Go Directly to The Dancer's First Chapter

A Romantic Thriller set in the Last Days

The Second Coming

Chapter 1

On a beautiful morning Charlie Summers strolled down the sidewalk to work, admiring the immaculate landscaping in front of the office building.  Unfortunately, he stepped too close to the edge of the walkway and brushed against a thick rosebush, which pierced a sharp thorn into his thigh.  “Damn, that hurt!”

As he rubbed the injured area, he noticed that the thorn had ripped a small hole in his pants.  “Aw, man.  This is a brand new suit.”  Shaking his head, he entered the lobby of the Casey Insurance Company and greeted the receptionist.  “Good morning, Sandra.”

Sandra glanced up, happy to see him.  “Hello, Charlie.  You better watch out, I hear the boss man is looking for you.  But I don’t think you’re in any trouble this time.”

“What do you mean, ‘this time,’ I never get into trouble.”

She looked down her nose.  “Hey, you’re talking to me.  I’ve known you for too long, so don’t try that sweet little boy act.  It doesn’t work around here.”

Charlie grinned.  “You’re right, I’m just a bad boy.  I guess I better go to my office before I do get into trouble.”  They shared a laugh as he headed down the hallway.

Entering his office, Charlie evaluated his professional accomplishments.  Though he hated to admit, it was nothing to write home about.  He immediately noticed a bright red envelope on his desk and ripped it open.  To his pleasant surprise, it contained the commission check from a large policy he recently wrote.

A note was enclosed.  “Great job, Charlie!  Keep up the good work.  John.”

What a relief!  Charlie perked right up.  Sometimes a red envelope could mean bad news, but not in this case.  He had to share his good fortune with his best friend and coworker, Matt, and hurried to his office.

Even though Matt’s door was closed, he rushed in without knocking.

Matt barely glanced up.  He was too consumed in a sheet of the lamest business leads he has ever encountered.  “What do you want?”

“What do you mean, what do I want?  I want you to guess what this is,” Charlie replied, fanning the envelope in the air.

Matt didn’t show any interest.  “I don’t know what it is, but I hope it’s your termination papers for barging in like that.  Are you stoned?”

“No way, my man.  This magic envelope contains the commission on the million dollar policy I wrote.”

“You got lucky.  I don’t know how you got a thing off these nasty leads.”

“It may have been luck, but I see it as party time tonight!”

“Then drink a cold beer for me.  I could use one right now if you know what I mean.”

“Then I’ll drink two.  And don’t sweat it, you’ll nab a big deal soon.  But I have to call Lisa, see you soon.”

Charlie went back to his office and dialed a familiar number.  “Hello, this is Lisa.”

“Hi, pretty lady.  How are you?”

“I’m okay.  Just working on a new baby seat design.  What are you doing?”

“I’m hanging at the office.  Thought I’d call to give you some good news.  Guess what happened.”

Lisa heard the tone in his voice.  “There’s no telling with you, so tell me.”

His delivery was smooth.  “I just got a fat paycheck so let’s play hooky and get naked.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” he pleaded.

“Because I have to work.”

“That’s no fun, so here’s my backup plan.  Why don’t we be adventurous and visit the shopping center tonight?”

“That’s a wonderful idea!  And since it’s so pretty outside, we should go to the Santa Monica Mall.  We can even take a walk on the boardwalk.  We haven’t done that in a while.”

“Sounds good to me.  You get ready to have fun and I’ll meet you at home after work.  Love ya.”

#    #    #

Seagulls drifted in the cloudless sky on this bright warm evening.  With hundreds of people crowding the streets, Charlie and Lisa drove down Main Street toward the ocean.  Lisa stared at the blue sky.  “This is such a pretty evening for the beach.”

“That’s why I’m taking you. I only wish it was a little earlier so you could’ve worn your new bathing suit.”

“You’re so funny.”

“I don’t think seeing you in a sexy bikini is funny.”  He smiled and turned up the radio.  The newscaster was announcing, “In the evening’s news, terrorists explosions have erupted simultaneously in Baghdad, Saudi Arabia, and Jerusalem, turning all three areas into a blood bath.  The dead have reached 347, with 968 wounded.  Al-Qaida has claimed responsibility for the bombings.  Now to our local news.  Two drive-by shootings have claimed four lives in...”

“What’s happening nowadays?  This world is getting crazier every day,” Charlie stated while turning off the radio.

“That’s so true.  A lady from my office was robbed in front of a restaurant yesterday.  Some man jumped out from nowhere, stuck a butcher knife to her stomach and took all her money.”

“That’s terrible!  Did she get hurt?”

 “No, she was very lucky.  Some people left the restaurant and it scared the guy away.”

“Wow, that was lucky.  It’s becoming a full time job just to be safe anymore, and you never know when your number is up.”

“That’s so true.  I wish I had an answer,” she stated caringly.

Charlie was thankful he had Lisa.  She gave him direction and made him feel good about himself.  “There’s one thing I know for sure.  At least we have each other.”

Lisa adored the remark.  “What am I going to do with you?”

“You’d be rich if you knew that answer.”

“Being rich might be fun, but what will I spend all the money on?”

“That answer is simple, whatever your heart desires.  And you better hold on because the beach is only a couple blocks away.”  Lisa gripped the side handles as Charlie punched the gas.

#    #    #

Walking down the boardwalk, Lisa and Charlie watched waves splash on the sand.  They were holding hands, enjoying the others company.  Lisa breathed deeply.  She loved the freshness of beach air, especially after breathing office air for hours everyday.

Charlie nudged her gently.  “Come on, let’s take a walk in the sand.”  Once they stepped on the beach, he kicked off his shoes and dug his toes downward.  “Oh, the sand feels marvelous!  Take off your shoes.”

Lisa kicked off her shoes and dug her toes into the velvety sand.  “This does feel good.”

“Of course, it does.  I’ll never steer you wrong.  Now how about a walk in the sand and after we’ll head to the mall?”

Lisa nodded her head joyfully.  They began to mosey down the beach.  The glistening waves captivated her, and then she saw a major storm brewing miles away over the ocean.  “Look how ominous that storm is.  Those clouds are so red they almost look like they’re burning on fire.”

“Good golly, where did they come from?  It was a beautiful blue sky just seconds ago.”  He bumped his hip against hers.  “Well, that’s out there and we’re right here, so let’s enjoy this lovely beach.”

They continued their walk, but Lisa kept staring apprehensively at the menacing clouds.  The sight was incredibly climatic, giving her an uneasy feeling.

#    #    #

As a full moon rose in the sky, Charlie and Lisa drove into the shopping center’s parking lot.  Fortunately, it didn’t take long to find a space.  They found one near the front and parked.

Charlie turned off the car.  “Here we are at the ladies playground, the mall.”  They laughed, got out of the vehicle and strolled leisurely to the entrance.  “What would you like to do first?  Go eat at your favorite Chinese place or do a little shopping?”

She snuggled beside him.  “I want to go shopping.”

“I think that can be arranged.”  Once they arrived at the department store, Charlie opened the large glass door.  “Let me open the door for the lady.”

Lisa rubbed her body seductively against his while stepping past him.  “You are being sweet.  There may be some sugar in store for you later on.”

“There better be because big daddy is getting hungry.”  They entered the store, radiating joy.

After shopping for a short period, Charlie picked out a couple shirts.  Lisa chose a bottle of eloquent smelling perfume.  They headed to the sales desk near the front entrance of the store and set the items on the counter.

Directly beside their items was a display case that contained several strikingly attractive crystal pieces.

One piece in particular seized Lisa’s attention.  She opened the display case to take out a perfectly carved crystal angel.  “Look, honey.  Isn’t this pretty?”

Just as Charlie glanced over his shoulder, a bright flash from a ceiling lamp shined on the glass object, giving it a radiant sparkle.  “That is nice.”

“Can I have it?”

Charlie pointed a finger at his cheek.  “Plant one right here and it’s yours.”

She kissed him gladly.

“You want it, you got it,” he beamed.

Lisa stared at the angel.  “This can be our guardian angel.”

“If that’s what you want it to be.”

A loud commotion suddenly erupted at the back of the store.  A sales person screamed, “Stop!  Stop those thieves.”

Charlie looked up.  Danger was approaching.  “What the ..!”

Twenty young hoodlums were running towards them, each carrying armfuls of merchandise.  It was a smash and grab free for all.

As the thieves ran to the front door one bumped forcibly into Charlie, knocking him off balance.

Charlie staggered slightly but was able to regain his footing, then he made a vain attempt to stop the out of control kids.  “Stop, you punks!”

Another kid was running directly at him in rapid speed.

Charlie saw it coming and lowered his shoulder, ramming full force into the thief’s chest.  The blow connected home, inadvertently throwing the assailant straight into Lisa.

The contact hurled Lisa backwards, flinging the crystal angel out of her hand.  It spun high into the air.  Then it plummeted downwards, crashing on the tiled floor into a thousand slivers.

#    #    #

Outside, a change exploded in the atmosphere.  Almost instantly, bolts of lightning pierced the night sky as thunder quivered the darkness.  A flood of clouds rolled in, twisting and tumbling over the horizon like a tornado, suffocating the stars and full moon in a black cloak.

In a flash, darkness reigned supreme.

Street lamps everywhere were swallowed in the gathering haze.  A soulless void swept over the land, sucking away the light of the world.

This was the beginning of the end.  The wrath of The Second Coming had arrived.

The Life and Times of a Male  Stripper

The Dancer

Chapter 1

Sipping his morning cup of coffee, James Knight enjoyed its robust flavor as he was stuck in Los Angeles’ downtown traffic.  A sea of cars surrounded him and before he saw it coming an automobile swerved in front of him, just missing his bumper.  “Damn,” James yelled as he slammed his brake pedal to the floor, barely avoiding an accident.  But the sudden halt splashed coffee on his lap that burned into his crotch.  “You sorry dog,” he hissed.  That made the third close call this morning.  What were these people drinking to make them drive so crazy?

After doing his best to clean his pants with a napkin, he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the San Bernardino Mountains towering in the background.  They were absolutely gorgeous with fresh snow covering their peaks.  James thought about grabbing his skis and heading to the slopes.  A vacation sounded wonderful, even a day off would be terrific.  He hasn’t taken one in such a long time.

Unfortunately he was brought back to his current predicament when the person in the car beside his blew the horn aggressively.  “Like that’s going to help,” James stated matter-of-factly.  Since there was no escape from the freeway, he turned on the radio.  The sweet sounds of rock soothed him until he arrived at his exit.

Zipping of the freeway, he drove into the parking garage of a large office building and greeted the attendant, “Good morning, Pete.  How are things?”

“Pretty good, James.  Thanks for asking.”  Pete opened the gate while James replied, “Take care.”  He parked and took the elevator to the seventeenth floor.  A hallway full of identical doors stretched before him until he reached his own.  They were the only company on this floor that had a fancy nameplate: O’Malley Accounting Firm.

James shook his head.  “Well, here comes another exciting day of accounting.”  Entering the lobby, he greeted the receptionist with the same phrase as every morning.  Repetition was key for an accountant.  “Good morning, Lucy.  Hope things are well.”  She responded cheerfully, “Hello, Mr. Knight.  Have a nice day.”

James smiled at her with an infectious grin.  Blessed with a true gift, he had the ability to make others feel comfortable.  It might be his pearly white teeth or his dimpled cheeks, but it was probably the sincerity he illuminated.

He headed to his office, sat behind his desk and before his bottom warmed the chair, Susie, his secretary, entered.

“Good morning, James.  I hope you’re ready to get started.  I’ve already had a funny conversation with one of your favorite clients,” she giggled sarcastically.

“Oh, no!  I know that nasty laugh.  Go on and tell me, who’s being audited?”

“I can’t hide anything from you.  It’s Mr. Pollock.  He was yelling so loudly I had to hold the phone from my ear.”  Susie handed him a message.  “He said to give this to you.”

As James took the note, he knew this could turn into a headache.  Robert Pollock always liked to get his way and pitched a fit when he didn’t.  He read the message out loud, “This is the second year the IRS has messed with me!”  James sighed while dropping the note on his desk.

“I’m sure you already know he wants you to phone ASAP.”  She stepped to the door.  “What would you like the usual morning?  The usual?”

“I guess so.”

“It’s always the usual.  You should put some spice into your life,” she joked playfully and strolled down the hallway.

“Okay, you don’t have to rub it in.”  James enjoyed her sense of humor.  They have been working together for years with never a problem.  Susie was honest, trustworthy, punctual, and straightforward.  All the traits he admired in a person.  He felt lucky to have her on his side.

Just when he began to read some paperwork, Susie entered holding a cup of black coffee and a plain donut.  She put them on his desk.  “Have you called Mr. Pollock?”

“No, I’ve been trying to put it off.”  James smiled, but she gave him the stare.  “I know.  I’ll call him now.”  Susie left with a nod while he picked up the phone and dialed.  A receptionist answered, “Pollock and Petrie, can I help you?”

“Hello, this is James Knight for Robert Pollock.”  He was transferred to Robert who exploded.  “What are you doing to me over there?”

James knew his answer had better be satisfying.  “Don’t worry, Robert.  I’ll take care of everything.  Have I ever failed you?  And look at the bright side, they say the second time is lucky.”  James should have stopped when he was ahead.

Robert shouted into the phone, “Lucky, hell!  This is my second year of being audited.  You better do me right.”

“You know I will.  I’ll keep you informed.”  James hung up, relieved the conversation was over.  The intercom buzzed.  “Yes, Susie.”

“It’s Johnny on line one.”

James smiled; finally there was a buddy to help save the day.  There was no telling what type of story that crazy friend of his would have.  “Hey, what’s happening?”

#    #    #

Admiring his tan physique, Johnny stood in front of a full-length mirror wearing only a tight red and black striped g-string.  He was practicing exotic dance steps, swaying his lower body with the ease of pendulum.  This man was completely uninhibited.

Johnny knew how to drive his body, pulsating his hips toward the mirror with moves that could bring the most reserved female to lusty titillation.  He was good at what he did, and he made the money that proved his talent.  Holding a cold beer in one hand, the other gripped phone.  “I’m well, but I need a favor and you were the first cat that came to mind.  My car is in the shop, I need a ride to work.”

“A ride to work!  What are you talking about?  It’s about time to sell that car.”

“Be easy, she just needs a little repair.  That’s what I get for shining her up too pretty and riding her too hard.”

“It’s funny how you always compare everything sexually.”

“What else would you expect from me,” Johnny remarked.

The light on James’ phone blinked.  “Hey, I have another call coming in.  What time are you talking about?”

“Make it around six and that’ll give us time for a beer.  Can you handle a cold one after work?”

“I think I can manage that.  And I’m curious how many beers you need to do your job, Mr. Shake Your Moneymaker?”  James chuckled, but Johnny countered, “I have it better at the Sugar Shack than you’ll ever imagine.  See you at six.”

“You got it, buddy.”  James hung up with a smile on his face.  Johnny and him went back to childhood.  They were partners in crime in elementary school and never stopped.  The intercom buzzed again.  “I’m almost afraid to ask who’s calling.”

“You don’t have to worry about this one.  It’s Melissa on line two.”

“Oh, good.”  James pushed the button.  “Hello, pretty lady.  How has your day been?”

Melissa sat in her apartment studying her freshly polished fingernails.  “No complaints.  I did some early morning shopping with my girlfriends and bought a few things.”

Her voice had a different tone but he dismissed it.  “That’s nice.  Did you get a new outfit for this evening?  You know how fine you look in a tight little number.”

“No, I didn’t get an outfit.  And about tonight, I can’t make it.  Something else came up,” Melissa retorted nonchalantly.

James tried to curb his irritation.  “What do you mean something else came up?  Do you know how long it took me to get reservations at this restaurant?”

“I’m sorry, James, but I can’t make it.  My friends want to go out and that’s what I want to do,” Melissa stated flatly.

James was somewhat surprised, but more pissed.  What game was she playing this time?  “Your friends want to go out and that’s what you want to do!  Look Melissa, you’ve pulled this kind of crap too many times.  This is supposed to be a relationship, not an escort service that you use whenever you feel the need.”

“I’ve already said I’m sorry.  Maybe we can visit the restaurant next week.  I’m sure they’ll still be open.”

“Next week!  Still be open!  What the hell are you talking about?” James yelled into the receiver.  He knew what had to be done.  His sanity was worth far more than this.  The aggravation she brought easily overshadowed the amount of joy she delivered.  “Every time we talk there’s a problem, and I’m tired of playing your sorry games.  Look, this is it.  Don’t call me anymore.”  James slammed down the phone.  A slight twinge of regret suddenly attacked him, but it quickly changed into a sense of relief.

He actually felt free of a heavy burden, like a black cloud of negativity was blowing away.

Melissa had been draining his soul like a leech sucking his blood.

This was it.  Her negativity just lost.

Past relationships have taught James when it was best to back away and start over.  Inhaling deeply, he was thankful he saw her true colors before wasting any more time.

He realized it was okay that Melissa wasn’t the right person for him, because one day he would meet the lady of his dreams.  One that would steal his breath away.  And hanging out with Johnny could certainly bring him into contact with a lot of them.

Johnny constantly bragged about the women he met at the Sugar Shack, and James could only imagine what type of trouble his friend would try to drag him into tonight.

Copyright © 2009, Derek Savage.  The Second Coming and The Dancer are Trademarks of Derek Savage. 
All Rights Reserved.