Beyond the Velvet Rope. Tiffany Ashley

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СКАЧАТЬ in the drive when he emerged onto the front porch. His assistant looked surprised to see him up and about prior to his arrival.

      Romero followed Elliot to his vehicle and got into the passenger seat. During the short drive to the Ocean Avenue bistro, they discussed his busy schedule. Predictably, the meal was cut short so not to be late for Elliot’s first appointment for the day.

      The two set off again, arriving at Club Babylon. It was early, and the club was slowly coming to life. Most of the lights were still off and only a handful of staff members was present. Elliot went to his office. Romero followed him, turning on the lights as they went, before using the office phone to dial into a conference call. Tapping the speaker button so that the sound of ringing filled the room, Romero quickly left the office to attend to other matters. Elliot was already behind his desk, powering up his computer while he waited for the managers of Lush and Red Door to join the call. Markie Duran entered the office looking tired, clutching a notepad and a cup of coffee. These phone calls took a harder toll on Markie than the other club managers, because Babylon kept longer hours. Knowing Markie as he did, Elliot suspected he would take a power nap in his office before their evening meeting with the entire team.

      Within minutes, the managers of both clubs joined the call, and the sharing of statistical data from the previous night got underway. These meetings were cumbersome, but necessary. Each general manager was protective of his information, and the undercurrent interoffice competition was glaringly evident. The managers of Lush and Red Door strived to outdo each other with their gross revenues, and Markie was determined to upset both clubs by generating double their combined totals. These calls were highly combative and often frustrating. However, Elliot enjoyed the competition amongst his managers. He was the winner regardless of the outcome.

      An hour later, Markie still looked tired, but smug. He’d decidedly outperformed his cohorts from a revenue standpoint, but he had some improvement to do. As soon as the call was over, Elliot turned to him, and said, “Our capabilities should be better. We’re getting screwed on overtime hours due to all the confusion surrounding the reopening. Get our people trained up immediately. Also, I’ve looked at the budget for catering. We’re going overboard. Get with Eddie and cross-reference those numbers with the guest list we’ve been working on.”

      There was a knock before Michelle swung open his office door. “Nico’s here,” the giant grunted.

      Elliot turned away from Markie. “I think that will do it,” he said. “Gather that information for me, and let’s schedule some time together tomorrow.” Scooping up his paperwork and coffee cup, Markie exited Elliot’s office just as Nico entered the room.

      Nico was a boy millionaire who grew his fortune by making unusual but rewarding investments. He and Elliot had known each other since their college days. Elliot had been a student at the University of Miami while Nico, who attended school in Italy, had a habit of chartering private jets to fly himself and a group of friends to South Beach for the weekend. His passion for wild parties and pretty women made him and Elliot instant friends.

      Nico was Elliot’s closest friend and was therefore the only person who could honestly say he knew the real Elliot Richards. They shared confidences with the knowledge that the other would tease him mercilessly but in the end would help in any way possible. When Elliot wanted to buy his first club, it was Nico who had financially backed him. Although Elliot had managed to pay him back within a year, Nico had never mentioned the favor.

      Whenever Nico was in town, they were inseparable. Much like their college days, they spent most of the time discussing business, partying and sharing women. It was a routine that came as naturally to them as breathing.

      Elliot stood and met Nico halfway. They slapped hands and gave a brief hug.

      “You look like hell,” Nico said.

      Elliot grinned. “So do you.”

      It was a stupid greeting that they’d practiced since first meeting and for some reason had never grown out of.

      “When did you get in town?” Elliot asked.

      “Yesterday,” his friend replied. “I won’t be here long, but it was a necessary trip.” Nico claimed the seat behind Elliot’s desk and began fiddling with his cell phone. “I just got a new phone yesterday, and I can’t figure out how to check my mail. I made a trip to the store to have them explain to me how to work the damn thing, but that kid was all of nineteen and seemed to get off pointing out to me how little I understood about technology. I should have told the little snot that I own a sizable portion of the company that designed the phone. Ah, here we go.” Nico reached for the desk phone and started dialing.

      “Who are you calling?” Elliot asked.

      “The engineer who designed my phone.” The speakerphone echoed the automated ringing. It rang exactly four times before a squeaky voice answered.

      “Yeah?” answered the annoyed, high-pitched voice.

      “Ralphie, this is Nico.”

      The person on the other end cleared his voice. “Hello, Nico—I mean, sir. How can I help you?”

      “You can start by explaining how I can check my email on my phone. Several people have sent me messages, but I can’t set up my browser right.”

      “If you send it to me, I can adjust your settings.”

      “Not an option,” Nico said. “I’m in Miami for a few days.”

      “If you don’t mind giving me your cell number, I can connect to your phone and do the setup for you.”

      Nico agreed and called off his number to the tech. Allowing him some time to work, he swiveled in the seat and looked at Elliot. “Matrix is throwing another party tonight,” he said. “Are you up for it?”

      “Do you only come to town for Matrix’s parties?”

      Nico held his hands up in mock surrender. “What else is there to do?” He shot his friend a wicked grin. The last time they’d attended one of Matrix’s house parties, they’d participated in an orgy and woke up in Baltimore of all places.

      Elliot laughed. “I’m working tonight.”

      “You’re always working.”

      “I know.”

      “Lucky for you, Matrix expected you to say that. The party starts at nine. I’ll pick you up.”

      “I can’t.”

      “The Ripley twins will be there,” Nico coaxed.

      Elliot shrugged. “Tempting, but I already have plans.”

      Nico squinted his eyes at Elliot, looking suddenly suspicious. “Plans with whom?”

      Before Elliot could answer, the phone’s speaker came back to life.

      “You’re good to go, sir. Try to check your mail now.”

      Nico pulled out his phone and played with the keys. Satisfied, he grinned. “Thanks, Ralphie.” Without further preamble he hung up the phone. Not one to forget his train of thought, Nico picked up the conversation where they’d left off. “Plans with whom?”

      Elliot sighed, making it clear he was СКАЧАТЬ