“And here’s the orange juice for the crazy lady in the blue hair,” I hear Austin tell me. He’s behind the counter with Destiny, and they’re placing bottles up on the shelves. Today’s my last day in New York, but I still had to come and help them out.
“Thank you, fine gentleman,” I mock him, taking a sip out of the orange juice. I spit it out the moment it touches my lips. “It tastes like… ugh, tequila.”
“So? It’s a parting drink,” Austin teases me, laughing in that deep voice of his. Then he takes the glass out of my hands and replaces it with the real orange juice he had hid under the counter.
“Can you stop teasing her, Austin? Help me out in here.” Destiny tells him. She’s high up on a ladder they have against the wall, neatly stacking more bottles on the higher shelves they have behind the counter. Austin just grins at her and shrugs, but his eyes are focused on her ass. Sigh, he’s already thinking of getting her naked the moment I leave. Swear to God, he’s incorrigible.
Sitting on my stool, I look around me and realize how much has changed. I’m not even in Python anymore, the place that was my home for so long. I’m not at Dirty Destiny either, this is a whole new place, and it’s way bigger than both Python and Dirty Destiny. When Lester finally got their operating licenses, they made the decision to partner up and combine both clubs into one. If you asked me, that was the right decision, they have partnered up for life, so why can’t they do the same when it comes to business?
Anyway, this place is freaking huge. They actually bought a whole building to make this a reality. Three dancefloors for the customers, six for the dancers, various themed bars spread around the whole building, and God knows how many private rooms. I could myself inside this place.
But just look at them, smiling at each other, joking, lust always in their eyes. Have you ever seen a more sickening perfect couple? And they’re happy… So happy. The kind of happy everyone deserves to be. I’d be lying if I said I’m not jealous. But I have my whole life ahead of me, and I’m sure that down the road I’ll find a slice of happiness just for myself.
“Sir, the limo’s outside,” a thin man with a suit a balding head tells Austin as he peeks from a door at the end of the room. He nods respectfully at the both Destiny and I, and then goes back to his post.
“Well, I guess that’s your cue, isn’t it?” he asks me, going around the bar and hugging me so tight that I can barely breath.
“Ugh, can’t… breathe…” I hiss with a grin, and he lets go of me. Then it’s Destiny’s turn: she wraps her arms around me and then lays her lips against my right cheek.
“We’re going to miss you,” she says, and I feel tears welling up in my eyes. God, I hate goodbyes, I really do.#p#分页标题#e#
“Okay, guys… I have to go,” I mutter, trying to hide the tears in my eyes. I pick my bags up from the floor and start walking toward the exit door on the back, but then Austin calls after me.
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know…” I tell him honestly, smiling. “Right now, I just want to get to the airport… There, I’ll look up at the departures and pick someplace fancy. Paris? London? Barcelona? I don’t know.”
“I hear they have a pretty good natural orange juice in Barcelona,” he tells me with a smile. I look at him, tears in my eyes once more, and it almost breaks my heart to think that I’m leaving and won’t be hearing his stupid jokes for a while. You know, I was lost and alone in the world when I went knocking on his door… And he took me in, fed me, gave me a place to stay and, above everything else, gave me a purpose and helped me fulfil it. And his easy jokes always made me look on the bright side of life. Whenever things got tough, there he was, always with an easy smile and a witty comeback.
I’m going to miss him.
“Come and visit, okay?” Destiny tells me, walking toward me and holding both my hands. “As far as we’re concerned, this place is your home as well. And you’re a member of the family.”
“I’ll be back,” I promise the two of them, and then just smile and walk toward the exit. The driver is already waiting by the door, holding his hat in one hand. He picks my bags and carries them toward Austin’s limo, and I turn around to look at them one last time.
They’re already back to work, and I just stand there in silence, watching them. Austin walks behind Destiny and, grabbing her by the waist, makes her turn in her heels. He grabs her hands and then spins her around the room, dancing with her as if they were teenagers in love. He then pulls her in and, bending her over the arm he has on her waist, kisses her.