Beyond the Velvet Rope

by Tiffany Ashley

  Elliot locked eyes with her for a moment and then, as if nothing of significance had happened, he turned to Adam. “I trust you’re keeping a close eye on Ms. Shaw.”

  Adam grinned. “I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Elliot said in a voice that seemed to convey just the opposite. “We wouldn’t want to lose her in the crowd. Anything could happen.”

  Adam chuckled, but Thandie frowned at the strange comment. Was he trying to warn her, or scare her? Uncertain if the remark deserved a response, Thandie looked away. She could feel Elliot’s gray gaze on her, and it was unsettling.

  She stiffened when he stepped around Adam, circling behind her, to come up on her left. His movement was slow and deliberate. He came within inches of brushing against her. She could briefly feel his breath on the back of her neck as he passed her.

  “I trust we’re keeping you entertained,” he whispered close to her ear.

  “Yes,” she replied skittishly; her nerves brittle from his nearness, which was too close for comfort. “I can see why Babylon is in high demand,” she said lamely. “The renovations are remarkable. The views are impressive.”

  “I agree,” he said with soft laugh. “The views are very impressive.”

  She looked up to find his gaze was not on the glass walls which overlooked the lower levels of the club, but trained on her. Thandie’s reaction to his words played right into his hands. A flutter of arousal began to churn in her stomach, her skin puckered with goose bumps, and her nipples tightened. She did not have to look down to know her response was noticeable. She could tell by the sound of Elliot’s soft chuckle.

  Thankfully Adam, who’d been keeping a watchful eye on the VIP guests, thus missing their exchange, asked, “How are we doing tonight, Elliot?”

  “We’ll hit our liquor sales goal,” Elliot replied unenthusiastically.

  “Better than nothing,” Adam said encouragingly.

  “So you say,” Elliot retorted. Without another word, he disappeared into the sea of people.

  Thandie looked after him, unsure what to make of Elliot. What had been the point of that? Was he trying to bait her into saying something foolish? Or did he simply enjoy unnerving her? She watched his retreating back, his broad shoulders leaving a wide path in his wake.

  “Elusive as always,” a voice said.

  Thandie turned around to see the speaker. Standing directly behind her was a dark-haired man with even darker eyes. He was average height, well suited, and there was an interesting lift in his voice, indicating he was not native to the area. She imagined under any other circumstance, he would strike her as handsome. However, her eyes still lingered on the spot Elliot had just vacated.

  “Of course,” the stranger continued, “that’s why women can’t get enough of him.”

  “Ah, you’re back,” Adam said, having noticed their visitor. He reached around Thandie to shake the man’s hand. “I thought you would be out of town for a few more days.” Adam inclined his head to Thandie. “This is Rex Barrington. He handles the marketing for Club Babylon.”

  Rex held out his hand to her. “And you must be the legendary Ms. Shaw everyone has been talking about.”

  “I am Thandie Shaw,” she said as she accepted his hand. “However, I’m not sure about the legendary part.”

  Rex chuckled. “You’re a woman on Elliot’s payroll. Around here, that makes you quite famous.”

  “So I hear,” Thandie said with a snort.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you,” Rex confessed. “It’s just that we’ve never had a woman on the management team. I imagine you’ll have an immediate impact on the culture here.”

  “She’s a lot nicer to look at than Eddie,” Adam added with a smirk.

  “Of that, I have no doubt,” Rex concurred. “Elliot outdid himself this time.”

  At the mention of Elliot’s name, Thandie instinctively sought him out in the crowd. It did not take long to spot him. In the short time since speaking to her, Elliot had maneuvered his way back to the main floor, and obtained a new companion. Even from this vantage point, Thandie could tell her enlarged breasts were fake and her pale blond hair came from a bottle. Even so, her attributes were admirable. She was yet another reason why the average male would envy Elliot.

  The two were just about to head up the staircase leading to his office door, when they were distracted by someone stepping out of the crowd. It was Warren, and he was attempting to introduce Elliot to a dark-haired girl. It was not Tara. Thandie had to squint her eyes before recognizing her as the pretty Asian girl she’d met earlier that day.

  Elliot smiled down at the woman, before taking her fingers in his and pressing his lips to the top of her hand. His opened his mouth to speak, but Thandie was too far away to make out the words. Whatever he’d said had been brief, because Elliot soon continued up the steps. He and the blonde disappeared into his office, the entrance to which was immediately obstructed by the giant Michelle. It was little wonder why Elliot had retreated into his office with the woman. Thandie’s imagination ran wild with the possibilities.

  “Thandie.”

  She jumped at the sound of Adam’s voice. Quickly diverting her eyes, Thandie turned to face him.

  “Do you want to see the DJ booth?” he asked.

  She smiled. “Please lead the way.”

  Chapter Five

  Star Island

  South Beach, Miami

  11:45AM

  Elliot woke earlier than normal. It was a quarter to noon; practically daybreak for a person who kept his late hours. He hadn’t returned home until six this morning.

  All three of his clubs had been exceptionally busy the previous night. Elliot routinely split his time between his clubs, which were conveniently located within a few blocks of each other. Because Babylon was his largest enterprise, it demanded most of his attention. However, he checked in with the managers at his smaller establishments regularly. It was important that they know he was engaged in their day-to-day operations, particularly when money was involved.

  Typically, Elliot began his day at Babylon, would slip away for few hours to visit Lush and Red Door, and would return to Babylon shortly before closing to help with the shutdown. He liked to be on site when the money from the cash registers was collected. Closing the club up for the night was an efficient, yet time-consuming, endeavor.

  * * *

  With only a few hours of sleep, Elliot was surprisingly alert and ready to start his day. He indulged himself with a long workout in his home gym, before cooling off with a few laps in the pool. He felt invigorated, lighter than normal. He knew why. It was the thrill of a new hunt. He grinned as he recalled the look on Thandie’s face when he’d left her last night. She was damned cute when she was uncertain of herself. And sexy. He recalled quite vividly how those small shorts wrapped around her shapely bottom. He was looking forward to their dinner tonight.

  Elliot showered and dressed for yet another long day. Romero was just parking his car in the drive when he emerged onto the front porch. His assistant looked surprised to see him up and about prior to his arrival.

  Romero followed Elliot to his vehicle and got into the passenger seat. During the short drive to the Ocean Avenue bistro, they discussed his busy schedule. Predictably, the meal was cut short so not to be late for Elliot’s first appointment for the day.

  The two set off again, arriving at Club Babylon. It was early, and the club was slowly coming to life. Most of the lights were still off and only a handful of staff members was present. Elliot went to his office. Romero followed him, turning on the lights as they went, before using the office phone to dial into a conference call. Tapping the speaker button so that the sound of ringing filled the room, Romero quickly left the office to attend to other matters. Elliot was already behind his desk, powering up his computer while he waited for the managers of Lush and Red Door to join the call. Markie Duran entered the office looking tired, clutching a notepad and a cup
of coffee. These phone calls took a harder toll on Markie than the other club managers, because Babylon kept longer hours. Knowing Markie as he did, Elliot suspected he would take a power nap in his office before their evening meeting with the entire team.

  Within minutes, the managers of both clubs joined the call, and the sharing of statistical data from the previous night got underway. These meetings were cumbersome, but necessary. Each general manager was protective of his information, and the undercurrent interoffice competition was glaringly evident. The managers of Lush and Red Door strived to outdo each other with their gross revenues, and Markie was determined to upset both clubs by generating double their combined totals. These calls were highly combative and often frustrating. However, Elliot enjoyed the competition amongst his managers. He was the winner regardless of the outcome.

  An hour later, Markie still looked tired, but smug. He’d decidedly outperformed his cohorts from a revenue standpoint, but he had some improvement to do. As soon as the call was over, Elliot turned to him, and said, “Our capabilities should be better. We’re getting screwed on overtime hours due to all the confusion surrounding the reopening. Get our people trained up immediately. Also, I’ve looked at the budget for catering. We’re going overboard. Get with Eddie and cross-reference those numbers with the guest list we’ve been working on.”

  There was a knock before Michelle swung open his office door. “Nico’s here,” the giant grunted.

  Elliot turned away from Markie. “I think that will do it,” he said. “Gather that information for me, and let’s schedule some time together tomorrow.” Scooping up his paperwork and coffee cup, Markie exited Elliot’s office just as Nico entered the room.

  Nico was a boy millionaire who grew his fortune by making unusual but rewarding investments. He and Elliot had known each other since their college days. Elliot had been a student at the University of Miami while Nico, who attended school in Italy, had a habit of chartering private jets to fly himself and a group of friends to South Beach for the weekend. His passion for wild parties and pretty women made him and Elliot instant friends.

  Nico was Elliot’s closest friend and was therefore the only person who could honestly say he knew the real Elliot Richards. They shared confidences with the knowledge that the other would tease him mercilessly but in the end would help in any way possible. When Elliot wanted to buy his first club, it was Nico who had financially backed him. Although Elliot had managed to pay him back within a year, Nico had never mentioned the favor.

  Whenever Nico was in town, they were inseparable. Much like their college days, they spent most of the time discussing business, partying and sharing women. It was a routine that came as naturally to them as breathing.

  Elliot stood and met Nico halfway. They slapped hands and gave a brief hug.

  “You look like hell,” Nico said.

  Elliot grinned. “So do you.”

  It was a stupid greeting that they’d practiced since first meeting and for some reason had never grown out of.

  “When did you get in town?” Elliot asked.

  “Yesterday,” his friend replied. “I won’t be here long, but it was a necessary trip.” Nico claimed the seat behind Elliot’s desk and began fiddling with his cell phone. “I just got a new phone yesterday, and I can’t figure out how to check my mail. I made a trip to the store to have them explain to me how to work the damn thing, but that kid was all of nineteen and seemed to get off pointing out to me how little I understood about technology. I should have told the little snot that I own a sizable portion of the company that designed the phone. Ah, here we go.” Nico reached for the desk phone and started dialing.

  “Who are you calling?” Elliot asked.

  “The engineer who designed my phone.” The speakerphone echoed the automated ringing. It rang exactly four times before a squeaky voice answered.

  “Yeah?” answered the annoyed, high-pitched voice.

  “Ralphie, this is Nico.”

  The person on the other end cleared his voice. “Hello, Nico—I mean, sir. How can I help you?”

  “You can start by explaining how I can check my email on my phone. Several people have sent me messages, but I can’t set up my browser right.”

  “If you send it to me, I can adjust your settings.”

  “Not an option,” Nico said. “I’m in Miami for a few days.”

  “If you don’t mind giving me your cell number, I can connect to your phone and do the setup for you.”

  Nico agreed and called off his number to the tech. Allowing him some time to work, he swiveled in the seat and looked at Elliot. “Matrix is throwing another party tonight,” he said. “Are you up for it?”

  “Do you only come to town for Matrix’s parties?”

  Nico held his hands up in mock surrender. “What else is there to do?” He shot his friend a wicked grin. The last time they’d attended one of Matrix’s house parties, they’d participated in an orgy and woke up in Baltimore of all places.

  Elliot laughed. “I’m working tonight.”

  “You’re always working.”

  “I know.”

  “Lucky for you, Matrix expected you to say that. The party starts at nine. I’ll pick you up.”

  “I can’t.”

  “The Ripley twins will be there,” Nico coaxed.

  Elliot shrugged. “Tempting, but I already have plans.”

  Nico squinted his eyes at Elliot, looking suddenly suspicious. “Plans with whom?”

  Before Elliot could answer, the phone’s speaker came back to life.

  “You’re good to go, sir. Try to check your mail now.”

  Nico pulled out his phone and played with the keys. Satisfied, he grinned. “Thanks, Ralphie.” Without further preamble he hung up the phone. Not one to forget his train of thought, Nico picked up the conversation where they’d left off. “Plans with whom?”

  Elliot sighed, making it clear he was bored with the topic. “I’m meeting with a new employee.”

  “A new employee? I didn’t know you were in the market.”

  “Stop fishing, Nico.”

  “Fine. Keep your secrets. I’ll think fondly of you when I’m slutting it up tonight.” Standing, Nico came around the desk. “Oh, before I forget, Chris is going to be in town next month. You know how quickly his schedule fills up. I was thinking we could get in a game of racquetball. The bastard has beaten me the last three times we’ve played.”

  Elliot leaned against his desk. “Tell me the date and time.”

  “I’ll send you the info.” Nico slid his phone into his pocket and prepared to leave. “I’ll send your love to the Ripley girls.”

  Elliot chuckled. “You do that.”

  “Enjoy your meeting.”

  “I intend to.”

  * * *

  Thandie woke up to the sound of her cell phone vibrating. She flipped it open to see it was Amanda again. She took a calming breath before answering in a groggy voice. “Hi, Amanda.”

  “Oh, my gosh! You won’t believe what happened last night.”

  Thandie braced herself for the worst. She pulled the sheets over her head while she listened to Amanda’s dramatic tale about the opening of Rain Bar. This should have been an easy assignment, since Thandie had set up the event before leaving for Miami. She had assumed wrong. Amanda was up in arms because several key celebrities had bypassed the red carpet in favor of a side door, and missing any chance of photographers seeing them. That was a problem when putting together a big event. It was the promoter’s responsibility to make sure the press noticed the right people. Amanda was near tears.

  “Amanda, calm down. We can fix this.” Thandie took a moment to consider the options. “Make a list of who went in the side door. Call Nancy at The Post, and feed her blurbs focusing on those people. Surely you know or heard something that happened during the party. Let Nancy come up with her own assumptions; just give her enough to go off of. No embellishments. Let Nancy do that. Do you think you got that?�
�

  “Yes, Thandie. I’m so sorry,” Amanda sobbed. “I thought I had the side door handled.”

  “There’s no need in crying over spilled milk, Amanda. Just call Nancy and give her what she wants.”

  As Thandie hung up the phone, she wondered if she had made a mistake leaving Amanda in the office alone. So far, she was not faring well. She hoped this was just beginner’s nervousness, and Amanda would grow into her position...quickly. If not, Thandie would have to make some adjustments.

  Pulling on a pair of shorts, she washed up before heading downstairs to find something to eat. Warren was already seated at the breakfast nook reading a newspaper. Anga, the housekeeper, had laid out a small spread of fruit and muffin options on the kitchen island. Thandie plucked up a shiny red apple and joined Warren for breakfast. Well, it was actually a late lunch, since Thandie hadn’t woken up until well past one o’clock.

  Warren was in his usual cheery mood. “Hey, kiddo. How do you feel?”

  “Tired,” she said sleepily.

  Warren put down his newspaper, and leaned forward conspiratorially. “So what did you think about last night?”

  “Babylon is amazing, Warren.” And it was the truth. Aside from her run-in with Elliot Richards, her experience at Babylon had been very exciting. “You invested well.”

  “I knew you’d love it,” he said with an enthusiastic clap of his hands. “Does this mean you’re officially on board?”

  “I believe so. Elliot and I are going to discuss details today.”

  “Very good.” He picked up his newspaper, shook it out, and began scanning for the article he’d been reading. “Everything should go well. Elliot was impressed with you.”

  “Oh?” she said, suddenly intrigued. “What exactly did he say?”

  From behind his newspaper, she could see Warren shrug his shoulders. “Not much. He’s not a man of many words. He just said ‘he recognized an asset when he saw one’. That’s a glowing recommendation coming from him,” Warren said with a nod of his white head. “Believe me, if he didn’t approve of you, he would have told you so.”