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"Are we having fun yet?" Cisco Almeida asked over the microphone. "I have the best fucking fans in the world!" The crowd within the luxurious nightclub clapped
and cheered. Women screamed out his name and one delayed voice even professed her love for him.
"I love you Cisco!" There was collective laughter from the audience in response.
"Let's get on with this shit then." Cisco proclaimed. "…Any requests out there?" Shouts filled the air with multiple voices yelling out different songs titles in a cacophony. The voices had almost died down when a male voice with an accent was heard to request, "One of These Days." Cisco recognized the voice and turned his head to look in the direction the voice had come from. He squinted and shaded his eyes with his hand, expecting see Rubén seated at a table with Anis. Instead he caught sight of the tall silhouette in the darkened ballroom, seated on a stool at the bar. It appeared he was alone, as he could not imagine Rubén having Anis sit at the bar, like a common whore. Cisco extended his arm and pointed to Rubén.
"'One of These Days'" it will be then," Cisco announced over the microphone. Before he sang this, one of his most popular songs, he whispered something to his bodyguard who stood at the foot of the stage. Cisco began his performance and for Rubén's benefit, accentuated some lines of the selection, which spoke of a man tired of waiting for his long lost love. Rubén watched as a large man strode his way. He stepped off the stool where he had been sitting and prepared for a confrontation.
"Mr. Dubois?" The huge young man spoke, "my boss would like to see you backstage at the show's end. He wanted to make sure you would stick around and not leave before then."
"Tell your 'boss' the only reason I am here is to speak to him," Rubén replied. Nodding, the young man turned around, returned and resumed his position at the foot of the stage. Between numbers, he conveyed the message to his boss.
After interpreting Cisco's signal, the bartender brought Rubén a bottle of an expensive brand of Cognac, and informed him it was compliments of Cisco the Kid. Very sternly, Rubén requested the bottle be removed declining the compliment.
"I am capable of buying this entire place if that were my wish. You tell Mr. Almeida for me, he could stick this bottle where the sun don't shine," Rubén replied.
The bartender shocked with the reply frowned and took a step back. Rubén then stared him down until the stunned man looked away, and went back to tending other patrons. Only then did Rubén look away and return his attention to the stage.
He had acquired information of where Cisco's next performance was to be and then flew to Atlantic City to catch his show. As far as his wife knew, he was on a short business trip. Their relationship had been strained since that Saturday night. Cisco was going to pay for that as well as for the disrespect he had shown them, but most of all for stalking his wife. Rubén slowed down his drinking. He wanted his head clear when he confronted Almeida. Now he watched intently as the performer sang, danced and directed his band. Every now and then Cisco would glance Rubén's way and smile sarcastically. Rubén could have hired men to take care of this nasty problem, but his wife's reputation was his to defend. He wanted to make sure that Cisco understood his marriage to Anis was to be respected.
The show lasted what seemed an eternity to Rubén with the adulating crowd becoming wilder by the moment.
"That's it folks, this shit is over. Thank you all for coming…or was it just the ladies that came…" The crowd roared with laughter…" you know what I mean, right?" Cisco joked with the crowd in his usual manner. A wave of disgust lodged in Rubén's gut listening to the vulgarity brought forth by the performer. It was a good thing Almeida had held his tongue in the New York club, for Rubén would not have tolerated offensive behavior in his wife's presence.
"Good night Atlantic City!" Cisco shouted amidst clapping and cheering. The artist requested his band members to stand and take a bow; then waved again as the curtain closed.
Rubén picked up the tab, looked at it, opened his walled and left a $500 bill on the counter. He had consumed less than half of his payment. As he stood and looked at the stage, the huge young man beckoned Rubén to walk over toward him. The bodyguard was to escort him backstage. Meanwhile the barkeep returned with the change and Rubén waved him off as he walked away. The generous tip left the bartender dumbfounded.
Rubén followed the huge bodyguard backstage where they weaved as they walked, like a running back following his blocker, avoiding bumping into the people that scurried about within the confined area. The bodyguard, named Pedro Luis, knocked on a door and walked in. Inside the small dressing room stood Cisco Almeida surrounded by a group of young women.
"Groupies," Rubén thought with disdain as he entered the room. The girls looked at Rubén dazzled by his good looks and thinking he too was a celebrity, momentarily turned their attention to him.
"Sorry girls," Cisco said, "but you'll have to leave now. Pedro Luis, show the girls out."
'"Si jefe,"' the bodyguard replied and proceeded to follow his boss' instructions. Once the girls were outside, Pedro Luis closed the door and stood watch with his arms crossed in front of his chest, like a massive genie.
'"Tú tambien muchachón. Déjanos solos,'" Cisco ordered his bodyguard. The young man frowned and hesitated but ultimately did as he was ordered.
"Well, you keep returning! You must really enjoy watching my show," Cisco taunted and then continued, "where is your beautiful wife tonight?"
"Listen well you son-of-a-bitch," Rubén commenced, "I did not appreciate your attitude last week and the disrespect you displayed in my wife's presence. Before I bust your face up, be man enough to tell me what connection you have with her. What gives you the fucking right to call my home?"
"That's something you're going to have to ask her," Cisco replied approaching and challenging his rival.
Full of anger, Rubén grabbed two fistfuls of Cisco's shirt and yanked toward him, placing his face inches from Cisco's.
"You fucking bastard! What the hell are you implying? Think well before you answer," an incensed, Rubén warned.
That's when the struggle began. Losing his balance, Cisco clutched Rubén's wrists attempting to break free of his grasp, to allow himself room to deliver a blow. Then using the palm of his right hand, he placed it under Rubén's chin and pushed his head back. Infuriated, Rubén shoved and slammed him against the wall, while Cisco attempted to regain his balance. The noise of the struggle brought Pedro Luis back into the room, where he effortlessly separated the two men. Both men were enraged and desperately struggled against the mammoth arms that held them apart. Obscenities were exchanged while their arms flailed like demonized marionettes. All of a sudden the small room filled with the presence of three other men, two of which took hold of Rubén and proceeded to drag him out of the room.
"You stay away from my wife or I will KILL you, I swear it," Rubén shouted as he was being pulled away. He then added, "You hide behind your muscle-bound men you fucking faggot." Upon hearing that statement, Cisco's Cuban temper went totally out of control. He squirmed and struggled to seek freedom from the huge hands that held him.
'"Hijo 'e puta,' I don't need them to kick your arrogant ass. I'm man enough to do that and much more! Tell me, does your lovely wife know of your indiscretions, you pig?" Cisco yelled back at him. "Let me GO goddamit!" He bellowed angrily at his men.
Rubén was ushered out of the room.
"Get your fucking hands off me," he hollered at the two men who had shoved him out of the room. The men released him and one of them threatened,
"Look buddy, you don't want this kind of trouble. You better leave before the cops get here, they have already been called."
"You tell that piece of shit you call a boss that this is not over," Rubén spat his words out as he straightened his mangled tux. He stared at them with hateful resentment, turned and walked away. As he did, he kept looking back at them, as if expecting to be attacked from behind.
In the dressing room, Cisco slugged back his third shot of rum, and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He wondered why Anis had told Rubén about his phone call. The thought fuelled his anger, as now he wondered if she had changed her mind and forgiven her fucking, piece-of-shit husband. Cisco violently flung the shot glass against the wall where it shattered.
"Who the fuck does that arrogant bastard think he is?" Cisco yelled out. His own conscience answered his question, "her fucking husband, that's who."
Cisco acknowledged he would have done the same or worse had it been the other way around.
"I could have kicked his fucking ass," he said and then yelled out to his men, "…and when I give a FUCKING ORDER, I EXPECT TO BE OBEYED!"
He would keep this incident from Anis unless that asshole dared to hurt her. Cisco reached for the phone to call Tiny. He wanted to alert him to intensify the surveillance of the home. Tiny was instructed to inform him of any argument or change within the household.