by Nina Levine
“Thanks, Scott. And thanks for getting rid of Darrell.”
“Was my fucking pleasure. Anyone else you want me to get rid of? With the mood I’m in, I’d be happy to go a couple of rounds with anyone who needs sorting out.”
She laughed. “Mmmm, I think I’ll steer clear of you for the rest of the day.”
I watched as she walked away. Velvet was one sexy chick and our customers couldn’t get enough of her. She had curves in all the right places, a seriously good set of tits and a spectacular ass that her long brunette hair almost hit. I didn’t do staff though, so Velvet was firmly in the no go zone.
J entered the storeroom. “Madison can sort out the kid for you,” he said as he came towards me.
I closed the back door and locked it. “Good. Thanks for organising that. Someone’s fucked with the lock, and Velvet’s seen some guys hanging around that I need to get Griff to look into.”
“Christ, if it’s not one thing, it’s another,” he said what I was thinking.
“Feels that way doesn’t it.”
He nodded. “Our first interview is here. You ready?”
I clapped him on the back, and smiled, “Yeah, brother. Let’s see if we can pick a fucking winner this time.”
“So, I heard the interviews were a bust,” Griff said, as he came behind the bar where I was pouring drinks. “And why the fuck are you making drinks? Don’t we have staff for that?”
I finished pouring the beer and handed it to the customer. “Cheers,” I said to him, and then gave my attention to Griff, “Not enough staff. Two of them called in sick tonight and I couldn’t get hold of any of the others.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it while I go and find out if we know these guys that Velvet mentioned. And, J said to tell you that Madison has that cat under control,” he said, and then added, “He’s pissed that it’s staying at their house which amuses me no fucking end.”
“Someone has to look after it because Michelle sure as shit won’t and I can’t have it here all night while I’m working.”
He nodded, a frown coming over his face, “Yeah, that bitch is a sorry excuse for a human,” he said as he started to walk away. “I’ll let you know what I find.”
I lifted my chin at him. “Thanks,” I replied before going back to my customers.
It was just after eleven pm; I’d been here for nearly nine hours now and I’d had enough. How people managed to do this shit for a living was beyond me. People were so fucking rude; I’d had to walk away a few times tonight to avoid punching some of them. I needed to find new staff real fucking quick.
“Scott, it’s slowed down a bit. Why don’t you leave me to the bar for a bit. Go and take a break,” Amy suggested. She was my only bar staff for the night and she was right. She could handle it on her own now so I left her to it.
I wandered over to the table that Nash was sitting at. He’d been here for about an hour and was kicking back, enjoying the show. Diverting his attention from the girls for a minute, he eyed me and asked, “Why the fuck didn’t you get one of the guys to work the bar tonight?”
“I’m running out of staff fast and I didn’t want to chance one of the boys pissing any of the girls off. We can’t afford to lose anymore staff.”
“At least it’s a quiet night.”
“Yeah, thank fuck because I couldn’t handle many more rude pricks tonight.”
I looked up as Amy made her way over to the table with a beer in hand. “That for me?” I asked.
She nodded, “Thought you could use it.”
“Thanks,” I said as I took it from her, throwing some back without hesitation.
She laughed. “No problem, I’ll get you another one after I serve these customers,” she promised before heading back to the bar where there were two guys waiting for service.
“Spent some time today with Marcus trying to sort out this shit between Blade and Black Deeds. It was one big dick around. I don’t think Blade’s going to halt his operation, and I think it’s going to end up in one big blood bath with us in the fuckin’ middle,” Nash said after she left us.
“Fuck,” I muttered, “I don’t trust him. Christ knows where this will all end up.”
“He’s unpredictable, that’s for sure. Not much more we can do though.”
I drank some more beer and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, and we’ve got enough other shit to take care of at the moment.”
We sat in silence for awhile, watching the girls do their thing. Well, I was looking in their direction but I wasn’t really watching. Nash was; he loved this shit, but it didn’t do much for me anymore. A man could get tits and ass anywhere he wanted; I craved something different these days. Problem was, I didn’t know what it was that I wanted; I just knew it wasn’t this.
Jodie, one of the strippers appeared in front of us. “You boys want a private show?” she purred, thrusting her bare tits forward, hands on her hips. I knew that Nash had gone a few rounds with her and judging by the disinterested look on his face, his dick wasn’t interested in any more from her.
“Not tonight, we’ve got club stuff to discuss,” I replied firmly so that she got the message to leave us alone. Jodie was well known for harassing club members when they were here, and I didn’t have it in me tonight to deal with her.
Looking at Nash, she said, “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
It was time to hammer the message home. “No-one’s changing their mind so I suggest you get back to your pole. We clear?”
Now she turned her glare to me, and she didn’t look pleased. “You can be a real asshole sometimes, Scott.”
I stood up, and moved into her space. “Been told that already today, Jodie, and it’s completely fucking true. I employ you to shake your ass at our customers, not to throw your self at club members who aren’t interested. Now, get back to work before I find someone to replace you,” I thundered, letting loose the anger I’d been holding in for hours.
She was visibly shaken at my outburst but that was too fucking bad; I’d had it with people today. Taking a step back, she hissed, “You’re going to lose your best girls if you talk to them like that. The sooner you find a new manager the better.” She blasted me with a foul glare and then turned and stomped back to the stage.
Sitting back down, I placed my hands behind my neck, and stretched my aching back. “Fuck,” I muttered.
Nash chuckled. “She’s right, asshole. You need to rein it in if you’re going to manage this joint till you find someone else to do it. Dealing with people is not your strong point.”
I scowled at him. “I know, and I’m fucking trying here, okay,” I retorted, and then grumbled, “Shit.”
4
Harlow
I looked up from what I was doing when the door bell sounded. It was Madison, one of my favourite customers. A nice way to start the day.
“Hey, Harlow,” she greeted me with a huge smile. She’d been coming here for a couple of months now and I always looked forward to her daily visits to collect coffee. Sometimes she came in with her brother, Blade, but he wasn’t with her today. I was thankful for this; he scared the crap out of me. They seemed so different to each other. Madison came across as a warm, fun person, whereas her brother seemed dark and serious.
I smiled at her. “How’s your day going?” I was already making her coffee because I knew from memory how she took it; skinny cappuccino, no sugar.
She dumped her huge handbag on the counter and sighed. “I haven’t been in the last two days because J’s back, finally. It’s so good to have him home but getting into a routine together is kinda hard. I’m working some long hours at the dress shop at the moment and J’s busy getting back into his work which is keeping him out at all hours. So, even though he’s home, I feel like I’ve hardly spent any time with him.” She paused and gave me a rueful look. “Sorry to whine.”
From what I could work out, her boyfriend had been away for a couple of months. Although she’d been u
pset about it, she’d still seemed upbeat and happy. I figured Madison was one of those people who made the best out of whatever life handed her; she seemed like a strong person and I really liked that about her. She didn’t complain about stuff too often so I figured she must really need to vent. “No, go ahead. Get it out.”
I placed her coffee in front of her and she rummaged in her bag for some money. She was always rifling through her huge ass bag and I often wondered why she didn’t replace it with a smaller one. After she found what she was looking for, she handed the four dollars over to me and I rang the sale up.
Waving her hand at me, she said, “I’ve finished; that was all I had to whine about.” She drank some of her coffee and a glazed look came over her face. “Seriously girl, you make the best damn coffee in Brisbane, I swear.”
“Thanks, love. I just wish more customers thought that too.” I bent over and leant on the counter. “Mum’s really struggling to make ends meet and even though we’ve picked up some new orders for cakes, I worry how she’s going to pay her bills.”
Madison contemplated that for a moment. “Maybe I can get my brother to consider using you to make the cakes for his restaurants.”
“I didn’t know that Blade owned restaurants.”
“No, not Blade. My other brother. He runs four restaurants. I’m sure I can twist his arm to take on your cakes. If not, I’ll get to him through J,” she said, winking at me.
“Is J close to your brother?” Her family sounded pretty close although I didn’t really know anything about them.
“God yes, they’re best mates. Sometimes it irritates the fuck out of me.”
A shot of jealousy ran through me. I envied people with extended family; my father had died when I was young and it was only my mother and I left after that. It would have even just been good to have a brother or sister. “Must be nice though. I mean, you hear stories about in-laws who hate each other and rip families apart, so for your brother and your boyfriend to get on that well would make it easier.”
She nodded. “Yeah, you’re right there. Hey, what you are you doing on Sunday?”
“I’ve got the day off. Why?”
“I’m having a barbeque at my house and I want you to come.”
This surprised me; we weren’t exactly friends. “Ah, sure.”
She laughed. “I know that we don’t know each other very well but I’d like to get to know you better. You up for it?”
When she put it like that, I realised that I’d like to get to know her more too. I didn’t have a lot of friends in Brisbane yet. “I’m in. What do you want me to bring?”
“Just yourself and anything you want to drink.”
“How about I bring some cake too?” I’d make one of Mum’s red velvet cakes. They were always a hit at parties.
“Sure, honey. That sounds great.” She started searching through her bag again, retrieving her phone. “I better go otherwise I’ll be late for work. Thanks for the coffee. I’ll probably see you tomorrow.” Swiping her keys off the counter, she turned to leave but then looked back at me. “Thanks for listening to me whinge. I don’t have many friends in Brisbane so it’s nice to have you. I’d better get your phone number and then I can text you my address.”
Smiling, because she’d said what I’d been thinking too, I rattled off my number for her. She keyed it in to her phone and then thanked me one last time before leaving to go to work. I was really looking forward to Sunday now; meeting Madison’s family and friends would be fun if they were even half as nice as her. Her boyfriend, J, intrigued me; I wasn’t sure what he did for a living or why he was away for so long, but the way that Madison talked about him made me think he was a nice guy.
5
Scott
Juggling a tray of steaks, a tray of sausages and a huge bottle of tomato sauce, I strode through J’s front door and down the hall towards the back of his house. Out of the corner of my eye, I vaguely took in the paint tins on the floor near the back door and the pile of paint chips on the kitchen table. Madison must have gotten her way; she wanted to repaint the house but I knew that J hadn’t been keen. She had him wrapped around her little fucking finger.
I placed the food on the kitchen bench and surveyed the back yard where they had everything set up. J had a large undercover area outside; it was usually where we liked to drink and shoot the shit but now that Madison was around, I could see more of these barbeques happening.
“Scott, you made it,” Madison said as she approached the back door from outside. “Did you bring the meat?”
“Yeah, you want it outside now?”
“Not yet. Why are you late?” She slid the door open and came inside.
“I had to deal with Lisa’s cat again. That fucking cat has a death wish and it doesn’t help that Michelle couldn’t give a shit.”
Madison started pulling food out of the fridge and then said, “God, I dislike that woman so much. What happened to Monty now?”
I leant against the counter. “He got out of the house when he should have been inside. Then he climbed a fucking tree and I had to get him down.”
She started laughing. “You climbed a tree?” she asked.
“Yes, I climbed a tree. The fucking cat jumped down so it was a waste of time. Anyway, Lisa caught him and got him back inside. So, crisis averted, but I had strong words with Michelle. That bitch really needs to get her shit together.”
Madison went quiet and I knew what she was thinking. I reached out and lifted her chin so she was looking at me rather than the floor. “You’re nothing like her. You’re working on your shit, handling it; she doesn’t give a fuck. And she should because she’s got a kid. Okay?”
Nodding, she said quietly, “Yes, but I still feel like she just needs someone to help her; someone who cares enough to show her what she’s doing.”
I shoved my hand through my hair. “Christ, we’ve done that. Nash, Griff and me… we all tried to get her to own up to her shit before we fired her. The thing is, if someone doesn’t want help, there’s not much anyone can do. She needs to hit bottom before she’ll see it. Either that or she’ll be dead without ever seeing it and I hope to God that doesn’t happen for Lisa’s sake.”
“But at what point do you give up on someone? Would you have given up on me?”
“No, but you wanted help and took it. And you’re my sister.”
“Doesn’t Michelle have any family who are looking out for her?”
“I don’t know, but if she does, they’re not around. I’ve only ever seen her junkie friends hanging around her house.”
“Maybe I should go over and see her; try and get her some help.”
My sister had always been a bleeding heart. “Sure, but don’t be surprised when she spits in your face or tries to screw you over.”
She finished getting the food out of the fridge and I was just about to help her take it outside when Nash came through the back door. “Hey, motherfucker, where you been?”
“Getting meat for your sorry ass,” I replied, taking the beer he passed me.
“Stoney’s brought some girls along and they seem ready to party, so you need to get outside because you’re a cranky fuck when you go this long without a hit of pussy.”
I took a long swig of my beer and scowled at him. “I’m not interested in any chick that Stoney’s brought with him. Fuck knows what’s been up in that.”
“That’s why you wrap it brother, and fuck, so long as there’s tits and ass who cares who brought them?”
“Guys, do I really need to listen to this?” Madison glared at me with that look of hers that said to shut it.
Nash smirked at her. “Sweet thing, you live with J. Seriously, you can’t tell me you don’t hear him talking like this. That fucker’s mouth is dirty.”
Now she glared at Nash. “It might be dirty, Nash, but I don’t have to listen to him discussing screwing other women like they’re a piece of meat.”
“When I fuck a woman, the last thing she
feels like is a piece of meat.”
The back door slid open and J stepped into the room as Nash spoke. He looked pissed. “Nash, why the fuck are you telling Madison about your sex life? She doesn’t need to hear that shit.”
The room was full of tension now, with J and Nash having a stand-off. Madison threw her arms up and declared, “Okay, enough.” She pointed at Nash, “You, outside, back to your skanks.” Then she pointed at me, “You, go with him and take these.” She piled plates with cheese, dips and other shit on them in my arms. Lastly, she pointed at J, her face softening as she gave him her attention. “You can help me in here.”
Nash grumbled something I couldn’t catch, and then did as he was told. I followed him, leaving J and Madison alone. From what J had told me the other day, they needed some time together to sort their shit out so I wasn’t keen to interrupt that.
The chicks that Stoney had brought with him were exactly what I expected. There were three of them, each with bleached blonde hair, overdone makeup and the shortest and tightest dresses you could imagine. One was sitting on Stoney’s lap; the other two looked expectantly at Nash and I as we approached.
Stoney lifted his chin at me. “Hey, VP. I brought some friends.” He rattled off their names but I wasn’t listening. Nash was all over them though and thank fuck for that because that meant they were leaving me alone.
I spread the dips out on the table, sat down and kicked back with my beer. Besides Stoney and Nash, there were some other couples here who I didn’t know. I figured they were friends of Madison. They were sticking to themselves and didn’t seem interested in talking to us. Again, fine by me; I was enjoying being left alone. It had been a long week dealing with Indigo and other Storm business. Blade was still pissing Bullet off, and in return, Bullet was breathing down our necks to pull him into line. Dad was fucking around with the whole thing; leading Storm into dangerous territory because when Bullet was pissed off, he had a nasty way of dealing with it. On top of that, we still hadn’t found a manager for Indigo.