Beyond the Velvet Rope. Tiffany Ashley
is a cool old guy.”
Thandie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Len,” she said, “Warren is old enough to be your grandfather.”
“Yeah, but he’s fun,” Len reasoned.
Raja agreed. “He’s a barrel of laughs, Thandie. I hate that he left the city. He was my favorite VIP.”
Thandie stopped at a red light and turned around to face the girls. Though she was, at best, only seven years older than they, she knew they looked up to her as a role model. “Raja. Len.” Fixing each girl with a serious look, she said, “I want you two to enjoy yourselves while you’re here, but you’re going to work. Our sole purpose for being in Miami is to promote Club Babylon. You will remain focused at all times. I won’t tolerate any of your usual shenanigans. Is that understood?”
They nodded solemnly.
“And another thing,” Thandie soldiered on, “the management staff is predominantly male.”
Len and Raja turned to look at each other, mischievous expressions on their faces.
Thandie snapped her fingers at them. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned. “There will be absolutely no funny business between yourselves and the staff. I expect you to be professional, but keep your distance. If I suspect there is a trace of inappropriate behavior from either of you, I will send you back to New York. Are we clear?”
The girls grimaced before nodding their heads.
Pacified by their response, Thandie refocused her attention on the road. She knew she was being hard on them, but hopefully she had spoken just sternly enough to make herself heed her own warnings.
Warren was gone by the time they arrived at his home. The girls squealed and laughed when they walked into the grand entrance hall. Tossing their bags aside, they took a tour of Warren’s house. Thandie could hear their laughter throughout. She tolerated it for a short while, before insisting they get to work. Len came up with the idea that they should sit by the pool while they worked. Not wanting to be a wet blanket, Thandie agreed to join them. They put on swimsuits and carried their paperwork onto the stone terrace leading to the pool. Len and Raja quickly entered the water, sitting on the steps of the shallow end. Len got busy calling Miami affiliates of the New York Post while Raja made a list of agents representing celebrities who resided in Florida.
While the girls worked on making contacts, Thandie made a list of possible event themes. It was slow going, since she was not familiar with Miami’s nightlife scene just yet. She placed a call to Rex Barrington, Elliot’s director of marketing. Rex was surprised to hear from her but was happy to answer her questions about previous club themes and press releases. They spoke at length and by the time she hung up, Thandie suffered from information overload.
After that, she helped the girls with making calls. She started by dialing her California contacts, making a list of celebrities who had press junket tours scheduled in the near future. She got a few hours of furious work out of the girls before they found their way to lounge chairs and stretched out like lazy feline cats. Len was sunbathing and well on her way to a much needed tan while Raja retreated to the shade to prevent getting any darker.
Thandie was still on the phone when Warren joined them. Raja and Len ran to him as if he was Santa Claus. Donned in their bikinis, Thandie could tell Warren loved their attention. He listened to them ramble on about their flight. He made the unfortunate mistake of offering to take the girls shopping on Sunday, an offer Thandie knew he would quickly regret. Raja and Len kissed him on his reddened cheeks and jumped up and down with excitement. Thandie could only roll her eyes heavenward. Deciding she’d witnessed enough, she stood and gathered her things.
“Where are you going?” Len called out to her.
“I’m going to lie down for an hour or so. You girls might want to do the same.”
“No way,” Len laughed. “We’re in freakin’ Miami! We’re too excited to sleep.”
Thandie shrugged. “All right, but don’t come crying to me when you can barely keep your eyes open tonight.”
Raja’s brow perked. “What are our hours, Thandie?”
“Ten to two.”
“Same rules?” Len asked.
“Of course,” Thandie nodded. “No drinking, always work the room and always keep your cool.”
The girls laughed as she made her way inside. Thandie gave the same rules every night before working. It had become redundant to say the words anymore, but she said them out of habit.
Thandie stretched out on her bed and prayed Warren wouldn’t try anything with the girls during her absence. The last thing she needed was Len and Raja competing for the cushy position of Wife Number Six. Thandie yawned deeply and reflected back on the past few hours. The day had been productive thus far. She saw no reason why she couldn’t pull together an action plan within a fairly short amount of time. Formalizing a proposal Elliot would agree to might require some persuasion. She only hoped the cost of gaining his cooperation was a price she was willing to pay.
* * *
It had taken forever to get Len and Raja to decide what to wear. Finally, they were in the car and headed toward the strip. Thandie gave them a quick rundown on the club’s structure, disclosing information she’d learned from Adam, and mentioning a handful of employee names she was able to remember. After finishing, Thandie had the nagging sensation she had forgotten something important.
As Thandie drove, she and the girls went over their findings from earlier that evening. Raja had located several agents who sounded promising, and Len confirmed radio contacts and a reputable gossip columnist who lived in the area. They spent the remainder of the trip haggling over how to best utilize their new found information.
As their SUV turned onto the main street, they could see a line of cars waiting for Club Babylon’s valet service. Thandie called a number Adam had given her which gave her direct access to the valet stand. After announcing her name, they directed her to drive ahead of the other cars. The attendants were all smiles when they greeted her.
“Hi, Thandie,” one man said. “Have a good time tonight.”
Tiny, the bouncer she’d met the previous night, made a path for them with his huge body. They ignored the curious gazes shot in their direction, aware they were the envy of everyone waiting patiently in line. Thandie heard the girls gasp in wonder as soon as they entered the club. Tonight Babylon was bathed in vibrant green lighting, and the arena took on the appearance of a tropical garden. Thandie looked skyward and was delighted to see the hanging gardens were on display. It was otherworldly, giving the heady sense of being dropped into a mystical lush garden.
Fixing a controlled smile on her face, Thandie guided the girls up the staircase that led to Elliot’s office. She introduced them to the unsmiling bodyguard, Michelle, as he held the door open. When they walked inside, the men who made up Elliot’s management staff turned their heads in unison. Just as before, all conversation stopped.
Thandie stepped forward. “Hello, gentlemen,” she said pleasantly. “Sorry for interrupting, but I wanted to introduce my assistants to you. This is Raja Travis and Len Harris. Len. Raja. This is Rex, Markie, Eddie, Adam and Tom.” She paused before turning toward the handsome creature leaning casually against his large gleaming desk. “And this is the owner, Elliot Richards.” She couldn’t bear to look into his stormy silver eyes for longer than a few seconds. “Len and Raja will be helping me with the promotion plans,” she said to no one in particular. “They’ve worked with me for years. You should find them very helpful.”
Again, silence. Thandie was beginning to wonder if she was doing something wrong, but when she looked up at the men, she could see their eyes were trained on the girls’ bodies. Meanwhile, Len and Raja were openly ogling Elliot. She could only imagine what he was looking at.
Clearing her throat, Thandie turned to the men. “Are we interrupting something important?”
Adam