Never Enough Ch. 12

Sarah was still sound asleep when I woke up the next morning. I grabbed a quick shower, fixed my hair and make-up. Sarah woke up briefly while I was getting dressed. I reminded her about going down to the courthouse to get her bartender's license.

"Oh yeah, Ok, I will." She responded, still half asleep.

I checked in on Amber, making sure she was alright before I left for the club. I barely had enough time to stop for coffee at a local convenience store. David's electricians were waiting for me when I arrived at the club.

"Still think you'll finish up tomorrow?" I asked Chris.

"Yep! We should be done before noon tomorrow." He replied. "Bet you're getting tired of getting up so early."

"Well, kinda." I responded. "But it'll be worth it, I'm sure."

I told Chris and Jared we were moving the shooting location up to the Geist Reservoir area. I think Chris was as excited as I was about shooting in a home instead of a studio. We talked briefly about the new lighting before I went up to the office to catch up on some paperwork.

Marcus arrived at the club around 8:00 so I decided to leave early for the 9:00 meeting. David Thompson pulled his service truck in along side my car as I exited the club. I waited on him to see if we needed to discuss anything. We greeted each other but didn't converse. David seemed like he was in a hurry.

Frank and Jackie had the clothing from Carl's all unloaded. It was stacked in several of the cubicles to keep it out of the way. Frank was loading the new sound and camera equipment in the truck.

"Carl let us have the racks and all." Jackie stated. "We cleaned him out."

"Did you notice anything else unusual while you were there?" I asked.

"All the sound equipment was covered up. The limo and motorhome were gone." Jackie replied. "There's not much left."

"Carl say anything?" I questioned.

"Nope, not really." He seemed anxious for us to get everything and get out of there." Frank replied. "It took us two trips to get everything."

Amber arrived for the meeting right on time. We discussed her leaving in a couple of weeks. Frank and Jackie were both surprised at the news. She was an important part of our production group. I wouldn't replace her, at least not right away. Just the three of us would run Venture Productions.

"Why don't we meet up at the house from now on?" Frank suggested. "We'll have the equipment up there."

"I really need to decide where we're going to place everything." I responded. "Maybe after the meeting we can all go up and look over the house again."

"I can get Ryan and Paul's guys to move all the office furniture for us." Jackie stated. "Shouldn't be a big problem."

"Wonder if they'd be willing to move you out of your apartment while they're at it?" Frank questioned.

"Let's hold off on me moving up there." I replied. "I've got enough to do right now without taking on that job."

"Did you get the lease agreement drawn up?" I added.

Frank handed me the one-page lease agreement. It was a simple lease agreement written as I had requested it. I didn't hesitate to sign it and hand it back to Frank.

"You're sure you really want to do this?" I inquired. "You and Jackie aren't going to want to live there."

"I'm moving in with Frank." Jackie answered. "We're going to live up in Westfield."

"Besides, if I lived on the lake all the time, I'd probably get tired of it." Frank said. "I like to just go to the lake and spend time on it."

My cell phone rang just as we were getting ready to leave for the house. It was David Thompson. My first thought was that they'd run into a serious problem. I didn't need any more worries right now.

"No, no problems. Everything's going better than planned." He said. "I just called to see if you might be free for lunch this afternoon?"

"Oh, well………I'm leaving to go up to Geist right now." I answered. "I'm not sure if I'll be busy all day or not."

"Well, I understand." Dave muttered, sounding disappointed. "Maybe another time."

"How about dinner?" I quickly suggested. "I can probably get away later in the day."

"Great!" He replied. "I'll call you later in the day and see what time's good for you!"

"Ok, I'll be looking forward to your call." I said.

Even though I wasn't ready to date anyone, I didn't see any harm in going out to dinner with him. Dave seemed like a nice, down-to-earth guy. Someone I could relate to without feeling intimidated.

Amber rode with me up to the house on the lake. Frank and Jackie followed behind us in the cargo van. Amber had never seen the house so she was quite excited. Frank handed me two sets of keys to the house when we got there. The four of us walked around deciding where to stage everything. Five bedrooms afforded us the luxury of having plenty of rooms to shoot in. We decided to put everything in the family room off the foyer. It was large enough and out of the way, yet conveniently located. I still felt strange being in the luxurious home. After living in the apartment for almost two years, it would take getting used to.

We unloaded the equipment from the van and temporarily set everything in the diningroom. Jackie got in touch with Ryan and Paul to see if they could help move the rest of the office furniture and equipment. It seemed like such a hassle but it would work out for the better. Amber suggested we get some groceries and stock up the refrigerator. It didn't sound like too bad an idea. Frank told me where the nearest supermarket was so Amber and I went shopping.

We passed by Scott and Melissa's house on the way back. I noticed a realtor's sign in the front yard, near the road. It got me wondering if they were really having financial troubles or marital problems. Melissa seemed hot to fuck just about anybody. Maybe she already had!

After we got all the groceries put away, Amber and I sat out on the patio. Frank and Jackie were to meet the guys so they could move everything else out to the house. Amber looked at me, grinning.

"This house is where you belong." She stated. "It's you."

"If I lived here, maybe." I responded. "Seems like I live at the club more than anywhere."

"Maybe you should think about changing your life." She suggested. "Take more time for yourself."

"I've thought about it, really I have." I replied. "Maybe if I'd planned better, I wouldn't be in such a mess right now."

"What you need is a good steady fuck buddy!" Amber exclaimed, grinning. "Someone to keep you horizontal for awhile!"

"Maybe I'll have Richie give me a workout." I quipped. "Or Ryan or Paul."

"That's not what I meant." Amber said. "I mean someone special, like a boyfriend."

Maybe that was what I needed, but in due time. Right now, I didn't have enough time to get much sleep let alone have someone special in my life. Certainly not another Steven Wells!

Thinking about Steven reminded me I needed to call him. I dialed his office on my cell phone. The phone rang eight or nine times before he answered.

"Hello David, this is Jennifer." I spoke. "I meant to call you earlier but I forgot."

"Well, that bitch Sarah didn't show up for work this morning!" Steven exclaimed. "I've tried calling her apartment but she's not answering. I ought to fire her and get someone else."

"You won't have to fire Sarah." I stated. "She's working for me at J.R.'s. In fact, she's starting this evening."

"Bet you'll have her in one of your porn flicks in no time!" Steven exclaimed. "She's no damn better than the rest of your whores!"

It was useless to try and talk with Steven any longer. I ended the conversation without saying another word. If he was thinking about replacing Sarah, he'd evidently not been offered the job with the prestigious law firm. I would have been surprised if he had.

Amber and I hung around at the house till 2:00 before heading down to the club. Ryan and Paul were moving the office furniture into the family room. We were set to meet at the house for the following morning's meeting.

Sarah was waiting for us in her car when we arrived at the club. She had her bartender's license in hand, nervous but anxious to get started. Amber showed her the dressing room and the keypad entry system. The two disappeared into the dressingroom to change out of their clothes. I took a deep breath hoping Sarah would work out.

Sarah came out of the dressingroom wearing black thong panties with black patent leather high-heels. She was definitely going to get noticed.

"Three blondes behind the bar! Hope that meant good luck!" I thought.

Amber and Fawn showed Sarah how to operate the cash register and where everything behind the bar was located. She got her tip jar all set up. Sarah glanced up at me, standing at the railing looking down on the three of them. I gave her the thumbs up sign and wished her luck.

Marcus opened the front doors right at 3:00. By 4:00, the club was half full. Wednesday's were becoming one of our busier nights. Sarah was doing pretty well behind the bar. With her looks and tits, she could make all the mistakes she wanted to and no one would complain.

I was sitting at my desk catching up on some bookkeeping when my phone rang. It was David Thompson calling about our dinner date. We agreed to have him pick me up at the club around 7:00.

I grabbed a shower and dressed in a white leather skirt with a red blouse, trimmed in white lace down the front. I had to borrow white high-heels from Amber. My red feather earrings complimented the outfit. I checked myself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom before stepping down to the bar.

"All dressed up for a big date, huh!" Fawn exclaimed, grinning. "Betcha got fresh undies on!"

"I've always got fresh undies on." I responded, laughing. "One of my first rules for dating!

"Guess we won't be seeing you till tomorrow evening!" Fawn kidded. "Right?"

"No, I'll be back by 9:00 or 9:30." I quipped. "I'll be in before curfew, Mom!"

"How's Sarah doing?" I asked.

"Doing good, still a little nervous." Fawn replied. "But, hey! You were nervous too."

David showed up fifteen minutes early, entering through the rear service entrance. He looked quite handsome in his black double-breasted suit. He looked more like a lawyer than an electrical contractor. I laughed internally at the thought.

"Kind of overdressed for a Big Mac aren't you?" I kidded him.

"I was thinking more along the lines of White Castles!" He smarted back. "With cheese of course!"

I took hold of his arm as we made our way from the club.

"Hope you don't mind riding in my pickup." He apologized. "My car's in for repairs. Actually it'll have to be repaired before the junk yard will take it."

We ate at one of the trendy restaurants in the heart of downtown. The food was good but the service was slow. Neither of us minded that since it just gave us more time to talk.

I asked David if he had any children, already aware he was divorced.

"One daughter, Stephanie." He replied. "She lives with her mother down in Pensacola, Florida. I see her one week in the late spring and one week before school starts in the fall."

"Two weeks a year doesn't seem like much, does it?" I stated.

"No, it certainly isn't." David responded. "Seems like she's a million miles away at times."

"My ex-wife got remarried two weeks after our divorce." He added. "Think that hurts just as much."

"She had someone waiting on her, I take it." I said.

"Yeah. Waiting for better than a year, I think." Dave stated. "I can't blame anyone but myself though."

"Why's that?" I asked, before thinking.

"I was working up near Chicago for almost six months." He replied. "I'd only make it home one weekend a month, if that. I didn't realize I was neglecting her."

"What about you?" He asked. "Chris mentioned you were divorced."

"Yes, divorced for almost five years." I answered. "Married for less than one."

"Wrong guy or what?" David inquired.

"Wrong guy, too young and dumb, no money." I rattled off. "Our marriage was doomed before the wedding."

"What about kids?" He asked.

"No kids." I answered. "Was lucky I never got pregnant."

"Are you planning on having kids?" Dave questioned. "After you get remarried, I mean."

"Kids, maybe one, maybe two." I replied. "Not planning on ever remarrying."

We didn't say much during dinner. I noticed David seemed a little down, maybe from our conversation about kids and divorce. Maybe if I changed the subject to something more general, it would lift his spirits. My mind wasn't having much luck thinking of something to talk about.

"You have any interests other than your work?" I asked. "What do you do in your free time?"

"I love horses." David responded, smiling. "I've got a friend down by Shelbyville who's got a horse farm. I go down there on weekends and help him out. I ride whenever I can. Sometimes we go to horse shows."

"You have horses of your own?" I inquired.

"I wish! Maybe some day." He replied. "I need a decent place to live first. A house not an apartment!"

"Figured you'd have a nice home by now." I stated.

"I did. Should say, we did." Dave replied. "My ex-wife got everything in the divorce settlement. I kept the business. At least she didn't get any of that."

"How's your business doing?" I questioned.

"Doing great!" He exclaimed. "I hope to expand so I can compete for more jobs."

"Chris tells me you're video production company is scheduled to start shooting next week." He stated. "Bet you're anxious to see it finally all come together?"

"Almost too tired to be anxious but I am glad." I said. "Can't say I was the best at planning it though. Just thankful I've had some really good help to cover up my mistakes." "Good help is hard to find anymore." David stated. "Hard to find someone who really wants to work for a living."

"Tell me about it!" I exclaimed.

"How about taking a walk down by the canal?" Dave suggested. "It's a nice warm night."

David and I strolled amongst several other couples, joggers and residents of the canal district. He held my hand in his as we slowly walked along. We found an empty park bench so we decided to sit for awhile and watch the ducks swimming. The gaslights illuminated the canal with subtle warmth. It was quite romantic. I found myself squeezing David's hand, working my fingers over his.

"I was wondering if you'd be free Sunday?" He asked. "Maybe we could go horseback riding at my friend's."

"Sounds like a nice idea." I replied. "But I need to make sure we're ready to start shooting first thing Monday morning. I'm not sure I won't have to work Sunday to get prepped."

"How about if I help you Saturday?" Dave suggested. "Then we could spend all day together Sunday."

I was reluctant to accept his help, not really knowing how he felt about the adult video business.

"Are you sure it won't bother you working on a project like this?" I hesitantly asked.

"Well, if it means helping you out, it won't bother me." He answered. "We'd get to spend more time together."

We sat on the park bench for almost an hour before leaving. It was starting to rain as we pulled into the crowded parking lot at J.R.'s. I asked David if he wanted to come in for a drink or a cup of coffee.

"Maybe for one quick cup of coffee." He replied. "I want to make sure we finish up her tomorrow. How late are you planning on staying tonight?"

"Depends on how things are going, probably midnight." I said. "If we're still busy, I'll stay later."

"Doesn't give you much time to sleep." David stated. "That's not good for your health."

"I know." I responded. "I've got to work something out before I collapse."

We sat up in my office at the small conference table, chatting till almost 10:30. David left without trying to kiss me "good night". At first, I thought it was unusual.

"Maybe he's just shy." I thought.

Business tapered off around midnight so I decided to head for the apartment and get a few hours sleep. Sarah was doing great behind the bar with Fawn and Amber's help. She was doing pretty well in the tip department too.

I was running late the next morning, having forgotten to set my alarm clock. Dave's electricians were anxiously waiting to get in. I phoned Jackie and Amber to let them know I wouldn't make our 9:00 meeting. The guys finished up around 10:00. Chris and Jared went over everything with me including the remote controls for the lighting. I was more than pleased with the results. I could control the lights from the bar or my office, just like the sound system.

"I hear you and Dave had dinner last night." Chris said. "I didn't get a chance to tell him you weren't interested in dating anyone."

"That's ok." I responded. "Actually, I'm glad you didn't.

"So dinner went pretty well, I take it." He stated. "I'm glad you two hit it off."

"Well, it was just a first date." I replied. "Hard to say if we'll hit it off or not."

"You've got to think positive, Jennifer!" Chris exclaimed, smiling. "Keep thinking positive!"

I made a quick run to the bank before driving up to the house. Frank and Jackie were putting the beds together that we'd purchased. The bedroom suites looked nice.

"Hopefully, we'll have the drapes all hung by tomorrow." Jackie stated. "That's about all that's left to do."

"I talked with Jared this morning." I said. "He and his girlfriend are going to stop by tomorrow and set up the sound equipment and run some tests."

"We still set to shoot the first video Monday as planned?" Frank asked.

"Yes. Rick and Diane are set along with Chris as the lead male." I replied. I want to start at 10:00 in case we run into problems."

"How about getting everyone here Saturday morning?" Jackie suggested. "Sound techs, camera operators, everyone. Just so we can go over everything in case we're forgetting something."

"Yeah, good idea." I responded. "You want to call everyone and set it up for 10:00am?"

Jackie began making the calls while Frank and I stepped into the kitchen for a soft drink.

"Decided when you're going to move?" Frank asked.

"Not for awhile, maybe after Amber's gone." I replied. "I'm thinking about getting all new furniture, something I can use in the videos. If I buy it for the production company, I can write it off my business taxes."

"Now your thinking!" Frank exclaimed.

Jackie was still on the phone when I left for the club. She still had a few people yet to contact. Frank walked me out to my car.

"Frank, are you sure you and Jackie don't want to move in here?" I asked.

"Seems like you've asked me that a million times." He responded. "And no, we both want to live in Westfield. It'd be strange if I moved away from there. Besides, I want you to live in this house."

"You know it's over between you son and me." I stated. "We're never getting back together."

"I know, I know!" Frank exclaimed. "Steven's changed. He's not the son I raised! Not with the way he's been acting."

I arrived at the club shortly before 2:30. Marcus, Fawn and Amber were playing with the new lighting system. They'd figured out the controls without my help. I was already tired and we were just opening for the evening!

David stopped by around 6:00 to see how the new lighting was working out.

"Have you had dinner yet?" He asked.

"No, I haven't eaten all day." I replied. "Guess I forgot."

"Jennifer, you need to eat!" He exclaimed. "How about we go somewhere for dinner?"

"I can't leave right now." I replied. "Thursday's one of our busiest nights."

"How about I go out and get us some carryout then?" Dave suggested. "Pizza or something."

I took a few minutes to mull over his suggestion.

"Let's just go somewhere." I muttered. "I'll let Marcus and the girls know they can call me if they need to."

We left J.R.'s getting into David's service truck. I felt more tired and sleepy than hungry.