Merry Christmas
Not a jolly good time was had by all
Simo and Theo sat together in the back of the club and watched the club’s manager, John Tee, as he spoke to the seventy-odd employees seated around the club’s dance floor.
He finished his holiday speech, thanked them for their service, and asked them to all reach under their seats.
Everyone gasped as they retrieved and opened their envelopes.
They each found twenty one-hundred-dollar bills inside their envelopes.
The mood had been jovial, but now it was downright ecstatic.
Simo could see on some of the faces of the employees just how important that money was to them this holiday season.
He thought of Joel Miller and how he threw money around like nothing.
Jessie talking with Becky caught his eye.
Becky seemed happy, but he could tell that Jessie’s smile was fake.
She was playing at being happy. She turned and met his eye.
Simo held it for a brief moment, gave her a nod, then looked away.
Theo leaned in and spoke in Greek. “You speak with Jessie yet?”
“No.”
“I want to ask a favor…”
“Theo, is everything ok?”
“Yes. You put Gunnar on Jillian’s detail… I would like to take his place when she visits JJ’s mother.”
Simo turned and faced Theo. “Ok… but why?”
Theo looked down at his hands for a moment and replied, “I… it would be a nice thing to do for JJ.”
Simo smiled. “So, what is it about JJ?”
Theo’s smile slowly came back. “I think she is beautiful. Different than Erini… we have same thing in common… now.”
Simo nodded. “Yes. Ok, I’ll let Gunnar and Jillian know.”
“Thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Simo returned to watching the employees as John Tee instructed everyone to join the line for the Christmas Buffet. He noticed that Jessie and Becky didn’t get up. Glancing his way, they were talking between themselves.
“Just go talk to him,” Becky whispered in her Minnie Mouse voice.
“He doesn’t want to talk to me. He thinks I’ll corner him.”
“Maybe you should then,” Becky urged.
“Has Simo ever been angry at you?”
“No… not really.”
Jessie hung her head, then looked up, meeting Becky’s curious gaze. “It’s not a good thing. You can feel it radiating off of him, it’s like being gut-punched with energy… hurts my…” She tapped her chest.
Becky winced, reached out, and squeezed Jessie’s hand. “Oh… I’m so sorry.” She leaned close to Jessie. “Then why does he keep watching you?”
“Like I said, he’s waiting for me to make my move so he can counter me. I bet he has a speech all planned out… a one-sided speech.”
“I’m sorry… I don’t know what to say.”
“Really nothing to say…”
“Want to get in the buffet line?”
“Not really…” Jessie sighed.
“You need to eat more. You are starting to look too skinny. Wait here, I’ll bring you something.”
“Fine. Thanks, Becky.” Jessie watched Becky join the line as the crew of Club Aurae were being served by an outside catering company.
Everyone seemed happy. Yay for them, she thought.
Jessie pulled out her iPhone and began checking her emails.
That done, she set her phone on the table and glanced back at Simo.
He was sitting in the darkened booth and looked like some mafia Godfather watching everyone.
At times he angered her so much she wanted to scream, like when he didn’t even tell her what he thought of her shot at Joel’s office.
She placed that lightweight paint round right in front of that guy’s face.
She sighed in aggravation, grabbed her phone, and woke it up.
A group text popped up. It was from Simo and read, ‘Need everyone to meet in my office. One hour. Important.’ She glanced back at Simo and he simply nodded at her again.
The replies came back and she typed her own acceptance.
She barely touched the prime rib that was on the plate that Becky brought her.
“Jessie, you really need to eat.”
“I know… it’s just not a good time of the year for me, I guess.”
“I think you need a vacation.”
She let out a little snort. “Yeah… if they would let me out of LA.”
“Where would you go if you could?”
“Well, Athens would be nice,” Jessie replied, and remembered fondly how she shadowed Simo after she slipped out of the hospital.
“I don’t think they’ll let you go back there.” Becky smiled.
“No kidding. So, what do you think Simo wants?” Jessie sighed heavily.
“I think it’s about Joel Miller. I heard Simo and Theo talking about it being too quiet. Gunnar is working on Joel’s surveillance… speaking of Gunnar, what do you think of him?”
Jessie poked at the cold meat on her plate. “He’s kinda like a father… he’s warm… and very polite. A bit too structured and stiff, I think. Why, do you like him?”
“He’s older but… I think he’s really cute and funny. He knows his work…” Becky giggled, “…but I bet Simo would blow a gasket if we went out.”
“No kidding!” Jessie smirked.
“Look! Simo and Theo are heading up.”
Jessie looked at the time on her phone. “We have ten minutes… I bet he’s thinking I’ll be on his heels… yep, he just looked back.”
“A knife couldn’t even cut the tension between you two!” Becky laughed.
“No shit.” Jessie sighed and sat back in her chair.
Jessie rolled her eyes at Becky. “So… what do you think he’d do if I got him something for Christmas?”
Becky’s eyes shot wide. “What? No… you didn’t. He warned us…”
Jessie angrily grabbed her jacket and gestured toward Simo’s office. “Yeah… I did. I couldn’t help it.”
“What did you do?”
“Ha! Nothing like I was tempted to do… I just got him some cologne. It is from Halo’s men’s line. I like it.”
“It’s your ass!” Becky giggled. “Hey, speaking of Halo. I hope Joel gets his due for what he did to them. Did you hear that Jillian Raines wants to meet that actor guy’s daughter?”
Jessie stopped. “What?”
“Shh! Theo told me that Jillian thinks her daughter is alive. She heard through Ari that the guy’s daughter thinks her father is alive, too.” Becky leaned in close. “Eleni reported in the other day and said that Athena is adamant about it…”
“Athena?”
“That Xander Kostinos’s daughter, the actor guy.”
“I think I better start paying more attention… what else?”
“Ari and Annabeth are going to be at this Xander guy’s funeral.”
“Wait… I’m lost here. What’s with Annabeth and Ari being together and this Athena?”
“Christina Ascher is best friends with Athena…”
Jessie shook her head rapidly. “Ok… tell me more later, Chen and Gunnar are coming out the secret way…”
They all went into Simo’s office where he was sitting on the front edge of his desk. It was Theo, Chen, Gunnar, herself, and Becky in the office now. She tried to determine what Simo’s mood was, but was at a loss. She took the farthest chair away and waited.
Simo smiled. “I want to thank you all for being on time… I will make this short. Joel’s crew is actively seeking out Sarah and have put a hundred thousand dollar bounty on her head.
Johnny Stone was attacked in prison, but he is going to make it.
You all know by now that Ari has a new jet, courtesy of Irwin Miller.
He didn’t want Joel to have the jet or Galaxy Music.
He gave it all to Ari. So, Ari really has his hands full, which means we need to step up.
This thing with Joel makes my nose itch constantly. ”
A collective groan from everyone followed.
“I don’t like it either. So, plans are being made to get to Johnny Stone in American Samoa, to see what he knows about Elara Swan.
It may take some time, but more than likely, one of you will be coming with me to Pago Pago if Ari can make some headway with the State Department.
We all need to be watching our backs and each other’s. Especially you, Jessie.”
“What?” Jessie said in surprise.
“Joel knows you work here… he knows I work here. He might put two and two together.”
“Understood.”
“I want everyone armed at all times. That goes for in the club, too. I don’t think Joel will be stupid enough to do anything here, as he is still scared shitless of Sagar’s, ‘Sugar Man’ reputation.” Simo turned to Theo. “Theo, take Chen’s seat.”
“Oh… ok.”
Chen smiled, got up, stood by Simo, and spoke. “Now, for the real reason why you were all summoned up here. Simo?”
Simo smiled, reached inside his seemingly voluminous black leather blazer, and pulled out four thick envelopes. “Merry Christmas from Ari, Chen, and me.” He handed Theo, Becky, Gunnar, and finally Jessie each a bulging envelope. “Open.”
Theo’s eyes widened. “How much is this?”
“Twenty-five thousand each.”
Chen grinned. “Ari would like to convey his respects and holiday wishes to you all. He appreciates all that you have done this year and wishes he could be in attendance, but Annabeth and Christina, I mean Tina, are visiting. He is spending as much time as he can with them. Simo and I are hoping things go well with the Aschers…”
Chen was still smiling. “Now, before you all depart for the evening, we will have daily briefs through our encrypted email account. Make sure you check your email throughout the day.”
Simo leaned back against the edge of his desk, smiling. “Have a Happy Christmas.”
Theo stood up first and shook Chen’s, then Simo’s hand. “Thank you. Simo, I wait in car, nea?”
“Sure.” Simo smiled.
Gunnar was next. “Very unexpected. Thank you for the gift. Chen, shall I wait in your office?”
“Yes, please.”
Becky was next and unexpectedly hugged Chen, then Simo. “Thank Ari for me, too!” she squeaked.
Jessie came up to Chen and gave him a little side hug. “Thank you for everything this year.”
“My pleasure, Jessie.” Chen smiled and began to glance behind himself, then thought better of it.
Jessie didn’t extend her hand or try to hug Simo. She kept her distance. “Uh, Boss. Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” Simo said firmly. She stood there for a moment in no man’s land, nodded, then hurried out of Simo’s office.