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"I'll give you a warning if he turns up. What time do you want me to wake you?"
"Maybe when the last band goes on. That should give me enough time. If the other bands want their cash, tell them to drop by tomorrow. These chicks and the next band have played here often enough to know the drill. I don't need to babysit them going on."
She grinned. "Sure thing."
"Need some company?" Razer asked. Again with the dimple but dimples are nothing compared to the need for sleep. He could keep his dimples to himself as I stifled my yawn,
I could just imagine Chuck’s reaction if I got caught with Razer in my office. During the day with just the regular staff around, it’d be bad enough. At night, Chuck always had one of his lackeys on the security staff.
"That is exactly what I don't need. I need peace and quiet. You’re the enemy of sleep, you’ve already proven that."
I walked off without looking back.
As I tried to get comfortable though, the feeling of Razer's hand on my shoulder haunted me. It had been a surprisingly tender touch, not the kind of thing I'd expected from him.
And this new guy, Alex. The way he'd wrapped me in his arms earlier. It'd been like a dream.
Not that either of them was in the running for my affections. My feelings had to be wrapped up tighter than a mummy’s tomb. But, if I had to pick one, I wondered which one it would be.
I shook myself and pulled the manky blanket around me. The only thoughts I should be having about either of them was where I’d put them on the band roster next week.
Chapter 5 VIOLET
I'D JUST FINALIZED the band roster for the next month and was about to start calling bands when Chuck came into my office.
He sat on the shonky sofa but didn't say anything. That was pretty unusual for Chuck. Normally he talked my ear off in the most annoying way possible. Chuck suffered from short man complex – and probably a lot of other complexes as well – always acting like he had something to prove but never channeling that into anything productive.
I chewed on my nail, waiting for him to start but he kept staring ahead.
Then he looked up as though he wanted to say something. I focused on him but no words came out. He hung his head again.
Okay, it was becoming really uncomfortable. I glanced at the paperwork on my desk, wondering if I should ignore him and keep working or if I should just wait for him to get started.
Actually, he did look a bit ashen in the face and that pulsating vein in his neck was a worry. I hoped he wasn't about to have a heart attack in my office. Chuck was a total jerk but I'd much rather him alive than a corpse on my sofa.
What would be so hard for him to discuss with me anyway? I was pretty sure I hadn’t done anything wrong recently. Well, nothing he'd find out about. And he'd never had an issue screaming his head off at any of the staff before.
He ran his hand through his hair and slowly raised his head.
"I've got some pretty shit news," he said.
"What's up?"
Knowing Chuck, this was all for dramatic effect and he was just going to bitch about some minor bit of shit. Like how the bar staff gave away too many free drinks or that some band nicked something from backstage. I don't even know why he came to me about that kind of stuff. I was the band booker, not the bar manager. My responsibility started and ended with the bands. I guess if they were pinching stuff from the club, I had some responsibility for that, but not over the rest of it.
"I saw my accountant yesterday. There's been a huge fuck up with the taxes. I'm in debt. In big debt." Chuck gulped.
"So? You can pay it off, right?"
All this fuss because he had to pay some taxes. His tax problems weren't my concern. I hoped he didn't want a loan because he should seriously know better than to ask that with what he paid me.
“It’s not that simple...”
“Huh?” Then, the words sunk in. This wasn’t just about him. “How does this affect the club?”
He didn't answer. I had no idea what Chuck's finances were like but he drove a pretty swish car and never seemed to worry about throwing money around on useless things like bimbos and flashy suits.
He shook his head and didn't look at me again.
