Six years later…
Darrell sat in his office ripping the club’s alcohol distributors a new asshole. “I don’t give a fuck if your prices have gone up. We signed a contract and agreed that you would give six months’ notice before any increase in pricing. Now as soon as I get the correct invoice, you’ll get your money. End of discussion.”
He frowned as he listened to the man on the other end then leaned back in his chair and smiled.
That’s what I thought, muthafucka.
“Alright….yeah. Sounds good, Josh. Lata.” He hung up the phone and shook his head. “Go and run that racket on somebody else ‘cause I ain’t the one,” he muttered to himself as he looked over the expensive pricing the company had faxed over. Throwing it on his desk, he pushed the intercom to call his secretary.
“Yes, Darrell?” she answered.
“Angie, I need you to find Jake and send him to my office, please.” Jake had been the business manager at
Club Ecstasy
for the last three years. Day to day operation of the club ran like a well-oiled machine under his guidance.
“He’s in his office waiting on a customer. She should be here any minute now, but I’ll let Joanna know that you want to see him as soon as he’s free.”
“Oh! That’s right. That bachelorette party
Men of Fantasy
are performing at in a couple of weeks.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, well never mind. I’ll see him later. Thanks Ang.”
Darrell turned to his computer and starting catching up on some emails. In the six years he and Bryan had been partners, business had flourished. They made a good team and had fallen into an easy routine that worked for them. Bryan mostly took care of the behind the scenes business aspect while Darrell oversaw the clubs themselves. Bryan said Darrell was more in touch with the younger generation and brought a fresh perspective which kept the club constantly packed to capacity. He was more than happy to let him take over.
Men of Fantasy
were more popular than ever. They hardly ever did bachelorette parties anymore, but were performing at this one as a favor to Jake. The client was friends with a frat brother of his who asked Jake if the guys would perform, which they agreed to with no problem.
Darrell, nor Marcus, had danced in years. However, Darrell made sure to keep his body in tip top shape. After all, he was the public face for the business. If he required that the guys look good, he wasn’t going to demand any less of himself. He looked at his watch. He was getting ready to head to the gym in about an hour.
As he finished the last email, he leaned over and reached for the phone, but immediately got sidetracked when his eyes went to the security monitor mounted on the wall. His hand stilled when a woman being escorted inside the building caught and held his attention. Darrell reached for the remote and magnified the screen.
“Who in the fuck is that….” he murmured to himself. He sat back in his chair and slowly twisted from side to side as he eyes narrowed on the woman being led to the elevator. Pushing a button, he panned in from a different camera and got a back view.
Damn. Very nice…
Although he knew he’d never met her before, something about her seemed….familiar. She wore her hair straight back in an almost severe bun, but it accented her high cheeks and the bone structure of her face.
And a very attractive face it is,
he thought. A twinge of excitement ran through his body that he hadn’t experienced in a long time. He’d been with different women over the years, but only to satisfy his physical needs. He rarely saw the same woman for any significant amount of time because after a while, they inevitably became clingy and he couldn’t stand that. At that point, they had to go.
As the woman stepped off the elevator and headed to Jake’s office, Darrell leaned forward to get a better look. His eyes quickly ran over her shape, but she entered Jake’s office before he was able to see much. He wanted a closer look.
Darrell pushed the intercom. “Angela. What’s the client’s name who has an appointment with Jake?”
“One moment….” Angela was extremely efficient. Darrell had no doubt she’d know the woman’s identity. “Her name is Jerra St. James.”
“Thanks.”
Darrell sat there for a moment, repeating the name in his head.
Jerra St. James…
An unusual name for what appeared to be an unusual woman. He hadn’t felt this kind of interest in a woman since...
Not finishing the thought, he stood up and walked to Jake’s office. After all, he needed to meet the woman he planned on spending the night with tonight. Knocking on Jake’s door, Darrell walked right in without waiting to be invited. He nodded once towards Jake before his attention was drawn to the woman sitting at the table opposite him.
His eyes were immediately riveted on Jerra St. James’ face, and he felt a sizzling jolt of electricity when he realized the attraction he’d felt wasn’t just a trick of the cameras. Darrell flashed the smile that had made him popular with half the female population in Vegas. He ignored the knowing twinkle in Jake’s eyes and waited for the expected reaction from the woman.
However, Jerra looked him over once, then immediately dismissed him before bringing her attention back to the contract. Darrell couldn’t quite hide his surprise.
Okayyy. Maybe she doesn’t like men
, he thought.
As quickly as the thought surfaced, he dismissed it when he realizing how egotistical it sounded. Seeing Jake opening his mouth to make introductions, Darrell subtly shook his head.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d met a woman who made him work for it. This one both intrigued and challenged him - and no one liked a challenge better than Darrell Jamar Monroe. He would see her again. And when he did - it was gon’ be on. He left out of Jake’s office with a smile on his face.
Hope you’re ready Jerra St. James. Cause ready or not, here I come.