34 #2
“No, that’s kind of you but I’ve got one. Thank you,” Dani replied through clenched teeth, she lifted her glass containing mineral water, so he could see. His grip on her waist slipped and he’d moved it to her hip.
David tried to focus on the glass. “Aw, that’s not a drink!” he whined, looking at Dani’s glass. “You need a real drink.” He stumbled a little and his grip grew tighter on Dani to steady himself.
“Really, I’m fine. Are you with someone David? Is your wife here?” Dani thought he may sober up if he thought about his wife.
“No, she-sh home. I came with some mates. Let me get you that drink.” He waved to the bartender who came over. The bartender knew Dani and with one look at her stony face he’d worked out exactly what was going on. “I’ll have a whish-ky and whatever this gorgeousshh girl wants.”
“Really David, I don’t want a drink. Shall we sit down? You look a little worn out.” Dani tried to prise his hand off her hip but he dug his fingers in.
“Oh no, you’re not getting away from me that easily.”
Arsenio met Jerome coming out of his office on the walkway. Paul had moved down a floor and was checking in with each of his staff, leaving the two brothers to look down over the club.
“How come you’re here?” asked Jerome.
“I was at a loose end and I don’t need to get into the office until late. We’re working a skeleton staff over the holidays. Just emergencies.”
Jerome nodded, then turned his attention to the club.
He was concerned that Arsenio had an ulterior motive.
He knew La Casa staff came down on Sunday nights and he was almost sure that he was here for Dani.
Jerome searched the area where the restaurant staff usually sat and couldn’t spot Dani.
He then shifted his focus to the dance floor, scanning it with narrowed eyes, the pulsing lasers making it difficult to see clearly.
“Is that asshole bothering Dani?”
Jerome jerked his head to look at Arsenio, then followed the line of his gaze to the direction he was now glaring at. “Where?”
“There, by the far bar, near the staff table.” Arsenio pointed down to where he meant.
Jerome squinted to focus on who seemed to be standing far too close Dani, almost caging her up against the bar.
“Fuck. That’s David,” he growled and immediately strode across the walkway and ran down the stairs, followed by an equally agitated Arsenio.
The pathway to the bar was crowded making it difficult to get past. They had to weave through the bodies slowing down what should’ve been a minute’s walk.
Jerome couldn’t see just how familiar David was getting with Dani but he knew what he was like, especially after few drinks.
If he had done anything remotely inappropriate Jerome knew he’d find it hard to rein in his temper.
The very thought of anyone man handling Dani had his blood boiling and made him feel positively violent.
By the time Arsenio and Jerome reached the three steps that raised the seating area where the staff were sitting, Kuch was already by Dani’s side along with Silvanna and Carmen.
The girls had strained smiles on their faces, obviously uncomfortable.
Kuch had managed to slip his arm around Dani and pull her towards him, planting a kiss at the side of her mouth, playing out his role of boyfriend.
“Oh there you are! I was looking for you. Oh, hello, David, how nice to see you. Have you been looking after my girl?” Kuch eased a grateful Dani away from David’s grip, then shook David’s now free hand, smiling widely at a confused David.
“Er, yesh. Your girl eh?”
“Uh-huh, well we’re off to dance. See you soon eh?” Kuch winked at David and whisked Dani away, his arm around her waist pulling her towards the dance floor.
Dani squeezed Kuch. “Thanks, I was getting worried for a moment. He’s absolutely out of his head, he can hardly stand.”
“He’s an ass,” Kuch muttered, his smile dropped as soon as he’d turned from David.
They passed Arsenio and Jerome who’d stopped a few metres away, witnessing the whole scene.
“David’s pissed out of his head,” hissed Kuch at Jerome.
Jerome nodded. “Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?” His eyes blazed with anger as he spoke to Dani, though his eyes were trained on David.
Dani shook her head. “He just got too close and tried to buy me a drink. He probably won’t remember it in the morning.” Jerome sighed, then his gaze flitted to Dani’s arms, which were holding tightly on to Kuch.
Arsenio huffed, “In that case you should’ve decked him.”
“The guy’s an asshole,” Kuch said looking over his shoulder at David who was slumped on a bar stool.
“You did good Kuch. I’ll take care of him.” Jerome shot a look at Arsenio and they both went in the direction of the bar.
Dani sat down near one of the heaters out on the veranda.
Suddenly she felt very tired. It had been a long week and tomorrow she was going to be busy.
It was past one in the morning; maybe she should call it a night.
Kuch had brought her out here and then she’d shooed him off insisting she was fine on her own and just needed some air.
Pushing the door which opened up on to the veranda, Jerome swept his gaze over the area searching for Dani. He spotted her sitting alone on a couch, her head resting on the back with her eyes closed. He immediately paced over to her.
“Dani?”
Her eyes shot open and she straightened in her seat.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.” Dani blushed, embarrassed to be caught out almost napping, especially by Jerome.
Jerome stepped around the table and sat down next to her, “David’s been sent home. I got security to put him in a taxi.”
“He was really drunk.”
“He was. I doubt he’ll remember a thing.”
“I should go too. I’ve a full day tomorrow.” Dani covered her mouth and stifled a yawn.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’m sorting out the decorations for Joseph’s function with Gia and helping her set up a Facebook page.”
“Mama wants a Facebook page?” Jerome confirmed, clearly surprised.
Dani nodded and grinned. “She wants to be more involved with La Casa’s page too.”
Jerome shook his head and smiled. “It looks like you’ve opened up a whole can of worms. My mother’s really getting the technology bug.”
“I hope that’s not a bad thing?” Dani asked, worried that Gia’s new found interest might be an unwelcome change for Jerome.
“No, no, not all. In fact it’ll make things a bit easier.”
Dani shuffled around in her seat so she could face him, resting her elbow on the back of the settee and leaning her head on her hand. “I looked over the page when she asked me.”
Jerome shifted to face her. “And?”
“Honestly?”
Jerome nodded.
“It needs to be updated.”
“I’m listening.”
Dani sat up straighter and bent her knee up on to the seat, now fully facing Jerome.
“Well, La Casa’s page isn’t linked up to the Sky page.
I know most people know you own both but they need to associate the two.
Their web pages should also be more apparent and the same goes for Level One too.
That way, when you have any events at any one of them, the people who’ve liked the different pages get to know about events at all three. Who manages the Sky page?”
“MK.”
Dani nodded. “It shows. He updates it frequently, has interaction with customers and the page’s likes are rising steadily, it’s a very active page.
I know the restaurant isn’t the same kind of business but Sky’s twenty thousand likes are all potential customers for both La Casa and Level One.
You have three markets in the leisure industry, two of them are the leaders within their own niche, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t exploit the customer information you hold on each one, to introduce them to the others and so promote them. ”
“I thought you were tired.” Jerome grinned. He’d watched the sudden change in Dani switch within a few seconds, from weary to totally focused and animated. It was obvious she’d given the subject a lot of thought.
Dani chuckled, “Yeah, I was. Sorry, you probably weren’t expecting a full analysis of your social media infrastructure at one o’clock in the morning.”
Jerome laughed softly, causing the creases around his eyes to meet up with the ones around his mouth, his face totally transforming. How ever much Dani was stunned by his normally brooding face, when Jerome laughed in unguarded moments like now, he literary blew her away.
“No I wasn’t. But it’s certainly more interesting than dealing with drunken customers.”
Dani shrugged her apology again. She knew she got carried away some times.
“And don’t apologise. I love hearing your opinions, in fact I’m interested in any other suggestions you may have.”
“Oh.” Dani swallowed, her mouth suddenly becoming dry. He loved her suggestions? Wow.
Jerome reached into his inside pocket, pulled out his packet of cigarettes and pulled one out.
“I took up your idea about the fashion show.” He slipped the cigarette between his lips and lit it taking a deep drag, then looked up at her.
“Did you?” Dani couldn’t hide her surprise.
Jerome nodded as he blew out the smoke in a steady stream.
Jeez, he looked so sexy. Why was a man smoking so damn sexy?
Or was it just Jerome that made it look sexy?
Dani suddenly felt very warm. She needed to curb her inappropriate thoughts and concentrate.
They were talking about work for goodness sake!
“Uh-huh. We’re hosting it on the nineteenth of next month, thanks to you.”
“Wow, that’s in less than a month!”