Gregor hesitated at the door of ‘Till Dawn Night-Club’. He took a deep breath and walked in. Two rather large gentleman walked over to him.
“Don’t think you should be here pal! We’re fucking shut.”
One stood in front of him and the other guy moved slightly to his side.
He took a deep breath, “I know. I’m not here for any trouble, I was just wanting to speak to JoJo.”
“Is he expecting you?”
Gregor looked round at the other man.
“No…”
‘Well fuck off then!!’
A voice shouted through from the side bar, “Bring him in!”
The guy at Gregor’s side pushed him towards the door. “It’s either your lucky or unlucky day!”
JoJo sat at a table with his laptop and an open bottle of Black Label.
“Do I know you?”
“No.”
“Do you know me?”
“Everyone knows you.”
“…And what is it you know?”
“…That I want to ask you something. Only if you want to answer though.”
He studied him for a few seconds, “Did you think you’d intrigue me?”
Gregor didn’t hesitate, “No. I think you’re a man who will either listen or tell me to fuck off. I’d rather you’d listen but I’m happy to go if that’s what you want me to do.”
JoJo looked him up and down, “You’re a ballsy wee cunt!”
Gregor knew that this wasn’t the time to say anything.
JoJo nodded to the guy who showed Gregor in, “Get me another glass John. Pour a couple of pints for you and Pete and leave us.”
John never said a word, he nodded and did as he was asked. JoJo poured out two whiskys and held up his glass, “Here’s to you intriguing me.”
Gregor ignored the sarcasm and clinked their glasses together.
“Tell me your name and where you live.”
“Gregor Shaw. 26 Briarshill Road.”
JoJo typed that into his computer. Gregor heard one of the men’s phones ping from the reception.
“Okay Gregor, I’ve been very fucking nice to you, poured you a drink and now I’m going to be even nicer, you have five minutes to tell me what the fuck you are doing here.”
“I appreciate that. My new baby Carol, is due being Christened and I’d like you to be her Godfather – No pun intended.”
JoJo frowned, began to snigger and started to laugh, “What the actual fuck?”
Gregor took a gulp of his drink. He tried to control his shaking.
JoJo leaned forward, “Are you going to explain yourself?
…Before I have you bleeding back to Briarshill Road, answer me this, why the fuck would you ask me that? Is this a joke?”
Gregor could feel the sweat begin to gather on his forehead.
“No joke. It’s quite simple, this place is getting very fucking dangerous…”
JoJo’s face changed into something that Gregor didn’t want to see, “Oh! I see! So you thought this would be a smart arse way to make sure your daughter is protected!!!”
JoJo stood up.
Gregor leaned back and held up his hands, “Please…Let me finish. That’s all I want from you, no need for any involvement apart from being at the ceremony.”
“Where everyone will see who is standing for your kid. I think your time is about up, in a few fucking ways.”
“No, you’re taking this wrong…Please just a couple more things to tell you. Please.”
JoJo couldn’t understand that he had no rage, more curiosity. He sat back down and topped up their drinks.
“Quickly!”
The service will only be me and my wife and the Minister. Even if we did say anything, no-one would believe us. And The Minister won’t. It’s not about what you can do for us, it’s who you are.”
“I’m getting fucking bored now!”
“As I said, this place is dangerous and getting worse by the minute. My family and friends are that right now, but in a few years they all might have turned into being arseholes. You are what you are. You don’t change and I know if myself, my wife and my daughter do nothing to you, you will not get involved with us. I can’t say that about the rest of the folks I know. Who would be better to stand for Carol, someone who will not change into someone that they are not? Or all those bastards who are all sugar right now to my face but fuck knows what they say and do behind my back?”
JoJo smirked and drained his drink and nodded towards the door.
Gregor said what he had came there to say, “You don’t discriminate JoJo, if no-one gets involved with you, you don’t get involved with them.”
He stood and held out his hand, “Thank you so much for the drink and your time. You have my details if you want to let me know.”
NB – I very seldom write anything based on anything else but I have to hold my hands up. I have a love for Grimms and this was loosely based on ‘Godfather Death’.
I hope I have done it some justice.
literally stories 
This sneaks up on you and the reveal is terrible. Nothing specific is said which makes it worse in many ways. I applaud your bravery, yet again, for taking on a dreadful subject and delivering a hard hitting story. Great stuff – dd
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Hugh
Great atmosphere, and vivid characters! There was a menace in the air that kept up to the end. It’s an excellent example of conflict in writing.
The irony of Gregor wanting to have an actual Godfather of a crime family, as the babies Godfather, because his so-called friends are backstabbers and weak, bothered me–Because this is the way it is in this world. Soon as you step from a room people drop their smiles and are knocking you…
The story asked a question: Do you want an evil strength or a lying weakness? Both are bad choices, but I see why Gregor would chose this path–that is if he survived Jojo. Perfect name for a boss/or a wise guy. Inviting the devil into your life might not be wise, either.
But in the off chance Jojo accepted being the child’s Godfather–it would come out and it’s guaranteed she would be protected and have a great benefactor. Gregor’s right people like Jojo don’t change–they are very dangerous, but they don’t have a weak character. Jojo definitely would have a Godchild’s back. Death to whoever was stupid enough to hurt her.
Quite a powerful and thought provoking story!
Christopher
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hugh
It has been ages since I read this. If I were JoJo I would hire Gregor for his balls and creativity.
Your right to the subject style makes me feel I am at rhe bar, tipping a glass and spying as quietly as I can.
Leila
First rate Scythe image Diane!
LikeLike
Hugh
Your hard-hitting fiction-writing style is realistic, gritty, stripped-back, sparse, and yet fully formed, truly. The voices in your work resonate. The speakers speaking sound somehow both true and real, and mythic and referential.
The narrators in your tales frequently seem invisible. That is, they don’t seem to be there at all. And that is a great invention, because it removes all one-sided opinion-spouting and ideological/political designs on the reader from your tales. This “invisibility” of your fiction-writing style creates drama AND vivid, real characters. The reader can envision, see, hear, feel, sometimes almost smell your characters based on what they say. The settings are also there with the reader very much so despite being presented in the barest of outlines. You are a master of the telling detail in imaginative writing.
Your writing hits the mark, the very definition of what good story-telling can do! You also know where to begin, where to end, and how much to show the reader in the middle, which is never everything. You leave something for the reader to imagine themselves, which increases the drama.
Dale
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hugh
I got a kick out of this story, because in my case the situation was the opposite. I was my family’s ineffective Godfather choice at least 5 times (there were that many babies coming out us.) Once I was old enough to say the mumbo jumbo words, I got the job. I don’t remember if I ever held a baby or not. Probably not. One thing was for sure, my Godfatherly duties were soon subsumed by baseball and dreams of unattainable teenaged girls.
Gregor and JoJo were great characters. — Gerry
LikeLike
A insightful look at human nature. Suspenseful with a gradual reveal that works well. Jojo is believable, and the MC is brave to ask the favor. This modern take on the Grimms tale certainly does justice to it.
LikeLike