The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale (9 page)

             
“That only adds to a long list of suspect shit Evan’s been doing lately,” Joey said as they stepped off the elevator into Penthouse. “The lying is what really bothers me. It is what it is though and I have no time to get caught up in that chick’s mess. Not today.”

***

              The Penthouse opening was a fabulous celebrity red carpet event. Over a dozen players from Charlotte’s professional sports teams that held Penthouse memberships attended. More than a few of them brought teammates, pro athletes from other cities, or friends from the entertainment industry. In an effort to attract new members Joey and Bev went all out. The top shelf bar was open for the duration of the event. There were three food stations. The seafood station offered colossal shrimp, king crab legs, and two-pound lobster tails. At the meat station the choices were filet mignon, New York strip, and prime rib. Two esteemed Japanese chefs manned the third station making sushi per the guests order. Stunning waitresses dressed in fitted low cut white blouses, black mini-skirts, and four inch heels served the crowd.

             
The club’s luxury sports bar ambiance alone was enough to make most of the charter members pay for the pricy membership. A sprawling seven thousand square feet, The Penthouse was a rich sports fanatics dream. Ten eighty-inch screens lined the walls. Oversized brown leather chairs were situated throughout for members to relax in while watching games, drinking, or just chilling. There were two gaming rooms; one for poker and the second casino style black jack and roulette. A private room equipped with poles and a bar could be for private events such as bachelor or birthday parties.

For the lavish event Joey played it pretty low key in a white tank, light blue True Religion skinny jeans, and beige Charlotte Olympia peep toe platform pumps that were embe
llished in metal spikes. In her element Joey worked the room chatting, taking pictures with guest, and just taking in and enjoying the scene.

             
Zay was not at all thrilled when he arrived to see Dawhar Bradley, an NFL standout, talking to his wife. He was convinced that Dawhar had a thing for Joey. Zay went right over and placed his arm around her waist, greeted her with a tongue kiss, and then smoothly whisked her away.

              “Every time that nigga come to something he always up in your face.”

             
“Zay don’t start with this again. Dawhar is not thinking about me, besides he has a wife.”

             
“That doesn’t mean shit.”

             
“You should know,” Joey retorted.

             
“Oh so you wanna take a low blow at me about some old shit, because I’m telling you that I don’t like the way another dude getting at you.”

             
“Yes because I’m tired of you constantly hurling accusations at me about this. I’m not the one that cheated in this marriage and I’m tired of getting treated like I did.”

             
Joey stormed off she got a few feet away then came back, “I’ve never done you wrong so respect me and most of all respect my place of business.”

***

              “We’re not going to be here long,” Cee told her husband, Petey, while checking her hair and makeup in the visor mirror. “I just want to show my face for like an hour, I need to get some rest. My first client is at seven-thirty in the morning.”

              “I’m cool with that baby,” he replied wheeling the cream Escalade into the Enclave parking lot. As Petey drove by the L Room, he noticed a dark figure moving along the side of the building. He stopped and reversed the truck.

             
“Who is that?”

             
“Where?
”



            
 
Petey pointed, “Right there.”

             
“I don’t see anybody.”

             
“It’s somebody over there.” He shifted the gear to drive then pulled down to valet stand. “You go on in I’m going to walk over to the L Room to make sure everything is okay.”

             
“Oh no you not! That’s the security team’s job. Tell them to go check it out.”

             
“Alright,” Petey conceded knowing how easily frightened his wife could be.

             
“That’s fine,” she leaned over and gave him kiss. “See you inside.”

              Cee got out the truck and walked towards the building. The attendant gave Petey a valet ticket. Petey tipped him then set off to find Enclave’s security.

              “Hey love,” Cee greeted Joey with a hug.” Joey returned the hug.

             
“What’s up mama? I’m glad you made it back. I know you’re tired. Y’all got slammed at the spa today.”

             
“Yes we did! But, I’m not complaining,” Cee smiled, rubbing her thumb and fingertips together like she had money between them.

             
“I know that’s right.”

             
“It looks really good in here. How’s it going?”

             
“Great. We’ve even sold some memberships.”

             
“That’s what’s up! Where is Zay?
”



             
“He probably somewhere pouting.”



            
 
“About what?”

             
“When he came in I was talking with Dawhar. A few of his people had just signed up for memberships. So now he back on the same shit about Dawhar in my face.”

             
“Zay ain’t tripping at all,” Cee said. “Dawhar does flirt with you a lot.”

             
“But I don’t flirt with him. That man has a ten-thousand dollar platinum membership to this club and he’s gotten his teammates and friends to join. It is strictly business between us.”

             
Cee held up her palms. “Hey you don’t have to convince me. Trust me I understand that, but you need to check Dawhar. He needs to respect your marriage. That’s all I’m going to say about it.” Cee scanned the room, “Where is Evan?”

             
“Hell if I know,” Joey sighed. “She came in earlier to make sure the serving stations were set up correctly. Said she was going home to change clothes and she’d be back.”

             
“I hope she isn’t somewhere passed out. That chick didn’t even go see her doctor today.”

             
“That doesn’t shock me.” Joey mumbled.

              Zay was angry at the way Joey had handled him. He wanted to flip the fuck out on her and Dawhar, but he would never disrespect her place of business in that manner. The two double shots of Hennessy he’d just knocked down were beginning to cloud his judgment. If he had one more double shot he was going to forget that he was at his wife’s business. Therefore, he decided to leave. He walked up behind Joey and said in her ear, “Yo, I’m out.”

             
Joey turned to face him, “but you just got here.”

             
“And, why you worried? You don’t want me here. Dawhar will keep you company.”

             
“I need you here,” she said embracing him by the waist. “I’m sorry about the way I came at you. It has been a crazy day and I was a little on edge. Please forgive me and stay awhile.” Zay was a little apprehensive, but since Joey did apologize, he hugged her and agreed to hang around a little longer.

             
Bobby, one of the Enclave’s security guards, rushed into The Penthouse and ran over to Cee, Joey, and Zay.

             
“We need you outside now,” he said distressed. “Something bad happened.”

             
“Bad like what like what?” Joey asked.

             
Cee noticed that the Bobby had dark red wet spots on his shirt. Suddenly she realized that Petey had not come inside. “Did you see my husband out there?”

             
“Yes,” he said unable to look her in the eye.

             
“Is he okay?
”

He shook his head.

             
“No.”

Cee ran past the elevators to the stairs. She hurried down the stairs followed by Bobby, Zay, and Joey.

              Outside smoke was flowing into the night sky. It was hard to tell if it was coming from the L Room or Luxurious. Cee grabbed the security guard's shirt.

             
"Where is my husband?"

             
"Come," he guided her to the side of the L Room. She became horrified at the sight of her husband unconscious out on the ground bleeding profusely. Rich, the security guard, lay next to him lifeless and covered in blood. Cee went over to Petey.               "Noooooo," she screamed madly then dropped to her knees beside her husband and cradled his head in her arms. "Oh baby what happened to you?" Tears filled her eyes. Cee could hear the ambulance and fire truck sirens approaching. She knew that they were close, only seconds away, but it felt like forever.

             
Joey was in shock, the scene was overwhelming and upsetting on so many levels for her. Petey, her friend since high school, and Rich her employee laid severely wounded if not dead. To add insult to injury, the Luxe Enclave had just opened for business. The publicity was going to be horrible, but at the time bad publicity was least of her worries with two human lives possibly lost. Zay ran out to the parking lot then came back with four paramedics. Firefighters stormed the L Room with a water hose. Suddenly the grounds were swarming with Charlotte Police. They immediately pulled Bobby and two other guards to the side to find out what was happening. Joey went over and listened intently as the Bobby gave the police a rundown.

             
Bobby told the police, “Petey told Rich and me that he saw someone on the side of the building. When he took us over to the spot, there was a man with three lit Molotovs. He tossed one through the window, we all yelled out
YO STOP
, and he started shooting at us. I ran. I thought that Rich and Petey were behind me.”

Nothing could be done for Rich he was dead when the paramedics got to him. Petey was loaded onto an ambulance and transported to Carolina’s Medical Center with Cee by his side. Joey wanted to go to the hospital to be there for her friends
, but she had to hang around to handle things with the police and fire investigators.

             
The fire chief told Joey, “Damage to the structure is mostly water and its one small area. Your sprinkler system did a good job smothering the flame before it could spread out of control.”

             
That news was of little relief to her, as she watched Rich carried away in a body bag. The building could be restored, his life could not. About forty-five minutes later Joey was sitting in the passenger seat of Zay’s black Dodge Challenger. He was about to drive her to the hospital when she spotted Evan’s car pulling into the parking lot. Rhamel was driving and Evan was sitting in the back.