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2532 Words
Brandy and the girls had been standing in line for almost an hour, and the line wasn’t moving. She was getting tired of waiting she hadn’t gone out to spend all night in line. “Come on girls let’s go somewhere a little less packed.”
“But this is the best club in Vegas,” Fey complained.
“We are never going to get in. Look at this line.” Brandy pointed out. “I don’t want to stand out here all damn night.” She said as another group of people walked right past them to the door. Suddenly one of them stopped and looked at her. Brandy noticed him notice her he wasn’t very subtle about it. He looked right at her with those silver eyes and his full lips curved in a seductive smile. He was very handsome and very young. She didn’t know why but she was having trouble looking away.
He halted and had brought the group he was with to a standstill, and then he walked right over to them. He offered his hand and flashed a smile Brandy was sure melted many women’s wills. “Hello, Justin Sanchez.” He introduced himself.
“Brandy Bent.” She said shaking his hand.
He looked at the other ladies and then back at Brandy. “Are you here with your boyfriend?”
“No.”
“Really.” He said, his eyes raking over her like he was undressing her in his mind. “Well, what do you say you and your girls join the boys and me inside?”
Brandy didn’t like the way he was looking at her, and she was about to tell him they were going elsewhere when Fey moved the velvet rope and answered for her. “We would love to.” She said taking Brandy by the arm and ushering her forward. “Come on Brandy let’s go inside and shake our asses on the dancefloor.”
“Yes let’s,” Justin said watching the ladies walk ahead of them. He and his friends followed the ladies to the door where Justin shook hands with the doorman and slipped him a hundred-dollar bill. The doorman opened the doors and let them inside.
The club was spectacular it was wall to wall people. The music was pounding like the heartbeat of the whole place. The girls followed Justin and his friends through the crowd pushing their way to a VIP table for bottle service. It was a large red u-shaped couche with a low black table with ice and a large bottle of vodka. They took their seats, and Justin sat right next to Brandy draping his arms over the back of the couches bringing himself close to her.
The waitress came by right away offering drinks with a flirtatious smile. Justin ordered a round of Redbull vodkas for the whole group. She found it a little annoying that he thought he could order for her without asking her what she might like. Justin introduced himself and his buddies, and then Fey jumped to it and introduced the ladies. She had been in the club for five minutes and was already making eyes at Justin, but he didn’t seem to notice he seemed pretty focused on Brandy.
Fey asked them what they did. Brandy was kind of curious too. She wondered just what they did that made them so important that they could jump the line. She fond the fact that he could be a little unfair to those that waited out there all night, but she wouldn’t say so because she didn’t want to ruin the night for her friends.
“We’re journalists.” One of the men said.
“All of you?” Dania asked. “Even you?” She asked looking at Justin.
“Yes.”
“You must be very good.”
“I am.”
“Who do you write for?” Fey asked.
“I’m freelance.” He said and looked at Brandy with a smile she was sure was meant to seduce her. What was he thinking? She was too old for him? “What do you do? No, let me guess. You’re a showgirl?”
Brandy’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Do I look like a showgirl?” She snapped.
“Yeah, kind of.” He said honestly.
It was insulting. “I’m not a showgirl?” She hissed.
“What are you then? A lounge singer?”
“Don’t you think it’s possible I might be a little more educated than a lounge singer?”
He lifted a dark brow like he didn’t believe that she had any level of intelligence at all. She got the feeling this man was used to bubble-headed women that threw themselves at his arrogant feet. He was the kind of man that knew he was gorgeous and he had some money which was a bad combination. Men like that were usually self-important and egotistical which Justin was proving to be.
Brandy just rolled her eyes and picked up her drink. “Yes, I’m a lounge singer.” She scoffed sarcastically.
“Ok I get it you’re insulted. What do you do? Enlighten me.”
Brandy doubted anything could enlighten this jerk. “Forget it you’re not interested in my intellect.” He didn’t say no, actually he was staring at her breasts and not trying to hide it. “Oh, for peats sakes.” She snarled and got up. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.” It was the only place she was sure he wouldn’t follow her.
Fey followed her punching her in the shoulder. “What are you doing? That guy is cute and into you. I thought you wanted some nookie.”
“Not bad enough to go to bed with a guy like that.” She said checking her hair in the mirror.
“You’re crazy. I’d do him.” Fey said taking her lipstick out of her handbag and applying it.
“You’re married.” Brandy reminded her.
“Well, I didn’t say I’d tell Nick. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“You know Nick is a good guy and he deserves a little loyalty.” She said finding Fey’s shameless flirtations ridiculous.
“Please, he’s been sleeping with Captain Fri for almost a year.” She said returning her lipstick to her purse. “If he can fool around why shouldn’t I?”
“Well, I think you’re crazy as hell that guy is just some kid. He is way too young for any of us.”
“Please if he’s old enough to get into a bar he’s old enough to go to bed with.” Fey fluffed her hair.
“I wouldn’t do it there’s a good chance you’ll catch something.”
“You’re so cynical,” Fey said turning around and leaning against the counter to look at Brandy. “Ok, so you don’t like the cute one. What about the other three at least two of them are our age?” Which made her wonder why they were part of Justin’s entourage. What was so damn special about Justin that people seemed to be drawn to him? “Well we can’t spend all night in the washroom so let’s go back and play nice. If I’m lucky, I’ll get some before I have to go home.”
Brandy rolled her eyes and followed Fey back to the table. She and Fey had switched seats putting Fey right next to Justin and giving Brandy some distance. Fey was doing her utmost to distract Justin. Even though he talked to Fey, he kept looking at Brandy making his interest painfully clear.
Around eleven, Brandy’s cell phone rang. She answered the call plugging her other ear so she could better hear the caller. It was a work call informing her that her night out was over and she was needed at a crime scene as soon as possible. They gave her the address and Brandy hung up. “I got to go.” She said to her friends and stood up. She pushed her way to the door. She’d have to call a taxi once she was outside.
She made it to the door, and once she was out on the street, she could breathe again. The cool night air was a nice change from the heat of the bar. “Where are you running off to?”
Brandy turned around to see Justin had followed her out. “I have a business call I have to leave.” She said looking at her cellphone blankly. It’s been so long she couldn’t remember the number for the taxi service.
“Do you need a ride?” Actually, yes, she did. She’d rather take a taxi but she was in a rush, and if he was willing to drive her she would take it. “My car is fast I can get you anywhere in record time.” He promised.
“Ok.” She groaned.
She stood by while the valet pulled up in a silver sports car. Holy hell was this his car? He must have been good at what he did because this was not a cheap car. Justin then did a very gentlemanly thing Brandy was not expecting. He opened the door for her. It threw her off for a minute. Brandy got into the car. Justin shut the door and walked around to the driver’s door and got in.
“Where to?” He asked. Brandy gave him directions. He became more curious when they left the city heading south on the interstate. When they pulled into the gate of the garrison, Justin looked at her with uncertainty. “Is this where we’re going? An air base?”
They drove through the gate and the streets. The garrison was very much like a small town. It had homes and businesses as well as military operations. Brandy directed him through the streets to the address her superior had given her. Just up ahead were squad cars with the lights flashing and crime scene tape up blocking off an alley.
“Thank you.” She said. Brandy got out and headed for the scene. She ducked under the tape. “What do we have here?” She asked joining the responding officers.
“Jogger found the body an hour ago.” Private Ian Guillot filled her in. Though Brandy was considered a greenhorn as an MP, she was a highly decorated officer, which made her the senior officer and the one running the show. The coroner was already pronouncing the body as dead and was checking the temperature to determine the time of death.
“What do you think Doc?” She asked as the coroner stood up and returned his thermometer to his crime scene case.
“I’d say she’s been dead about two or three hours.” The coroner was a much older man near the end of his career as far as Brandy understood. Mr. Limes was a civilian with a military contract.
“Cause of death?” She asked looking at the body. It was just some poor woman who looked like she’d been beaten badly.
“Well if I had to guess I’d say blunt force trauma. But I’ll know more after the autopsy.”
Brandy walked over to the body and squatting down. She took a closer look at the body. She noticed what looked like a number carved into the victim’s chest. It looked like the number two. “What do you make of this Doc?” She asked pointing at the cuts.
“Looks like it was done with a switchblade maybe post-mortem.”
“How can you be sure?”
“The lack of blood. The blood was no longer circulating when these wounds were inflicted.” He said standing up and gesturing for the paramedics. Brandy got out of the way while two paramedics took out a body bag and began to move the body.
Suddenly a flashing light caught Brandy’s attention. She turned around to see Justin hadn’t left. Instead, he’s gotten a camera from somewhere and was now taking pictures. Brandy marched over putting her hand in front of the lens to prevent him from taking any more pictures. “What the hell are you doing?”
“This is a story.” He said lowering his camera. “A murder on the air base and I’ve got the story.”
“No.” She said taking his camera away. “This is military business, and it will not be published. Now get the hell out of here before I have you tossed in the stockade.”
“Give me back my camera.” He demanded.
“No this is now evidence.” She turned back to Private Guillot. “Private please escort this civilian off the base.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” The young Private then forced Justin back into his car and followed him off the base. Stupid kid. Did he think she’d let him keep pictures of her crime scene? The last thing she needed was for this case to be plastered all over the civilian newspapers. Brandy looked at his camera and scanned the pictures. He took good pictures they may be useful. It was a nice camera too; it must have been very expensive. She’d have to get it back to him after she erased the pictures.
***
Justin was followed off the base. Once he reached the gates the cruiser behind him stopped, and Justin kept on driving. She’d taken his camera, and Justin wasn’t allowing that to stand. He wanted this story and his camera back. And he was going to get both. Luckily Justin knew a lot of people in high places that knew a lot of people in higher places. He always got what he wanted; after all, he was a Sanchez.
Justin pulled over to the side of the road and took out his cell phone. He’d make a few calls and woke up a few people. He knew for a fact his Aunt’s husband had family high up in the military. Maybe they could pull some strings and get him his exclusive.
- Writer
