𝐁𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄

20

I wear no mask, I don't come as Bunnie.

I come in as Courtlynn.

It's some days after the discussion my father and I had, and now his plan for the Dieson operation is being set into motion. Leaving the colder October chill outside, I enter Club Chiara. A Boosie song with the bass boosted plays over the speakers, coming from the main stage as the DJ manipulates the track. My brown hair is pulled back from my face by a giant claw clip, two tendrils falling in curls to frame it. I wear a pencil skirt, inches from being a mini skirt and a tight, unbuttoned cream blouse that I borrowed from Amina, a lacy, black bralette showing my breasts center view.

A red lipstick is smudged across my lips, the best kind because it was the most transferable. I could mark Dieson for the night, leaving his office knowing that the next girl will see he's someone else's territory.

My hips sway as I walk, my gaze straightforward as the other girls begin to recognize me.

"Is that Bunnie?"

"She did not."

"Her debt is paid?"

"Where she goin' dressed like that?"

"Maybe she knows what happened to Babe?"

That stops me. I hadn't had time to mourn. All of a sudden I'm standing in the middle of the back halls, and it feels like everyone is surrounding me, like the pressure is truly setting in. I have a bag on my arm, filled with copy paper and other writing utensils. I grab a pair of thick, black sunglasses out, sliding them over my eyes and deciding that I'd make a trip to the eating room while I was here.

"Surprised to see you back here."

And then there's Vanilla...all her usual smugness depleted. She looks worse than she did before, and her eyes have some serious baggage.

"Not glad to be back," I tell her honestly, even surprising myself. My words held a bitter tone. "I'll stay out your way if you stay outta mine."

"We don't have a deal, Bunnie. But I suppose-

"Courtlynn," I stare her down, "That's my name."

I leave Vanilla where she is, heading for Dieson's office. I make a detour to the eating room, the guard for the day stationed inside the room saying nothing as I took a large handful of the unwrapped pills and shoved them into a plastic gallon bag meant for the freezer.

Dieson finds me before I find him, down the hall from of his office, walking out with yet another girl on his arm, this time a bottle girl who looked like she had been roughed up.

Did he like to make girls fight or some shit? Like we're chickens, or was whatever happened this chick's own doing?

"Dieson."

"Bunnie," he nodded at me, his eyes sponging in my appearance, up my face. "Your debt is paid." The girl on his arm looked between us two and quietly removed herself, likely to spread the news of this encounter as well.

'Why are you here?' hangs in the air.

"I want to be your secretary," I tell him simply. I spin around for him, the action reminding me of my audition for the very club.

"That sounds like something I really need. Come with me, Bunnie," he purred. We hooked arms and as soon as we got into his office he grabbed me up by the hair, throwing me across the room on my ass.

"You think I'm dumb?" he hissed, coming to stand over me.

"No, no," I shake my head furiously.

"You complain about being here then pay off your debt and come back, expecting me to buy that? I want you to go back to whoever set you up to this and tell them they're not undermining me," he pointed at himself, "I got a lotta enemies, and I've been in this game long enough to know what to do and what not."

I smooth down my hair, taking in measured breaths. Then I stand, crossing my arms and trying not to show him any fear. "Apparently your debt says otherwise."

"This is Cerbey's doing," he eyes me carefully, gaze narrowing.

"No," I tell him, nodding in case someone is listening in any way. Dieson pauses, going to his desk and pulling out pen and paper. He scribbles down questions and then I answer him. Why help Dieson, when he kept me confined to this place for ages? In a lot of ways, this prison was better than the one I'm in now. I had freedom before and some sort of life, and I had school. Now I have nothing but a controlling father.

We pretend to talk as we write, so if someone is listening, they won't clue in to what we're actually doing.

"If you work for no one, I suppose I can hire you."

This much surprises me.

On paper, he writes, 'If you work here, I can keep tabs on him while he thinks that he's keeping tabs on me'. I nod in agreement, then realize I should be saying something out loud. "Right, yes, uh, thank you." I tell Dieson nothing about the people working for my father dispersed amongst the club, I tel him nothing about Ali or anything else, only that Cerbey has sent me to watch him.

Dieson held out his hand, eyes greenish blue emeralds shining with mischief. "I can have some fun with you, Bunnie. I think you'll make the ultimate secretary."

"It's Courtlynn now. And we'll see," I fix him with a hard look.

At the end of the day, I am familiarized with Dieson's office, and the weight of what I've done as well. If my father ever figures out that Dieson is in on his schemes, I may never see a normal life again. Matter of fact, I may not have a life anymore after that.

It's almost time for Dieson to leave. To go home, if anyone could believe that. The Boss rests? He's human? "Before you walk out," I tell him, resting my hands on both of his shoulders. My head still pounds from him throwing me across the room, but my clothes have since been straightened and my hair back perfect. I place a kiss on his neck, making sure that the lipstick sets against his skin.

"Was that a goodbye kiss?" he smirked.

No, it's a death sentence, I want to tell him.

I fix him with a sugary sweet smile before leaving out the office. I'm downstairs, passing the other girls, and catch a glimpse of a familiar head of hair. Ali being led back to one of the private rooms. My father was supposed to be this ingenius man, but he sent me and Ali back to the club on the same day, like Dieson wouldn't have had his suspicions of that on his own without me telling him.

I slump into the backseat of the driver I was assigned's car. He says nothing and a divider rises up between us as I fold my arms over my chest and close my eyes. And this is just day one.

By the time we make it back to wherever my father's crib is, the sky is much lighter and my body feels heavy. Even it knows that I don't want to go back inside. Amina is groggy and waiting for me as I come inside, one of the security guards who led me in the mansion or estate or whatever it is, taking the thick blindfold off of me.

"How did things go?" her voice is rough, like she just woke up. Out of all the people here, I think I've warmed up to her the most. Still don't trust her though. They could be making her seem like an ideal confidant for me, then she'd turn on me the first chance she got. When you're ignored and looked over, you'll do anything to be in the bigger man's favor.

"Fine," I say tightly. I strip off my blouse, ignoring everyone else stationed in the halls. "Thanks for the shirt," I tell her, throwing it into her arms.

"Courtlynn," she calls out weakly, but I march to the room I had been given, ignoring her.