“Please focus on the refrigerator, Marlene. I need to see the estimate and approve the purchase. I am the boss I can break the rules. Besides she will be with me for a while if I have anything to do with it.”
Marlene had long black hair that stopped just below her waist. She was skinny as a rail, and the suit was tailored to fit her perfectly. Long eyelashes and a perfectly made up face accentuated her dark skin. Bella was sure that Marlene and Chaz slept together in the past because of the way she was glaring. Bella watched the two of them continue to bicker and tried to eat some of her food. She was distracted by Marlene’s constant finger pointing. Chaz eventually stormed away and returned to the table mumbling.
“Everything okay,” Bella asked.
“No! I need to learn how to keep… Never mind. I am going to need a new refrigerator for this place. I don’t even know how much it is going to cost me. Since the she-devil wants to bicker about stupid stuff that is none of her business,” he exasperated.
“You want to leave.”
“No! Finish your food sweetie. We have a long night in store for us.” Chaz gave her that smile, the very smile she knew he probably threw Marlene’s way. The smile helped Bella to relax and enjoy the delicious home cooking set before her. Chaz tried to ignore the Marlene situation and give Bella his undivided attention before finally excusing himself and handling Marlene in her office.
“Marlene, you have got to get a grip on yourself. Your professionalism is slipping. It is disturbing to me and to the customers. We have nothing but a working relationship and that’s it. What happened should never have happened, and we both need to leave that in the past. You have a husband, and I want a relationship with Bella. Do you understand?”
“Fine Chaz. I understand I meant nothing to you, and now you have moved on. Let’s just do our jobs from here on out. The fridge is going to cost about three grand,” she exalted with hurt feelings.
Before leaving the restaurant, Chaz gave his employees an impromptu speech about how proud and happy he was with the job they were doing. The speech was totally directed at Marlene, after all he felt bad that she wanted more than he could give her. The sex meant more to her than it did to Chaz. It was a mistake, and he didn’t enjoy making mistakes. He was one hundred percent sure Bella was not a mistake. He would love her for a long time.
“So why did you sleep with her?” Bella asked as they drove to The Perfect Ten.
“What?” Chaz answered shocked that she had gotten to the subject so quickly.
“You heard me. It is clear she suffers from scorned lover’s disease, and that must mean you whipped it on her, now what’s the deal?” Bella, imitating Marlene, pointed a knowing finger in Chaz’s direction.
“When I was just getting the restaurant off the ground it was tough. One night after a very hard day she and I were in the office alone. We talked, and she told me about her unhappy marriage and the next thing I know we were having sex. I felt so bad afterward that I apologized profusely and swore it would never happen again. I thought she felt the same way, considering she was married. Then one day I had a woman with me in the restaurant, and Marlene was working that day. Well, she just lost it and told me that it hurt her feelings to see me with another woman because she couldn’t have me. I promised not to bring my lady friends around her, and she was okay, occasionally hinting at opportunities, but fine otherwise. That is until today,” he sighed.
“So why go back on your word? How many other scorned lovers are we going to run into tonight?”
“The point is you, and I are together, and no one else matters. She needs to understand that I have a life, and you are in my life now. She needs to get rid of this unhealthy crush. I have a woman.” Chaz tried to use the panty-crushing smile, but Bella was not affected this time. The thought of him with Marlene or any other woman made her course with jealousy. She didn’t want another woman in his bed or on his arm. She wanted to be his only woman.
“So basically you don’t know. Could be one or a hundred and one? Nice Chaz, I am not about to fight over you with your past skanks.”
“You don’t have to do any fighting and for the last time I don’t date skanks, present company included.” He liked that she seemed jealous. Controlling his knowing smile was difficult. The thought of Bella with another man wiped the smile clean off his face.
“Whatever,” she said pretending to be angry.
“Maybe some were skanks, but the majority were definitely not skanks.” Chaz joked trying to make her laugh, which she did. When they stopped at the next red light, Chaz leaned and kissed Bella. “You are the only one that matters now.”
“I wish I could believe that,” she whispered back. “This has moved so fast.”
“Trust me you will.”
Arriving at the Perfect Ten was like the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. There were many types of expensive cars parked in the valet in front of the building. The line to get into the club was at least fifty strong and showed no signs of letting up with an equal number of guys and girls trying to get into this urban hot spot. When Chaz pulled in front of the door, the valet immediately directed his attention to Chaz’s Hummer, quickly grabbing the keys. After a barrage of ‘hello’s’ and ‘what up’s’ Bella and Chaz stepped into a well-designed adult entertainment club. The stage was narrow and ran the length of the club with benches and chairs strategically placed to catch the show. There were VIP tables towards the back of the club were private dances took place and ballers sat watching the girls shake with their crew. The place was decked out in gold and black, from the waitresses to the table & chairs. There were more mirrors than a dressing room giving you the opportunity to see the show whether you wanted too or not. Everywhere you looked men were whooping and cheered the girls to shake it harder and faster and they obliged. Bella initially felt underdressed in the black tube dress but now she practically felt like a nun. Chaz enjoyed the vision of her breasts bouncing around in the light fabric of the tube dress. His club had some of the sexiest ladies, but none of them could hold a candle to his new woman. Bella held tightly onto Chaz’s hand as they walked down the narrow path adjacent to the stage.
“You can ease up on my hand. I won’t let anyone bite you,” he murmured in her ear.
“Sorry, just never been in a strip club before,” she said nervously. Just as he reached to kiss her in an effort to calm her jittery nerves, a heavy set light skinned black man approached complaining of problems at the door. Chaz excused himself and told Bella to wait for him next to the bar. Bella walked the ten paces or so to the bar only to find no seats or place to stand comfortably available. Within thirty seconds, an extremely inebriated man approached her with a wad of cash in his hand demanding that she give him a private dance. When she explained she was not a dancer he suggested, she gave it a try and grabbed her ass.
“What the fuck? You had better keep your hands off my ass before you draw back a bloody stump,” she yelled loud enough for him to hear.
“Ah, baby. You are in a titty bar, let’s see some titties,” he stammered barely able to stand while his friends laughed and urged him on. Before Bella could say, another word Chaz reappeared just in time to catch the man’s hands going in for round two.
“Man, have you lost your mind? She is not the entertainment. I suggest you have a seat and get the naked ones to dance for you,” he growled. The look on Chaz’s face was deadly. Chaz’s grip on the man’s arm was cutting off the circulation in his hand.
“What the hell are you doing to my arm? And why you bring your bitch in here if she ain’t gonna show us some ass and titties?” The man tried to pry his arm away from Chaz. When his friends recognized Chaz, they immediately started apologizing.
“Uh Anthony, man sit your drunk ass down,” a friend of the drunk’s interjected.
“Sorry Chaz, he didn’t know who you were or who she was. He just drunk dawg!”
“Yeah well, he needs to have a seat and learn to keep his hands to himself. Apologize to my woman for disrespecting her, she is not a bitch.” Chaz continued applying more pressure to the man’s arm causing him to complain. The man’s vision went from his arm to Chaz’s eyes, and he thought better than to try and hit him, besides he was not feeling his best for a fight.
“I’m fucked up dawg. I didn’t know she was wit you. I thought she was one of the dancers. I’m sorry dude. I’m dizzy man. I need to sit down.” The man tried desperately to get his arm from Chaz. Bella put her hand on Chaz’s and said, “It’s okay, let him go”.
Chaz relinquished his grip and told the waitress to bring the man some water before escorting Bella to the back of the club. Bella was happy to have Chaz come to her rescue, but a bit shocked by his behavior. He seemed calm when talking to the drunk, but she could see the anger boiling over in his eyes. He did a trick to the man’s arm that forced him to come down from his liquor induced high to apologize.
Chaz’s office was a site to behold. Bella laughed when she saw the gaudy statues of nude women and the naked artwork on the walls. The huge oak desk was adorned with gold plated office supplies and a twenty-four karat gold goblet served as a penholder.
“What’s so funny?” Chaz asked the anger in him subsiding to a dull ache. Damn he would protect Bella with his life already. He had some tough things to do soon.
“Did you have to be the stereotypical strip club owner with the stereotypical office to match?” she laughed.
“You don’t like my taste?”
“No! This place is so ostentatious and Player’s Clubish.” Bella remarked pointing to the gold naked lady statues. She was afraid to touch anything in the gaudy office thinking it had sex on it. Whose sex she didn’t want to know. The thought made her laugh harder.
“I was just joking with you. This is my manager’s office and sweetheart I only picked out this leather couch. He brought all this crap from his defunct strip club when he came to work for me,” he said. “I usually just go over the books and sign the paychecks or crash on this couch”.
“Thank God! I was starting to think you weren’t the kind of man I thought you were?”
“And what kind of man did you think I was?” He asked raising an eyebrow.
“One with better taste than this,” Bella replied.
“Sit down. Let me show you the kind of man I am.” Chaz patted the space next to him on the couch.
“I wouldn’t so much as drink a glass of water in this twenty-four karat gold nightmare, let alone do anything sexual.”
Bella took a seat on the couch next to Chaz. He gave Bella his sexiest gaze.
“We will just have to see about that.”
Bella giggled as he pulled her to his lap. They had wrestled a little before Chaz pushed a few curls behind her ear kissing her supple lips. Chaz’s tongue darted into Bella’s mouth, and she eagerly sucked. He groaned as she deepened the kiss. Chaz dragged his tongue down her neck to the swell of her breasts. Quickly he returned his attention to her mouth, loving the sounds of her soft moans. The feel of Bella’s hand on his crotch caused him to moan loud. Chaz gave Bella that smile as he licked his lips. Just as Chaz was getting to second base, there was a knock on the door.
“Who is it?” He asked angrily while trying to fit Bella’s entire nipple into his mouth.
“Horatio, dawg open the door,” the voice answered. Chaz was glad he locked the door when they entered the office. Quickly Bella fixed her dress and tried to calm the flushed look on her face. Chaz tried to adjust his very noticeable hard-on. Bella laughed as he tried to alter the look of his already sagging jeans.
“What up dawg? I have been trying to call your ass all day,” Horatio said, then noticed Bella. “Uh, excuse me.”
“Been busy. What’s up?” Chaz asked as Horatio extended his hand to Bella.
“How are you doing I’m Horatio? This rude punk’s partner.”
“Sorry man. This is Bella. Bella this Horatio, my partner,” Chaz introduced. “I’ve been hanging with Bella, what’s the big fucking deal?”
“Can you excuse us, please?” Horatio gave a gracious nod to Bella. “Your other phone wasn’t ringing today?” He whispered pulling Chaz into what appeared to be a closet door. Chaz turned to Bella before closing the door, “I will be right back baby.”
Chaz and Horatio stayed in the room for what seemed like an eternity to Bella. The manager came to the office to get something out of his gaudy desk, but not before hitting on Bella with his best lines.
“Hey beautiful, are you my present?” He asked when he first opened the door to his office.
“Uh no. I’m waiting for Chaz,” she explained and pointed to the closet door.
“Now I have been a good boy this year. I think I deserve something as pretty as you on my arm. My name’s Big Willie, but you can call me Big,” he laughed at his own joke. Big Willie extended a massive hand in Bella’s direction. She shook it gingerly.