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I
They’re in the hallway. Then they’re on the sidewalk. Then they’re in the cab and Roxy is talking at screaming volume, with the driver looking back at them in the rear-view.
‘And then Simon,’ she says. ‘He just gave it to them. I can’t believe he even let them in. And he just gave those girls that stuff and—’
‘Fuck, alright Roxy, I get it. I understand, I’ll talk to him,’ he says.
‘What? I’m just—’
‘Roxy, please.’
Her phone goes off. She answers it with, ‘We’re nearly there. Damien’s being a cock.’
II
Zander has drinks waiting when they arrive. ‘Hey man,’ he says. ‘Hey Rox.’
‘I’m going out for a smoke,’ she says.
Damien takes a mouthful of scotch and opens his diary. He unfolds the guest list.
Zander looks at it too. ‘So Caroline’s back?’
‘Looks like it.’ Something catches Damien’s eye. Over on the stage, a band sets up equipment. There are eight of them, all dressed like assholes. ‘I don’t know about this,’ he says.
‘I talked to Marco. He said they have a crowd.’
‘I don’t care, I guess. It might be time, hey?’
Zander walks over to the club entrance and talks to the girls on the door. He takes a look outside and comes back. ‘There’s a line.’
III
Damien has a back office.
A few guys come by. He gives them tickets for the bar.
The band manager comes in. The manager asks and Damien says no.
Caroline puts her head in, saying ‘I’m back.’ Damien asks about her trip to Italy and she tells him it was soooo good.
He takes a call from the owner.
He scans his email.
He messages Niles.
Later in the night, Zander brings his bag in. After a bump, Damien thinks about calling his sister and nearly does.
Caroline comes back. She stays a while.
Time passes.
IV
He can hear Roxy coming all the way from the end of the corridor. ‘Someone’s got a bomb or something,’ she says.
A cloud of smoke hangs low over the dance floor, as a turret of sparks rains down. Bullets ricochet off the ceiling. People are screaming, running for the door.
Damien pushes his way through and stamps on the explosives.
When they stop firing, he wipes his face.
Everyone’s watching.
‘They’re just fucking fireworks,’ he says.
END
