When he said he wanted to show me off to everyone, I knew he was bullshitting me, because there was only one person he wanted to show me off to…and that was Jett.
12
“Upside”
Rex
The sweet taste of my cigar drifted out of my mouth as I puffed the thick smoke into the air. My temper got the best of me after I got off the phone with Leo the other night, the controlling fuck.
After Zane Black presented me with his business merger, I couldn’t be happier about the prospect of securing Lot 17 and tarnishing Jett Colby at the same time. It was a win-win for me. Granted, I had to relinquish some of the rights to my club, but Zane was a good business man; I trusted him to bring in more members than I could imagine, especially since most of the men he raced with were from foreign countries.
Overall, it was a smart business move, but unfortunately, I was the only one who believed so. After I saw Zane to the door, I called Leo to tell him the news, but he was less than thrilled. He said he didn’t trust the man, and wouldn’t put it past Jett to set up the whole deal.
The man was paranoid. Jett wasn’t smart enough to set up such a deal, and what would he get out of it in the first place? There was no point.
I wound up arguing on the phone with Leo until I hung up on him. When I walked upstairs, I heard Goldie talking, and that’s when I lost it. After hearing Leo talk about Goldie being an insider for Jett and this whole Zane thing, I saw red. I started connecting the dots, and that’s when I went ape shit on her.
When I grabbed her phone, I was expecting to hear Jett’s voice, see his name on the screen, but instead, it was Diego, a harmless piece of trash on Bourbon Street that happened to put on a suit and tie occasionally. The man was trying to be competition with our club, but fell short, with his less than elegant reputation. It didn’t surprise me Goldie would talk to him; they came from the same gutter.
Even though she wasn’t talking to Jett, I still took her phone, because frankly, I really didn’t trust her. I had my own agenda, but sometimes, there was a look in her eyes that led me to believe she had her own agenda as well, and that’s what scared me.
What could she possibly do, though? She wasn’t smart, she wasn’t intelligent at all, actually. She was a pair of tits with a good body. Yeah, she said funny things on occasion, but she was crude, crass, and classless. She belonged up on stage, for all the men to play with her, because that was all she was, a plaything. She would never amount to anything; she wasn’t someone you really took to an event or introduced to your mother. No, she was the girl you fucked in a shady motel to get your fix, and then left for something more sophisticated.
The sooner she figured that out, the better.
Irritation about tonight filled me as I thought about the time constraint I was in. I was in the club, waiting for Zane Black to show up, but had a gala to attend with Goldie. The main point of me attending the gala was to confirm a couple of votes for myself for Lot 17, but what I was looking forward to the most was seeing the look on Jett Colby’s face when I showed up with Goldie on my arm. Just the thought of it had my anxiety hanging back.
Everything seemed to be falling into place. Lately, I’d been a little harsh on Goldie, but in the end, I could see her needing me more and more. After we secure Lot 17, I’ll be making my move with her. I don’t want to play around anymore. I want her to be the one up on stage, the one the members dominate. It would be the final nail in Jett Colby’s coffin.
Checking my watch, I thought about how Zane was a couple minutes late. He didn’t seem like the type of businessman to be late, especially when we had a scheduled time set up to meet.
The girls were ready for their first performance. Blane was going to be demonstrating on Bizzy tonight, leaving Mercy alone. I found that I didn’t want her to be the first to go; I wanted her to be a show-off item, a woman men wanted to come back to see. Bizzy would be a good starter, but Mercy was the girl the men would crave, no doubt about it.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Zane come to the front door on the security camera. Straightening my tie, I approached the front of the club. All the other members who were attending tonight were mingling in the main room, getting their drinks and talking about the festivities. I had Zane enter from the front, because I wasn’t quite confident yet in giving him full access to the club. I wanted to read his initial reaction when he we toured the facility. Plus, I needed to confiscate his phone, just in case.
From the security camera, I could see he wasn’t shifting in place; he didn’t seem nervous, he looked confident and excited. I was a man who read people’s body language and looking at Zane, he seemed like he wasn’t the least bit concerned about showing up tonight, a sign that he was here at my club for the right reasons, to have a damn good time.
Opening the door, I greeted Zane with a warm handshake.
“Z, so glad you could make it.”
“Thank you.” I shook his hand while he looked around the entryway. “I’m glad you sent a driver, because I’m not sure I would have been able to find this place.”
“We keep it low key on purpose. Once we induct you as a member, we will give you access to the back entrance, which is more private and easier to find.”
“Can’t wait,” he said with a crooked smile.
He stepped forward, but I stopped him with my hand. “Before we walk in, I need you to put your phone in one of the safe deposit boxes that you can access once you leave. We don’t allow any recording electronics in the club; I’m sure you can understand.”
Without a blink of his eye, he nodded, grabbed his phone from the inner pocket of his jacket, and handed it over. I showed him where the boxes were and how he could access it once he left. The girls did the same thing with their personal items.
“Alright, let’s get started,” I smirked, as I led Zane back into the club.
Light mood music was playing over the club speakers, setting a more provocative tone for the members. Yellow lights bounced off of the base of the walls, casting a small glow around the room, giving it an almost sinister look. Everything about the club, I loved. It was dark, it was dangerous, it gave men like me, men who had to be on their best behavior in the public eye, a chance to let go, to have some fun without being judged.
The members nodded at Zane and myself as we walked in, acknowledging our presence. When entering the club, you might see someone you know or work with, but the business side of our lives was never discussed. That part of our lives was never brought up because the club was a safe place for us, a place to step outside the professional lives we lived and indulge. No one talked about the club and what happened outside of it.
“This is the main room,” I told Zane, who was looking around in appreciation.
“I could see bringing my guys here, easily. Are you going to stick with the same theme when you win Lot 17?”
When I win, I was really liking this guy.
“Blane is in charge of the bar and also the demonstrations.”
“Demonstrations?” Zane asked, while we walked over to the bar.
“Yes, we pick one girl a night, who Blane dominates in front of the men, shows them how to properly dominate her. The members love it; it allows them a chance to fulfill a fantasy they might not get back at home.”
“Ahh, so some of these men are married.” Zane nodded his head as he looked around, worrying me slightly.
“We have a non-disclosure contract each member has to sign. Whatever they happen to see in the club is not to be mentioned outside of these walls. It’s a general understanding.”
“Naturally,” Zane replied. He nodded at Blane and said, “Two fingers of Jameson, please.”
Blane acknowledged Zane’s order and started filling it. He was a good bartender, kept to himself, did the job correctly, and then entertained after. Blane was one of the best decisions Leo and I had made for our club. The members looked up to him and the girls obeyed him. It was perfect.
The day Leo approac
hed me about hiring Blane, I was apprehensive at first. I went to school with him and he was much larger than me, when it came to his muscular frame, but sometimes brains beat brawn, and when it came to Blane, he made the wrong moves in his life. Leo and I were able to capitalize on his wrong decisions, just like with the girls in the club.
When we were searching for employees, we made them take lie detector tests, to find out their darkest secrets, what skeletons they were hiding in their closets, and like the master manipulators we were, we used those secrets against them. Did I feel like I was cheating them? Yes, but then again, that was business. Only the strong survived.
Taking a sip from his drink, Zane surveyed the room once again, fidgeted with his watch, and then said, “Tell me about the back rooms. Those are what I believe my friends will enjoy the most.”
“Yes, I believe that’s what every member enjoys the most,” I said, as I started walking to the back hallway. “Once we acquire Lot 17, there will be more rooms, but right now, we have four playrooms where members can pick one of the girls to come back here with. Mind you, it’s a handsome fee to have sex with one of the Masquerade girls, but well worth it. They have signed contracts to allow the members to do whatever they want to the girls, within reason of course.”
“Of course,” Zane tipped his cup toward me. “How did you get the girls to participate in the club? Do you plan on hiring more? Three doesn’t seem to be enough.”
“We have plans for more to come in. It’s hard to find willing girls. They have to be desperate, they have to need the money, and they have to have something we can hold against them.”
“Like what?” Zane asked, starting to ask too many questions for my liking.
Brushing him off, I said, “We can get into that later. It’s something we don’t need to discuss right now. Come with me; I’ll show you the back rooms where members aren’t allowed.”
For the next half hour, I gave Zane a tour of the club, explaining the inner workings, and how we were able to get away with having such a club in the city. Thanks to my connections, we flew under the radar. Zane grew more and more interested with each passing moment, leading me to believe we were going to have a deal by the end of the night, a deal that would clinch everything I’d been striving for.
I took a look at my watch and realized the gala started an hour ago and the girls were going to be coming out soon. So, I took Zane back to the main room and introduced him to a couple of the men that would be sticking around.
“Unfortunately, I have another event I have to attend, or else I would stay longer.”
“Oh, please don’t let me hold you back,” Zane said with a grin. “I’m sure I’ll be plenty entertained.”
From what I had seen Goldie put together over the last week, I knew he would be very much entertained.
“Shall I call you in the morning to arrange contracts?” I asked, while holding my breath.
The light music in the main room cut and the lights dimmed, pointing to the opening where the girls first showed themselves. Mercy’s honey colored hair arrived first, as she strutted out onto the stage. She was a show stopper, no doubt about it.
Looking back up at me after seeing Mercy, Zane nodded his head and placed one of his business cards in my hand. “We’ll be in touch.”
I shook the man’s hand with a new-found excitement brewing inside of me.
Taking one last look at the club, I acknowledged my accomplishment, and went back to my town car, in which I would be taken back to my house to pick up Goldie. I was quite excited to see how the dress I picked out for her fit, and I was even more excited to see the look on Jett Colby’s face when I walked into the gala with her on my arm.
This was just the beginning of the end for the man. You should always tread carefully when dealing with such powerful men, because you never knew who they might know and what they might do to stay on top. Unfortunately for Jett, his time was coming to an end.
13
“No One’s Gonna Love You”
Jett
“I can’t get over how beautiful it is in here,” Keylee cooed as she held onto my arm a little too tight for my liking.
To say I was annoyed with the little tart hanging all over me was an understatement. Goldie was right in not liking the girl; she very much had an end goal of becoming a Jett Girl, and she didn’t hide it one bit.
Once again, she was wearing a purple dress, this one a little sluttier than others I’ve seen her wear. This one was decorated with a full slit up to her hip and her breasts spilling out the top. Men around the event gawked and women judged. I wondered if she hurt me more than helped me when going to these events. She gave the illusion that there was something between us, since she accompanied me, but by the way she dressed, it made it look like I enjoyed such a woman, when there really was only one woman who caught my eye, and she wasn’t even in attendance like I thought she would be.
A little piece of me was annoyed about the fact that she wasn’t here. I wanted to see her, my soul needed to see her, to just catch a glimpse of her beautiful face, her smart mouth, and perfect body. I craved her like a drug, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t tamp down the feelings.
I didn’t just need to see her because it would settle the craving I was fighting, but because I needed to see how she reacted around Rex; I needed to see if my heart was still being held tightly in her hands, or if she really had let me go. Did I still matter to her? Was she really still thinking about me?
Many sleepless nights had greeted me from such thoughts. It killed me not knowing where we stood, whether she was meant to be in my life.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. Ignoring Keylee’s blabbering, I pulled it out of my jacket pocket and looked at the message from Zane.
Zane Black: Got everything. Will see you in the morning for delivery. You’re home free, man.
The faintest of smiles crossed my lips at Zane’s news. I wanted to celebrate; I wanted to run to Rex’s house and steal Goldie for myself, but I knew I couldn’t react until I had the evidence in my hand. I couldn’t divulge any secrets until I knew for certain that what Zane gathered was enough to take down my father and Rex.
“What a pleasure to see you here,” came a voice from behind me.
Speak of the devil.
Turning slowly and dragging the ever annoying Keylee with me, I came face to face with my father.
“Dad,” I nodded. “You remember Miss Keylee Zinc, don’t you?”
He wasn’t supposed to be here tonight; he wasn’t on the list of attendees, but leave it to my father to change his mind and make an appearance.
“How could I forget such a gorgeous face?” he said, while taking her hand and kissing it, all the while staring at her breasts. He most likely did so to make me mad, but he could stare all he wanted. I could care less. “Why is such a beautiful woman as you hanging out with a boy when you could be wrapped up with a real man?”
Keylee giggled and pushed him away gently, while I gritted my teeth. The man never passed up an opportunity to put me down.
“Mr. Colby, your flattery doesn’t escape me. If only I ran into you first,” she winked at me. It took every muscle in my body not to roll my eyes at her. Little did she know, I would gladly hand her over.
“It’s never too late to upgrade, my dear.”
Giggling some more, she covered her mouth and shook her head. “You’re terrible.”
My father bit down on his lower lip and took her in one last time before pulling his gaze back to my annoyed one. I wasn’t annoyed that my father was blatantly flirting with my date, no, I was annoyed that I was related to such an embarrassing human.
“Tell me, Jett, are you worried about the interviews next week?”
“Not in the slightest,” I replied with confidence.
“Word on the street is your bid isn’t the one being considered.”
Not wanting to talk about Lot 17 in front of Keylee, I said, “It’s improper
to talk about business at a social event with a female present. It would be rude.”
Anger crossed my father’s face as I threw his words back at him, the same words he would say to me all the time when growing up.
Straightening his tie and clearing his throat, he glanced at Keylee and said, “I do apologize, Miss Zinc, for being so improper; will you forgive me?”
“Of course,” she replied, looking a little uncomfortable from the tension rising between my father and me.
“I just don’t know if that apology will do; let me make it up to you. Will you do me the honor of joining me on the dance floor?”
Keylee looked up at me, and I just nodded, letting her know it was fine.
With a bright smile, she took my father’s arm and he led her out to the dance floor, but not without turning around to look at me. The look on his face was one of victory, but what he didn’t know was, he already lost.
Scanning the room, I watched members of the elite of New Orleans milling about, introducing themselves to one another, mingling and forming new partnerships. Women held onto their men’s arms and the men held small tumblers in their hands, gradually sipping on the contents.
Being part of such a society was always boggling to me. New Orleans was full of old money and traditions. These galas weren’t really for charity. Yes, the money was to benefit a cause for that week, but mainly they were for the powerful to conduct business out from behind their desks. To make deals in public without anyone knowing. It was shady, it was political, and I hated that I lived in such a world. I wanted to do good, I wanted to offer opportunities to those less fortunate, but in order for me to do so, I had to be a part of such a community.
A sharp laugh came from the dance floor, where my dad was twirling Keylee around. Her head was thrown back and, clearly, she was having a good time with him, something I would never give to her. Maybe they were made for each other.