Page 29 of Deuce

“I apologize Mr. Dillinger.”

“Don’t be sorry. Be careful.”

I frowned deeply as I headed back to my office on the upper level. Tonight was the grand opening of The Elixir Lounge, my newest legal venture. The staff was busy getting everything ready. WithAurabeing permanently closed, now was the perfect time to open the doors. I’d moved the grand opening up by a week. Of course, my house manager was furious with me. She was still hiring bottle girls and bartenders when I made the decision.

She cursed me from here to hell while I smiled in her face. It was funny that she thought managing this place took precedenceover actually owning it. She could be mad, but I bet she made shit happen. I wasn’t playing her a six-figure salary for her job to be easy.

I vetted her for a reason. Leann Wallace ran a tight ship. She was a beast at keeping order and getting the job done. I had the pleasure of seeing her in action at another lounge a few years ago. That same night I offered her the deal of a lifetime, quit her job, and come manage the other four lounges I owned. She drove a hard bargain, but I wanted her, and I got her. Currently, she was downstairs vetting the new bottle girls. I caught a brief glimpse of them over the railing, but hadn’t paid much attention. I hadn’t been here since in a few weeks due to the demands of my family’s illegal dealings. Now that things had settled down for the time being, here I was.

I sat at my computer looking over inventory and making sure we were fully stocked and ready to go for tonight. The doors were opening at seven and with the buzz surrounding this opening, we were sure to be packed.

There was a knock on my door before it flew open. I didn’t even have to look up.

“Yes, Leann?”

She was the only person here that wasn’t afraid of me and was bold enough to barge in without a formal invitation. She took a seat in front of my desk and crossed her legs.

“When these girls fuck up your shit tonight, I don’t want to hear your mouth.”

“Them fucking up would be a reflection of you. You hired them.”

“Yes, I did. But you, sir, cut out an extra week of training. Some of them have it, some of them don’t.”

“Then the ones that don’t better get it and they better get it quick. We open in four hours.”

“Then maybe you should come light a fire under their ass.”

I looked up from the inventory and into her pretty face. Leann was fine as a muthafucka. She got off on telling me what to do and most of the time I let her because she was usually right. I’d never admit that to her, though. Closing out the checklist, I locked the computer and sat back.

“You love to sass me,” I said.

She smirked. “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I could fire you.”

“You could, but you won’t.”

“You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

A stare off commenced before I kissed my teeth and conceded.

“Fine. I’ll talk to them and then I need to leave to get ready for tonight.”

“It takes the pretty boy four hours to get dressed?”

I stood and came from behind my desk. “Don’t ever call me that again. I’m a full-blooded nigga through and through.”

She giggled as she stood and walked ahead of me. My eyes drifted to her ass in the form fitting skirt she wore. I could just see that shit clapping against my thighs.

“Stop looking at my ass, Deuce,” she said, not even looking back.

“Tell your ass to stop looking at me.”

I followed her down to the main floor where the girls were huddled up talking amongst themselves. I had to admit, she hired some fine ass women.

Leann stepped forward and clapped her hands, gathering their attention.

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