The Club (12 page)

‘Something wrong?’ Kalli asked, gazing up at him.

‘Nah, nothing,’ Vibes said, shrugging off the dark sense of foreboding that had come over him when he’d looked at the man. ‘So, who’s Melody Fisher?’

‘I’d have thought
you
’d know that, her being a big Hollywood star.’

‘Can’t say I’ve heard of her,’ Vibes said, shrugging.

‘She’s down there dancing with Fabian somewhere,’ Kalli told him, gazing out at the dance floor. ‘You couldn’t miss her, she’s absolutely gorgeous.’

‘Ah,’ Vibes said, a light switching on in his head. ‘Blonde?’

‘Yeah. Have you seen her?’

‘Oh, yeah, I’ve seen her,’ Vibes murmured. ‘So, if she’s the mystery man’s girlfriend, what do you reckon’s going on with her and Fabian? Only they were acting real shady last night, taking off right in the middle of the party.’

‘Taking off?’Kalli’s eyes widened with curiosity. ‘You mean they went out?’

‘Got down, more like!’Vibes gave her a knowing grin. ‘I saw them having a cosy chat in the corner, then he went up to the office, and she followed a few minutes later. Then
she
came out, and
he
followed
her
a few minutes later. What do you make of that?’

‘Nothing good, knowing him,’ Kalli snorted.

‘Don’t think too much of him, huh?’

‘Not much,’ Kalli admitted.

‘Well, well,’ Vibes said, chuckling softly. ‘Speak of the Devil.’ He nodded down to the dance floor, where Fabian and Melody were casually dancing their way towards the edge. ‘If I’m not very much mistaken, they’re going for a rerun.’

Glancing down at them, Kalli frowned disapprovingly. ‘Dirty pig! Do you think I should tell Jenna?’

Shaking his head, Vibes said, ‘Nah, you don’t need to be getting involved, and neither does she. If Fabian wants to get his fingers burned, he ain’t taking my two favourite ladies down with him.’

‘You think so?’ Kalli gazed up at him trustingly.

‘I
know
so,’ he said. ‘Anyway, you’d best get out of here before he comes back. Wouldn’t want him taking his guilt out on you.’

Nodding, Kalli said goodbye and hurried back up to her bar. Fabian was a dog, but Vibes was right to tell her to stay out of it. It would end in tears without her intervention. These things always did.

Locking the door when Melody came into the office behind him, Fabian pushed her up against the wall and pressed himself against her, his lips covering hers, his hands sliding over her buttocks.

‘Not yet,’ she gasped, holding him at bay.

‘I thought you said you were wet.’

‘Soaking, Babe, but I need something to
really
get me going.’

‘I’ll do that,’ Fabian assured her breathily, reaching for her breasts and circling her erect nipples through the satin with his thumbs. ‘Oh, Christ, they’re incredible.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ Melody impatiently slapped his hands away. ‘But I really, really need a line. You
have
got it, haven’t you?’

‘Yeah, I’ve got it.’

Backing off with reluctance, Fabian took the coke out of the safe and laid out two thick lines. Snorting his, he handed the straw to Melody. Moving behind her then when she leaned over, he rubbed up against her. Encouraged when she let out a tiny gasp, he eased up her skirt, groaning lustfully when he saw her diamante thong.

‘Oh, that’s good,’ she moaned, rocking back against him when he slipped his hand between her thighs. ‘Oh, yeah . . . keep doing that.’

Unzipping his fly, Fabian freed his hard-on and slid into her. Keeping still then, afraid that he would come if he moved, he held on tight to her hips.

Melody couldn’t wait. Arching her back as the coke rushed to her head, she put her hands flat on the table and bucked against him, crying, ‘Oh, God,
now
!’

Pounding into her until he felt the first searing rush of ecstasy, Fabian pulled out and swept everything off the desk. Flipping her onto her back, he tore off her panties and tossed them aside, then pushed her dress up over her breasts and bit down on her nipples. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Melody sank her nails into his back, holding on tight as waves of pleasure tore through them both.

Easing herself up when her breathing had slowed, Melody shoved Fabian off and stood up. ‘Oh, shit!’ she moaned, looking down at the creases in her dress. ‘Look at the
state
of it.’

‘Don’t panic,’ Fabian said calmly, running his hands firmly down the material to smooth it. ‘It’ll be fine.’

‘Best had be,’ Melody grumbled. ‘Tony will flip if he sees me like this. Christ, my
hair
!’ she gasped then, reaching up to find the diamante clips that had been holding it in place. ‘I’ve got to get cleaned up or we’re both dead. Where’s the bathroom?’

‘You’ll have to use the staff toilets,’ Fabian told her, cursing Jenna for not getting him an en-suite when she’d had the one that her dad had started completed. ‘Just let me make sure no one’s out there first.’

Going to the door, he frowned when he noticed the tiny red light glowing in the corner. He was sure he’d switched the CCTV off when he came in this morning, but he must have forgotten. It would have caught the whole thing, and how damning would that be if it got into the wrong hands? But he didn’t have time to erase it now, because he had to get Melody out of here before anybody caught them.

Sticking his head out, he peered both ways along the corridor, then waved her out when he saw that it was clear. Waiting for her outside the toilets, he hopped nervously from foot to foot, wondering what excuse to give if anybody came along just now.

Or, worse, what if her boyfriend had seen them coming in here?

But if Tony Allen
had
seen them, Fabian had no doubt he’d have followed them or sent his goon to see what was going on – and Fabian would be picking up his teeth right about now.

So, no, they were probably safe this time. But it had been a stupid risk to take, all the same, and he wouldn’t be doing it again any time soon – even if it
had
been one of the best fucks of his life.

‘How do I look?’ Melody asked, coming out just then.

‘Great,’ he grunted, just wanting to get her out of here.

‘My pants,’ she squealed as he grabbed her arm and rushed her down the corridor.

‘I’ll get them later,’ he promised, pulling her on down the stairs.

Easing the lower door open, Fabian was relieved to find a group of drunks weaving about in front of it, blocking them from view. Slipping out after Melody, he headed for the downstairs bar while she made her way across the room.

Two burly doormen were standing guard at the door to the VIP stairs, and they were refusing to let Leonard and Avril go through. When they stepped aside to let a blonde tart in a red satin dress in, Leonard almost blew a fuse. Already furious because the Buckleys’ party hadn’t finished as early as he’d expected, this sleight was just adding insult to injury.

It was Avril’s fault for making them get here so late. If she’d bothered to tell him that the Buckleys were celebrating their silver-wedding anniversary, he’d have guessed how thoroughly tedious the party was going to be and would have invented a life-threatening illness to get out of going. At the very least, he’d have found a way of getting out of there before the toasts. But, thanks to Avril, he’d had to endure a five-course meal – very little of which he could actually stomach – followed by a two-hour session of whining neoclassical tripe from a string quartet. Then there’d been an hour of congratulatory speeches from the couple’s family, friends, and associates.

Flooring his precious Jag when they had finally escaped, Leonard reached the club in record time, only to be told that he’d have to pay twenty pounds –
each
. And, if
that
weren’t insult enough, these imbecilic thugs were now refusing to let them go upstairs. It just wasn’t on!

‘If you don’t have a VIP pass, we can’t let you in, sir,’ one of the doormen was telling him for the fourth time.

‘But I’m a friend of the owner,’ Leonard told him – again. ‘And I spoke to the manager just last night, and he personally invited me back tonight.’

‘Sorry, sir, but we need to see your pass.’

‘No, you
don’t
!’ Beads of sweat burst out on Leonard’s brow and upper lip now. ‘I don’t
need
one, because I’m a
friend
of the
owner
. Go and get her. She’ll tell you.’

‘Sorry, but we can’t just go walkabout, sir. If you haven’t got a pass, you—’

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake!’ Leonard barked, spraying Avril with sweat as he shook his head angrily. ‘This is outrageous. I will
not
be treated like this.’

‘Leonard, leave it,’ Avril cautioned when one of the burly doormen took a step forward. ‘There’s a perfectly good table over there.’

Turning on her, Leonard yelled, ‘You can sit down here if you want to, but I’m not going anywhere until I get the respect I bloody well deserve.’

Hearing the commotion, Fabian made his way over to see what was going on. Reaching them just as the doormen were about to escort Leonard out, he said, ‘What’s the problem?’

‘These
people
are refusing to allow my wife and me upstairs,’ Leonard told him indignantly. ‘I’ve told them that
you
invited me, but they’re being deliberately obstructive. And they wouldn’t go and get Jenny to verify that I’m a personal friend. They just keep going on about bloody VIP passes.’

‘I’m sure they didn’t mean any offence,’ Fabian told him, his tone placatory. ‘It’s my mistake. I must have overlooked you when I was allocating passes. Why don’t you let me get you a drink by way of apology?’

‘Very kind,’ Leonard grunted, casting a last glance of displeasure at the doormen as Fabian waved him up the stairs. ‘You really ought to have strong words with these chaps about their treatment of your personal guests, you know.’

‘Oh, I will,’ Fabian assured him, sharing a conspiratorial glance with the grinning doormen – who resumed their places as if nothing had happened.

Following Leonard and Avril up, he escorted them to the bar and told Vanessa to give them whatever they wanted. Then, apologising again, he promised to sort out the VIP pass as soon as he had a minute.

‘That was so humiliating,’ Avril hissed when he’d gone. ‘Why do you always have to throw your weight around?’

‘I wouldn’t need to if people knew their places,’ Leonard retorted self-righteously. ‘And if it wasn’t a problem for the manager, I don’t see why
you
’ve got to make an issue of it.’

‘Because I’m the one you made a bloody fool of.’

Bored now, Leonard flapped his hand dismissively. ‘There’s an empty table. Go and sit down. I’ll be over in a minute.’

‘Why, what are you doing?’ Avril asked, unwilling to sit by herself when she didn’t even want to be here in the first place.

‘Getting another drink,’ Leonard informed her frostily.

‘We’ve only just got these.’

‘Yes, and at the rate you were putting them back last night you’ll need another before your backside hits the seat.’

‘Oh, don’t start that again,’ she moaned.

But Leonard wasn’t listening. He’d just spotted Tony Allen and Jenna sitting together across the room.

Turning to see who he was staring at, Avril’s lips puckered with irritation. ‘Go on, then. Go and see your new friend, why don’t you?’

‘I’ll go when I’m good and ready,’ he muttered, sticking his hand into his pocket in an attempt to look casual.

‘You’re so full of crap!’ Avril spat, turning on her heel and marching away. She knew full well that he wouldn’t go over to the man while she was watching, because he didn’t want her to see him being shooed away again. He must think that she was a complete fool.

Stepping aside to let Brenda Thompson and her obscenely young male escort pass, Leonard downed his drink and turned back to the bar. ‘Scotch rocks,’ he said, keeping half an eye on Tony. ‘And a G-and-T, please.’

‘Anything else?’

Shaking his head, Leonard said, ‘No, thanks.’ Then, on impulse: ‘Actually, yes . . . I was here last night, and, um, a young man served me. Blond, about so tall.’ He held a hand up to his nose. ‘He was wearing a gold stud in his ear, and I think he might have had a pierced eyebrow.’

‘That’ll be Austin,’ Vanessa said, dipping her voice to ask, ‘he didn’t do anything to upset you, did he?’

‘Course not.’ Smiling, Leonard reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. ‘He was very helpful, as it happens.’ Lighting up, he rested an elbow on the bar. ‘Is he, um, working tonight?’

‘Yeah, he should be around somewhere.’ Gazing out over his shoulder, Vanessa scanned the room, then shrugged. ‘Can’t see him. Would you like me to tell him you’re looking for him?’

‘Erm, no, it’s okay,’ Leonard said quickly. ‘I’m sure I’ll bump into him before the night’s out.’

‘Yeah, probably.’ Smiling, Vanessa placed his drinks on the counter and held out her hand. ‘Nine-eighty, please.’

Leonard blanched. Almost ten pounds for two drinks? Outrageous! He’d have to make sure that Avril didn’t go overboard tonight, or he’d be bankrupt come the morning. Tugging his wallet from his pocket, he peeled off a ten-pound note and thrust it at her, telling her to keep the change as he snatched up his drinks and walked away.

‘How generous,’ Vanessa muttered.

Spotting Austin a few minutes later, she waved him over. ‘That fat guy over there’s looking for you. But don’t expect a tip, ’cos I only got twenty pee.’

‘You should learn to be nicer to the customers,’ Austin told her, with a cheeky grin.

Making his way over to Leonard’s table, he gave Avril a polite nod. Then he turned to Leonard, saying, ‘I was told you were looking for me, sir?’

Eyes narrowed to slits, Avril gave a scornful snort. ‘Oh, I’m sure he was, dear, but I doubt you’d be so eager to—’