Page 8 of Speed

“Ah, Sami, you’re no fun. Our girl likes the surprises.” Nothing funnier than when a big man tried to pout.

“Umm...our girl...is not going to have teeth left in her mouth if you men don’t stop. And if I can’t get you to stop, will you at least pick up some sugar-free stuff? Last time she like, never went to sleep.”

“You got it, boss.” Tank hurried out after his reply to stop me from scolding because he knew that I knew they wouldn’t stop with the sweets. Why I bothered, I don’t know.

Before the door closed behind Tank, three of the girls walked in. There are days I’m surprised I ever got anything done.

“Hey, boss lady,” Candie’s always called me that since the first day I started. I met her when I first came to this town. She’d been nice to me, and we had hung out some. When I’d gotten my business degree and landed this job, she’d been thrilled. Seemed the last manager had expected freebies on the side from the girls and if that wasn’t enough, the fool thought he could slip a little extra from the till. Ummm...bold move when an MC owned the business you stole from. It hadn’t worked out too well for the man, at least that was what the rumor mill put out.

“Hey, girl, you are early. And I know it can’t be that you are trying to impress the boss because I don’t swing that way.”

“Christ, Sami, if you did you might have more propositions than you already get with the men that come through this place.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I may manage a strip club, but the employees here were some of the best people I have met.

“Oh, stop. You make it sound like I have men lined up around the corner.”

“Only ‘cause you don’t pay attention, or you shoot them down when they hit on you,” Babs said as she snapped her gum. The only time she’s not with a mouth full was when she danced. She’d been trying to quit smoking, and that couldn’t be easy in a place full of men every day, half of them puffing away.

“I’m just glad you don’t strip, hun. Shit, us others wouldn’t make a damn dime.” Syn was a petite redhead with green eyes. Her chest alone grabbed men’s attention. Toss in her curvy body, flawless skin, and she could make any other woman question her own looks.

I looked down at my breasts and then back up to Syn, “Wouldn’t make any money with these babies.”

“First off, you have a great set of tits, Sami. And no, I don’t go around daydreaming about you like half the yahoos out there.” Syn made the gesture over her shoulder indicating the men out in the bar as if we didn’t know who she was talking about. “Besides, you could own a set of these babies for the right price,” Syn said as she pushed her breasts together, making Babs, Candie, and I laugh.

“Geez, Syn, you always make me laugh.”

“Nothing but the truth, hun.”

“Alright, what time is it anyway?” I needed to finish my work so I could head home.

“One,” Candie answered as she looked down at her watch.

“Crap, I need to get this stuff finished so I can get home. Mrs. Mayson has a doctor’s appointment, and I told her I would come and get Spider so she could go. It’s my split day, and I will be back tonight after I get her ready for bed.”

“We’ll let you get back to work. We gotta go get ready anyway.” Candie started toward the door with the other two following behind. When they reached the door, the three yelled, “Later” as the door closed behind them.

I worked on the receipts, counted the money from night before, and placed it in the safe for deposit. Black Hawk would send someone down each day to take it to the bank. It was supposed to be the manager’s duty, but when they hired me, they said they would swing by and do it. My safety being the reason. They didn’t want me tagged for carrying around that type of cash. I have to admit, I was thankful. Might be a small town we lived in but why take a chance.

When I finished entering the information into the computer, I straighten the desk, grabbed my purse out of the bottom drawer, and got up to leave.

Walking into the kitchen to grab the box Perry had prepared for me, I stopped to talk with him and Bud, the young man who helped Perry out in the evening. We ran a limited menu for the bar patrons: burger, fries, onion rings, and a variety of cold sandwiches with chips. Once a week Perry came in early and fried chicken for that night giving a change up in the menu. The men who frequented the place had come to enjoy Perry’s little change in the items. It never failed that someone would try to get him to add a special item every evening from wings to pizza. Perry’s reply was always the same, “Thought you came to drink and watch the girls, you want shit you get from your wives’ or mothers’ kitchens, then take your ass to the diner.”

“Hey, Perry, thanks for setting aside some chicken for me. Looks like it is starting to get busy out there. I don’t know if it’s the girls or your food that draws them in.” I can’t help but tease the man. For sixty-five years old, he was in great shape, and he had been a godsend for this place.

“You’re welcome, sugar. You know angel face loves my chicken.”

“I don’t know why you call her angel face, the girl is like a tornado with legs, and when she does sit still for five minutes, I keep checking on her because it usually means she is contemplating her next move.”

“Sami, you need a man before that girl gets to her teens. You’re going to need someone to protect her or at the very least, look out that she doesn’t end up in jail. I’m undecided on how that is going to play out.”

I had listened to this from Perry almost every day on how I needed a plan of action started, so I didn’t have to spend my free time beating some random boy off with a bat. Thank God I still had a few years.

As I told Perry bye and headed back toward the front, I waved to everyone as I went by. Frankie was behind the bar and Bull was watching the floor.

“Darlin’, come over here and have a drink with us. I promise we don’t bite, and if we do, it won’t be hard.” Stopping by the table closest to the door, I smiled. Roscoe was one of the club’s regulars and a member of Black Hawk MC. The man had to be close to Perry’s age, but we have had the same banter every time he’s in the place, and I pass by.

“Ahhh, Roscoe, that won’t be the only thing not hard if you keep drinking like you do.”

“Darlin’, even at my age, that particular organ has no problem getting hard. I am sure all it would take is you to sit that sweet ass on my lap, and it would come to life.”

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