by Cooper, Doug
Chapter Eleven
Date: Friday, November 22, 2013
Dow Jones Open: 16,008.71
The valet plucked the ticket from Max’s hand. “It’ll be just a minute, Mr. Doler. We kept it close for you.”
Max nodded and tilted his head back, wincing in the glow of the showering neon. He hated the strip, but it was a necessary evil for business. Downtown was coming back, but not quite there for the power dinner when he needed to close a deal. And business visitors didn’t come to town to be carted off the strip. Maybe after a few trips, after they got tired of the gambling, celebrity chef restaurants, and brand-name shopping, the strip properties packaged into homogenized uniqueness. That’s why he always chose Joe’s Seafood & Steak at the Forum Shops for his business dinners. It was center strip, so easy for visitors to find, and since it was in the Forum Shops and not in the casino, there was a separate valet. He could zip in and out without having to set foot inside the casino. He loved to gamble, just not inside the shopping malls most of the strip casinos had become.
The valet pulled up in Max’s bronze Maserati Quattroporte. He exited the car, holding the door open and extending the key fob to Max. “Have a good evening, Mr. Doler.”
Max handed the valet the ticket with a ten-dollar bill. He slid behind the wheel and revved the turbo V6 engine, rumbling the twin oval tailpipes. Inside, the cool air blasting from the vents was a welcome change from the hot evening breeze blowing outside. Max emptied his lungs in relief, sinking into the body-hugging seat. The deal with McDonald’s was done. Their initial order was for $4.5 million Lapkins at $1.50 each by the following June 30, and another million due for each of the following three months. That was an initial payment of $6.225 million and another $4.5 million over the next three. He had produced a total of ten million in three years. He had seven months. His production cost was two dollars in the downtown factory. For his typical orders in which he packaged four together for $9.99, his profit came from the shipping charges. Without that, he would have to figure out a way to trim at least another seventy-five cents off the per unit cost. He could always outsource overseas, but he liked having the operation local to keep an eye on everything.
As Max contemplated each challenge, he pressed the modified accelerator deeper toward the floor. He needed to go fast. The Stratosphere loomed in the near distance. Weaving in and out of the Las Vegas Boulevard traffic, he imagined each passed car would bring him closer to answering the questions flooding his mind. He had been working so long and hard on this deal that he hadn’t considered what he would do if he actually got it. Anytime someone would bring up a risk or issue, he said, “That’ll be a good opportunity to have.” Now, on the other side of it, he wasn’t ready to deal with those problems. There would be plenty of time for that tomorrow. For now, he knew only two things for sure: after all the alcohol at dinner, he shouldn’t be driving, and he wasn’t ready to go home yet. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, in Vegas, as long you have a pocket full of cash, there are always people willing to hang out with you.
He zoomed past the Stratosphere, glancing up at the top through the moon roof. The red flashing OG sign winked ahead. “I’ll just go in for a drink and a quick drive-by motorboat,” he said aloud, like voicing his plan gave it more credibility and legitimacy. He angled into the parking lot and sped past the valet. He didn’t see the point in valeting at OG when he could park it himself and be in the club in thirty seconds. It wasn’t like he had to go up five levels in a parking garage and walk ten minutes. Plus he liked the walk to the car when he left the club to gauge just how much of a lawbreaker he was about to be during his short drive home. It also eliminated the chance the valet would not surrender the keys if they thought he was too drunk to drive. He knew they really didn’t care about him. They were just covering their own asses anyway.
Darius, the main host, immediately recognized him at the door. “Welcome back, Mr. Doler. It’s been a while. You want a booth?”
“Nah, just in for a nightcap. I’ll sit at the stage.” Max peeled off a hundred and a twenty and gave them to Darius. “Can you get a hundred in fives and keep the twenty?”
“Absolutely, Mr. Doler. Have a seat at the stage. I’ll send over a cocktail waitress and bring your change.”
Max breezed by the swarm of girls milling by the front, a pack of predators waiting for fresh meat, for the right drunk tourist to stumble in so they could separate him from his credit card and rack up a few thousand in charges. He felt their eyes on him—through him—sizing him up to determine if he was worth their time or if they should wait for a bigger fish to come on the line.
A Latino girl in her mid-twenties walked up and put her arm around him. “Where you headed, papi? Why don’t you take me in the back and show me what a big man you are.”
The top of Max’s head came up to the bottom of her breasts. He put his arm around her ass, resting his hand on her hip. “I’m just going to the stage to have a drink. Maybe later, babes.”
She stopped and pulled him toward her. She leaned over and pushed her boobs in his face, holding the back of his head and shaking her shoulders. “I’ll come find you, then you can come for me.”
A brown-skinned Asian girl on stage, wearing only bikini bottoms and five-inch wedges, crawled around on all fours, collecting the bills littered across the stage. A blonde with pigtails and D cups wiped the pole down, waiting for her turn.
Perfect timing for Max. He had always been a breast man. The bigger, the better. He sat directly at the stage. Darius dropped off his change.
A cocktail waitress approached. “What can I get you, sweetie?”
“Gin and soda with a lemon,” he said. He had told himself he was going to have only one drink, but he hadn’t thought about what that drink would be. The gin and soda order just popped. Once he said it, though, he knew it wasn’t going to be just one. Gin and soda was his drink when he had already had enough and was going to have a few more than a few more.
The DJ’s voice, in the standard strip club tone and cadence, flowed through the speakers. “Gentlemen, we’re still fifteen minutes away from two-for-one lap dances, but while you wait, turn your attention to the stage, where Jade is going to make you believe in a higher power.”
The opening notes of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” played. The DJ talked over the intro. “Joy, you’re on deck. Felicity is in the hole.” The music escalated. Jade sauntered toward Max. His drink arrived. He paid and ordered another without taking his eyes off Jade. Peeling a five from the stack Darius had given him, he tossed it on the stage. Jade shimmied out of her plaid skirt and untied her white button-down, revealing a matching sequined bikini. Bending over, she picked up the bill by pushing her breasts together. Max put another five in front of him. She picked it up with her hands, creased it lengthwise and put it in his mouth. Bending over on all fours, she crawled toward him and put her breasts in his face on each side of the five. Without lifting her arms, she pushed her shoulders together, snagged the bill, and leaned back, letting the bill slide down her stomach and fall between her legs. He flopped back in his chair. It was going to be a long night.
After Jade’s set, she joined him at the stage. She said, “Why don’t we go somewhere I can dance just for you.”
Max motioned for Darius. “Better get me a table after all.” He slapped forty dollars into Darius’s palm. “Make it a booth.”
Jade said, “Can I bring my girlfriend? It’s going to be two for one.”
“I don’t know if I can handle you,” Max said.
Jade cupped her hand around his crotch. “I think you’ll be just fine.”
The brown-skinned Asian girl who had been on stage before Jade joined them in the booth. Jade kissed her on the cheek. “This is Faith.”
The cocktail waitress arrived with another gin for Max. “Drinks, ladies?”
Jade said, “Let’s do a shot.” She turned to Ma
x. “How about it?” She ran her fingers through his thick hair and down his neck, pushing the suit jacket off his shoulder. “Let’s get this out of the way right now.”
Max nodded to the waitress. “Bring us three fireballs.”
Faith slid into the booth on the other side of Max. She loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. “Why so dressed up? You trying to impress us?”
Max had his arm on Jade’s shoulder, his hand resting on her right breast. They had to be fake. They were too big and too perfect. He said, “I had a business dinner on the strip.”
Jade nuzzled closer to him. “How’d it go, baby?”
The waitress arrived with the shots and set one in front of each of them.
Max flipped a black Amex on the tray. “Keep it open.” He picked up his shot. “Let’s just say it’s time to celebrate.”
Five lap dances and two more shots followed. Max was getting Vegas drunk, the kind of buzz that tourists who weren’t used to having alcohol available twenty-four hours a day got and locals tried to avoid altogether.
Faith straddled him, pulsing to Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
Jade kissed his neck and rubbed his chest. “Let’s go in the back where we have more privacy.”
“I don’t think I can take much more.” Max turned toward her. “I’d hate to disappoint you.”
Jade kissed the end of his nose. “I got something to keep you going.” She reached down into her bottoms and pulled out a baggie. Using her nail, she scooped some of the white powder and lifted it to his nose. He inhaled without hesitation. It was coke. Jade kissed the end of his nose again. “Good boy.”
Max tilted his head back and sucked a deep breath through his nose. He stared up at Faith, who was still on his lap, wearing only a thong. The coke hit him fast. He wanted more…of everything. He reached around and put a hand on each of her cheeks. “You’re coming, right?”
Faith shook her shoulders back and forth, her breasts bouncing in his face. “Of course. The celebration is just beginning.”
Both girls put their clothes back on, and with Jade on the right and Faith on the left, they led Max back to the VIP area.
Darius was there to greet them. “Ready for some privacy? It’s $350 per girl for a half hour and $600 each for an hour plus drinks.”
Max said, “Let’s start with an hour and how about a bottle of Veuve? I have a tab open with the cocktail waitress.”
“Of course, Mr. Doler. If I could just get your driver’s license. I’ll get your credit card from the front,” Darius said. “Girls, please escort the gentleman to booth one and make yourselves comfortable.”
The VIP area was a large, dimly lit room with a smaller dance floor not currently being used in the center, a separate bar, and private wraparound high-backed booths around the perimeter. Each booth had walls that extended to the ceiling and black sheer curtains across the opening to at least create the illusion of privacy. Being in booth one, at least they would be farthest away from the flow of traffic.
Jade pulled open the curtain. “Paradise awaits.” She removed his coat, which he had put back on out of habit, and hung it outside the booth.
Faith loosened the tie and lifted it over his head. “You won’t be needing this anymore.” She placed it on the hook on top of the jacket.
A waitress brought the champagne in a bucket with three glasses. Everything was moving fast for Max, too fast to think, but that was exactly what he wanted. He already had enough to think about. He didn’t need any more.
Darius returned with Max’s card and several papers to fill out. “OK, Mr. Doler. We just need you to sign this and close out your tab from the front. Here’s the receipt for the girls with your card and driver’s license, I just need to get a quick thumbprint next to your signature.” He put an inkpad on the table next to the receipt.
Anyone who has spent any length of time in Vegas knows it’s never a good sign when someone is asking for your thumbprint.
Max complied with all the requests. “You’re really making me work for this.”
Jade continued to stroke her fingers in a circle on the back of Max’s head. “Almost finished, babe, then it’s our time to have some fun.”
Darius put another receipt down on the table. “This last one is for the champagne. Just need you to add the tip for the waitress and total. If you want to add time with the girls, just let me know and we can add it on. No more signatures required.”
Max filled out the last receipt. “This is the hardest I’ve worked in a while.”
“That should do it.” Darius collected all the paperwork. “Take good care of him, ladies.” He drew the curtain as he left.
Faith picked up a glass of champagne and handed one to Max and one to Jade. “Here’s to a celebration to remember.”
“Or maybe one to forget.” Max said, clinking his glass to theirs and downing the entire thing.
Faith unbuttoned his shirt down to his belt. Jade climbed on top. She pulled the bag of coke out of her bottoms and poured some on her breast. Max bent down and snorted it off, growling in pleasure. Faith picked up the bottle of champagne and tilted his head back, pouring some in his mouth. She did the same to Jade then took a drink herself. She leaned over and licked Jade’s breasts and kissed Max’s chest.
Standing on the seat, Jade put her crotch in Max’s face. “You want to taste this?” She slipped off her bikini bottoms, wearing only a thong underneath. She pulled the front to the side, revealing a smoothly shaved surface. She pushed it toward Max’s face, then let the front of the thong snap back over the top. “Not yet, baby.”
Faith loosened his belt, unbuttoned his pants, and pulled down his zipper in one smooth motion. She thrust her hand inside his silk boxers. Jade gave him another bump, then took a condom from her purse. Dropping his pants to his ankles, Faith pulled his boxers down. Jade ripped open the package and slid under the table between his legs. Faith poured more champagne down his throat.
Things got a bit fuzzy after that. All Max remembered was, $5,500, six hours, two bottles of champagne, and one and a half orgasms later, he was stepping out into the Vegas morning sunlight. He estimated the second orgasm as a half because he couldn’t finish. Maybe it was closer to three quarters. He really didn’t know. He did recall ordering another bottle of champagne and them getting him going again, but not much after that until it was time to pay. He didn’t feel like racking up another hour just to finish, so he considered the second one a half. He could always round up and call it two when he retold the story. One thing he knew for sure, he shouldn’t be driving. Staggering, he closed one eye to find his car in the parking lot. He didn’t care though. He had driven in much worse condition when he had to actually go down to the parking garage the next day just to see if his car was there.
Dow Jones Close: 16,064.77
Chapter Twelve
Date: Sunday, August 26, 1990
Dow Jones Open: Closed
“My sweet Cai Yin.”
That was Crystal’s first memory, the first time she heard her mother say her real name. She was five years old. It was the night before her first day of kindergarten. Her mother, Valeria, was singing her a children’s song in Chinese.
“月儿明，风儿静，树叶儿遮窗棂啊,
(Bright moon, quiet wind, leaves cover window frames,)
蛐蛐儿叫铮铮，好比那琴弦儿声啊,
(Crickets are chirping, like the sound of the strings,)
琴声儿轻，旋儿动听，摇篮轻摆动啊,
(Soft tweedle, melodious rhythm, cradle rocks gently,)
娘的宝宝你闭上眼睛，睡了那个睡在梦中.
(Mommy’s baby closes her eyes, sleeps in a dream.)
报时钟,响叮咚,夜深人儿静啊.
(Clock tick-tack, ding-dong sound, in the quiet night.)
小宝宝快长大,为祖国立功劳啊.
(My little baby grows up quickly, contributes to the country.)
月儿那个明,风儿那个静,摇蓝轻摆动啊.
(Bright moon, quiet wind, cradle rocks gently.)
娘的宝宝,睡在梦中,微微露了笑容
(Mommy’s baby sleeps in the dream with a smile.)
Valeria leaned over Crystal to see if she was asleep. She wasn’t, of course. The first day of school was the following day, and Crystal was way too excited. She faked it anyway.
Crystal loved the sound of her mother’s voice. It was why she wanted to become a singer. Unfortunately she had only gotten to hear her mother perform live a few times. Clubs and bars were no place for a young girl, according to Valeria. By the time Crystal was old enough, Valeria had stopped doing live gigs. Crystal still had several cassette tapes, which she wore out from listening over and over, of live performances and audition recordings. And of course there were the countless one -on-one performances singing along with whatever music her mother had decided that Crystal should learn. Valeria would always be a star in Crystal’s eyes.
Stroking Crystal’s hair, her mother whispered, “My sweet Cai Yin. You’re growing up into such a beautiful young girl. I’ve always loved the sound of your name. It means silver fortune. Maybe I shouldn’t have changed it. I just thought it would be easier. There’s so much I want to tell you. Someday maybe…when you’re ready.” She continued to hum the song.
Crystal knew a little bit about her past. How could she not? Her first look in the mirror, she knew she was different. Not in a bad way. Just no one she had seen looked like her. The Mexican features from her mom mixed with the Chinese from her dad creating quite an exotic beauty. The black hair from both seemed to compound and deepen the color, radiating a purplish hue. She had her mother’s narrow face and angled jawline that rose to high, prominent cheekbones, creating a shelf to display the narrow, dark eyes of her father. Crystal had frequently questioned Valeria about her father, but over time, her mother’s rigid body language and vagueness in response taught her to stop asking.