Kill Jill (10 page)

The envelopes are full of newsprint. Dozens of newspaper pages, cut into strips the size of bills.

What the hell?

She re-runs it in her mind.

Jack never said “Here’s a thousand dollars.”

What he said was, “You’ll need tires to drive to the restaurant.”

When he gave her the second envelope he didn’t say, “Use five hundred of this to buy yourself a dress.”

What he said was, “Perhaps you can use this to buy a suitable dress.”

Right.

And perhaps she can’t.

Jill thought she was playing
him
, but it turns out
he
was playing
her
.

Toying with her.

But why?

She studies the strips of newsprint to see if he’s written something on them.

He hasn’t.

Could there be a message contained in the newsprint?

Ten minutes of careful review says no.

She storms out the bathroom, through the dressing area, climbs the steps to the back of the stage. Asks one of the girls, “Where’s Brutus?”

“Outside,” the dancer says, “grabbing a smoke.”

She goes outside, calls his name.

Brutus stubs out his cigarette, walks over to her.

“What’s up, Sugarpants?”

“You still owe me two hundred.”

“Which I said I’d pay you next Friday,” he says, with some attitude.

“You want to work it off in trade?”

“How?”

“I want you to beat up a guy for me.”

“When?”

Jill lets out a laugh.

“What?”

“Most people would ask who, or why,” she says. “You just want to know when.”

“So?”

“I like that.”

He waits.

“Monday night,” she says. “Seven-fifteen.”

“Where?”

“You know the Pancake House?”

“The one where you waitress?”

“Yeah. I’ll meet you in the parking lot and point him out.”

“This ain’t a robbery, is it?”

“No. I just want him roughed up.”

“It’ll have to be quick. A couple to the face, couple to the ribs, maybe a kick or two when he’s down. Twenty, thirty seconds, okay?”

“Okay.”

“After that, we’re square, right? On the two hundred?”

“Yeah.”

“This ain’t the guy you were talkin’ to at the bar a few minutes ago, is it? The one you slapped?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Guy had on a Brioni jacket.”

“So?”

“Why would a guy like that go to a pancake house?”

“To meet me for dinner.”

Brutus looks at her a moment, then shakes his head.

“What?”

“Women,” he says.

He lights another cigarette, walks back to the employee smoking area.

Monday Night.

“That’s him,” Jill says.

“No way,” Brutus says.

“What’s wrong?”

“Too many people.”

“What if I walk him around the side of the building, by the dumpster?” she says.

“I don’t know.”

“What’s the problem?”

“I didn’t think there’d be this many people. What if he cries out?”

“What if he
does
?”

“I’m on probation, Jill.”

“It’s two hundred dollars for twenty seconds of work.”

He looks around a minute, then says, “Okay. But if someone shows up, I walk. If I walk, we’re still square on the two hundred.”

“How do you figure that?”

“My time and effort.”

“Walking away doesn’t take much effort.”

“My time, then.”

She pauses a moment, then says, “Fine. Circle the building, wait by the dumpster, jump out when you see us.”

They separate, and Jill crosses the parking lot to the front of the building, where Jack’s waiting.

“Jill!” he says, enthusiastically. “I’m so glad you came!”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve!” she says.

“Let’s go inside and talk about it,” Jack says.

“Let’s not.”

“Why?”

“There’s a good chance I’ll raise my voice. What you did to me was the meanest thing I’ve ever seen. You knew I needed that money.”

“If we can talk for just a minute...”

She pauses, then says, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah,” Jill says. “Walk with me.”

“Where?”

“Away from this dinner crowd.”

“Lead the way.”

She leads him around the building. As they turn the corner, he reaches into his pocket and hands her a thick envelope.

“This again?”

He sees her looking around.

She raises her voice and says, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice—”

“Shame on
me
!” Brutus yells, running toward them, full speed. He pushes Jack back into the building. When Jack tries to gain his footing, Brutus punches his left cheek, then his right eye, and follows it with a knee to the groin. Jack falls to the pavement, Brutus kicks him. Jack curls up into a fetal position. Brutus kicks him again.

Jack goes unconscious.

Brutus looks around, then nods at Jill.

She nods back.

He leaves.

Jill opens the envelope and says, “
Holy shit
!”

Ten Minutes Earlier…

Jack checks his watch as Jill pulls into the Pancake House parking lot. He’s in his car, across the street, where he’s been for the past forty minutes. He watches her park as far as possible from the restaurant’s front door. A couple minutes later Jack sees a large guy walk over to Jill’s car.

He knows the guy.

Doesn’t know his name, but recognizes him as one of the bouncers from Favors Strip Club. Jack’s first thought is Jill might be in trouble. He fires up the car and drives across the street. But when he gets to the parking lot he decides they’re having a friendly conversation. So either it’s a helluva coincidence they’d run into each other at the Pancake House, or…

Or he’s here to beat me up.

Jack decides to play it out, see what happens. He keeps his eyes forward, enters the lot, finds a parking space close to the entrance, then walks to the front door. A minute later, Jill walks over to him. She’s wearing skinny jeans, an off-the-shoulder tunic, and looks amazing.

He greets her warmly.

Not surprisingly, she’s furious. Doesn’t want to go inside. Wants to walk around the building to talk.

Jack looks for the big guy, but doesn’t see him. He walks with her around the building, ninety percent certain he’s about to get pummeled.

He gives Jill the envelope stuffed with hundred dollar bills.

Fifty of them.

Five grand.

That’s got to please her.

Except she doesn’t believe him, because he shafted her the first time. She’s looking around, saying something about fooling her once. And…

Showtime!

Jack sees him coming and has to make a quick decision. Should he run? Fight? Or accept the beating?

He chooses to accept the beating.

It’s over quickly.

Jack pretends he’s out cold.

Will she walk over to see if he’s okay?

No. She’s opening the envelope. And likes what she sees inside. Finally, she walks over to check on him.

It’s not exactly Romeo and Juliet, but it’s a start, right?

Something to build on.

“Jack! Are you okay?” she says, shamelessly.

“Huh?” he says, pretending to come around.

“You’ve been attacked! I’ll call an ambulance.”

“No. I’ll be fine.”

“Fine? Are you crazy? You’re bleeding!”

She helps him sit up.

“I’ll go in the bathroom, get cleaned up,” he says. “Then we can have dinner like we planned.”

“Not here,” she says.

“Why not?”

She breaks eye contact, and sighs. “I work here.”

“
What
?”

“During the day.”

“Seriously?”

She pauses, then says, “The truth is, I wasn’t planning to meet you tonight.”

“I don’t understand.”

She takes a deep breath. “I set you up.”

“With the big guy?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. I was angry with you.”

“You had every right.”

“I agree,” she says. “Why would you
do
that? Give me envelopes filled with newspaper?”

“One reason is I was afraid someone would steal it from you. But the real reason is I thought you might use it to leave town.”

“I can’t believe you thought that!”

“Well, I didn’t really know you that well.”

“What made you think I’d show up after getting stiffed?”

“I was counting on you being angry enough to come tell me off.”

“At which point you give me the two thousand dollars?”

“There’s five thousand, actually.”

“No shit?”

“Count it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I like you, Jill.”

“
Did
like me, you mean.”

“Still do. I think.”

“Even though I paid someone to beat you up?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

She helps him to his feet, props him against the wall. “Are you okay to walk?”

“One way to find out.”

He takes a couple of shaky steps, winces, then leans against the building for support.

“How much did you pay him?” Jack says.

“Two hundred bucks.”

“You got your money’s worth.”

She smiles. “You’ve got a very forgiving nature.”

“Thanks. Where do you want to eat?”

“My place.”

“What about your girls?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t have any kids, Jack.”

“You don’t?”

Christ, what a rube,
Jill thinks.

She doesn’t know how it happened, but one thing she’s learned over the years, chemistry between two people can’t be predicted. Another thing she’s learned is a man will pay his last nickel to possess what he truly wants. And what Jack wants is for Jill to want
him
. Buying her body appears to hold no interest for him. He literally said what he wanted the very first minute they spoke.

He wants her to be his girlfriend.

Why?

Who gives a shit! He’s already paid five grand for the privilege, and she hasn’t given up so much as a kiss! If she handles it right, Jack’ll give her another five before the evening’s over.

“I should get my car,” Jill says.

“I’ll follow you home,” he says. “That way you won’t have to drive me back here after dinner.”

“Nonsense,” she says. “You’re in no condition to drive.”