The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale (3 page)

             
“Thank you Bev and you are doing a wonderful job. This night turned out much better than I ever imagined.”

             
“That’s what you hired me for,” Bev replied with smiling brightly. “What kind of Ace did you send?
”



             
“Two gold bottles and one Rose ́.”

             
“I’m going to get another bottle of Rose ́ from the bar. That’s Cee’s favorite, so I know it’s probably gone already.”

             
“All the bars are out of Rose ́. My next stop is the cooler to pull some more of that too. When I get them I’ll send you some over by the waitress. Now go have fun.”

             
Joey slipped into the largest VIP section on the second level unnoticed. She snuck up behind Zay, who was standing next to Petey watching the performances. Joey wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

             
“Hey baby, I’m done working already and the nights not over yet.”

             
“That’s what’s up,” he said turning to face her. “I hope you still planning to give it to me until the sun come up.”

             
“I sure do. What’s up with Cee?” Joey asked pointing at her best friend.

             
Donning a slinky white off the shoulder mini dress, Cee was standing on top of an oversized ottoman with a bottle of champagne in her hand dancing and singing.

             
“You know what’s up with her,” Zay laughed shaking his head. “She’s wasted.”

             
“I’m about to get just like her,” she said dancing side to side. Joey looked around.               “Where is Evan?”

             
“Hell if I know. I thought she was with you.”

             
“No,” Joey frowned. “I’ve only seen her twice since we’ve been in here. Whatever,” she shrugged. “She’ll surface eventually.” Notorious for hard partying, Joey had the bottle server pour her three shots of Ciroc which she quickly downed and chased with a big swig of champagne. Minutes later she was up on the ottoman next to Cee with her own bottle dancing.

             
Evan smiled as she peered down at her two best friends from a restricted area on the third level of the club. She could tell that they were having a really good time. Normally she would be right there in the middle getting twisted with them. Due to recent strange events she needed to be focused while in public. Evan felt a tap on the shoulder and nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around. “Oh God Bev,” she exclaimed, holding her chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”

             
“Sorry, but why are you not down there celebrating?” Bev questioned, wondering why Evan was in a secluded area of the club by herself. “Do you need a bottle of champagne or something I’m about to go in the cooler room now.”

             
“No, I’m fine. I just needed a moment to myself. I’m not really in the partying mood right now,” Evan paused. “You know, Bev I’m gonna break out. Can you tell Joey and Cee that I left?”

             
“Sure.”

• E
  van walked briskly through the enclave parking lot to her reserved spot in front of the L Room. Once she was in eyeshot of her white Maserati, she spotted a blue Tiffany’s box atop the roof.
  “What the hell is this?”
  she muttered. Evan snatched the box down and looked around the parking lot. A few drunken partiers were straggling to their vehicles and the security guards were patrolling the lot on golf carts. Evan hurried into her car, locked the doors, and cranked the engine. She reached beneath the passenger seat, retrieved a Glock .380, and placed it on her lap. Before pulling out of her space she opened the box. Evan gasped at the sight of the contents, a silver bullet with her name engraved in it. A small note beneath it read:
  Especially for you.
  
•              
  Over the last month she’d been receiving subtle to not so subtle notes, texts, gifts, and emails that could easily be perceived as threats. In the beginning she thought it was some scorned female mad at her for messing with their boyfriend or husband. Not long after the threats started she realized that it wasn’t some vengeful woman. Evan received a text that stated:
  I’m coming for my money; on my terms. When you least expect it.
  After receiving that text she started to think the anonymous threats were most likely from one of the many men she’d played while leading a different life a decade earlier. She always thought that one of them would come after her, but she thought it would be within the first two or three years. Not ten years down the road. Someone coming after her didn’t bother her as much as not knowing who it was. The situation was torturous which she figured was the person’s intent. A light tapping on the driver’s side window startled Evan. She looked up and a saw Rhamel, the security guard.
  
•               He was forty- something, brown skin and stocky. His claim to fame was the one year he played for the Cleveland Browns. It was no secret that he had a huge crush on Evan because he was always flirting with her. Evan rolled the window down half way.
  

             
            
 
Rhamel flashed a wide gold tooth smile. “You need something Ms. E?”

             
              “No Rhamel. I was just leaving.”

             
              “So soon? I thought,” he spotted the gun on her lap.“Is everything alright              Ms. E?”

             
              Evan glanced down at her lap then back at him, “oh this is nothing. I always take it out when I’m driving home late at night,” she lied. “You know this city can get dangerous for a lady late at night.”

             
“Well,” he said rubbing his chin between his forefinger and thumb, “If you ever need me to accompany-”

             
“No thanks,” she spat cutting him off. “I’m good with my boyfriend,” she held up the glock. “So good night.” She pressed the window button up and drove away.

             
Driving in silence, Evan tried desperately to figure out who the culprit behind the threats was. Faces and towns raced around her mind until her head began to throb.
That’s enough,
she told herself, as she pulled up to the entrance of her gated neighborhood. Familiar with her car the guard waved her through without looking at her face.

Chapter Two

              “Damn it,” Evan screamed, struggling to disable the newly hi-tech alarm system complete with cameras, yard sensors, and a fingerprint scanner. She was ready to rip the key pad from the wall when she realized that she was putting in the code to her old system. Evan punched in the correct code scanned her right thumb. “Thank you Lord,” she sighed when the green light appeared. Evan reset the alarm and removed her heels. Her eighty five hundred square foot home was a palatial palace. It had seven bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, several living and dining areas, a pool, and a pool house. Hand crafted crown molding lined the ceilings, while Swarovski crystal chandeliers hung from it. Marble flooring adorned the halls, kitchen, baths, and dining rooms. Gleaming snow-white carpet lay in the rest of the house. All of the couches and chairs were white, light beige, or a mixture of both. Expensive glass pieces, paintings, and sculptures perfectly decorated the home. Evan’s place was undeniably stunning, yet it was cold and uninviting.

             
Exhausted from the long day, Evan knew the only thing that would ease her mind enough to sleep was a good strong drink. She scanned the shelf of her entertainment room’s fully stocked bar. Wanting something with a quick one-two punch, Evan decided to make Texas Tea. She grabbed a small glass pitcher and poured in a mix of tequila, rum, vodka, gin, and bourbon. Trying to remember the final ingredients she studied the bar. It had been a long time since she made it. Champagne and vodka martinis were her usual drinks of choice. “That’s it,” Evan snapped her fingers then grabbed the triple sec, sour mix, and a can of coke. Stirring the pitcher of liquid, Evan suddenly thought of Reza, the man who taught her how to make Texas Tea.
Could he be the one behind all this non-sense?
she wondered. He could easily be number one on the list of suspects, considering that when they parted ways it was not pretty at all. Standing behind the bar, Evan took a few sips of her drink as her thoughts took a trip down memory lane back to her time with Reza.

***

Hampton Roads, VA 2000

             
Evan attracted the attention of males and females as she roamed around Club Shadows in a brown, cream, orange, and gold Coogie sweater dress. Not the awful cheap ones that are sold. She was donning a seven hundred dollar dress paired with a brown knee-high boots and a large Fendi bag. It was a Wednesday night; the club’s most crowded and busiest night. All of the area’s elite were in the building. When Evan walked past the VIP area someone grabbed her wrist. She turned around and frowned at the short light skinned guy that was holding onto her. He leaned over the red rope and said to her. “My man wants to holla at you,” he pointed over his shoulder.

             
She looked past him and saw a gorgeous brown skinned man, with shoulder length cornrows, and dressed in all black Iceberg. He raised his glass to her. Evan smiled at him then said to guy who’d stopped her. “Tell your man he should’ve hollered at me himself.” She yanked her wrist from his grasp and walked away. Evan squeezed through the tight crowd and found a spot at the bar. The six bartenders were getting slammed from every angle making it hard to get their attention. Evan took out a twenty dollar bill and flashed it at the bartenders. A trick that usually worked in this type of situation, but fifteen minutes later she still had not been served. Mr. Gorgeous from the VIP came and stood next to Evan at the bar. Immediately two bartenders nearly knocked each other down running over to take his order
.



             
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Evan scoffed
.

Mr. Gorgeous leaned over and said to her, “Tell ’em what you drinking?”

             
“A Cosmo with Grey Goose,” she said to the bartender with her mouth twisted.

             
“And,” Mr. Gorgeous interjected, “Let me get a double shot of Remy.”

             
“You must own the place,” Evan said to him.

             
“Nah, why you say that?”

             
“ ’Cause I’ve been here for close to twenty minutes and not one of them ass wipes have even looked at me. You walked up and they ran over like the king arrived.”

             
“They like me in here. I’m such a friendly guy,” he extended his hand. “My name is Reza.” Evan shook his hand and took a quick glance at his iced diamond watch.