Complications
A wicked man this way cometh…
“Joel Miller is a dick.” Jessie consoled the young woman in Club Aurae’s restroom.
The girl tried in vain to stifle her sobs, but was losing her battle. Jessie put her arm around the petite blonde whom she had casually befriended the past month. Jessie leaned down and looked into her blue eyes. “Did he force you? You can tell me.”
The girl shook her head. “No… not really. I—I… he said he was going to put me in a movie. But, but he got rough while… while we were doing it. I wanted to ask him to stop but… I was afraid…”
“Sabrina, I did tell you to stay away from him…”
“I know…” The girl sobbed. “I—I’ve been trying to catch a break. Jessie, it’s so hard to land an acting gig here… God, I feel so dirty.”
Jessie sighed and hugged the messed-up girl.
“It’s ok. He isn’t worth your time. Maybe I can drop a word here or there for you.
No promises.” Jessie smiled as she looked into the girl’s red-rimmed eyes.
“Now get cleaned up, ignore that little dick and go hang with your friends. Joel will get his. He has it coming.” Jessie smiled and wiped a mascara-stained tear streak from the girl’s cheek.
Jessie accepted Sabrina’s hug and watched her leave the restroom.
She had taken an immediate dislike to Joel Miller.
He would eye her up and down like a piece of meat whenever she had to wand him for weapons.
To her, Joel Miller was nothing but a piece of shit, a paper gangster living off daddy’s fame and money.
How he got to be a partner with Halo Raines was a mystery to her.
She turned to the mirror and checked herself.
Simo would be coming back to work for the first time in six weeks.
She calmed the butterflies in her belly and looked hard into the mirror at herself.
She promised herself she would take it slow with Simo, but someday they were going to talk…
even if she had to corner him. She heard Chen’s voice in her earpiece calling her name.
She depressed the button on her earpiece and spoke. “Yes, Chen?”
“Please meet me in the breakroom.”
“On my way.” Jessie replied. She played Chen’s voice in her ear over and over as she made her way back into the depths of the Club.
Was it about the girl in the bathroom? Or something else?
Did something happen to Simo? Her belly churned at that thought.
Passing through the busy kitchen, she saw Chen standing by the open doorway.
No one else was sitting at the break tables. Something was up, she decided.
“Everything ok?” She asked as Chen beckoned her over to the table away from the door.
“For the most part, yes.” Chen held out his hand toward a padded chair and Jessie hesitantly took it. “The reason I asked you over here is that I think you should be aware of something that you will find out all to soon…”
“Something bad?”
“For you, yes, possibly. I’m sorry to say.”
“Go on.”
“Well… I am going against Simo’s wishes here, as he asked everyone to not discuss him with you or anyone else.”
“Uh why?” Jessie’s mind began racing with thoughts like, was he going to fire her? Or send her to Miami or New York sped through her mind.
“Eleni is accompanying Simo here…”
“Excuse me? Eleni? Here? Why isn’t she in Greece and why is that a prob…” Jessie’s mouth fell open and she felt tears forming in her eyes. “No…” She watched Chen nod sadly. “No… not Eleni.” Jessie sighed. “She’s… she’s Greek.”
“Yes? Uh?” Chen blinked not understanding.
“I—I can’t compete, Chen.” Jessie wiped a tear away and Chen was handing her a handkerchief. She accepted it and dabbing at her eyes. Jessie took a moment, cleared the massive lump in her throat and tried to meet Chen’s eyes. “I… I think I need the night off.”
“Jessie… I apologize. As far as I know there is nothing going on between Simo and Eleni... good friends is all.”
Jessie sat up straighter in her chair. “What?”
Chen let out a long sigh. “It’s not Eleni… is all I can really say. You should understand…” Chen trailed off.
There was someone else. She nodded. “I’ll be ok… I should have guessed. With no one talking about Simo… I thought he was single.” She sniffed and tried to laugh through some anger that was beginning to build inside her. “Hopeless romantic, I guess.”
“For matters of the heart, I am the last person to speak to about it. I dare to suggest to give it time…”
Jessie blurted out. “I’m sorry, Chen. This is just a bit much.”
“I can sympathize. I suggest not pushing Simo.”
“Fuck…” Jessie sighed. “I so don’t want to be here.”
“Jessie, please do not do something unwise…”
“I gave my word. I just don’t want to be here tonight.”
“Very well. Please check in with Becky and let her know that I need you elsewhere tonight.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Chen pulled out his keys. “Black Grand Cherokee out in the valet lot. Take a drive, just don’t leave LA. Drop off my Jeep by 2AM at the back emergency exit. Deal?”
Jessie wanted to kiss Chen’s cheek. “Deal. Thank you, Chen.” She accepted the keys, stood and left to find Becky.
Chen watched her leave and shook his head thinking. He knew it was going to get messy, very messy before this situation improved. Hopefully Simo’s head was now in a better place, as two beautiful women had him on their agenda.
Simo strolled up to Theo broadly smiling at him with Eleni in tow. Theo began speaking in Greek, as Georgie the head doorman smiled and watched the interchange.
“About time you came back!” Theo hugged Simo heartily. Theo glanced over at Eleni and smiled. As soon as he let go of Simo, Simo hugged Eleni.
“Vray Malaka, stop it. You smile too much, too.” Eleni chastised her grinning cousin.
Theo turned to Simo. “You look better, tired, but better.”
“Ha. Exhausted. Nothing compares to the Canadians training. More brutal than Spetsnaz.”
“No shit?” Theo gasped.
“Serious.” Simo smiled back, then his smile disappeared. “So… is she here tonight?” Simo side-eyed Eleni, who was rolling her eyes at Simo.
“Uh, she was. Chen needed her for something. She is out for the night. I have one of the floor security guys on VIP.”
“Ok.”
Eleni gave Simo a little shove. “Malaka, you need to talk to her. How many times do I have to tell you this? It is not fair to her.”
“I said I would. So stop already.” Simo grumbled at her.
Theo shook his head and resumed his beaming smile. “Ok, then. I’ll let you two get to work. I’m taking my lunch break!” Theo laughed.
“Anything new I need to know?” Simo asked.
“Oh… I was going to let it be a surprise.” Theo winked. “The little bitch…”
“Who?” Eleni queried.
In unison Simo and Theo replied, “Joel Miller.”
“Ah, ok.”
“As I was saying… the little bitch has been hitting on girls in the club. Him and his new friend…”
“New friend?”
“Yes, Johnny Stone.” Theo grinned wildly.
“Not THAT Johnny Stone?” Simo replied.
“Yes, that one.”
“Did he recognize you?”
“I don’t think so. He’s usually high or too tipsy. Though, he and Joel have been watching Ari’s niece, very closely.”
“Fuck. Has anyone warned Ari’s niece?”
“I don’t know,” Theo replied.
Eleni butted in. “Is Johnny Stone that actor who ran drunk and naked down the street here?”
“Yes, that is him.” Simo sighed.
“Another malaka.” Eleni chuckled.
“Yeah.”
“Where are they?”
“VIP.” Theo grinned. “You are going to pass them on the way to your office. Suite 5.”
“Better get this done.” Simo grunted and gestured to Eleni. On the way up the steps, Simo reached out and shook Georgie’s hand and greeted him warmly.
Inside Simo heard the pounding music. Oddly, it felt like he was home. He turned to the VIP guard, nodded at him, and headed up with Eleni in tow.
Simo slowed as he passed the red curtained VIP booths or ‘suites’ as they now were being called.
Most had their curtains closed except for suite 5.
He slowed further as he passed and looked in.
Joel Miller had his face buried in his phone and Johnny had his arm around Elara Swan, Ari’s young, beautiful niece.
She was making doe eyes at Johnny and, surprisingly, Johnny was doing the same.
They seemed enraptured with each other. Simo was about to say something, when Johnny looked up and went rigid at the sight of Simo staring at him.
Johnny’s mouth began to open and Simo shook his head at Johnny.
Johnny downcast his eyes immediately as Joel looked up and met Simo’s eyes.
Simo gave Joel a curt nod and continued to his office, with Eleni surreptitiously watching the table as she quickly passed by.
Once inside the office, Simo pulled out his cellphone and texted Ari. Your niece is sitting with Johnny Stone. Orders? Simo waited and nothing came back. Being gone for so long he had no idea where Ari was. He made a mental note to talk with Chen about it and get up to speed. Maybe it was all ok.
Eleni sighed. “Too many J names, it is such an odd letter. I am glad we don’t have it in our alphabet.”
“No kidding.” Simo sighed. “Took me months to pronounce it right.”
“So this Johnny and Joel are bad news?”
“I’m thinking ‘yes’. I got an update from Halo Raines’s father, Ronson, about the film. It seems that Halo is trying to get Johnny replaced on her film. Something to do about their scene together.”
“What’s wrong? Johnny seems like a malaka but he is a very good looking man.”
Simo sighed and gestured to the leather chair in front of his desk. When Eleni sat down he began. “I am not supposed to say anything…”
“And…” Eleni arched her dark eyebrow.
“All I can say is Johnny Stone was once Halo’s love interest… her first.” Simo cleared his throat to accentuate the last word he spoke.
“And you know this because you were involved somehow… I knew something was up when Johnny recognized you with fear in his eyes.”
“Yeah…”
“Say no more. I understand.” Eleni quipped.
“Thank you.”