Beyond the Velvet Rope. Tiffany Ashley
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his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Richards.”
He blessed her with a dazzling smile. “Believe me, Ms. Shaw, the pleasure is all mine. You must forgive my tardiness. My meeting ran long; however, my delay doesn’t in any way reflect your importance. I’m eager to see what you can do for us.” He waved his hand toward the couches. “Please, have a seat.”
Thandie walked toward a long leather couch, feeling Elliot’s gaze on her the entire time. He waited for to take her seat, before sitting down himself. Adam took the opportunity to excuse himself, mumbling he had some things to see to.
Elliot waited until Adam left before turning to her. “I trust the tour you received was sufficient.”
“Yes, very much so.” She said with a guarded, yet nervous smile. “You have an amazing place.”
“Thank you. It was quite an investment, but I’m happy with it.”
Thandie had to force herself to concentrate on the conversation. Elliot Richards was gorgeous, alarmingly so. It was hard to believe this charming and very handsome man was the same person who’d hung up on her weeks before. When his lips began to move, Thandie became transfixed.
“I’m sure Warren has already spoken to you, but please allow me to reiterate.” He checked his watch before continuing. “I currently own three night clubs. Lush, Red Door and Club Babylon. Lush is a fetish club, with very select membership. Red Door is a nightclub marketed toward the lesbian persuasion. It’s the smallest of my businesses, but it holds a consistent clientele. Then, there is Club Babylon. It’s my largest undertaking. The club has done very well on the strip, but we recently decided to update the look to grow our service capabilities. We reopened our doors last month. The changes have been received quite well, particularly the amenities marketed toward our members. However, we want to see major returns in a relatively short time. I expect to see a return on my investment in three months’ time.”
“Three months sets a vigorous schedule,” Thandie warned.
Elliot nodded. “Yes, it does, but I’m confident we’ll hit our mark on time. With your help, of course.” He smiled. “Warren sang praises of your abilities. He was quite vocal that you are the person we need.”
She blushed slightly. “Warren is very kind.”
“If that were all it was, you wouldn’t be here.” He looked at her seriously. “Please allow me to be frank.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I don’t normally employ women, and for good reason.”
“May I inquire why?”
His gaze was level. “In my experience, women become...unfocused.”
She immediately understood. He was the reason for his previous female employees losing their focus. How could they not? He was a walking, talking, breathing distraction.
“In all honesty, Ms. Shaw, I’m not entirely sold on the idea of you being here. Club Babylon is quite the exception to the typical club expirence. This is not a place for emotional beings and and from past experiences, women often get attached to the wrong thing. Which is why working with an all-male staff is not only beneficial but necessary in my line of business.”
She stared at Elliot. His sharp profile and flawless skin made it very clear what those “wrong attachments” might be. Fixing him with a hard stare, she said, “May I ask you a question?”
“Please.”
“What the hell am I doing here?” She could tell her frankness momentarily shocked him. “As you can see, I’m not a man.”
Elliot’s silver gaze roved over her body slowly and intentionally. “That is a fact I have been unable to ignore.” His stare was heated when he added, “And neither will the rest of my staff.”
“I assure you I’m a professional. As long as your staff operates on the same level, then we should have no problems.” She smiled thinly. “You’ve reviewed my portfolio; you know what I’m capable of. So if there is an issue with my gender, again I ask, what the hell am I doing here?”
“You’re here because Warren insisted on it,” he said simply.
He flashed her a devilish grin that made her mind conjure up every dirty thought imaginable. He really was too handsome for his own good. Her gaze unwillingly floated over his body, and there was no doubt in her mind the man was created for mind-numbing, can’t-walk-in-the-morning sex.
“Although I appreciate Warren’s confidence in me,” she began, licking her lips in a struggle to tear her eyes away from his body, “I assure you I come highly recommended. Feel free to check my references.”
“I have.”
“And?” she prodded when he did not elaborate.
His eyes sparkled. “As you said, you come highly recommended. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.” He crossed his legs in one fluid motion. Somehow, he managed to make the action appear very masculine. “I thought it only fair for you to know where I stand.”
She felt as if he were studying her unemotionally, as if he were shopping for a new car, mentally accessing value versus usage and lastly, appeal.
“I appreciate your candor,” she said, somewhat irritated.
“I promise you I have an abundance to give.” He disarmed her by giving a boyish grin. “Babylon is my woman. I love her to obsession. Her success is my own.”
“I understand.”
“So I haven’t frightened you off yet?”
“Not even close.”
He grinned at her. “I like that you’re not afraid of me.”
This time, she laughed. “I’m from New York. Nothing frightens me.”
“We shall see about that.”
His words were delivered so softly, Thandie did not immediately catch their meaning. Did he intend to frighten her out of the job? She considered asking him this very question, but at the last minute stopped herself. Instead she asked, “Whom will I be working with?”
“Myself,” he said. “Very closely.” His eyes openly assessed her again, but this time was a little different from the first. This review was sexual. Whether he was impressed or not, she could not tell. “As well as my managing staff,” he added. “You’ll meet them tonight before we open. We get together for an action-meeting during the first hour of business. You should make yourself available. We go over the themes for the next night, as well as address any issues. Use tonight to acquaint yourself with the ins and outs of the club during showtime. It’s easy to get confused when the lights are down.”
“I’ll be there.”
“I know you will be.”
“Can you give me an idea of what you expect from me?”
Elliot inclined his dark head gracefully. “I want you to host a series of events here at the club, leading up to our grand re-opening.”
“Aren’t you open now?”
“This is a ‘soft’ opening. It allows us to work out the kinks and formulate our operations. A dress rehearsal, if you will. We’re showing only half our potential.”
“Oh,” was all she could think to say. She felt a little embarrassed, because she should have known the answer to her question. She’d seen a soft opening before, but certainly not to this extent. “When will I learn specifics regarding the project? Goals, budget, etcetera?”
“Over dinner.”
Thandie frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“Do you have plans tomorrow evening?”
She heard herself answering