Page 69 of The Biker and the Baker
Onyx
KnockKnockKnock.
“What?”
A topless Jules pokes her head inside my office, her costume bra dangling from one hand, an ice bucket of cash in the other. “Hey, Daddy. Sorry to bother you. Just wanna give you a heads-up that Kandy’s sneaking handies in the lap dance room again.”
For shit’s sake. “Thanks, Jules.”
These dumb bitches. Show them how to make good money and they still choose to be cheap whores.
As I push up from behind my desk, I check my phone the umpteenth time for a response from Pia. Nothing. The past few days has been like playing fucking Whac-A-Mole with her. Don’t know what the hell’s happened, but all of a sudden everything else is more important than me. Either she’s too “tired” to see me or a family member needs help with something, or a neighbor needs assistance, or she needs to hug a fucking tree because it looks lonely.
Nonstop excuses whenever I try to see her outside of work and it’s driving me up the wall. Ninety percent of the time my calls go unanswered and I’m lucky if she even bothers to open one of my texts, let alone answer it.
Suffice it to say, I’m not in a good mood. Especially to be dealing with stupid bitches like Kandy.
On the way to the lap-dance room, I spot Calvin. He’s in a VIP booth as usual, but by himself. Just staring off into space like a sad fucker. I suppose he’s got a lot to be sad about now that his life’s tied to the Italian mafia.
In the lap dance room, I scan for Kandy among the strippers giving private dances. Just in time, I catch the stealth move of the customer slipping her some bills, and her quickly stuffing them down her thigh-high boots.
With a disappointed headshake, I stride over and tap her on the shoulder. When she looks up and sees me, she jumps off the customer. Wrong move. It left the guy exposed, his dick half-way through his zipper.
“You’re out,” I tell her before she can start lying. “Go pack your shit. Turn in your locker keys.”
“Daddy, please—”
“Warned you. Now you’re out.” Glancing over to the bouncer stationed at the entrance, I jerk my head to Kandy and he understands. He comes over and pulls her out of the room.
To the customer, who’s thankfully tucked himself away, “You know the rules, Dougherty. And the consequences if those rules are broken.”
“My membership will be suspended for three months. I understand.” He nods and straightens with a regretful sigh, retrieves his membership card from his pocket and holds it out to me.
“Yeah, I’m not touching that.”
“Oh, right.” He chuckles nervously. “I’ll just, uh, get some alcohol and…”
“Yeah, you do that.”
He starts to leave then stops. “Do I have to leave right now, or can I finish the rest of the night?”
“Sure, but you’re limited to bottle service and stage show only.”
“Thanks, man. Thanks. Sorry for not following the rules. She encouraged it, but I know that’s no excuse.”
“No, it isn’t.”
After I’ve informed the staff of Dougherty’s status and seen to it that Kandy is packed and safely escorted out, I head back to my office and am about to enter when Calvin intercepts me.
“I need to talk to you about Pia.”
This motherfucker. “No, Cal, youdon’t.” I shoulder him out of the way and unlock the door. He forcibly shoves in behind me, jamming the door with his foot.
I swear this dude’s got a death wish.
“Things aren’t what you think with me and Pia,” he pushes. “If you’re really serious about her, then you need to know the truth about her.”
Truth? What truth?Part of me wants to punch him in the face, just knowing he’s had Pia. But I’ve known him long enough to tell when he’s trying to start a pissing war, and right now he’s being sincere.
