If I Had A Heart

Chapter 3

The rest of Regine's shift was uneventful.

After taking a few moments to collect herself in the dressing room, it was almost time for her second set of the night. Dancers typically performed three sets in a row since Doll House had three separate stages, making it easier and more organized to earn the most cash during your sets. After a dancer completed all of her sets for the night, she could then focus on selling private dances to any schmuck who looked interested.

She felt stuck in a daze during her last two dances. Why couldn't she shake him off? He probably just stumbled in for a bit of fun before the night ended.

Then why was he alone?

Regine couldn't help but ruminate over his presence for the remainder of her shift. She had managed to make just enough money for rent plus a little extra for food and other essentials after tipping Joey and the bartenders. While she did reach her goal, it was painfully obvious that she was on auto-pilot.

She knew she was just rationalizing the situation, but she had to admit that it was helping. If she even began to consider the alternative, which was him somehow tracking her down, it would only cause her to panic. She concluded that she was just being delusional and tried to forget about it.

Crossing the deserted street, the only sounds she could hear were her boots hitting the pavement and her shallow breaths inhaling the salty ocean air. It was just passed 1 o'clock in the morning, which was relatively early for Regine to be getting out of the club. Sunday's usually only brought in regulars, and even they didn't stick around too long, skulking out of the club and reluctantly heading back home to their wives or girlfriends. They would be back again tomorrow.

Regine was grateful for the early night, regardless of the fact that it meant making less tips. She had promised Jane that she would try to meet her at St. Mary's after work if she wasn't too exhausted. While she did feel somewhat worn-out, she knew she'd be able to catch a ride home from Jane if she met up with her since she had the car for the night.

She enjoyed walking home from the club most evenings. It was eerily peaceful in Santa Carla after midnight, despite its dangerous reputation for being the "murder capital of the world." Regine always assumed that the nickname was created by locals who wanted to keep tourists away from their precious town, and it never seemed to cross her mind that she might be in peril as she made her way home night after night.

Sure, of course people went missing on the boardwalk sometimes, but people went missing everywhere all over the world. She wasn't going to let a few "missing" flyers get in the way of her few minutes of solitude she cherished during her walks.

While that logic usually rang true, tonight was different. She couldn't take her mind off of him and his mysterious presence at the club, sending her mind reeling at the very sight of him across the room. Her walk was doing nothing to ease her racing thoughts, in desperate need of a distraction before heading home and wallowing in the quiet loneliness of her room. St. Mary's was just down the block from Doll house, what did she have to lose? Adjusting her bags over her shoulders, she walked briskly to the bar and hoped that Jane was still there.

Making her way to her destination, she scanned the parking lot as she got closer, trying to locate Jane's red Toyota. There were hardly any cars in general, with a few scattered here and there, so Regine didn't have trouble finding it parked towards the end of the lot. She fished for her spare car key, unlocked the passenger side door, and threw her heavy bags on the seat. Catching her reflection in the blackened window, she ran a quick hand through her hair to give it some more volume and adjusted her dress, smoothing out any wrinkles.

She looked tired, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from partaking in what little socialization she could get with her hectic schedule.

She also needed a drink.