The Filters 14

 Jude and Jesse sat at the bar of Club Desire, the former faced the bar and looked to find security at the bottom of a glass, the latter looked at the gyrating youth on the dance floor, aloof and talking.

"His story checks out. His dad married some hot young chick after over a decade of alleged celibacy and she was able to convince him to remove his delinquent son from his will as a lesson in responsibility, he dies and the delinquent son is left with nothing but scorn, thus he devices  a plot to get his inheritance back and take revenge on his sister who refused to lend a helping hand in his hour of need.Long story short he's  a devious little bastard but his interests do not involve our peril."

Jude took a bitter sip and grunted as the heat trickled down his throat.

"You could have spared me all the details, the last sentence is sufficient."

"Yeah well, I just thought one member of the Akinyola family should know seeing as you've all been to busy playing house." He waited for a retort, when he didn't get one, he continued. "So how are things at home, how is the returnee sister?."

"Ruth's fine as ever, even her shit smells like a garden of roses. I can't help but piss everyone off, but she on the other hand turns urine to wine. So she's fine Jude, thanks for your..."

"Hey, have either one of you seen Seun?" Came an electrifying voice from behind him. He spun around on the chair and for a moment didn't recognize the tall fair vixen that stood before him. Then it clicked.

"Oh!Naomi!, no we haven't seen him...have you?Jesse?". He asked with the brevity of a drunk.

Jude ignored the question, he did not care much for the girl it seemed.

"K, thanks I'm sorry for interrupting." She said awkwardly and proceeded to leave.

"Interrupting?..." Jude could not help but talk, the alcohol had loosened his lips like a shoe lace and now he was tripping all over the place. "My dear, I'm getting drunk over my daddy issues and my companion over here, doesn't have a life outside work, so no, you did not interrupt, infact you did a great service to mankind, so thank you."

"Your welcome?" she said with flushed cheeks. Then she left.

Jesse let out a brief hiss and Jude returned to his drink, but a moment later, the voice that shook him like a shiver beneath the pouring rain returned.

"You know, alcohol is one way to forget your "daddy issues" but music and dance is probably better, and surely safer." Naomi said as tenderly as a flower girl throwing petals onto the floor.

"Are you asking me to dance?" Jude asked rhetorically.

"Yes!" Naomi said with a giggle.

The smile that came afterwards removed some of the fog from Jude's mind and before Jesse could blurt his protest Jude had her in his arms and was dragging her to the middle of the dance floor.

The music was as intoxicating as the alcohol, the bass ran through Jude's skull down his whole body and it seemed to replace his pulse. He drew Naomi closer to him and she moved limber in her light dress. The warmth of her body was welcome comfort in the cool club and Jude let himself go for the first time in years.

Naomi moved like wild fire, she twisted, she dipped, she pushed, she pulled she went fast and she went slow and she knew the effect she was having, indeed she orchestrated it. Jude inched ever closer, he longed to be one, he brushed her nose with his and before long she could feel his breath on her neck. He wanted to be set free, he wanted relief from the growing tension and  he was like the flame in the lantern beneath the rain, he flickered furiously but the glass would not free him from his thermal cage. Naomi knew his turmoil, indeed she exploited it!

"So what are these  "issues" you speak of?" she asked his glacial ears.

"If I wanted counselling, I would've stuck with the bartender." Jude replied and let his arm slip a few centimeters down to her waist.

"Why? he can't help you like I can."

Jude thought for a moment, and his grip loosened.

"I thought you and Seun were serious now?!." he screamed in into the loud music.

"Yes, but were just dancing, there's nothing wrong with that!"

A dancing couple stumbled between them, curtly apologized, then moved out of their way, Jesse and Naomi flowed back into each others arms like both sides of the red sea after the Israelite passing.

"For Seun's sake I hope your right." Jude said into her ear.

"For Seun's sake I hope there's a tampon in your pocket."

Jude leaned in closer to her ear so that she could feel his moist lips against her lobes.

"We both know what's in my pocket is way bigger than a tampon."

She hmmed, and he smiled, and she knew it was time to strike.

"So, you run the club when your dad's not around huh?"

"Noo, his always running it! I just do the dirty work."

"Oh, so you're a puppet on his string huh?"

"Sadly, yes, still there's alotta perks to not being the one filling out the paper work."

"I'm sure there is. You know another thing I'm sure of?"

Jude shrugged.

"Your Dad does more than fill paperwork in that little office of his."

All iterations of intoxication left his body and Jude backed away from her.

"I don't know what you're talking about!." he said, trading in his husky tone for a sterner one.

"Oh come on!" she said over the bass of the speakers. She took a step and stood against his chest, then said. "I have a uh friend, his recently come into some money and he'd really like to spend some of it on me, but he can't because...well, you know."

Jude was taking aback but he knew not to let it show.

"Look I don't know what Seun told you but.."

"He told me everything, after I found him in a pool of dead bodies he really didn't have a choice. So tell me, are we gonna keep chasing our tails or will you bite?."

Jude thought about it, he was pragmatic, there seemed no need to turn away a customer.

"What is he to you?"

"My  daddy!" she answered giddily.

"Your a runs babe. Can't say I'd expect more from Seun."

"No, you really cant.".

"Well then, I can't wait to meet your "daddy"." Jude said with a self assured smile.

Naomi Campbell repaid him in kind.