I’m happy to tell you either. But you decide.”
“The long version, of course,” she said. “Tell me everything I should know even if you don’t think I want to hear it.” “Everything…dangerous word.” Kingsley sat back in the
chair, and Grace leaned forward. She looked at him with a
child’s eagerness. “But if you insist. The more you know about
us, the better it will be if…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, didn’t have to, because he
saw the understanding in Grace’s eyes. She knew the end of the sentence he hadn’t spoken, and her nod saved him the pain
of saying the words that no one yet had dared to utter aloud. If Fionn takes after his father…
“The story starts twenty years ago,” Kingsley said, conjuring the memories he had tried to bury. But he’d buried them
alive and alive they remained. “And it takes place in Manhattan. And although you don’t know yet why I’m telling you
this, Grace, I promise you, you won’t regret hearing me out.” “I don’t regret anything,” she said.
Kingsley straightened the photograph of her infant son. No,
none of them regretted anything. Not even Kingsley. “It was raining,” Kingsley began. “And it was March. I had
everything then—money, power and all the women and men
in my bed anyone could possibly want. And to say I was in a
bad mood would be the understatement of the century. I was
twenty-eight years old and didn’t expect to see thirty. In fact,
I hoped I wouldn’t see thirty.”
“What happened?”
Kingsley took a breath, took a drink and took a moment
to pull his words to together. A pity Nora wasn’t here. Storytelling was her gift, not his. But only he could tell this story
and thus he began.
“S?ren happened.”
2
Somewhere in Manhattan, 1993 March
“WHAT’S YOUR POISON?” THE BARTENDER ASKED, AND Kingsley answered, “Blonds.” The bartender, Duke, half laughed, half scoffed as he pointed to the stage.
“Two bleach-blonde bottles of poison right there.”
Kingsley eyed the two girls—Holly and Ivy—who now hung naked from their knees, which they’d wrapped around twin poles. Men sat belly up to the stage watching in silence, making eye contact with no one but the dancers. Dollar bills f luttered between their waving fingers.
“Not what I’m in the mood for tonight.” Kingsley looked away from the stage.
“What?” Duke asked. “How can you not be in the mood for that? Are they too hot? Too sexy?”
Kingsley reached behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of bourbon.
“Too female.”
“Don’t look at me,” Duke said, raising both his hands.
“I promise, I’m not.” And he wasn’t. Someone else had caught his eye. But where had he gone?
“It’s too quiet tonight,” Kingsley said to Duke. Usually on a Friday night at the M?bius, the place would be standing room only. Half the usual crowd was in attendance tonight. “What’s going on?”
“You came in the back way?” Duke asked as he uncorked Kingsley’s bourbon for him.
“Of course.”
“Some church is outside holding up signs.”
“Signs?”
“Yeah, you know. Protest signs. Sex Trade Fuels AIDS. Fornicators will burn. She’s somebody’s daughter.”
“Are you serious?”
“Go look for yourself.”
Kingsley took his bottle of bourbon to the front door of the club and took a long drink but not long enough for the sight that greeted him. Duke hadn’t been exaggerating. A dozen people walked up and down the sidewalk carrying various white signs held aloft proclaiming the evils of strip clubs.
“Told you so,” Duke said from behind Kingsley. “Can we call the cops on them or something? Shoot them?”
“We don’t have to get rid of them,” Kingsley said. “God will.”
“He will?” Duke asked. “You sure about that?”