Thanks to my favorite person in the world, BlackJackLily – who corrects all of my mistakes and holds my hand and tells me everything will be alright when I fear that it won’t.
Any remaining errors are mine completely.
Chapter 2
Tonight Victoria had stationed Felix and I in the VIP section of Fire to get me trained on how the muscle handled the inside of things. The music was pounding in my ear, the heavy thump of the bass making talking to Felix virtually impossible, yet we tried anyhow. We had run over the various procedures on how to handle the VIP List, along with any altercations that might start. I was amused at how different the VIP trouble makers were handled versus the everyday Joe Shmoes who came in. The VIPs were usually just warned before being sent on their merry way for the night, while the rest of the average club goers would be banned from the club if they started a fight. The VIPs had way more leeway with just about everything. I also learned there was a bit of a caste system within the VIP section.
There was the A list crowd: the Clooney’s, the Diddy's, and any special guests that Aro invited. These were the crème de la crème and got the best tables with the best service. Bottles were served by the hottest waitresses who mingled fluidly from one table to the next and were always busy. They were employed for their ability to converse and entertain these people, who had egos the size of Texas. We had eight who would work on the weekends, four for each VIP section. As they all sauntered by us like some parade of models, Felix and I stood, jaws agape. The four blonde’s working in Fire tonight headed past us, their hips swiveling in time with the beat, looking like the devils incarnate. The other waitresses soon followed, heading up the main stairs to Ice, wearing their skimpy ass minis, showing their pushed up tits and hot ass legs. My mind immediately visualized various scenarios of them sucking and fucking me before Felix’s elbow connected with my side, nudging me out of my fantasy land.
“Dude, shut your freaking trap. You’re gonna catch flies with it.”
With a quick shove, I told Felix exactly what he could put in his mouth to shut him up. Our playful banter continued until the club started getting busy.
From what Victoria told us in the pre-shift meeting, we were expecting Kanye and his posse in Ice at around midnight and a couple of B listers who were making an appearance. From the looks of the paps outside, they’d already been notified by someone. If you weren’t in the rags, you weren’t really a celebrity, or it seemed that was many of these people’s mottos. I would personally hate to be followed around, and I never craved attention like that. I’d rather be watching than being watched. It made me think of zoo animals the way these people were treated by the public, but then again, they made a hell of a lot more money than I did, so maybe they knew something I didn’t.
“McCarty, the bobsey twins are on their way over. Remember to always ask for their names, even if you know who they are. We do this so that when someone who you should know, but don’t, expects to be let in, they don’t get offended when you ask for their name. In order to avoid that, we ask everyone. Even the most well-known star," Felix shouted, handing me the clipboard with the approved list of people.
“Name?”
“Alice Brandon and Izzy Swan. Jeez, don’t you guys get tired of asking that same stupid question every time we come in?” Alice snottily asked before continuing, “Who’s in the bar down here?” She turned and scanned the crowd, I wasn’t even sure she was actually paying attention when Felix replied to her.
“I believe Demitri’s on the bar down here tonight. Rose is upstairs.”
“Cool, anyone interesting coming in tonight?”
“The usual,” Felix replied offhandedly, cutting me off before I could answer. He must have said something wrong, since Alice gave him the stink eye and marched past him in a huff.
“Hey guys, have a good night,” Izzy murmured shyly as she followed Alice up the stairs, her head hanging down, appearing more like a scolded dog than Alice’s friend.
“If anyone asks you who’s supposed to come in, you never, ever say. Because if they don’t show, you look like a shmuck. So be noncommittal about it and you’ll be fine. Alice always asks, because she loves to get her picture taken leaving the club with someone who’s more famous than she is. Granted, she’s usually so drunk she wouldn’t know if she was going home with Justin Beiber or Justin Timberlake.”
Felix continued to explain the hierarchy of the city’s beautiful people to me as I eyeballed the room, taking in the dancing, sweaty bodies moving in time to the DJ’s inspired rhythm. The rest of the VIPs were considered on a first come, first serve kind of basis. Any of the lesser tables were open to them, but once they were full, the rest was standing room only. Generally that’s where Alice, Izzy, and their group ended up on most busy nights, watching over the dance floor and keeping a hawk’s eye on the A list booths to see who they might know, or who they wanted to fuck.
We were about halfway through our shift when Victoria’s shrill voice shouted from the earpiece. “Felix, Emmett, get your asses up to Ice. We have a situation.”
Without missing a beat, we took off running for the stairs leading up to the other bar. Pushing and shoving some of the clubbers aside, we made it in less than a minute. The air was filled with the trance-like thump of the techno beat and the lights cast a surreal glow around the crowd. Looking up, I saw Rose standing on the far side of the bar, arguing with three burly men who were screaming back at her. I couldn’t hear the conversation over the volume of the music and its overwhelming bass, but looking at their expressions, it didn’t look like either side was going to back down soon. Victoria rushed in from the far side, but dressed as she was, I doubted she’d be much help.
Where the fuck is Alec? He’s the bouncer who’s supposed to be up here taking care of things.
Just then the situation escalated as Rose shoved Meathead Number One, causing him to spill his drink down his shirt. Our reactions were swift and sure. Rushing over to the scene, Felix grabbed the tallest of the three and pulled his arms straight behind him, using some sort of quick hold that brought him to his knees in less than a second. I seized the one closest to Rose, dragging him down to the ground only a moment later. The third man was so shocked by our sudden appearance he didn’t have the presence of mind to guard his balls.
Rose took a swift kick to the poor guy’s junk. “Don’t you ever fucking come in here again!”
Victoria rounded the bar to tell us to escort the three men out, taking their names and information so the club could add them to the banned list. We’d just turned to head back downstairs when Alec rushed forward, grabbing the man from between Felix and me. I was about to inquire about Alec’s whereabouts, but Victoria chimed in first, saying he’d been on a special assignment for a VIP of Aro’s. Someone named Caius, and based on the look between Felix and Alec, I could only imagine it was a story I needed to hear.
Shaking his head minutely, Felix told me wordlessly that now was not the time to discuss Alec’s mysterious disappearance. Edward’s voice crackled in our ears, telling us that we’d have to speak with him when our shift was over to give him the full run down of the situation.
Rolling his eyes, Felix explained, “Every time there’s an incident, we have to do a full report on it so that the fine upstanding gentlemen who we just threw out of here won’t have a leg to stand on should they try to sue us. It’s all pretty standard crap, but since we have to be rough sometimes, we don’t want some jackhole with a hangover getting pissed off at the bruises on his biceps that we left the previous night.”
Getting back to the VIP section, there were a few people standing around, waiting for us to let them in. Felix handled their entrance efficiently until it came to a shaggy haired dude he addressed as Jasper.
“Jasper, my man! How’s things? What are you doing slumming it here with the likes of us?” Felix’s jovial personality switched on in an instant as the two men bro hugged. Turning towards me, Felix introduced him as his good buddy, who was also, coincidentally, Edward’s roommate.
Why would Edward need a roommate? The guy had to be making bank working here.
“Emmett, nice to meet you.” Shaking hands firmly, we both sized each other up. He seemed decent enough; a little too laid back and hippyish for me, but whatever. He was just another Joe looking for a drink and a lay. Just like the rest of the warm bodies writhing on the dance floor before me.
“Go on up, J-man. I’ll let Edward know you’re in Fire. Catch you later,” Felix remarked, pulling back the velvet rope and allowing the lanky man to pass.
Once he’d ascended the stairs, Felix gave me the run down on our boss’s couch surfer. Seems Jasper was a struggling musician who, thanks to Edward’s generosity, crashed at his place between gigs. Felix promised to take me to see one of his shows on our nights off, telling me that the man was quite talented, but hadn’t gotten his big break, like so many others in this city of struggling actors, musicians, artists, and well, just about any profession. New York was the city where people came with a dream. Bankers, artists, it didn’t matter if you wore a suit or a guitar; everyone came here baring their soul to follow their dream.
We continued chatting about nothing consequential when Edward marched over, giving us a curt nod and taking the steps two at a time to go see his friend.
“Edward’s really a cool guy once you get past his gruff exterior. He has afterhours sometimes for his close friends. We hang, drink for another hour or so after the place closes. That’s how I got to know Jasper. It’s usually after a shitty night. Kind of like a reward for himself to let loose and not be the big boss man for an hour or two.”
I wondered what Edward would be like without the stick up his ass, but since I wasn’t in his inner circle of friends, I could only imagine.
Our shift wound down unremarkably. I told Felix I’d catch up with him in the locker room and wandered the club, doing a final sweep of the place to ensure everyone had left and that nothing was amiss.
Walking into the locker room, I caught part of Alec’s rant, “Dude, Caius is one kinky ass mother fucker. I swear if he didn’t pay me a grand every time he wanted--” he trailed off quickly when Edward stalked into the locker room behind me. After telling Edward our respective sides of the story, he excused us, muttering under his breath about Rose’s complete disregard for her safety and something about Aro needing to give him a little warning when he gives his muscle side projects.
“Emmett, this is Alec. You guys didn’t have a chance to properly meet earlier,” Felix said, introducing me to the hulking, blond man.
“Hey, sorry about upstairs. Fucking Aro and his friends. Just wait till they get their sights set on you,” he grumbled, giving Felix a fist bump and heading out the door.
“I guess I forgot to mention about how we all make money on the side here?” I couldn’t help but notice Felix’s sheepish tone. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. “Aro and his friends have, ah… how shall I say this? Interesting sexual appetites? Freaky deaky fetishes? Whatever, just know that there’s a good chance you’ll be asked to watch, guard a door, or even participate in some of the kinky fuckery that goes on around this place. You can always say no, but if you don’t mind getting an eyeful of a chick getting boned from behind, then you can make a pretty penny.” He shrugged and grinned broadly, reminding me that he didn’t acquire his sweet ass apartment relying only on the shitty salary they paid him here.
Saying our good nights, I left the bar that night knowing two things for certain. First, I was going to really enjoy working here, and second, I’d likely be able to move out of my roach infested apartment in a few short months.
Thanks everyone for reading! Next update will be next Friday if my beta can pull it off!
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