Chapter 23 Unwilling to Die

The new weekend arrived in May, and the customer flow at the House of Beast stabilized, with the handsome squad recruiting and adding quite a few newcomers.

Martin didn't join, because he had won.

As for Hart and their profession, Martin had no psychological barriers, but the effort had to be proportional to the gain.

A hundred US dollars for a dance? The tips for being a bartender for one night were more than that.

On Saturday night, Martin met the person he wanted to see.

Kelly Gray was at the edge of the circular stage admiring a Tarzan performance, dropped a stack of tips, and made her way to the bar.

Martin was mixing drinks and found a moment to wave to her, then continued with his work.

After sending off two female customers and tossing the received tips into a paper box at his feet, Martin gave Bruce a look and went over.

Kelly Gray's short hair was dyed flaxen, and her fashionable dress made her look a few years younger. She was now sitting on a high stool, lightly tapping on the bar and sizing up Martin.

She had just watched a male dancer's performance and felt that Martin Davis was more suitable for the circular stage.

"You're a bartender?" Kelly Gray asked, puzzled.

Martin smiled, "Manager and bartender. It's been busy with more customers lately."

Kelly Gray remarked, "This place is nice; I've found Los Angeles' vibe here."

"That's what we like and what we're striving for, isn't it?" Martin said, aligning himself with her. He was prepared, "Would you like a drink?"

Kelly Gray stated, "I'm very particular about my tastes."

Martin cleaned his hands and grabbed a new cocktail shaker, "A cocktail that you can't get in Atlanta."

He added ice cubes, lemon juice, Aperol, Yavana, and finally bourbon whiskey, gave the shaker a vigorous shake for ten seconds, then poured the contents into a chilled glass, and added a folded paper airplane as decoration on the rim of the glass.

The bright orange drink looked quite like a piece of art.

Martin made a gesture of invitation, "Paper Plane, please have a taste."

Kelly Gray took it and slowly savored it, eventually saying, "I'm certain I've never had this before."

Martin inquired, "You've tasted many cocktails?"

"I spent a few years in Los Angeles, met a good friend who's a heavy drinker," Kelly Gray mentioned casually, "I've tried quite a lot of drinks with her."

She raised her glass slightly to Martin, "A very distinctive drink, I like it."

Martin responded, "I'm honored."

A female customer approached and asked, "Aren't you a dancer? Don't you dance on stage?"

"Sorry, I'm not," Martin answered politely.

Martin turned back to see Kelly Gray trying to suppress a laugh, shrugged and said, "Can't help it, there's always a misunderstanding every night, people always have fantasies."

Kelly Gray asked, "They pull you on stage?"

"Yes," Martin said with a helpless expression, "It's easy to be misunderstood with natural advantages; does looking good mean I must be a dancer? Prejudice does harm."

Kelly Gray had been in a good mood these days, and now she felt even better, raising an eyebrow, "You do look quite nice; had you been a dance performer, I would have invited you for a dance."

Martin joked deliberately, "I wouldn't do it for free."

Kelly Gray took another sip of the bright orange cocktail and glanced around, "Your club is nice."

Martin spoke the truth, "I'm just the manager; the owner is someone else."

Kelly Gray suddenly asked, "You don't have male customers here, do you? How do you know Andrew?"

Her eyes locked onto Martin, who calmly responded, "I'm also an actor."

Kelly Gray laughed, "You really do have many identities."

"A poor fellow, multiple jobs mean multiple incomes," Martin said without lying about such a matter. "I'm a member of the Marietta Community Theater. I've been running to film sets since I was sixteen. Recently, I was in a plantation movie, Andrew was the casting assistant, and he happened to cast me to play a corpse. I got along with him fairly well, chatted for a while, and Andrew mentioned the Freedom Association's matter, telling us to stay alert and call him anytime there's an issue."

Kelly Gray got the same story from Ella and said, "I'm the backer of that play."

"You're the investor?" Martin asked, "Mrs. Gray, may I speak frankly?"

"Please do."

"The play is really terrible." Assuming his role of bartender and actor, wanting to make an impression, Martin knew that to stand out at the right moment, one had to show character, "After the hero saves the damsel, having the two main characters declare their love in front of two corpses is truly awful."

Kelly Gray laughed again, "Let me guess, you were one of the corpses?"

Martin stated emphatically, "The handsomest and most aggrieved corpse in history. I lay there eyes wide open."

"You rascal," Kelly Gray laughed again, "It's been a while since someone talked to me like this."

She took out 10 US dollars and placed it on the bar, "The Paper Plane is on you, but I'll pay the tip."

Martin unhesitatingly said, "That drink is worth the 10 dollars."

Kelly Gray added, "Including the chat."

The two chatted for a while longer, and then Kelly Gray steered back to business, "Contact my assistant tomorrow and meet with the lawyer. On Monday, the Freedom Association is convening a press conference, and the House of Beast Club is part of it. You'll represent the House of Beast in launching a lawsuit against the Methodist Association."

Having already secured Vincent's agreement, Martin said, "No problem."

Kelly Gray stood up, "The club is doing well."

After leaving the club and getting into the back seat of a BMW, she took out her phone and dialed a Los Angeles number, "Good evening, Drunk Louise, it's me, Kelly. Today, I discovered a cocktail I've never seen before, called Paper Plane. You've never heard of it either? Aren't you coming to Atlanta with the crew in a bit? I'll take you to try it."

Behind the club bar, civilization finally found release from the busyness.

He found Martin, "Buddy, no wonder Hart wants to call you daddy."

Martin quickly denied, "Don't slander people; I don't have a son."

On Sunday morning, Martin represented the club to meet with a lawyer from the Freedom Association and attended the Freedom Association press conference on Monday.