She Knows Ch. 01

Author's Note: This story is completely fictional and did not happen. All names of characters are fictional and were made up. Please do not copy and plagiarize my work.

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Atlanta, Georgia

"There might be some slight overcast by the afternoon, but no rain is expected until Friday. As we head into the evening hours, the temperatures are going to drop and things get a little cooler. Sixty-eight degrees by ten at night will be a welcome relief after the high temperatures the last few days."

From live television, a short brunette haired woman stood in front of a blue screen. To counter the background color of the projection, she wore a red dress hugging all of her curves. From the shoulder straps, a heavy cleavage was visible with her buxom build. No jewelry was necessary apart from a wedding and engagement band glimmering when she waved her left hand from a certain angle. Behind her was a projected map with the state of Georgia in the center. Counties were divided along lines with a few green clouds demonstrating the expected rain to come. Just another Tuesday morning for the forecast with their local friendly meteorologist as part of channel five. The screen changed as she gave out the forecast for the week in the closing minutes of her early morning segment.

With the live camera turned off, Mary left the set. The studio set was sleek with its metallic silver and wood aesthetic. After so many years on the job, this had become normal to see on a daily basis. Her life had been spent in front of the camera broadcasting seven-day forecasts for Atlanta and the greater north Georgia area. At forty-two of age, she believed to have lived much of life to say she had experience. Once the program had ended accordingly, she left the set. Her black high heel pumps clicked and clacked across the floor. Taking a moment to herself, Mary ran her right hand through her brunette hair. Despite her age, she did not show any silver linings in her hair yet. One day it would come, as it did for her local weatherman she watched every morning on channel ten.

Beyond the door leading off the set was a hallway stretched out with several other doors. An assistant was ready to get her coffee or anything else she desired. Mary new everyone on staff from the security personnel and assistants. Her personal assistant always had a fresh cup of coffee waiting for her off the set, not counting the beverage she had back in the studio. The work environment made for a friendly atmosphere. Everyone knew each other from the beat reporters to news anchors. Some had been working much longer than her while others hoped to land bigger jobs elsewhere. Stomping down the hall, she first took a trip to the bathroom before she was ready to enter the main breakroom. One floor down a set of stairs, the office was designed with cubicles to space out desks. Instead of the sleek metallic silver design, this room was plain with white wallpaper and black leather chairs.

"I've got fresh coffee waiting for you, Mary." 

Her assistant greeted her with a friendly smile. Matt had been working for Mary at the studio for the past three years. Always going out of his way to please her and make sure she was comfortable at all times. All she could do was laugh at him. 

"Thank you, Matt. You don't have to always make me coffee. Why don't you go and fix yourself something?"

She appreciated his aid, but did not feel the need to be waited on hand and foot. In the past, Mary had other assistants, both male and female. They would fix her drinks, take her phone calls, and keep her up to date by the time she left the studio set. Sometimes her husband would call her, but most of the time she was rarely interrupted from work. At this point in her career, the opportunity of retirement had been on the table for a few years. Strolling alongside Matt, Mary stepped through a door leading into a small break room that was shared among the other anchors. White walls greeted her with wooden furniture of tables and yellow chairs.

"Another Tuesday morning gone by, huh?" 

An older man in a white button-up shirt and tie greeted her. Tim was a senior around the offices, never moving on from HLN despite reaching well into retirement age. It would be an unusual day without his clean shaved face and nearly bald head looming in someone's direction. Mary smiled back at him. 

"Yeah, just another day at work." 

Tim chuckled at her remark. 

"At least it's a slow week so far. Nothing big in the headlines right now." 

He stepped past her, heading out the door, as she was now left alone in the break room. There was truth in Tim's words. Despite their job revolving around local news, they still had to cover the breaking news stories from the major networks on cable TV. This aggravated some of the newscasters. As her gaze scanned the wooden table, it was the furthest thing from her mind. Her coffee was freshly prepared in a metallic pink tumbler cup, but something else caught Mary's attention across from it. Sonya had made her presence felt at work by leaving behind her large black leather Gucci purse. The atmosphere changed any time she was in the room. From the first appearance, Sonya seemed to be just another woman in her mid-thirties. She had been married before Mary met her. The life of the party with a larger than life personality.

When someone got to know Sonya, they quickly learned that she was different from the other women in the office. A homegrown Atlanta native, for one. Rumors always swirled around the offices. 'Sonya said what!?' was a common reaction since her arrival. Despite how polarizing she could be, Mary admired the younger woman. Last year, she came to know her husband. A tall black man who had business interests across town. Much of the rumors at work had to do with their wild sex life. Since she was not tied down to a family, Sonya had something of a swinger lifestyle, or at least that was what Mary was led to believe. The woman was quite open about seeing other people, all while co-workers speculated about what kind of business her husband was truly into. 

Mary could not judge Sonya for infidelity. In the years past, she had indulged herself in affairs. During her time working in Ohio, she had an assistant she had to fire before the affair took a toll on her emotions. That was meant to be a one time only deal, but the temptations were always lingering when a man caught her eye. Sometimes Sonya would spark her curiosity when overhearing conversations. Some women in the studio avoided her, given the reputation she had but others embraced her as a friend. While looking over her purse, Mary could not help but wonder what the woman was up to for the week. The last she saw of Sonya was last Friday. Since she was on the board of staff as a local reporter. Mary grabbed her coffee and took a sip after popping the lid. As she took another sip, the door opened behind her. 

"Oh! Hey!" 

Sonya stood tall in a pair of black high heel pumps and a short skirt above her knees. A V-neck cut out at the top revealed plenty of cleavage to the wandering eye. Her long jet black hair was always fixed with plenty of waves and a few curls. Gold hoop earrings glimmered beyond her hair, all while her big brown eyes fixated on Mary. She sounded surprised by the tone of her voice in the greeting. Mary returned the smile, speaking up.

"Hey Sonya, were you coming back to get your purse?" 

With a laugh, the other woman responded. 

"No, I don't think you would dig through my stuff." 

Mary laughed. 

"That's definitely not me, you know I'm not nosy." 

Her heels clicked and clacked across the floor before Sonya grabbed her purse, slinging it over her arm. She turned to look back at Mary as she spoke again.

"You're leaving early today?" 

Sonya nodded.

"Yeah, I've gotta meet with a man before lunch."

She opened the door, stepping out to the sound of printers and chatter among the office staff. Mary followed behind her. As they walked together, Sonya carried on her speech.

"This guy called me over the weekend with a story about bribery and drugs in the police department. He claims to be a former cop and wants to clear his conscience." 

"Really?"

Turning to look at Mary, Sonya nodded.

"Yeah, this is what I came to work with yesterday. This is the second day I've had to meet with him." 

The two women stepped into an elevator as a man in a black suit walked past them. Sonya pressed the button to go down to the main lobby floor. The elevator had a metallic silver design with dark wooden safety handles inside. After the doors shut, Mary spoke up with a question. 

"Has he shown you any evidence of this stuff?" 

With a grin, Sonya nodded. 

"Yeah, he's proven to me he used to work for the APD up until last year. The problem is, he used to be a cop. The whole time I'm interviewing him, I'm sitting there thinking to myself if he has a score to settle with any of his old partners. I just don't know if I can trust a former cop, you know?" 

"So he's given you names?" 

"Oh yeah, more than enough to make his claim and plenty of stuff for a breaking news headline. I'm just hoping he doesn't call a reporter from Rolling Stone next. He hinted at that twice yesterday that he might try to go national to sell his story." 

Mary rolled her eyes. She knew how annoying the reporters from the press were. They were only a small local news station and from what she knew, the story could likely be rejected. Sonya's frustrations were felt and shared. All of this sounded like a story of a disgraced police officer looking for his fifteen minutes of fame with a story that would lead to a book deal. The elevator came to a stop with a ding before the doors slid open. Mary lost herself, realizing that she was following her friend now. 

"What's been going on with you, Mary? You look like you could use a break tonight." 

She laughed.

"Yeah, but not the kind of break of a story." 

Sonya did not appear amused as they stepped onto the main lobby floor. For a morning, it was almost empty. Only a few people were walking past the front desk and going about their day. Sonya and Mary resumed walking. The more Mary thought about her words, the more a break was definitely needed. She thought for a moment about Sonya's connections and knew the kind of lifestyle she had away from her other coworkers. 

"I'm sorry Sonya, I didn't mean to be rude. I could use a break, though. If you're free tonight, maybe we should go out for some drinks." 

Hearing Mary's words, Sonya stopped in her tracks. She turned to face her friend, offering a smile.

"I wish I could join you, but my husband is coming home tonight. But I'll do you a favor, Mary." 

She unzipped her purse and reached in. Mary watched Sonya's left hand slide in and then pull a black card out. It was decorated with glimmering purple lettering. Sonya smiled back at her, offering the card.

"Here, go get yourself a drink at this place. If you're looking to find someone for a good time, show this card to the bartender. He knows, he'll let you in the V.I.P. rooms. That's where the real fun happens."

Sonya winked. There was much more she could explain, but Mary knew she was withholding the information for a reason. When she glanced down at the card, the purple letters read 'Mystic Palace'. It was a new Atlanta nightclub that opened last year. The name had only made the local news for events involving holiday themed parties and the Friday evenings that were busy. Mary had not stepped foot in a nightclub in years. Not since before she was married, and that felt like a lifetime ago. Sonya did not bother telling Mary goodbye as she headed out the front door, leaving her friend standing there to consider her choice for the night. Perhaps she figured if Mary did not want to go, she could offer the card back tomorrow at work. 

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10 HOURS LATER

Twenty-eight on three. That was the time when Mary finally departed from the studio. After Sonya left, she ventured back up to her office to clear out work for the day. Mary's husband James called, checking in on her as he did every day. It helped that they had some distance in their marriage due to work. James was a paralegal working alongside a criminal defense attorney. Like Mary, he too was in his forties and they had shared a marriage going back eighteen years now. They met a party when she first got the job at channel five as the new weather anchor. Rarely was he home when working on a case. His clients often were booked across town in the city jail. Due to the distance from the courthouse, he slept in hotels.

When James was home however, life could be a bit of a drag. A distance was created between Mary and James that began five years ago. James moved to work at a new law office across town with a lawyer who usually took on cases from public defenders. Some cases would drag out for several months, leaving James far away from home. With a quiet luxury home outside Atlanta, she had an easy trip back home day in and day out despite if he was coming home or not. This day, however, was different, as Mary spent her time thinking about the Mystic Palace club. As the hours went by, she had to wonder about her friend Sonya. From what she knew of her, Sonya could not have known that club by sheer coincidence. She knew someone there and seemingly had a history at the club. Whatever it was, Mary was eager to find out.

As the hours passed, several doubts made their way into her mind. What if a random person recognized her? This question was the one she was the most fearful of. It would be quite a controversy for a local weatherwoman like her to be caught at a nightclub. A married woman of her age had no business going out in town like this, but here she was. Her husband would not be arriving home until later in the week, so Mary had a great window of opportunity tonight. Back home, she stripped down and prepared herself for the night after a lonely dinner. For once, Mary was trying to make herself look like a million dollar woman without the paid help of a hair dresser or stylist. She stood in front of the mirror, gazing at her voluptuous body as she stood in a black bra and panties. 

The first choice of outfit was a black thong to go with the bra. Just in case she found herself getting lucky tonight. Out of an entire closet of designer clothes, something simple was better for this first night out. She pinned her brunette hair back in a ponytail before deciding on the dress. There was a black one piece dress she kept tucked away in her closet. Some years back, Mary wore it to a wedding she attended alongside her husband. This was going to be quite something tonight for her to leave without him knowing. The dress had a short skirt piece and a great reveal of her busty cleavage. Grinning at herself in the mirror, she figured it was time to knock someone dead with the size of her natural breasts. Mary already had a push-up bra on, to make her D cups appear even bigger. 

Behind her, the dress had a small zipper extending up her back. That was the only tricky part about slipping into this outfit of choice. A pair of black high heel pumps went with the outfit, and then a black leather purse with a gold chain. Inside, she had her cellphone and a can of pepper spray if needed. She saw no need to bring with her any credit cards, only a spare bit of cash in fifty dollar bills to make up the two hundred. For her makeup, a small bit of eyeliner and bright red lipstick were all Mary wanted to wear. She felt brave despite the second thoughts she was having. The fear of someone recognizing her within the club remained present in her mind before she set out. Rather than driving, Mary thought it best to call an Uber from home. A driver was dispatched to come and pick her up. 

Before leaving, Mary made sure to slip her wedding ring off. She left it on the bathroom counter near the sink. During that quiet Uber ride, she thought to herself again. What if the man in this black car were to recognize her face? A young man in a white shirt and blue jeans picked her up, but he was not one to share a conversation. The club became visible in the distance with purple neon lights covering the building. By the time she stepped out of the car and into the parking lot, Mary could hear the booming bass beats of music. Her guess was that it had to be modern hip hop, as it certainly was not country or rock. The walls of the club were once made of red bricks, but a fresh coat of black paint washed away whatever history the building previously had. Two men stood outside the front door, acting as bouncers. Both wore an outfit of a black suit with pants. They would probably ask for ID, but one look at Mary's face told them she was an older woman. Not a word was spoken as they allowed her entry.

The music was revealed to be of Hip Hop as the beats boomed and shook the walls. A checkered pattern covered the floor of the entrance, but soon Mary's eyes were fixated on the blinding neon lights that blinked across the room. This was certainly not her ideal choice of music, let alone the environment of this club. Several people walked past her, all of them in their twenties. Most of the people she noticed in the club were black, leaving her sticking out as one of the seemingly few white women in the building. Some dancing and moving along with the fast tempo music. A giant dance floor was in the middle of the club, guarded by a metal rail. Beyond it, she could see a DJ turntable currently being operated by a busy man on a small stage. Off to the right side were what looked to be private tables for couples. To the left, she noticed the bar. 

Metallic gold with black paint was the interior design of the club. Only a few decorations covered the walls with framed photos. Who was featured in the portraits was a mystery she could not care less of. Mary felt like a fish out of water in this environment. Not only did her age make her stand out, so did her appearance. It was fitting that Sonya knew a place like this, given the woman was something of a swinger with her husband. There was a chance for her to walk out and leave, go back home and sleep. Mary thought for a moment about leaving. Then, on second thought, this trip would have been all for nothing. She stomped her way over to the bar. A black man stood behind it, wearing a white shirt with the front buttons undone to reveal a gold necklace. His head was nearly bald with a short line of hair to go with his trimmed beard. 

"What can I get you, ma'am?" 

The man greeted her in a strong voice as Mary approached the bar. For a moment, she glanced down at the dark wooden bar as she considered her choice.

"Rum and coke, please." 

With a nod, the man turned his back to her. A row of stools sat underneath the bar, all of them currently unoccupied. As he fixed the drink, Mary set her purse down. 

"First time seeing you here. I assume you've never been here before, ma'am." 

Mary shook her head at the man as they made eye contact. 

"No, I've never been here before. This is my first night." 

Reaching into her purse, she presented a fifty-dollar bill. He took it and went to get her change. Mary took a sip from the drink and then thought now was probably the best time to reveal her card. Again, she reached into her purse and then took the card Sonya gave her and quietly set it on the table. 

"A friend recommended me here." 

When the man gazed back at her face, Mary smiled and spoke again.

"I'm looking for a good time." 

He smiled, flashing his teeth at her. There was something about the card that made the bartender change his entire demeanor towards her. Mary finished her drink, slamming the empty glass down on the table now. She watched the man step back and then grab a walkie-talkie device that was attached to something on the other side of the bar. He raised it to his mouth and spoke.