thought I’d see the day when Ashley would find such a great guy. She used to be a loser-magnet. Last year, she was seeing the old manager of The Cabaret, Trey. One day, I walked into our apartment and found him sitting on her chest, choking her. I grabbed the nearest thing, which, I’m sorry to say, was a baseball bat. I’m not a huge fan of sports, but something about seeing your friend gasping for breath and turning blue while she’s being strangled, well, it turns a girl into an MVP.
I didn’t hurt him nearly as badly as I could have. I just swung as hard as I could a few times, but the story has made the rounds and resulted in a sort of hero status in some people’s eyes. Especially Danny. He sold me my little Volkswagen bug for five grand under the list price and won’t let me pay for any tune-ups or oil changes.
Danny and I are talking about Ashley’s pregnancy as the mechanic brings my car to the front of the dealership. The guy hands me my keys.
“Where’s the bill?” I ask Danny, but he just grins and shrugs.
“I can’t keep free-loading, Danny,” I say, as I hand him my credit card.
He waves it off. “I want to hear about what’s happening with the sale of the club. Ashley said the deal is done.”
“It is. Three billion.”
His eyes widen and I feel the blood drain from my face. Numbers, words, so many things get jumbled in my mind and either I think one thing and say another or, even worse, I go completely blank.
He smiles. “If that’s the case, you’re taking me and Ash to Paris.”
I rub my forehead. “I am so stupid.”
“Don’t say that. I knew what you meant. It just took me a second.”
Danny knows all about how wires get crossed in my brain. One night, I was having dinner with him and Ashley and I told him all about how my brain doesn’t always work. How I got held back in second grade and how teachers wanted to hold me back every year for the next five years. I’ve only told a few people how I mess up things. Ashley knew because we’d taken GED classes together.
He gives me a sheepish grin and a playful nudge on the shoulder. “Frickin’ billionaire,” he grumbles.
I let out a pained sigh. “So three million , not three billion, but I’m keeping five percent ownership. Like a silent partnership sort of deal. They couldn’t believe it. I guess they thought I’d snap up whatever they put in front of me.”
He gives an approving smile. “That’s a good idea, keeping a percentage. Pretty smart.”
“They’re going to be killing it next year when the golf course opens. I don’t want to leave money on the table.”
He smiles and the skin around his eyes crinkles. “Something tells me you won’t.”
“I have so much riding on this, it’s not funny. My grandparents emptied their savings to help me buy the club. I only found that out after, but I need to pay them back. I have images of them living under a bridge because I couldn’t close the deal.”
Danny grins. “You’re going to do great, kid. Going to show us how it’s done.”
I shake my head. “Fingers crossed. I have a ten o’clock hair appointment and then I’m shopping for a power suit. Gotta keep moving.”
He gives me a quick hug good-bye and a moment later I’m flying down the highway with the top down. The first few months after we opened, I wasn’t sure the club was going to make it. I thought I’d have to confess to my grandparents that their retirement funds might be gone. The club brought in a lot of money but we had so many bills. The back offices needed to be rewired. The security system was a dud and I had to sign an expensive contract with a new company. Two of my dancers had a feud going… it got so bad, I fired them both.
The club changed a lot after I took over. I treated the people who worked for me with as much respect at I did my customers, so I didn’t have a lot of turnover. The talent we attracted was the prettiest girls in town.
Another thing that I changed
I didn’t hurt him nearly as badly as I could have. I just swung as hard as I could a few times, but the story has made the rounds and resulted in a sort of hero status in some people’s eyes. Especially Danny. He sold me my little Volkswagen bug for five grand under the list price and won’t let me pay for any tune-ups or oil changes.
Danny and I are talking about Ashley’s pregnancy as the mechanic brings my car to the front of the dealership. The guy hands me my keys.
“Where’s the bill?” I ask Danny, but he just grins and shrugs.
“I can’t keep free-loading, Danny,” I say, as I hand him my credit card.
He waves it off. “I want to hear about what’s happening with the sale of the club. Ashley said the deal is done.”
“It is. Three billion.”
His eyes widen and I feel the blood drain from my face. Numbers, words, so many things get jumbled in my mind and either I think one thing and say another or, even worse, I go completely blank.
He smiles. “If that’s the case, you’re taking me and Ash to Paris.”
I rub my forehead. “I am so stupid.”
“Don’t say that. I knew what you meant. It just took me a second.”
Danny knows all about how wires get crossed in my brain. One night, I was having dinner with him and Ashley and I told him all about how my brain doesn’t always work. How I got held back in second grade and how teachers wanted to hold me back every year for the next five years. I’ve only told a few people how I mess up things. Ashley knew because we’d taken GED classes together.
He gives me a sheepish grin and a playful nudge on the shoulder. “Frickin’ billionaire,” he grumbles.
I let out a pained sigh. “So three million , not three billion, but I’m keeping five percent ownership. Like a silent partnership sort of deal. They couldn’t believe it. I guess they thought I’d snap up whatever they put in front of me.”
He gives an approving smile. “That’s a good idea, keeping a percentage. Pretty smart.”
“They’re going to be killing it next year when the golf course opens. I don’t want to leave money on the table.”
He smiles and the skin around his eyes crinkles. “Something tells me you won’t.”
“I have so much riding on this, it’s not funny. My grandparents emptied their savings to help me buy the club. I only found that out after, but I need to pay them back. I have images of them living under a bridge because I couldn’t close the deal.”
Danny grins. “You’re going to do great, kid. Going to show us how it’s done.”
I shake my head. “Fingers crossed. I have a ten o’clock hair appointment and then I’m shopping for a power suit. Gotta keep moving.”
He gives me a quick hug good-bye and a moment later I’m flying down the highway with the top down. The first few months after we opened, I wasn’t sure the club was going to make it. I thought I’d have to confess to my grandparents that their retirement funds might be gone. The club brought in a lot of money but we had so many bills. The back offices needed to be rewired. The security system was a dud and I had to sign an expensive contract with a new company. Two of my dancers had a feud going… it got so bad, I fired them both.
The club changed a lot after I took over. I treated the people who worked for me with as much respect at I did my customers, so I didn’t have a lot of turnover. The talent we attracted was the prettiest girls in town.
Another thing that I changed
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