the color washes them out. You pair your words with the perfect compliments, and it all sounds sincere with the inflection of your deep voice. Then, you lead them to other apparel that not only looks better, but cost a hell of a lot more. I watch you work the room like a pro.
“Like I said when I hired ya, these men want to be us, and in this case, you. So, they buy into every word you say… hang on to it like a member of a cult. But sometimes, your honesty is self-righteous. It’s fiery and branded to cause despair.” King rubbed his eye, curing an itch, then looked back out the window. “There’s a darkness in your light. Light in your darkness. I recognize it. I’m that way, too. That’s why I often wear white. To pretend I’m holy when really, I’m the Devil’s reject.”
The air in the confines of the car was heavy, like a heap of dead bodies, decayed flesh and bones uprooted to show a ghastly truth. King cracked his knuckles, needing to do something with his hands. How had Ricky found out about what had happened years ago? He didn’t have to spell it out. It was clear. King looked down at his shoes, then back out the window at the big buildings he’d seen his entire life. They looked smaller than ever.
“You have secrets.”
How should he respond to that? He chewed around a few options, then spit them out.
“Don’t we all.”
“Yes, I suppose we all do, King.”
“It wasn’t a question, Ricky… but you know that. You weren’t questioning me, either.”
They drew silent and after a short while, Ricky removed a thick envelope from his right jacket pocket. He placed it on his chest but didn’t make a move to hand it over.
“Inside this envelope is your check. Inside this envelope is also a request.”
“What kind of a request?”
“I know a little something about brotherly love and brotherly betrayal, King. You see, I come from a family full of mysteries and contradictions. I don’t have a beautiful immigration story to share because my father did almost anything to get money. Illegal or not, it didn’t matter and it wasn’t to support his family, but for the thrill of the hunt,” he said. “He was a cruel man… crazy. Narrow minded and unintelligent.” Their gazes hooked and his face twisted. “When I expressed my interest in fashion, he called me a fag. Afeminado. I’m not gay. If I were, I would’ve admitted it.” He shrugged. “I love pussy. Love women. So much so, being faithful is virtually impossible for me… but back to the topic at hand. My father came sniffing around after my success. Never offered an apology for being sadistic to everyone in the family, but he held his hand out to receive cash.
“I cut that hand off.” Ricky reached for a bottle of wine and poured two glasses, then handed one to King. Ricky drank from it, but King refrained, eager to hear more. “My brother, who was exactly like him, did much of the same. I made sure neither of them hurt anyone else again. You’re a protector, like me. It’s what we do. The chips fall where they may. So, now that I’ve shared with you my disdain for my own father and brother, let’s move on. You told me some time ago that you have a big art show coming up. You requested time off in advance to help prepare.”
“Yes, I did.”
“I want to attend this art show.”
“I see. Okay.” King sipped on the wine. It was expensive. Full bodied. A curse to waste.
“Oh, and let me clear something up. After your colorful friend, Shane, called me to let me know of your predicament, I didn’t call you right away. This was not because I was on the fence regarding whether I should fire you, but because I wanted to make sure I’d properly present you with the opportunity I believed you’d be good for. See, I did some more digging into your life, King. Your resume didn’t cover information about all the national and local art awards you’ve received. I suppose you left that out because it wasn’t really relevant to the job.” He paused, drinking some more wine. “There’s this ongoing exhibit you do. Deviant. Is that what it’s called?”
“Yes. I’m nicknamed the Deviant Artist.”
“Fitting.” The man chuckled. “You’re quite the talent. Very explicit and quite honestly, genius work. Some of it’s shocking. Much of it