Our fallen souls [EN] (High Enough) : VOLUME 1

48 - Joey

Two months.

Two months since I've heard from her.

Maybe I shouldn't have kissed her that day, I'd been drinking, and now I regret it, but I can't do anything about it.

Now this Blake has arrived, and I'm not feeling it at all.

I've got to find out more, I can't let Joséphine get carried away with a guy she hardly knows. So I spent all night searching the Internet. I typed his name into the search bar, but there was nothing convincing on his Instagram profile, just subscriptions. So I searched Shawn's profile, then Jared's, and that's when I started finding interesting stuff. Blake is subscribed to some not-so-clean-looking people. I clicked on one of these guys' profiles at random, and hallucinated when I saw a photo of Blake with them, looking super comfortable, like they were old buddies. These guys are all hiding under weird aliases, and it really doesn't look good. I'm sure they don't really call each other by such stupid names.

Today, I'm going to hit all the bars in town within a radius where this famous photo was seen. I know it sounds a bit crazy and weird, but I don't want to lose Joséphine, let alone let her hang out with shady guys. She probably has no idea that her boyfriend, Blake, frequents these weird places.

I get up, get dressed in last night's clothes, grab my hat and head out of my hotel room.

I'm worried about what I'll find when I search these bars, or maybe I won't find anything at all. But then, a guy like Blake hanging out with fifty-somethings, I don't really get it, it just seems weird.

I'm in front of the first bar, it's a pretty busy place, but I don't think I'll find what I'm looking for there. Still, I figure you never know, so I take a good look at the front. It doesn't look like the right place. It's in the middle of town, there are only young people inside, not a single fifty-year-old. I quickly cross this place off my list.

I head for the second one, with a small glimmer of hope, but likewise, it's not the right one. I don't want to go into too much detail, I think I'll have to give up on this one.

The third one, too quiet, too pink, is definitely not the bar for me. I'd be surprised if Blake hung out in such a girly place.

The fourth, on the other hand, could really stick. It's in a small, deserted alley, a place that looks a bit seedy. I jump on my bike and head for this bar, my heart racing. When I get there, there's no doubt this is the place. The storefront is in total disrepair, with a neon sign flickering half-heartedly, almost on the verge of falling over. The dark, gloomy atmosphere is just what I'd imagined. I put my sweater back on to hide my face a little, and push my hat up to my nose. I really don't want to be noticed. I feel like an undercover spy in an unsavory place. I open the door to the bar, a hot flush coming over me. It smells of cigarettes and alcohol. It's definitely this one, I'm convinced. There are pole-dancing bars hanging from the ceiling, a badly aged wooden bar, and the stage looks like it's about to collapse. The sofas look comfortable, but I prefer to sit on one of the bar stools.

There's a heavy silence as I sit down, everyone staring at me. I'm sure they don't often see a guy covered from head to toe like me. I'm sure they've seen stranger things in their lives, but I'm still a little embarrassed. I order a drink, trying to look the part, not to seem too suspicious. I don't want to draw attention to myself, I just want to find out things discreetly. I listen discreetly to the surrounding conversations, but for the moment, there's nothing suspicious. Mostly it's about chicks and rock bands performing on stage tonight.

Nothing that can help me right now.

I'm holding my phone in my hand, pretending to type things, just so I don't look like a weirdo searching the place with my eyes. I cast a few discreet glances at the people arriving, just to see if there are any familiar faces. I'm startled when I come face to face with a big guy, the kind of guy who might be involved in some not-so-legal business.