Last Call

Opal - her real name was Lareina - caught the bartender’s attention with a tilt of her head and he dutifully approached. “Gin and tonic,” she told him, reclining in her chair.

Lareina knew that she would have cut quite the striking figure if she had stayed in her work clothes, but she’d learned early on to always keep something to change into in the trunk of her car. Gone was the tight red minidress. Instead she’d thrown on a hoody and some sweatpants. Even still she didn’t look like a slouch, but she was perhaps a little underdressed for the upscale hotel bar. She didn’t care. She had needed a drink after that last appointment.

What a freak, she thought to herself. She’d had some weird, and many gross, requests since she had started. Until now she’d turned them all down. She had the privilege of keeping her clientèle limited. She’d needed the money though. Her deadline was tight. Still, to think she’d slept with a man like him in that disgusting apartment. What an absolute freak. She shook her head and sneered.

The bartender set her drink down and she slid her card over in return, leaving the tab open. At least he’d paid well. It was enough to get her over the line, even accounting for the cash she’d thrown Bryan to stay in the car and make sure she actually came back.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Pulling it out she took a glance at who was calling. Dad. Oh, great. Just what she needed. She hit accept.

“Hi daddy,” she said in a chipper voice, switching to Spanish.

“Lareina,” he greeted her simply.

“What’s up?”

“I just thought I’d call and check in.”

“I’m doing fine, daddy.”

“Good. Listen.” No follow up questions, she noted. Of course not. He blathered on. “I’ve just gotten off the phone with the leasing agent at your new apartment. It’s a nice place. Two bedroom loft, granite countertops. Only a couple miels into the city from your mother and I.”

“My new apartment?”

“For when you come home, yes. I wanted it all set up for when you get here. They’ll send the paperwork over first thing in the morning.”

Lareina dropped her face into one of her hands. “I still have months left on my visa,” she reminded him.

“It’s not like you’re staying until the last day.”

“I’m not ready to come home just yet.” She did her best to keep her frustration out of her voice. Her dad didn’t like it when she talked back.

“Well whenever you do, in a week or two or whatever, it’ll be ready and waiting.”

Lareina sighed. “Thank you,” she said sweetly through a frown. Her finger tapped at the edge of her glass, already empty, and the bartender swiftly took it away to bring her another.

“Another thing,” her father continued. “You remember that Maduro boy?”

She remembered him. Francisco Maduro. She had been made to invite him to her quincenera because their fathers had some kind of a business deal to close. Francisco was a troll.

“Mhm,” was all she said.

“Well, he’s just made CFO. I spoke to him the other night, and he’s very interested in seeing you again.”

Lareina could have wretched. “Is he? I don’t know. I was hoping to maybe focus on using my MBA for a little while.”

“Oh it won’t take up too much of your time just to have dinner with the man. It’s an excellent match.”

Deviously, she wondered if Francisco and her father would still agree that it was an excellent match if they knew she’d just gotten fucked by a man she didn’t know in his slummy excuse for a house. If her dad ever heard even half of the things she got up to he’d have a stroke. A small smile played on her lips as she fantasized about breaking the news to him. She could see it, how his eyes would bulge and his mouth would work like a fish. His princess would never!

“We’ll see how I feel,” she told her father.

“Excellent. I’ll let him know,” he replied. She doubted he had even heard her.

The bartender set her second drink down in front of her and she took a big gulp through the straw. “I hate to cut this short, daddy, but I have to get to bed.”

“I’ll let you go then,” he said. “Your mother says hello.”

“Tell her I say hello as well.”

“See you soon.”

Lareina hung up without replying. She nursed her drink and drummed her fingers on the bartop. She was running out of time. If her business didn’t get its feet under her fast she’d have **** but to go back home. And then, she knew, her life would be on rails. If not Francisco it would be some other boy. She’d be strongarmed out of using the degree she’d spent years working on to instead attend to all the important social trappings of a lady. She’d probably still be allowed to make her jewelry, but only as a hobby. The sort of idle entertainment befitting a woman like her. Not as a career. Not as the start of an entire luxury brand, as she hoped for. Fuckers, the lot of them.

She sighed and scrolled through her contact list until she found one Brady Carpenter, store manager at a local, and highly prestigious, boutique. She’d hoped to unwind a little more before making the call but her father had reminded her just how under the gun she was. The phone started to ring.

“Lareina?” Brady answered. “It’s a little late.”

“Not that late,” she corrected. “I just wanted to let you know that I got the deposit together. I can wire it over first thing in the morning.”

“Oh, ok. Actually, don’t send it over right away. I’ll talk to the owner and let you know how it goes.”

Lareina’s grip on the phone tightened, but she didn’t let her anger color her next words. “I thought you said it was all lined up?”

“It is. Mostly. On my end at least. I just need the owner to sign off.”

She licked her lips and let the barest hint of sultry into her voice. “You promise Brady? I’m counting on you. You’ll do this for me?”

“Yeah,” he stammered. “Of course. This is just a formality. The owner will rubber stamp it and I can have you set up with your own display case this time next week.”

“By Tuesday,” she said firmly.

“Tuesday then,” he agreed.

“Thank you Brady. Call me as soon as the ink’s dry. I’ll be waiting. Give my love to Kimberly.”

Lareina hung up before he could reply. That fucking snake had definitely implied that if she could secure the deposit - a guarantee for the store in case her jewelry didn’t sell well - that she’d be in. If he didn’t come through for her she was going to castrate him. Or let his wife know about those pictures they’d been sending back and forth. That’d be fun.

This was what she had needed the money for. This was the reason for her second job. Sure, her living expenses and spending money were all well provided for by her father, but she couldn’t ask for his money for this. He’d take his cut. If she invited him in she’d never get him out and he whole point was to get out from under his yoke. Given the options she had Lareina had no regrets about how she was choosing to build her future.

“One more,” she called out to the bartender. She wasn’t going to be able to rest until the deal was done. She let her eyes wander around the bar. A pudgy family man with his forgettable wife, a sad old woman in her forties with far too much work done, a young guy in his father’s suit…and at the end of the bar, a tall and handsome enough business man with an expensive watch on his wrist. She caught his eye with a smile. Even in sweats it was enough to reel him in. She’d had to get her motor running earlier, but that oaf she’d been with had never had a chance at getting her over the line. She’d done her work, now it was time to play.