Never Enough Ch. 06

Marcus closed the entrance doors at 3:00am. I walked back to the dressingroom to hold a brief meeting with everyone while I had them all in one place. A few of the girls were surprised that I was buying out Jack and Barbara. They had a hunch Jack’s health wasn’t good and that he wanted out of the nightclub business. Many were afraid, he’d just close the business altogether. I assured them that closing J.R.’s wasn’t an option I’d consider. I didn’t go over any of my plans for the club. That’s something we’d all discuss another time.

Marcus stayed with me while I did the closing, just as he’d done with Barbara every morning. He knew the combination to the safe so he showed me. We left together with Marcus escorting me safely to my car. It was almost 4:00am when I pulled out of the parking lot.

The sound of the phone ringing woke me up. Checking my watch, I noticed it was almost noon. It was Matt on the other end from Los Angeles. He just wanted to chat and see how things were going with the video production company. I didn’t tell him too much, not sure if I could fully trust him. He might have some loyalties to Carl, being they were his exclusive distributor. Matt kidded me about coming out to L.A. and working for him. I jokingly told him I wasn’t interested in working for anyone, wanting to be my own boss. I did inform him that I was in the process of purchasing J.R.’s. The news seemed to shock him but he wished me luck. I felt the call was just a courtesy, sort of a “thank you for fucking me call“.

Amber and I made it to the club around 2:00pm. Marcus was already there, making sure the coolers were full. Amber and I checked the backbar and supplies. It was just the start of a long, long evening. Carl stopped by around 4:00 to see how I was getting along.

“Does this mean you won’t be doing anymore porn for me?” He asked. “Now that you’ve taken the club over.”

“No, no more movies.” I answered. “And……….that goes for Amber too.”

“Why not Amber?” He inquired, sarcastically. “You speaking for her now too!”

“Nope, I don’t speak for Amber.” I smarted back. “You can ask her for yourself.”

“Well, it was fun while it lasted!” He exclaimed, grinning evilly. “I made a ton off your asses.”

I wanted to come back with a smart reply but thought it best to keep my mouth shut and end the conversation. The quicker I got Carl out of my system and out of my club, so much the better.

Scott and Melissa came in around 9:00. The three of us sat up in the office discussing the video production company. Scott mentioned he found a few possible locations where we could set up. We’d discuss it the next day during our meeting. I asked Scott and Melissa if they’d mind if I set the meeting for late afternoon at the apartment. I felt more comfortable discussing business on my own turf.

Scott and Melissa arrived a little early for the meeting Sunday afternoon but we were prepared. The four of us sat around the diningroom table. Scott handed me a folder with some listings of commercial buildings. My idea of locating downtown didn’t look too promising. The buildings were old, multi-level and didn‘t offer much off-street parking. We decided to look into one of the smaller industrial parks, similar to Paramount’s location. We’d have to pay more on the lease but the facilities would suit our needs better. Vacant locations were plentiful except out by the airport but I didn’t want all that overhead noise anyway. We decided locating somewhere on the north or east sides would work best. Scott and I would check into it further.

I gave Scott and Melissa a copy of the business agreement I’d drawn up. It was pretty cut and dried, stipulating everything we’d verbally agreed to previously. I didn’t expect them to sign it without reviewing it thoroughly. The rest of the meeting, we discussed purchasing the necessary equipment and hiring the right people to operate it. The more we talked, the more anxious Scott and Melissa got. We still had alot of plans to get accomplished before we were ready to shoot our first video. I figured we were at least two months from being ready.

Monday morning, Amber and I got to the club around 8:30 and put on the coffee. Melissa and Jackie arrived right on time, 9:00am. Jackie wasn’t going to stay long. She was going to run down and let Carl know she was quitting. Hopefully she’d be able to make contact with several of the guys before she left. I was counting on her. I hoped we’d get all six guys to come work for us but I wasn‘t counting on it.

The appraiser showed up around 9:30. I had Amber show him around the club while Melissa and I ran to the bank. I needed to set up bank accounts for both businesses, especially the nightclub. Barbara stopped by while we were gone. She didn’t stay long, just checking to see how things were going. The appraiser finally finished around 1:00. It would be at least another week before I’d get the results. Scott had suggested I get myself a good business attorney, recommending a few that he was familiar with. I’d need someone who was capable of doing much of the legwork for me if I needed it. I decided to take Scott’s advice and make the call. Scott had commented on one lawyer in particular, a close friend of his, Steven Wells. A quick phone call netted me an appointment for Wednesday morning to discuss my needs.

It was 8:45 when I arrived at the attorney’s office. The secretary was just unlocking the door as I walked up the steps to the old Victorian house that had been delightfully converted into an office building.

“Good morning! You must be Ms. Kramer!” She greeted me with a pleasant smile.

“Good morning. Yes, I’m Jennifer Kramer.” I replied.

“Mr. Wells is running a little late this morning.” She stated. “Catching up on some emails.”

I sat down in a comfortable chair in the waiting room, setting my attaché next to me. The young secretary was about my age. She was quite petite, 5’3” at most. Her frosted blonde hair and pleasant smile, her most notable features. She had a great figure, her breasts a little large for her small stature. She kept glancing at me as I breezed through a People magazine. I caught her staring once, her eyes quickly shifted back down to her computer. It was like she was trying to put my name and face together. Maybe she’d seen me somewhere before.

“Miss Kramer.” A man’s voice spoke.

I looked up seeing a very attractive man in his late-twenties. He was just shy of six foot, average build, slightly muscular with salt-and-pepper hair. His smile was as friendly as his secretary’s.

“I’m Steven Wells.” He stated, gesturing me towards his office.

I entered his office, sitting in a leather chair across from his oversize oak desk. The large floor to ceiling windows behind him allowed the morning light to filter into the room. The overhead ceiling fan making a soft whirring sound caught my attention as did the pictures of the Well‘s family. I didn’t get a good look at all of them but I did see Steven with his two sons, never noticing a woman in any of the pictures.

“I understand you and the Townsends are going into business together AND you’re also in the process of purchasing J.R.’s Nightclub on Pendleton.” He stated. “That’s quite an undertaking for just one person.”

We discussed the purchase of J.R.’s first, since that was the most pending situation. He offered the assistance of his legal services to draw up the purchase agreement and get all the licenses transferred over to my name. I handed him a copy of the rough draft on the purchase agreement I wanted. He looked it over, seemingly a little impressed. It just needed all the “I’s” dotted and the “T’s” crossed. He placed the draft in a new file folder setting it off to the side.

We conferred on the contractual agreement between me and Scott and Melissa concerning Venture Productions. He asked what kind of business it was the three of us were forming. I didn’t hesitate to inform him of the basics of the business going into greater details as we conversed. I gave him a copy of the contract I’d given Scott and Melissa, so he could review it for his own knowledge. We discussed leases, employee contracts, accounting procedures and business licenses.

I wasn’t crazy about Steven’s firm handling all the start-up legalities but I did need someone to help get me things taken care of initially. I gave in, agreeing to pay for his firm’s legal assistance. Once I was on my feet, I’d just use him as needed. I didn’t want to put him on retainer and then not need him. It was almost 11:00 when our meeting ended. I gave him my cell phone number and email address so he could easily contact me.

Since I’d missed our daily 9:00am meeting with Amber, Jackie and Melissa I started tracking them down to see how they were progressing. Amber was at the nightclub. She and Marcus were getting the coolers and backbar filled. Jackie was at the studio. She’d made contact with four of the six guys. From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she was having luck in convincing the guys to come work for us. She had some other news she wanted to let me in on but she didn’t have the time right then. Jackie said she’d stop by the club later, after work. I couldn’t get in touch with Melissa, figuring she might not have her cell phone turned on.

I had some free time; something I thought quit existing in my busy life.

“Too bad there isn’t some horny, good-looking guy available right now!” I thought. “I could go for a little horizontal hokey-pokey!”

If I couldn’t screw, I’d go shopping. I strolled through the mall passing by the shoe store where I’d purchased my thigh-high boots. The salesclerk recognized me as I passed by, waving at me.

I didn’t need any more boots but I did spot a couple of pairs of high-heels that caught my fancy. I went in and tried on several pair before making more purchases than I should have. With shopping bags in hand I headed back out into the mall.

I love leather clothing so Broderick’s was my next stop. I tried on several pairs of leather slacks, black, brown and tan. With my additional purchases I looked like a pack mule without the long ears. I headed back towards the car to stow everything away. I still had a little time before the club opened so I headed back inside the mall to the stylish lingerie stores. By the time I finished shopping, I was a thousand dollars lighter. But I was smiling, not a forced smile, just a natural smile. It felt damn good too!

I stopped on the way to the club and picked up two large pizzas, knowing how much Amber and Marcus loved pizza. There were several deliverymen unloading their trucks so I offered them some.

“Always a good idea to keep your suppliers happy.” I thought, hoping to trade goodwill for fast, efficient and accurate deliveries in the future.

Jackie stopped by the club shortly after we opened. We sat up in the office, finishing off the rest of the pizza. Jackie said Chris, Richie, Ryan and Paul were anxious to come on-board with us. That just left Tony and Darren to contact. We could easily start with four guys but six experienced studs would be that much better. At least I wouldn’t have to interview new guys right off. That was one task I could mark off as complete.

“Guess what?” Jackie exclaimed. “I mentioned to Chris about you purchasing the club and making some improvements. He works with another guy on sound systems for the movie theaters. He said to tell you he’d like to have a chance at doing the club.”

“That’s great!” I exclaimed. “Give him my cell phone number, have him give me a call as soon as possible!”

“That ain’t all.” Jackie said. “Ryan and Paul can do carpentry work. You mentioned something about redoing the stage, didn’t you?

“Great.” I exclaimed. “Hope they can work during the daytime though. Now all I need is a frigging plumber. Don‘t suppose Richie‘s a plumber, do you?”

“The only pipe Richie can lay is his dick!” Jackie exclaimed laughing.

At least I had guys I knew who could help me get the repairs and improvements done to the club. That was a great relief. Things seem to be falling into place quicker than I’d expected. I owed Jackie alot more than just an increase in her pay.

Thursday morning’s meeting revolved around Jackie’s good news. She and Amber were going to try and contact Tony and Darren. Melissa and I were going to look at a building on Franklin Road that might suit our needs for a studio. She made a call to the realtor and asked him to meet us there.

The building was a stand-alone, one-level structure. It was a fifteen-thousand square foot concrete block building with a tall chain-link fence surrounding the lot’s entire perimeter. There was an office on each side of the main entrance and two restrooms but no shower facilities. Two tall overhead doors were located along one side of the building. The electrical and security system had just been updated. The owners were asking $6000 a month lease, not too bad considering the condition and location. I asked the realtor for a copy of the lease agreement so I could let my attorney look it over. I wasn’t about to jump into a $6000 a month debt without getting legal advice first.

Thursday night at J.R.’s was the busiest I’d ever seen it. Fawn and Amber were so busy between 3:00 and 6:30; I had to have Marcus help out. We were making money hand over fist, just the way I like it! Carl stopped in around 8:00; business had leveled off to its normal flow. It gave me a chance to have a drink and smoke a cigarette without having to put it down every couple of minutes.

“Got a few minutes to talk?” Carl asked. “I think you and I need to discuss matters.”

“Sure.” I replied. “Let’s go up to my office.”

We walked up the winding stairs to the loft office, Carl’s nose damn near up my butt. Instead of sitting at my desk, I suggested we sit at the conference table. I made sure the table was always cleared and materials put away after our daily 9:00 meetings.

“I’ve got a strange feeling you and your bunch are trying to put me out of business.” Carl boldly stated. “I’ve lost four of the guys AND Jackie within the past couple of days.”

“Carl, I’m not interested in the slightest in putting you out of business.” I replied. “I may just give you a little friendly competition. That’s all!”

“I should have never hired you.” He said. “You’ve used me to get where you’re at now.”

“Oh, well what about Matt and Paul?” I responded. “If it weren’t for Amber and I, you might be looking for another distributor. Ever think about that? We were just two paid whores doing our job!”

Carl didn’t reply, knowing damned good and well, he’d used us. He cupped his hands in front of his face, not to hide a grin, more than likely, to hide a frown or sign of contempt.

“Well, I won’t go down without a fight.” Carl boldly stated. “I’ve still got Fawn, Andrea and the other girls under contract. Guys I can always get, there a fucking dime a dozen!

“Dimes won’t buy you much nowadays!” I smarted back. “Tell you what I am willing to do though.”

“What’s that?” Carl asked. “Give me a fucking blowjob!”

“No, you haven’t got that many fucking dimes!” I quipped. “I’ll buy you out. Just give me a fair price.”

“No fucking way!” Carl replied. “Never!”

Carl practically ran down the circular stairs, heading for the club’s main entrance. He wasn’t taking the news of our video production company very well at all. It had me worried; Carl could be the type to retaliate. Might work to my advantage if I tried to work with him rather than against him. I’d put the question to the girls at tomorrow morning’s meeting. Wouldn’t hurt to get their input.

It was almost 4:00am before Amber and I got away from the club. Amber was asleep before we got halfway home. The long hours and lack of sleep were catching up with her. I needed to give her some time off; Sunday’s just weren’t enough.

Friday morning’s meeting was fairly short. Jackie hadn’t been able to make contact with Tony and Darren. We were still waiting on the attorney’s recommendation on the lease agreement. The appraiser hadn’t gotten back with me yet on the value of the nightclub.

“Carl stopped in last night.” I stated. “He was pissed when he came in, worse by the time he left. I’m a little concerned he might try to retaliate somehow.”

“You mean, he might have you roughed up or something?” Melissa asked. “You think he’d go that far?”

“Not Carl!” Jackie exclaimed. “He probably went home and sulked, maybe pounded his fist on the table a time or two, but that’s about all he’s capable of. He’s a mouse, not a man.”

“You know him pretty well.” Amber stated. “Guess it’s all those years of working with him.”

“Well that and……..” Jackie hesitated. “Carl and I were married once. I was his wife number two.”

We all surprised at Jackie’s revelation. None of us knew all that much about Jackie other than she was single and had a grown son and daughter. No one made a comment; none of us knew what to say.

“We were married less than a year.” Jackie’s voice broke the silence. “Wasn’t much of a marriage.”

The thought of where Jackie’s true loyalties might lie crossed my mind. Maybe she still loved Carl but didn’t want to admit it. I wasn’t sure. It was something else I’d have to worry about.

Jackie offered to keep trying to contact Tony and Darren. Amber was tired from the previous evening so I suggested she go back to the apartment and catch up on some sleep. Melissa and I would take care of getting the bar ready for the Friday night crowd. We walked Jackie and Amber out to their car, taking the opportunity to get a breath of fresh air.

We walked back into the club and began stocking the bar with supplies. Friday night was our busiest night so we made sure everything was readily available.

Late in the afternoon, my cell phone rang but by the time I made the stairs to my office it quit. I checked the number, not recognizing it. I dialed the number back to see who it was. Sarah, Steven Well’s secretary answered the phone.

“I tried calling you to see if you could come in and talk with Mr. Wells about the lease agreement.” She stated. “I know it’s a bit quick but Steven said you were in kind of a rush.”

“There’s no way I can get away today.” I replied. “We’re opening in less than an hour and this is our busiest night. Tomorrow’s Saturday, don’t know if we could meet then or not.”

“Saturday’s Mr. Wells golf tournament at the country club.” She answered. “Could he stop by the club later on? Would that be possible?”

“Yeah, that might work.” I responded. “I’ll break away when he gets here.”

I wasn’t sure what all the rush was about on Steven’s part, but I was glad he wasn’t horse-assing around getting things taken care of. I was hoping he’d have some comments on the purchase agreement and the business contract between me and Scott and Melissa but Sarah hadn’t mentioned it.

It was almost 6:30 when Steven entered J.R.’s. His salt-and-pepper hair made it easy to spot him amongst all the other “suits”. The music blaring from the speakers was going to make it difficult if not impossible to talk.

“Can you get away for awhile, someplace quiet?” Steven inquired. “Just for an hour or so.”

I really didn’t want to leave being we were so busy but I was confident Amber, Fawn and Marcus could handle the club for a short time. I let Amber know I was going to be out for awhile but I’d have my cell phone with me. Steven escorted me to his car, opening the car door for me.

“How about some dinner?” He inquired. “I presume you haven’t eaten yet.”

Dinner seemed a bit much for discussing a lease agreement but I didn’t want to turn down his offer. The Italian restaurant was crowded but quiet. Steven and I were able to go over the lease agreement while we waited for our food. Steven stated he didn’t see any problems with the lease agreement; it was pretty much standard wording. I thought it odd, he just couldn’t have told me that over the phone. I asked him about the purchase agreement for the nightclub and the business contract. He wasn’t quite done going over them but so far he hadn’t found anything wrong with either of them. Our meeting seemed to be turning out to be more of a dinner date. I decided to relax and enjoy myself with Steven.