But suddenly, my head snapped.
“Amber, what’s going on?” were my slow words as she pulled onto the highway. “What kind of party was that? Who the hell sponsors parties like this? And why did I get the feeling that we were being, I dunno, evaluated? Like they were judging us.”
At least my friend had the grace to blush as she looked at me sideways, pretending to concentrate on the road.
“Well, it wasn’t your regular party, that’s true,” she admitted, taking her time.
“And?” I waited, staring at her profile as she drove.
Amber sighed, flipping a strand of blonde hair back.
“Okay, so it’s a club of uber-wealthy men. They own that place, and sometimes they have try-outs, that’s all,” she said carelessly, like it was no big deal. “I didn’t want to go by myself, so I asked you to come.”
I couldn’t speak for a moment.
“So you knew this wasn’t a regular party?” I began slowly. “And you knew we were being watched?”
“Watched, smwatched,” she said quickly, shooting me a look from the corner of her eye. “I know that you hate your job, Kels, which is why I wanted you to come. Because they have real good jobs available, and you’re just a porter at the country club right now. Come on, Kels. I know you hate that shit. Working for the Billionaires Club is going to be way better.”
I took a deep breath, my brain trying to compute as we sped down the expressway.
“Okay, let’s start at square one,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “What is the Billionaires Club? What do they do? What’s the club about? And what are these positions they’re hiring for, and what does that have to do with the pool party?”
Kelsey made a face even as she carefully pulled the small Fiat off the highway and onto a local road. Trees shaded us as we entered a working class neighborhood with peeling paint on the houses as well as chain-link fences surrounding the yards. I could see the shadows of a few pit bulls lurking in the darkness, even though the moon barely provided any light.
“Oh lighten up,” my friend tossed off like it was no big deal. “It’s just a club of guys, just like the Boy Scouts and the Freemasons and whatnot.”
I sputtered.
“I don’t think tonight was like the Freemasons or the Boy Scouts,” was my dark reply. “But keep going.”
Amber shrugged, totally unconcerned.
“All I’m saying is that it’s a group of really rich guys,” she said lightly. “They have a club where they do all sorts of things, and to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what they exactly have going on. It could be high-stakes poker or maybe some money laundering outfit. I don’t know, and I don’t think we’ll ever find out. But what I do know is that they hire girls all the time. Pretty girls,” my friend added, shooting me a sly sideways look. “For staff jobs around their compound, and the pay is really good.”
“So you mean like a waitress?” I asked, raising an eyebrow while pinning my friend with a hard look. “Is that why Patricia asked us to be ready to serve drinks?”
Amber sighed as she pulled the car into the driveway of her small apartment complex.
“Yes, like a waitress,” she conceded. “But I think it’s more too. You saw for yourself tonight how hardly any of the women wore anything. And you saw how many couples were enjoying themselves too. You know, getting it on.”
I gaped at her.
“Yes, and that’s exactly the problem,” I said insistently, raising my voice a little now. It was unduly loud in the little car and Amber turned to face me in the small space.
“Kels, calm down,” she said, stopping the car before holding her hands out in a placating manner. “It’s just for fun, and like I said, they pay a lot.”
But my disbelief and anger didn’t subside.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” I shook my head. “Seriously, this is crazy.”
Amber got out of the car with a sigh, slamming the door behind her before spinning around to look at me with exasperation.
“Kels, I know it wasn’t your run of the mill party. I know you’re pissed that I didn’t tell you more beforehand. Okay, so it was kind of like a dirty pool party, what with naked people and whatnot. But it wasn’t against the law, and like I said, the men are recruiting right now. That’s why Patricia was there, and if you got a card, then that means you’re onto the next round.”
My brow crumpled, heart beating fast, because even though I was acting all offended, suddenly it occurred to me that maybe I’d been cut. Maybe I hadn’t met this club’s high expectations, and all my complaints were for nothing.
“What card?” I blurted, eyes wide as I traipsed up the stairs behind Amber to her tiny apartment. The metal railings were cold and twisted under my fingers, my knees wobbly as I waited for the axe to fall.