Chapter 6

It's 8:30 and the club is already starting to get packed. I'm sitting at the bar taking everything in. I'm glad I hired Mina, she's really good. Her personality is upbeat and positive. Plus, she knows how to handle the guys who try to hit on her. But the thing I like best about her is that she left her cell phone at home!

Let me explain something about some of Stacy's friends. They're pretty good workers, to a point. A few of them have this annoying habit of taking out their cell phones and calling their agents whenever they have some down time. A customer could be waiting to order drinks and their waitress is standing by the bar networking.

Which is what Kelly is doing at this very moment. She's standing at the other end of the bar with her back to me. She thinks she's being discreet, but she's not. I walk over to her and tap her shoulder. She turns around, startled.

"Hang up," I tell her calmly. She holds up one finger, suggesting that I wait a minute and then turns back around. I walk around her so that I'm facing her again and take the cell from her.

"Kelly's busy now, she'll call you later," I say into the receiver. I press the release button and look at her. She's standing with her hand held out. I smile at her.

"I don't think so," I say, smiling. I hand the cell to the bartender.

"She'll pick this up at the end of her shift," I tell him.

"But that was important!" Kelly whines.

"Kelly, you've been warned twice now. Don't even think about going behind that bar to get your phone back. After all, you have rent to pay, don't you?"

"Sorry, Howie," she said and went back to work.

It's not that I liked being mean to them. But if I let them walk all over me, there goes my business. As much as I hate to admit it, Stacy's friends are a big part of what keeps this place going.

I go into the back room to wait for Pollyanna and Stacy. Tamika and Kris are working that room tonight, so I asked them to let me know when they get here. I fold my arms on the table and put my head down. A sharp fingernail jabs my shoulder. I look up and see Stacy.

She really went all out. She had on a black, midriff-baring top and black low-slung pants. The straps of her red thong were visible. A silver chain ran through her navel ring around her waist and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She looked gorgeous and I felt guilty for tricking her.

It wasn't a trick, exactly. I reall did plan to celebrate, later. But first things first.

"Hey!" she said sitting down next to me and giving me a hug. "What have you got planned?"

"Well, first we have to wait for my sister," I started to explain.

"Your sister?" she interjected, looking at me like I'm crazy.

"Well, yea, there's something I have to talk to you two about." Just then, Pollyanna came into the room.

"Okay, so let's start this," she said, sitting on my other side.

"Pollyanna, Howie says he has something to tell us. Do you have any idea what it is?" Stacy asked my sister.

"Actually, I do. See, Howie's being stalked," she said.

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm being stalked..."

"Ooh, Howie's being stalked by a crazed female fan!" Stacy giggled.

"No," said Pollyanna, "he's being stalked by Jaime Ortega."

"Why?" Stacy asked, a puzzled look on her face.

"Well, we didn't want to tell you at first, but on Sunday we ran into him. He was waiting outside Brian and Leighanne's church after the christening." I began.

"He chased us down the freeway, but we lost him before we got to my place," continued Pollyanna. "I got scared so I asked Howie to spend the night, which meant breaking his date with you."

"But why couldn't you just tell me that was the reason?" Stacy asked.

"Because you make a big deal out of everything, Stacy," said Pollyanna, rolling her eyes.

"I do not make a big deal out of everything!" Stacy huffed.

"You're doing it right now!" snapped Pollyanna.

"Anyway," I interjected, "it turned out that Jaime wasn't after my sister, he was after me. Somehow he got my cell phone number and somehow he knew I was with you last night. Today I got a message on my phone at home from him saying that I ruined his life." Pollyanna and Stacy stared at me.

"You didn't tell me he called you at home," Pollyanna said.

"This was after I left your place," I said.

"I don't get it, how did you ruin his life?" Stacy asked.

"I didn't, he's just bitter because he's been blacklisted in the industry. Who better to take out your frustrations on than someone who's successful." I said. I didn't mean to brag, but I am more successful than Jaime will ever be. That's because I don't screw people over to get things done.

"Why don't you call the police?" Stacy said.

"Because, so far, he hasn't made any threats. Besides, we had so much fun busting him the last time and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic," I said, winking at her.

Stacy and Pollyanna laughed.

"So, Howie, what's your plan for revenge?" asked Pollyanna.

"Well, that's why I called this little meeting. I can't think of anything and I would appreciate some help."

"You came to the right girls," said Stacy, looking at Pollyanna. They gave each other a high five.

"Howie!" said a voice inside the doorway. I looked up and saw Tamika.

"There's some guy outside causing trouble," she said.

"Well, can't Greg and Hector take care of it? They're the bouncers," I said.

"Hector says it's the guy you banned." I should have known it would be Jaime. I had given Greg and Hector a description of Jaime and told them not to let him in if he came.

"Excuse me, ladies," I told my sister and my girlfriend. I got up and walked with Tamika toward the entrance. I always felt funny standing or walking next to Tamika because she was about six feet tall.

When we got to the entrance, two huge, beefy guys, Hector and Greg, obstructed my view of the outside. I tapped Greg on the shoulder and he moved. Sure enough, Jaime was standing in the midst of a crowd acting the fool.

"Howie, tell these pendejos that we go way back!"

"We do go way back, Jaime. Back to a place I don't ever wanna be again."

"What do we do with him?" asked Hector.

"Whatever you want, I don't care. As long as I get to watch," I said, sneering at Jaime.

The bouncers each grabbed an arm and they carried Jamie through the parking lot and out to the sidewalk. By this time, Pollyanna and Stacy had joined the crowd outside. We all watched as Jaime was thrown down onto the sidewalk.

The bouncers turned around and headed back just as Jaime got up and was running behind them. He was shouting something but I couldn't make out what it was.

The bouncers ignored him and he ran smack into them falling flat on his back. The bouncers turned back around, looked at him for a second and walked the rest of the way back. The crowd erupted into a fit of laughter. I just stood there and smiled.

I went back inside with Pollyanna, Stacy and Tamika. Jaime was off my back, for now.

In the back room, Stacy, Pollyanna and I couldn't stop laughing. We had a few drinks and talked some more.

"So, do you think he learned his lesson yet?" asked Stacy.

"I hope so, but I doubt it," I said. The three of us sat around talking about what we could do to beat him at his own game.

Around midnight, Pollyanna got up to leave. She was showing the last empty unit in her building tomorrow. I gave her a hug goodbye and promised to let her know if anything exciting happened.

That left me alone with Stacy. I don't get this chance very often and it made me feel pretty good. She picked up on my signals and asked if we could go to her place.

"Sounds good," I said.

"The place won't fall apart if you're gone, will it?" she asked.

"Nah, these guys are pretty good at keeping things under control. Besides, Jesse's harder on the cell phone abusers than I am." Stacy laughed. Jesse was my bartender. By the end of each night, he usually had about six cell phones behind the bar.

We passed the bar on our way out, just as Jessie was confiscating Cheryl's cell.

"I'm leaving, you know what to do," I told Jesse. He nodded as he put Cheryl's phone behind the bar.

"Pick this up at the end of your shift," he told her.

"Night Howie, night Stacy," Cheryl said. She didn't seem to miss her phone too much.

We said goodbye to some of the other girls and went outside. Greg walked us to my car.

When we pulled up into Stacy's driveway and got out of the car, I looked across the street. Jaime's car was there.

"That's it, I'm going over there and confronting him," I told Stacy, "you stay here."

"No, I'm coming with you," she said.

"Suit yourself," I said and we walked across the street to Jaime's car. He stepped out when he saw us coming.

Then someone got out on the passenger side. It was Nicole.

***

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