose. He lifted his head, not expecting this sudden intrusion.
“Who are you?” He asked.
His table was directly facing the door, and there was a shelf by the side and a sofa on the other side close to the window where the curtains were pulled to each side, allowing beams of the evening sun into the room.
Williams stepped forward. “We would like to see her,” he said. He brought out a small picture of a brunette and another girl. The man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and straightened his back.
“Why do you ask for her?” He asked.
“We have something to settle with her,” Williams said, and I walked to the side to have a seat. The plan was to have a civil discussion with both the daughter and father.
“That’s my daughter,” he said, pointing at the picture of the brunette girl. “Why do you want to see her?” He asked.
“Little wonder she bullies people in the restroom,” I said from where I was seated.
“And on what ground do you say those allegations?” He asked with a bit of anger evident in his voice. “Why should I bother with evidence when you know all of it? This is, after all, your bar,” I said.
Williams is meticulous in whatever he does. He was able to find out everything about these people. The brunette, who goes by the name Bella, is the daughter of the manager and co-owner of the bar.
There have been many reports of things like this. She had always locked up girls in the restroom and dealt with them without any care for the consequences that her actions may cause, and this is because her father always had her back.
“call her in,” I told the man.
Sometimes, the victim’s reports are at the station, but they somehow find a way to hide it and make their way through. I wonder how they were going to do the same today.
“You can’t just come in here and point fingers at me and my daughter; who do you think you are?” He asked.
“Someone who can make both of you pay,” I said.
The door opened at that moment.
Bella and the other girl, whose name was Celena, were hurled inside the room, and they were followed by the boys I had seen. The boys had cuts on their arms.
“Dad, what’s going on?” Bella asked.
“Bella!!” He shouted.
Bella and Celena are held roughly by their arms. “Let her go right now.” The man yelled.
“Why should I? You turn a blind eye when she does this to others. So I’ll advise you to do the same right now. ” I said.
“Let her go. I’ll call the police on you.”
“Go ahead. Let’s see if you can bribe your way through.”
I raised an arm, and Bella’s and Celena’s hands were freed.
“Who are you, and why are you doing this?” Bella asked. Her father ran to her side to check her arm, but she pulled her arm from him roughly and glared at him.
He took a step back.
They may be related, but there was some kind of tension between them.
William pulled another picture and showed it to Bella.
“You know her, right?” Bella took hold of it while looking at us wearingly.
She squinted her eyes and took a better look at the picture. “Why do you ask?” She asked.
“I do the questioning, and you answer,” I said.
“What do you want to know?” She asked.
“Why did you bully her?” I felt rage burn through me when I remembered the pain Anna was in. Bella should be thankful that I’m a gentleman and would never hit a woman.
“I don’t know her.” She said, shaking her head, “never seen her before.” Celena took the picture from her and said the same thing.
“You liars. What should I do to remind you?” I asked in a cold-menacing voice, which sent fear through them. “They don’t know her, so let them be.” The father said.
I smirked.
“Another word from you, and I’d have this bar shut down completely in the next hour.” The manager bit his tongue. It seems realization just hit him. He stared at me for a long time, and slowly, his eyes widened.
“I told you I’ll come to pay you a visit the day we met Bella,” I said, and she turned to look at me, “or do you not remember?” I asked.
Her legs went weak.
“You…”
I smirked. She finally understood how serious my being here was.
“Why? That… I didn’t.” She couldn’t form a coherent speech. Celena still wasn’t aware of what was happening.
“What’s wrong, Bella,” she asked.
“You know what you did right?” I asked.
“It wasn’t our fault. That bitch, she…”
“Bitch?” I asked, cutting her short.
“I mean, that girl is something else. She made a mistake, and we were just correcting her.” She said defensively.
“And you did so in the restroom as well… nice,” I said. From what Williams said, Anna had the upper hand in the restroom, but I still couldn’t let this go.
“We didn’t do anything to her. If that’s what she said, that girl is a liar.” She clicked her tongue.
“It doesn’t matter what she did. All I care about is what you did.” I said.
“Well, as I said, you can’t exactly blame us. She broke an unspoken rule, and we just had to correct her.” Though she sounded soft, she had an underlying arrogance in her.
“I don’t care what she did. You have to be punished for what you did.” I said, and that was final.
I had thought about various ways to make them pay. I couldn’t hit them or have someone else do it. I didn’t want to be that mean.
Seeing that I was still contemplating, Williams leaned to me and whispered something in my ears. He wanted them to apologize to her and then take them to the station to pay for bullying Anna.
Why didn’t I think of that?
There was no way they’d buy their way through. I decided to add another gift to them. From what they said so far, they didn’t seem qualified to run a bar.
“Take them away,” I said.
“What?” Bella seemed alarmed, “where are you taking us to?” She asked.
“Dad!” She screamed, but he didn’t move an inch. Celena and Bella are pulled out of the room. All struggles from them proved futile.
I know the entire story. They made Anna endure so much because of a guy she didn’t know. They shouldn’t expect anything else than what they are getting. I’ll make sure they spend a long time in prison.
“I am so sorry. I didn’t realize who you were on time.” The manager apologized.
“If I had, I would have…”
“It doesn’t change anything,” I said. Beads of desert gather on his chin.
“You have to look for another job now,” I said and stood.
*PRESENT*
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“What are you thinking? I’ve been here for a while, and you still won’t acknowledge me.”
Clara was sitting beside me. I had been so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn’t realize she was here.
“What are you doing here?” I asked her.
“Williams said you guys were here, and since I’d been bored all day, I decided to come too.” She beacons on a waiter.
I sent Williams a glare-this rascal.
Did he have to tell her?
Clara orders a cocktail. “I have a show I’ll be attending tomorrow.” She said. I saw no reason why I needed to be informed about her schedule.
“I see,” I said.
“And I want you to go…” The waiter placed her drink in front of her. She whispers a small thank you to him, picks up her drink, and takes a slow sip. “You should come with me. It will be a big opportunity.” She said.
“Why do you think I’ll want to come?” I asked. Please make it make sense. “Because I know this is not an opportunity you would want to miss.” She said.
“I don’t care, Clara. How’s your dad?* I asked, wanting to change the topic.
“You may not know this, but,” she paused and looked around before leaning towards me. I had the urge to lean back. “Jane is in the country,” I raised a brow and acted surprised when she stopped to study my face.
How did she know?
I thought no one knew, but it seemed I was wrong. “I see.”
“I know you will want to see her and speak to her. This show is the best way to. She will be attending.” She said.
“How did you know?” I asked.
She leaned back to her chair and took a sip from her drink.
“Is there anything I don’t know?” She asked.
“Well, she will be there, and I have a seat close to her. All you have to do is attend with me. Be my date for the show.” She said. “What’s the show this time?” I asked.
“Da Lisa. Da Lisa show,” she said.
I thought about it for some time. This is a great opportunity. “Alright.”
“You’ll be my date?” She asked, and I nodded. She squires excitedly and hugs my arm.
.
.
The next day. Immediately after I exited my car, Clara walked to me and linked her hands around mine.
“I thought you wouldn’t come.” She said.
There were photographers all around and people of different statuses. This must be a popular show; how didn’t I know? As we walked. I waved back and nodded at some people.
My eyes swept around the crowd.
There were a lot of familiar faces but more of strangers.
And then my eyes rested on someone I least expected to see here.
What is Anna doing here? And why is her hands linked to someone else and a man at that?