V.A.M.P.s

Chapter 4

Matthew stares at his watch in aggravation. "Eight my ass." He looks around.

The line of people that wait to get into the night club move at a snail's pace and Matthew can barely see the entrance. It stretches from the door, down the block and wraps around it. He knows because that's where he started from. This is club Sexty-Nine after all, the hottest nightclub in all of Capernaum. He can't wait to get in, it will probably set him back a months wage, but the memory of impressing Janet  and hooking up with her would last a lifetime. Matthew checks his watch again, he feels sick to his stomach, and thinks to himself, she better show.

The line hasn't moved in ages and Matthew can't keep his eyes off his watch. It shows eleven forty-five. He is fed up, if she wants to play games and miss out on a good time with him then that's her prerogative. He decides not to let her stop him from having a pleasurable night. He thinks about the coming week, it's going to be rough so he better live it up while he has the chance.

Matthew steps outta line and starts to walk towards the club entrance. A hand reaches out from the line of people and grabs him by the shoulder. "Hey."

Matthew turns, it's just some guy and disappointment sets in that it's not Janet. "What?"

"Line starts back there buddy."

Matthew tries to play it off. "I'm just passing by."

"No you're not."

"How do you know?"

"Cause I've see your type before."

"And what would that be?"

He lays a finger into Matthew chest. "You're the kinda guy that thinks he's special. That you don't have to obey the laws. You think the world owes you and you can just cut the line and get ahead of every one." He increases the level of his voice to encourage the crowd to back him. "So get back in line or else."

Matthew bluffs. "Your way off." His tone changes to annoyance. "And if I wanna cut, I'll cut." Matthew puts his finger into the guys chest. "What are you gonna do about it."

He knocks Matthews hand away and tries again to rile the crowd up. "Can you believe this guy?"

The bravest of the crowd pounds his fist into his hand. "Maybe we should teach him a lesson."

Matthew unfazed. "Oh really?"

Some of the guys in the line start to take their jackets off.

Matthew knows it's an abuse of power to use his badge for unofficial business but these guys have it coming. Matthew takes out and flashes his badge. As quickly as the jackets came off they go back on.

Matthew lords over them. "That’s what I thought."

They try to avoid eye contact. The once bravest. "Sorry sir."

"That's better." Matthew puts his badge away strides away confident.

*****

The bouncer flirts with a group of girls his back to the door. Matthew tries to walk past but a muscular arm the size of a thick tree branch quickly blocks his path. "Where do you think you're going?"

Matthew tries to seem confident. "Into the club."

"We got enough cocks in there." His arm forces Matthew aside easily. "Beat it punk." The bouncer lets the girls into the club.

Matthew is upset, he wants in that club bad. He thinks about using his badge just as before with the ruffians, he knows people relent to that kind of power.

Matthew shows off his badge. "You got enough of this in there?"

The bouncer spits on the ground in front of Matthews shoes. "So what, I ain't afraid of no tax collector."