“Didn't I ask you not to come around here anymore?”
Slowly raising his light brown eyes to her, Chad answered, “Yes, you did.”
Celeste Wright was tired. She'd just pulled an extra shift at work, and now had to deal with Chad Rankin nosing around again. She didn't feel up to it tonight. She had made it clear she didn't want him around here. She hated the day he had walked into her life, all cool and calm, and terribly stubborn. She remembered it well, he had come into the bar specifically looking for her, which was odd. He'd been around before, causing problems, but had stayed away from her. They had never said two words to each other before that day.
That’s how she had wanted it, but he'd been persistent and what he had wanted from her had rocked her already unstable world from its axis. She never should have gotten involved with him. That much she now knew, but it was too late to turn back. She had always heard that hindsight was twenty-twenty; how true that was. He was here to stay, and had made it clear to her constantly. He had caused her more trouble than she could handle and her life was already full of problems.
“You make the customers nervous.” She pointedly looked at his gun, resting in its holster; he never left the house without it. “It’s best if you don't come around.”
Chad glanced at the stage, watching an attractive brunette dancing around peeling off her leopard string bikini top. He finally took his eyes off the sight and looked around the club, before turning back to Celeste, “Best for whom?”
She was getting pissed, and was tired of his games. It was bad enough that she had sat and watched him ogle Sable while she danced on stage, welcoming everyone to the jungle, while Chad’s eyes took in every movement she had made, now he wanted to play head games with her.
“Everyone. You’re a pig for crying out loud. No one wants you or your friends hanging around here.” Her voice rose, and she quickly lowered it, hoping not to draw any attention. She had already been told to cut ties with the cop, and his constant presence wasn't going over too well with her boss, John Blanton.
“That's too damn bad.” He also raised his voice, but she knew he didn’t give a damn about the attention they might draw.
“Chad, please leave.” She was pleading with him; John would give her hell if he saw her talking to him again. She knew all she had to do was signal to one of the bouncers and they’d come over and toss him out on the street. She was tempted, Tom was standing close, but she didn’t. She wasn’t even sure they could kick a cop out of the club.
Chad wasn't very popular around The Treasure Chest, the strip joint she worked in, since the night he had come in and shut down the place. Thankfully, she had been off work that night, but there were rumors that the only reason he busted the place when he did was because she hadn’t been there. Like he was protecting her.
That was bullshit and she knew it. Her temper was at a boiling point and she didn't try to lower her voice this time, “I gave you that damn test; can't you leave me alone? Once you find out it's negative, I hope to never see you again.”
She was on the verge of tears. What he wanted from her had dazed her, leaving her in a state of numb shock. He should have never come to her, offering things that could never be possible. She hated him for the glimmer of hope he gave her.
Looking her straight in the eyes he said, “I've got the results.”
“What? Already?” She was stunned and took the seat across from him in reaction, afraid she might fall. “How did you get them so fast?” It had only been two days since she’d had the blood tests taken. She expected them to take at least two weeks to have the results.
“Being a detective has its advantages.” He cracked his first smile, painfully reminding her of his attractiveness. His light brown hair matched his eyes, and was striking. His features were etched on his face. Every worry line and smile crease was visible, but they made him all the more attractive. That first night, he caught her in a moment of weakness. That's the one reason she had listened to him when he had come looking for her. She kept thinking to herself, ‘What if…?’
She was surprised to realize that his hand shook slightly as he handed her the envelope. He was obviously just as nervous as she was about this whole mess. A thousand ‘what ifs’ flashed through her mind as she took the envelope from him. The seal was already broken, “You've already read it?”
He nodded but didn't speak. Looking at him for a second longer, she pulled out the papers with unsteady hands and read them. When she looked up, tears were streaming down her face and she was smiling brilliantly. Suddenly, the ‘what if 's’ had a chance of being answered. Her life had new hope.
“It's positive,” she said in wonder. It was a simple statement that would have a significant impact on her life. She was unable to fully grasp the meaning of these tests; it was something she thought could never happen.
Taking her hand into his, he smiled, his excitement written all over his face. Celeste wondered if he’d been worried that she’d reject him, even with the results and that surprised her. He was such a strong capable man, who didn’t seem to have any weaknesses; the thought that he could have been concerned over her rejection touched her.
He gently squeezed her hand, “I told you. I knew it from the moment I saw you.”
“This means you and I…” She couldn't continue. Instead, she gripped his hand tighter.
“Are you finished with your shift?” He asked, looking around the room. She could only nod, now unable to control the tears pouring down her face.
“Let's go to my apartment and talk. We have a lot to talk about.”
“Yes,” she choked. Standing up she threw herself into his arms, unable to stop herself. She wasn’t sure how he would react to her emotional display, and didn’t care about anyone who might be watching her with the cop.
Hugging her tightly against him, he asked, “Are you happy? I mean this is quite a shock. I hope I don't disappoint you.”
“I'm thrilled.” She looked up at him smiling from her heart. She couldn't remember ever being this happy in her life. “I've always wanted a family.”
“Good, now you have one.”
***
“Well, it doesn’t look as though you can keep him out of my club.” Al Whitley said, nodding out of the window that was darkened on the outside so no one could see in, but he could see out over his club.
Al owned The Treasure Chest, but stayed in the shadows, preferring not to be seen. He let the club manager John Blanton do the schmoozing that needed to be done.
John walked over to the window and saw the cop talking to one of the most beautiful girls he had at the club. He’d told the cop numerous times he wasn’t welcome here. He must be dense or worse, he had a death wish. He’d also warned the girl to stay away from the cop, although he understood that the cop kept searching her out. John just wasn’t sure what Al would think of the situation.
Turning around he saw that Al had gone back to his big expensive mahogany desk and sat in his leather chair. He was tapping his right hand against the well-polished wood, his manicured fingers clicking softly one by one in time and his two-carat diamond pinkie ring gleamed in the light. “Did you have that talk with the pig as directed?”
John looked at Al and nodded, “yes, though he didn’t take me seriously.” John walked to the matching wet bar and made them both a scotch on the rocks, taking Al’s drink over to his boss, John contemplated him over the rim of his glass while he took a sip.
Al was a force to be reckoned with in the adult entertainment industry. He was somewhere in his 50s, bald by choice and of medium height and had a solid stocky build. He was always dressed to impress and had the most expensive imported suits he could buy.
Back in his day he hadn’t been afraid to get his hands dirty when taking care of a pest like a cop. Now he had loyal men like John to do the work for him. He’d made his fortune in this business and no longer had to lower himself to do his own dirty work. He now had money, influence and plenty of women, and as far as Al was concerned that’s all he needed in this world. It was a pretty easy philosophy.
“Talk to him again,” Al said after a while, “and if he still doesn’t take you seriously, then we’ll have to take care of him. I don’t like him hanging around here, it’s not good for business.”
John nodded and went to look out over the club again; he was surprised to see the pig and his best girl leaving the club together. He’d have to keep his eye on them.