Chapter 5

I don't know how long I'd been asleep when I heard my cell phone ring. I had been sleeping on the sofa in my boxers. My cell phone on the end table.

With my eyes still closed, I groped around for the phone. When I located it, I opened my eyes and hit the answer button.

"Stacy, I said I'd call you in the morning," I whined. Not even someone as good looking as she is has a right to disturb my sleep.

"So what I heard was true," said a cocky male voice, "you're banging your ex's best friend."

"Who..."

"You know who," the voice turned nasty. Suddenly I was wide awake. Now, I recognized the voice.

"Jaime, how did you get this number?"

"What, you're not happy to hear from me?"

"I'm not happy to hear from anyone who wakes me up, especially not you."

"Look man, I just want to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Well, I have plenty to say to you."

"Goodbye Jaime," I said and I pushed the release button. I turned off the cell phone, set it back on the table and tired to go back to sleep.

It was no use, the blanket Pollyanna gave me was suddenly itchy as hell and the pillow she gave me was suddenly too fat to be comfortable.

I got up off the sofa and went into the kitchen. The microwave clock said it was 8:00 a.m. Not as early as I thought and as good a time as any to have breakfast.

I took a container of leftover shrimp fried rice from the fridge and grabbed a pair of chopsticks out of the diswasher. Then I poured a cup of leftover coffee. I didn't bother heating up the coffee or the fried rice.

Pollyanna come out of her room fully dressed. She was getting ready to go to work. She worked in the management office and didn't even have to leave the building, she always dressed to impress. She wore a slate blue Max Mara business suit and her hair was pulled back. Her purse was slung over her shoulder. She looked really good.

"Nice breakfast," she said. laughing.

"Want some?" I said.

"No thanks. I'm not even hungry. Give me your clothes so I can wash them before I have to get downstairs."

"I'm eating here! Besides, you know you can forward your calls up here. You don't have to actually go downstairs."

"But I have to show a unit this morning, Boss Man," she said.

"Oh so that's why you look so nice," I said and I meant it.

"You mean I don't look nice any other time?" she teased.

"Seriously, what time are you showing it?"

"Not until 9:30. But I have to get the keys ready, make sure the painters didn't leave behind any mess, get the papers in order..."

"Why don't you just go then, I can take care of myself."

"Fine, I'll lock the door from the outside so don't have to worry about locking up when you leave. Stay as long as you need to." She kissed me on the cheek and left.

I took a shower while my clothes were in the washer. While they dried, I wrapped a towel around me and tried to do something with my hair. Of course, my sister didn't use any of the same hair stuff I did. I had to settle for combing it back wet.

After I dressed, I washed the stuff I used for breakfast and left. I waved to Pollyanna as I walked past the management office. She looked up from sorting papers and waved back.

Grateful that I didn't have to be anywhere until noon, I drove home with the sunroof open. My state of bliss was rudely interrupted by my car phone.

I glanced at the Caller ID and saw "S. Falco" and Stacy's number. I pushed the hands-free button.

"Hey Stace," I answered.

"Why'd you turn off your cell?"

"And good morning to you, too."

"Well, at least I got a hold of you. Look, I have a meeting with my agent in half an hour so let's make this quick. Are we on for tonight, or what?" she spoke really fast.

"I don't see why not."

"Why don't you come over around seven then?" she always sounded so demanding.

"Yes ma'am," I said, trying to be funny.

"Well, I gotta go, so see you then," she either didn't get my humor or she wasn't amused. She hung up before I could say goodbye.

I was so glad she didn't ask what I was doing this afternoon. If she found out I was interviewing for a cocktail waitress position at my club, she'd want to recommend some friend of hers.

As it is, Stacy knows most of my waitresses. The ones who are aspiring dancers or models. Stacy is both a dancer and a model.

One of the girls finally got her big break as a dancer for some cruise ship and quit. So I put an ad out. Stacy's friends were good workers, I just felt funny having so many of them work for me.

I stopped home and changed my clothes before going out to the club. Even though they were clean, they were still the clothes from last night and I felt funny wearing them again. For the first time since breakfast, I thought about Jaime.

What did he want from us? Was he trying to get revenge on us for getting him fired? That was the only reason I could think of, even thought he brought that on himself in the end.

What bothered me most was that someone was helping him track us down. But who?

Stacy came to mind, but why would she do it? She didn't like Jaime any more than we did. Besides, she was in on the whole scheme of exposing him for the fraud he really was.

I wondered if Pollyanna was thinking the same thing right about now. She didn't seem worried about Jaime when she left this morning. But come tonight, she'll probably start freaking out again.

I called my bodyguard and asked him to keep an eye on her building. He agreed.

"Call me on my cell if you spot anyone suspicious. I don't care what time it is," I told him. That car Jaime was driving would definitely be suspicious in my sister's neighborhood.

After that I called Pollyanna at the office. I got the voice mail, but I didn't want to leave message where someone else might hear it, like Mom or somebody. So I called her cell. It was turned off, so I left a message there.

"Whatever you do, don't freak out when you get this message. I forgot to tell you that Jaime called this morning. Don't ask me how he got my cell number. I don't want to scare you or anything, but I just thought I'd let you know. I've asked my bodyguard to keep an eye on your place. He's on his way now. He'll be parked across the street in his car, it's black. He'll also be circling the block from time to time."

I took a short nap, had lunch and then headed out to the club. On the way there, I called one of my bouncers to meet me there since my bodyguard was busy.

When I got to the club I set up a table in the back and waited for my first appointment.

Four girls came in to see me between 12:30 and 2:30. They all seemed nice, but two had no experience and the other two didn't really seem that interested. About ten minutes after the last one left, a girl with short, spiky blonde hair came in.

She looked familiar but I couldn't figure out why. Without a word, she handed me her resumé. I looked it over as she sat down at the table across from me. It was pretty impressive.

Then I looked at her name at the top of the page. Nicole Madsen. That name made my stomach flip for some reason. Then I looked at her and finally figured out where I knew her from.

She worked at the hotel where Danny and Maggie stayed the last time they were in Orlando. She tried to expose them to some reporter. I glanced back at the resumé, and, sure enough, the name of the hotel was on there.

Nonchalantly, I asked her why she no longer worked there. She gave me some lame answer about feeling unappreciated. Then she gave me a smirk. There was no way I could hire this girl after what she did.

"Okay, I've got your resumé. I'll call you," I said quickly. I wanted her to leave. She just stood there, staring at me with ice blue eyes.

"When?" she demanded.

"I still have a few more people to see." Slowly, she turned and walked toward the door. When she got to the door, she turned and looked at me. Then she flashed me a fake smile and left.

She had the right qualifications, but there was just no way I would let her work for me. I thought about the other applicants. I couldn't hire them, either. Maybe it was better just to go through Stacy.

I decided to swallow my pride and call her. She had to be back from her meeting by now.

"Look, Stace, are any of your friends looking for extra work?" I tried not to sound desperate.

"You mean like waitressing or real work?" she teased. Oh, she was just so funny!

"I have one waitressing position open because Rachel got her big break."

"She did? I didn't even know! I'm so happy for her..."

"Stacy, can you help me, please?"

"Um, let's see...this is hard because most of my friends either have steady work or they already work for you..."

"There must be somebody."

"There's Mina." That name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place the face.

"Do I know her?"

"Of course you do. She was in that video with Maggie and me." Now I remembered, vaguely. I didn't have time to rack my brain, though.

"Can she start tomorrow?"

"Let me call her and ask. Then I'll get back to you."

"Just ask tell her the job's hers if she wants it."

"You sound desperate."

"And if she takes the job, she needs to come see me tomorrow."

"You're still coming over tonight, aren't you?"

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"See you then, dulce." We said our goodbyes and hung up.

I went over expense reports with the manager and the bartender and then left for home. By then, it was 5:00. Hector, one of my bouncers walked me to my car. I was grateful to have him there, especially after seeing Nicole.

As I drove home, I wondered: Why am I seeing these people who I never wanted to see again?

***

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