The Club

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘And Kalli.’

  ‘Yeah, right,’ JoJo muttered, wondering what everyone saw in the miserable little Chinky. Always telling people what to do, and giving it with the inscrutable-eyes business. JoJo couldn’t stand her.

  ‘See you later, Terminator,’ Austin said, already dancing away.

  ‘Oi, money,’ JoJo called after him. ‘You still owe me for the last one as well, and I’ve got to buy a leccy card on my way home or I won’t be able to have a bath.’

  ‘Stop whinging,’ Austin said, whipping a tenner out of his shorts and shoving it in her hand.

  ‘Oh, that’s gross,’ she complained, holding it away from herself. ‘It’s still warm. And I bet it stinks of bummy cock.’

  ‘Oi, you cheeky whore. I’ll have you know I spray my willy with Lynx every ten minutes.’

  ‘Yeah, and I have to cut mine off every night ’cos it keeps growing back.’

  ‘I always knew you were a man,’ Austin snorted.

  ‘With tits like these?’ JoJo retorted sarcastically. ‘Yeah, right.’

  ‘Call them tits?’ Austin shot back. ‘I’ve seen better on the trannies down the Brittania.’

  ‘Fuck off!’

  ‘Love you too.’ Blowing her a kiss, Austin danced away with his E clutched in his hand. Waving as he passed Leonard and Avril on their way out, he called, ‘See you later, Mr and Mrs D.’

  ‘Did you hear that?’ Avril snapped, glaring after him. ‘Mr and Mrs D, indeed! Who the bloody hell does he think he’s talking to?’

  Ignoring her, Leonard struggled to hide his smile as he continued on out of the door. The boy had not only shown him a kindness tonight, for which he would be eternally grateful, but he’d obviously gone to the trouble of finding out their names, too – which quite took the sting out of what had otherwise been another thoroughly miserable night.

  He still hadn’t managed to speak to Jenny alone yet. And he’d missed the opportunity to chat with Tony Allen, too, because the man had left early – with the same sluttish blonde whose easy passage into the VIP lounge had so enraged Leonard earlier.

  Still, it was nobody’s business but Allen’s if he chose to pick up prostitutes. It wouldn’t make Leonard think any less of him. All Leonard had ever wanted was to be a part of the celebrity circles he’d spent so many years on the edges of; to have people acknowledge that he was still a force to be reckoned with. And what better way of gaining the recognition he craved, than by being associated with Tony Allen, who obviously had the power to draw influential people to him.

  At closing time, Jenna eased herself onto a stool at the lower bar while Fabian saw everybody out. Apart from the twenty minutes or so that she’d spent chatting to Tony Allen earlier, she hadn’t sat down all night and, once again, she was exhausted.

  Smiling when Vibes joined her, she said, ‘You look as wiped as I feel.’

  ‘I am,’ he admitted, covering a yawn with his hand.

  Popping her head out of the kitchen door just then, Kalli said, ‘I’m making coffee if anybody wants one?’

  ‘Oh, yes, please,’ Jenna said.

  Telling her that he’d love one, Vibes picked up a beer mat and turned it over and over on the bar, wondering how to ask Jenna the questions that had been on his mind all night. Deciding that the direct approach was best, he said, ‘You know that man you were talking to earlier – Melody Fisher’s boyfriend. He’s American, right?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Jenna nodded. ‘Not that you’d ever guess that you two came from the same place,’ she added, smiling as she thought how different Tony’s loud, aggressive accent was compared to Vibes’s altogether softer, more laid-back drawl.

  ‘What’s his name?’

  ‘Tony Allen. Why? Do you know him?’

  Narrowing his eyes, Vibes pursed his lips as he rolled the name over in his mind. ‘Don’t think so,’ he said after a moment. ‘I just thought he looked kind of familiar. What do you know about him?’

  ‘Not a lot,’ Jenna admitted, thanking Kalli when she put their coffees and a small sugar bowl on the counter. ‘I met him for the first time last night. He’s only been in England for two weeks, apparently – brought his girlfriend over for a break, because she’s been working so hard. Isn’t that sweet?’

  ‘Mmmm,’ Vibes murmured, stirring sugar into his cup.

  ‘Something wrong?’ Jenna asked, curious about his response.

  ‘Not sure,’ he replied quietly. Then, shrugging, he said, ‘Nah. I’m probably way off track. Don’t worry about it.’

  ‘Worry?’ Jenna repeated, frowning now. ‘Well, if there’s one thing guaranteed to make me worry, it’s being told not to.’

  Sighing, Vibes ran a hand over his face. He should have kept his mouth shut, but it was too late now. Jenna was waiting for an explanation.

  ‘Look, don’t quote me, because I could be totally off the mark,’ he said. ‘But he’s got a look about him, that’s kind of like . . .’ Pausing, he shrugged. ‘Let’s just say he looks connected.’

  Gazing blankly back at him, Jenna shook her head.

  ‘To the mob,’ Vibes said quietly.

  Laughing incredulously when she realised what he meant, Jenna said, ‘Tony? Don’t be daft! He’s far too charming to be involved in something like that.’

  ‘Hey, don’t be fooled by the friendly face,’ Vibes warned her. ‘Some of the most charming guys in the States are connected. Sophistication and charisma are tools of the trade for those guys.’

  Smiling now, sure that he was wrong, Jenna said, ‘Oh, come on. I’m sure you’d be able to tell if someone was into something like that.’

  ‘You’re too trusting,’ Vibes told her quietly. ‘Look, tell me to mind my own business by all means, but can I ask what you were talking about?’

  ‘Nothing really.’ Jenna shrugged. ‘We were just comparing notes, because he had a club of his own. I think it amuses him that a woman can run an empire without a man to guide her. Apparently, it wouldn’t be so easy for me in the States.’

  ‘True,’ Vibes admitted, peering shamefacedly down into his coffee. ‘It’s still a bit of a man’s world over there, I’m afraid.’

  ‘I suppose I should be grateful that you don’t think like that, then?’ Jenna teased. ‘Or you’d never have stayed on to work for me after my dad died.’

  ‘Sure I would,’ Vibes murmured, smiling shyly as he added, ‘women are way more appreciative.’ Forcing himself to look at her then, he said, ‘But, seriously . . . about that guy. Like I said, I could be wrong, but just in case I’m not, do yourself a favour and don’t get too involved with him.’

  Seeing the concern in his lovely blue eyes, Jenna nodded her agreement. She knew that he wouldn’t make something like that up for the sake of it, but even if he was right, Tony was just a friendly customer as far as she was concerned – nothing more, nothing less. And whatever he did or didn’t do when he was at home was none of her business.

  Finishing her coffee now, she changed the subject, asking Vibes if he had anything planned for tomorrow.

  ‘Nah, I’m just gonna laze around,’ he told her. ‘Gina’s taking the baby to her mom’s, so I’m planning on catching up on my sleep while it’s nice and quiet. She’s a cute little thing, but, man, does she make noise now she’s teething.’

  ‘Painful.’ Jenna gave him a sympathetic smile. ‘So, Gina’s English, is she?’ she asked then, not wanting to seem like she was being nosy, but curious to know about Vibes’s wife.

  ‘Yeah, she’s from Yorkshire,’ he said. ‘Took a bit of getting used to the accent, but she’s a great girl. And lord only knows how she copes, what with the baby crying all night, and Kenneth making an unholy mess wherever he goes. The guy can’t put nothing back where he found it.’

  ‘That drives me crazy,’ Jenna said, laughing softly. ‘I like everything to be in its place, but Jason just thinks I’m a neat freak.’ Clamping her mouth shut as soon as the words slipped out, she gritted her teeth angrily. Why the hell was she still
talking about that bastard in the present tense? Would she never be free of him?

  Vibes sighed softly. So, there was a Jason, was there? Well, at least he knew for sure now, so he could stop wondering. Shame, though, because he had a feeling that he and Jenna could have had something. But, hey, who was he kidding? She was his boss – end of.

  5

  Before Jenna knew it, Zenith had been open for a full month and was doing better than she’d ever dreamed possible. The publicity that they’d received after the opening party had certainly helped, especially the picture of Chase Mann on the front of the Evening News, with the club’s smoked-glass doors with the etched gold ‘Z’ clearly visible behind him. That had proved to be a huge draw for young girls from all over the country, who turned up in their droves, desperate to get near the sexy rock star – and, hopefully, be the one he chose to take back to his hotel at the end of the night. But he was usually so out of it by the time he left that his manager would literally have to carry him out.

  Shots of various stars coming and going had begun to feature regularly in some of the nationals’ gossip pages since then and Jenna kept a close eye on them, making sure that the publicity stayed positive. So far, it had all been good, and she couldn’t have been happier as her profits climbed steadily. She was actually contemplating paying herself a wage instead of just covering her living expenses if things carried on as they were, and she might even think about taking a day off, too. A whole day to just lounge around in her nightclothes and watch TV, read, or listen to music. Or maybe she’d take a drive out to the country and lie on a nice secluded river bank somewhere, watching the swans float serenely by. Or she could visit the cemetery and put flowers on her parents’ and Damian’s graves. Anything that didn’t involve the club, because she’d been living and breathing it for five solid months now.

  As had Fabian.

  In her office with him at the end of the month, counting the takings ready for banking in the morning, Jenna noticed the dark hollows under his eyes, and the yawns that he kept covering with his hand, and realised that, like her, he hadn’t had a single day off since this had started. But while it was one thing for her to give up her life for the sake of the club, it was quite another to expect him to sacrifice his.

  Pouring two glasses of wine when they had finished, she joined him on the couch and told him it was time that he took a break.

  ‘I don’t need one,’ Fabian replied without hesitation. ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘No, you’re not,’ Jenna laughed. ‘You’re shattered.’

  ‘I am fine,’ he repeated firmly.

  It was a lie, but he wasn’t about to admit that Melody Fisher was the real cause of his exhaustion. He’d never met a woman who could outfuck him before – and that was saying something. But it was no longer the thrill that it had been at the start. Quick dash to the office whenever she clicked her fingers. Quick snort. Quick shag. No talking. No affection. No satisfaction. Fabian was beginning to understand what his past conquests had meant when they’d complained that he only wanted them for their bodies. Not that he wanted a relationship, or anything, but it was so cold that he was finding it increasingly difficult to get aroused. Although it didn’t seem to have affected Melody’s ability to orgasm. The woman was insatiable.

  But it wasn’t just the sex that was wearing him out. The coke situation was doing his head in, too.

  Melody had been in every single night since the reopening party, and she expected Fabian to have her supplies ready and waiting. But it didn’t seem to have occurred to her that he actually had to pay for it. And it was more expensive than ever right now, because there was a shortage and the dealers were milking it. And there was all the other stuff to take into consideration, too – like all the running around he was having to do to get hold of it, and his increasing paranoia at the thought of being caught in possession of it and losing everything he’d worked so hard for.

  If Fabian could’ve turned back the clock he’d have wiped his damn nose before setting foot out of his office that first night, because if Melody hadn’t caught him she’d have had nothing to hold over him. He would probably still have shagged her, but it would have been on his terms. Now she had him over a barrel and it could only get worse, because the more frustrated she got about Tony’s seeming reluctance to take her home, the more coke she demanded. And the more she took, the more she craved it. It was a vicious circle, and Fabian was terrified that she would get careless one of these days and drop a bomb that would explode in his face.

  He was so worried, in fact, that he had kept the CCTV tape that he’d accidentally recorded of them that first time. Initially, he had intended to destroy it in case it got into the wrong hands. But then he’d decided that it would be better to keep it as insurance – proof that she’d been a willing participant, should she ever cry rape or anything stupid like that. It would be an absolute last resort, though, not something he would bring out unless she gave him no choice. And then he would have to run, because Tony Allen would probably try to kill him.

  Right now, though, Fabian was stuck between the rock of meeting Melody’s demands and the very high ledge of not doing so. And there wasn’t a thing he could do about it, except sit it out and pray that Tony would agree to take her home soon.

  Watching Fabian as he wallowed in his thoughts, Jenna shook her head. If he was as fine as he made out, how come he was struggling to keep his eyes open? And why was his chin getting closer and closer to his chest? Tapping his leg, she smiled amusedly when his head jerked up.

  ‘Not tired, huh?’

  ‘I’m fit as a fiddle,’ he grunted, sitting up straighter and widening his eyes. ‘There. Do I look tired?’

  ‘You were practically asleep,’ Jenna pointed out. ‘Anyway, I’m not asking you, I’m telling you to take a break. I’m sure we’ll manage without you for a week or two.’

  ‘I don’t want you to manage without me,’ Fabian countered, frowning now. ‘You might decide that you don’t want me back.’

  Before Jenna had a chance to deny this, there was a knock at the door.

  ‘Guess what I’ve just heard . . . ?’ Kalli burst in without waiting for an answer, her pretty face glowing with excitement. Stopping in her tracks when she saw Fabian, she said, ‘Oh, sorry. I thought you were alone.’

  Assuring her that she wasn’t interrupting anything, Jenna said, ‘What have you heard?’

  Flicking a nervous glance at Fabian, who was giving her the cold eye, Kalli said, ‘Austin’s friend works at Morgan’s, and he reckons their door takings are right down. And The Nest is supposed to be even worse. They’ve started a happy hour to try and bring the customers back, but it isn’t working.’

  ‘Wow!’ Smiling, Jenna turned to Fabian. ‘That’s great, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah, great,’ he murmured. ‘Is that it, Kalli?’

  ‘Er, yes.’ Kalli backed towards the door. ‘I just thought Jenna would want to know. Anyway, I’d best get going. Austin’s waiting for me.’

  Turning to Jenna when they were alone again, Fabian said, ‘I don’t want to burst your bubble, but that might not be as good as you think. It’s one thing losing a few customers, but nobody can afford to lose too many. If the other clubs realise we’re the cause, they’re going to get pissed off.’

  ‘But that’s just part and parcel of business, isn’t it? Nobody’s got the monopoly on customers.’

  ‘No, but businessmen aren’t the most magnanimous of people when their profits are under threat.’

  ‘Well, that’s not very fair,’ Jenna said, frowning now. ‘It’s not my fault if my club’s more popular than theirs. They should make more of an effort to keep people interested.’

  ‘True, but that won’t stop them blaming you. Just don’t be surprised if they start playing dirty, that’s all I’m saying.’

  ‘Dirty? How?’

  Shrugging, Fabian said, ‘Slashing their door prices. Going all out on drinks promotions so that we can’t compete. There’s a
ll kinds of ways they could get at us. And if it costs them more in the short term, they might figure it’s worth it to put you in the red.’

  ‘That’s outrageous,’ Jenna gasped. ‘We’re only charging the going rate on the door, and the drinks aren’t cheap, so it’s not like we’re undercutting anyone. What am I supposed to do? Sack all the DJs so nobody wants to come?’

  Peering into her angry eyes, Fabian smiled to himself. She was clueless about the cut-throat nature of this highly competitive business, but she looked so damn raunchy when she was pissed off, if she wasn’t his boss he’d be tempted to . . .

  Whoa, there! He pulled himself up short. He might go there one day – when Melody had gone and his dick had recovered. But not now. He was too knackered to even think about getting it up.

  Sighing resignedly beside him, Jenna finished her drink and shrugged. ‘Oh, well. If anything happens, I’ll just have to deal with it, won’t I? But I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, and I’ve got no intention of lowering my standards to satisfy whoever can’t match them.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ Fabian said approvingly. She had balls, you had to give her that. Finishing his own drink then, he put his glass down and got up. ‘Think I’ll make a move,’ he said, stretching languidly. ‘Anything you want me to do before I go?’

  Smiling up at him, Jenna said, ‘Yeah, book yourself a holiday. Just let me know when you’re going and I’ll have the agency send a temp in to cover for you.’

  Sensing that she wouldn’t stop going on about it if he didn’t seem to make an effort, Fabian agreed to think about it, but he had no intention of doing it. This was his club, and there was no way he was leaving the way clear for some chancer to come in and take over – like he had with his predecessor.

  Anyway, there was no way he was risking going off the scene while Melody was still in town. If she started suffering coke withdrawal symptoms and he wasn’t there to make her feel better, there was no telling what she’d do. And he didn’t fancy coming back to find Tony Allen and the goon waiting for him.