"It's called a Smuggler's Cove Hurricane."
"I think I've found a new favorite drink." Picking up the glass, I finally headed in the direction of the VIP section.
"Ciao, Bella."
I took a fortifying drink before I responded. "Hello, Gio. I hear it's been an interesting night."
"Si, it has. Camille handled it well, considering two bouncers were no-shows tonight."
"Let me guess, Leo and Isaac."
"Something tells me this is common for them."
“It is. I was hoping, with the changes taking place, they’d straighten up, but I guess not.” I just discovered another con to being manager. If someone needed to be fired, it was my job to do it.
“Sometimes,Tesoro, we have to do things we don’t particularly like. You look tense. Is something wrong?”
I snorted at his comment. “Tense. Yeah, that sums it up. I just had to give Chablis her one and only warning. She’s been pinching requests from some of the newer dancers. Once or twice it wouldn’t be an issue, but she’s taken lap dance requests that belonged to two others on several occasions this week. I swear I wish she would give me a reason to fire her ass.”
“You really don’t like her, do you,Bella?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Si. Care to tell me why?”
I finished my drink and set the empty glass on the table before I answered. “She’s always had this attitude about her where she thinks she’s better than everyone else. It’s as if she thinks she’s just slumming for a little while before she goes back to her nice house in a rich neighborhood. Her attitude pisses me off. She’s a snob.”
“I can see why that could cause anger.”
“She’s not better than any of the other girls. In some ways, she’s worse. She’s...she thinks about herself and only herself. She’d throw anyone under the bus to save herself.”
“She has no honor.”
“Exactly. You get it.” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. She knows she’s on thin ice. She fucks up again and she’s gone.”
“Tell me, if she is such a difficult person, why are you keeping her on the payroll,Bella?”
I considered his question for a moment. “She’s a bitch, yes, but she does a good job. She has a number of regulars who come in for lap dances every week without fail, and just like everyone else, she has bills to pay. I won’t fire her just because I don’t like her, but if she breaks the rules again, she’ll be gone so fast her head will spin like Linda Blair’s did in the Exorcist.”
Gio’s laughter did all sorts of things to me. “What’s so funny?”
“Ah,Tesoro, you have such a way with words. That is all.”
“Whatever. I should get back to work.” I took my empty glass with me and deposited it at the bar on my way back to the dressing room. I wanted to make sure Chablis wasn’t causing any more trouble and I really needed to get away from Gio before I embarrassed myself.
