34
Suggestions
“I’m so ready for my day off tomorrow,“ huffed Nicole.
“It has been crazy this week,” agreed Dani.
She was buttoning up her royal blue, slim fitted trousers, after tucking in a matching halter top.
She’d pinned up her hair in a messy up do, as usual, not having time to restyle it.
The rest of the restaurant staff were already at Sky, except for Kuch who was patiently waiting for them upstairs.
“I’ll say. The next two weeks will be worse. But it’s great fun, especially New Year’s Eve.”
“You’re dressing up as Grace Kelly, right?”
“Yes, I love Grace Kelly.”
“Oh, you’d make a great Grace Kelly and Kuch?”
“Elvis!” giggled Nicole.
“No way! He’d be an excellent Elvis. That’s going to be funny. Will you spend tomorrow together?”
Nicole beamed. “Yeah. I love my days off. We just hang out at my place. He cooks for me and we just watch movies all day long. It’s perfect.”
“You guys should be married. You work together so well and spend all your spare time with each other when you’re not. You practically are married.”
Nicole wrinkled her nose.
“What? Are you telling me if he asked you, you’d say no?” Dani narrowed her eyes at her through the mirror while she applied her lipstick.
Nicole shook her head and blushed. “Of course I’d say yes.
But when we first got together I told him I wasn’t interested in getting married.
I’ve had it rammed down my throat since I was a little girl.
You know, ‘You need to find a nice Italian man and get married.” Nicole rolled her eyes.
“So I think I just became so anti-marriage. A reaction to the pressure. You probably can’t understand what it’s like living with an overbearing big family. ”
Dani huffed, what she wouldn’t give to have a big family right now. “Yeah well you and I have different opinions on family life. What about now though?”
Nicole shook her head. “Not now. Not since Kuch is in the picture.”
Dani smiled softly at her. “Can I make a suggestion?”
Nicole shrugged one shoulder. “Sure.”
“Why don’t you propose?”
Nicole eyes widened. “Me?”
“Yeah you. You’re happy to throw convention out the window regarding the sanctity of marriage, but you’re old fashioned enough when it comes to the asking?
” Dani raised a questioning brow. “Nicole you love the guy, he’s nuts about you but he knows you don’t or rather won’t do the marriage thing.
How’s he supposed to propose if he thinks you’ll shoot him down?
He doesn’t know you’ve changed your mind?
So ask him. Get him a ring and just do it! ”
“You’re right,” Nicole sighed, then she spun around to face Dani.
“You know what? I think I will. Maybe on his birthday. It’s on the twenty-ninth.
” She slumped on a chair a little dazed.
Now she was thinking about the prospect of asking him, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect.
“My family are coming over from Italy at the end of January. I can tell them then. We’ll have to keep it quiet I suppose until then.
Or maybe I’ll wait until I’ve spoken to them first. I don’t want anything to ruin it.
” Dani heard the excitement in her voice as she cultivated her plan.
Dani sat next to her and squeezed her shoulders. “Well you’ve waited this long, a few more weeks won’t matter. He’s a great guy Nicole, he deserves the best and he’s got it.”
“Thanks, Dani. He is the best and he’s going to get the best proposal ever. I’m going to blow his mind!”
PAUL STOOD ON THE walkway scanning around the club.
Over the next two weeks the place was going to be heaving.
All his men were working every shift to ensure they had no more incidents like they’d had last night.
Thankfully they’d managed to see the smug bastard off without too much disturbance.
Paul had wanted to wipe the grin off the asshole’s face with his fist, but he knew it would only mean more trouble for Jerome and Sky.
He’d have to let the dust settle a bit, then in a month or so seek him out.
Paul rolled his shoulders feeling the tension of his pent up anger.
It had taken him a few beatings over the years to realise that if you wanted to be able to control a volatile situation you needed to keep your head and wait for the right time to strike, when they were least expecting it. He’d learned that the hard way.
Paul’s eyes spotted Arsenio walking up towards the stairs leading him to Jerome’s office. He knew this would probably be the only time he’d catch him without Jerome being around and his only chance to open up a conversation about Scott and his surveillance.
Arsenio was let through the roped off area that lead to Jerome’s office by one of the security men and paced towards where he saw Paul checking over the club from the bird’s eye position.
He’d come purposely to speak with him after Scott’s phone call this morning.
Arsenio knew Jerome had asked for more security around his home.
According to Scott one of them had spotted him and he didn’t want that information getting back to Jerome.
He was here to test the waters with Paul.
“Hey, Seni. How you doing?” The men shook hands warmly. They’d known each other for fifteen years and were familiar enough to feel some sort of camaraderie. It was a friendship built on mutual respect and the connection they had with Jerome.
“It’s crazy busy tonight. Don’t people have work in the morning?” joked Arsenio.
“Well most places closed on Friday so they’re in full Christmas mode.” He rolled his eyes and rested his forearms on the railings. “It’ll be like this almost every night until the first of January.”
“That’ll be a real headache for you.” Arsenio mirrored Paul’s posture and leaned on the rail and looked over the club.
“I’ll say. We’re fully manned up and we still manage to slip up sometimes,” huffed Paul.
Arsenio turned to look at Paul. “Trouble?”
“Just trying to keep some unsavoury characters out.” Paul pursed his lips together and stood up crossing his arms in front of him.
Arsenio didn’t need much more explanation. He straightened up and turned to face Paul leaning back against the railing. “Yeah Jerome said you’d had a few incidences. It’s a tough time for him at the moment.”
“Yep, he’s a lot on his plate and when it’s silly season, everything just gets that bit worse. He’s lucky he has his family around him to watch his back,” Paul said dryly.
Arsenio took in a sharp breath understanding the hidden meaning in his seemingly casual comment. “He’s got a good team here too. I’m sure you’re all doing whatever you can. These kinds of guys can get personal.”
“We’re watching the restaurant, keeping a close eye on it, that and his home.”
Arsenio nodded as Paul continued.
“Seeing who’s around, if anything’s unusual. You know, comings and goings. You can’t be too careful.” Paul kept his eyes pinned on Arsenio.
“No you can’t.”
Paul pushed a little more. “I’m lucky I have a thorough team. They keep me informed of every detail, any movements. It’s amazing what you can pick up.”
Arsenio swallowed. “Like?”
“Cars parked up that have no business in being there.”
“I see.” Arsenio came away from the railing and stepped closer to Paul. “I think we need to talk.”
Paul dropped his arms to his sides, “I think we do.”
“Come to my office tomorrow.”
“I’ll be there at ten.”
APART FROM THE UNIQUE location and the stylish décor, Sky undoubtedly played the best in the latest music along with past hits, making it the most popular night club in the city.
This was down to the skills of Kuch’s brother Max, who was Sky’s resident deejay and was known as MK, Maximillian Kuckiki was just too much of a mouthful.
The whole club was pulsing with tangible energy, the atmosphere electric, touching everyone.
There wasn’t any way you could enter Sky and not be drawn into the contagious vibe that exuded off everyone in there and from everyone who worked there.
The staff at La Casa had worked long, hard hours over the last week but their tiredness was soon forgotten as they were swept away by the highly charged surroundings.
Dani stood by the bar, near their usual table, talking to Carmen and Silvanna.
It was good to spend time with them socially, Dani mainly spent time with Rosa and Nicole during her working day so it was nice to catch up with the other female members of staff.
A clammy hand rested on Dani’s bare back, which caused her to jerk and stop mid-conversation.
She twisted around to see who it was that had disturbed her and to her utter shock was faced with David, the over-familiar client that came into the restaurant.
Shit, thought Dani. Had it been someone she hadn’t known she’d have bawled him out but she knew she couldn’t with him. He was a very good customer so she’d have to be courteous at the very least.
“I thought it was you,” he slurred, leaning in to speak in her ear. Carmen and Silvanna gawked at the wiry man.
“Oh, hello, David, um this is a surprise. Let me introduce you to Carmen and Silvanna, they’re part of the kitchen team at La Casa.
Carmen, Silvanna, David is a regular client of ours.
” Dani turned away from David, facing her two friends and widened her eyes at them cringing, secure in the knowledge that David couldn’t see her.
David looked over at them dismissively and mumbled a hello, then turned his full drunkard attention back to Dani.
Carmen stood her ground, her blue eyes darkening, there was no way she was leaving Dani.
She leaned over to Silvanna instructing her to go get help.
The guy could hardly string a sentence together and he had now put his arm around Dani’s waist almost caging her up against the bar.
“Can I get you a drink?” he swayed bumping her up against the bar.