| Chapter 1: The Opening The searchlights could be seen from miles away in downtown Orlando, with people lining the main drag to boot. They held cameras in hand, anxiously waiting to see the people of the hour. The long, white limousine slowly made its way to the entrance, coming to a stop as Mario got out of the front and opened the door. “OH MY GOD IT’S LAURALEE!” Lauralee stepped out of the limousine, waving to the crowd of people. She turned around as Alex followed her, taking her hand as they waited for the rest of the crew. Bianca, Nick, Elizabeth, Brian, Kevin, Laura, and Howie followed them as they made their way through the red carpet. The girls stopped as a group and took press photos, along with the guys. They stopped by John Norris towards the front. “Mind a little interview, ladies?” John asked. “No problem,” Lauralee smiled. John turned to the camera. “3, 2, 1. We’re here in Orlando, Florida for probably one of the biggest club openings in Florida history, the opening of Club Passaro. And I’m here with the 2 proud new owners, Lauralee and Laura from Elegance.” John turned to the girls. “What a night this must be for you! Can you tell me a little about why you decided to open Club Passaro?” “Well,” Laura answered, “it all started about a year ago, when we were talking about a dream Lauralee, Veronica and I had about opening a club when we were 16 years old. We were reminiscing about what our lives have become and thought that maybe we can fulfill the dream now.” “So I’m guessing Club Passaro is after Veronica then?” “Absolutely,” Lauralee said. “This was her dream too, and we couldn’t go on with this unless she is a part of it in some way.” John turned to the guys. “And I’m sure you’re proud of them as well?” “Oh yeah,” Alex smiled as he put his arm around Lauralee. “We couldn’t be more prouder of them. They took this idea and ran with it,” added Kevin. John smiled. “How’s your other big event coming along?” “It’s… coming,” Kevin looked down at Laura. “That’s all we’re saying,” Laura winked. “Well, thank you Elegance, Backstreet, and good luck with the club,” John shook their hands. They stopped to several more press people, then made their way to the blue cushioned doors as the main bouncer opened the doors for them. The guys allowed them to go in first. The girls, holding hands, walked into the club for the first time. It was everything they thought it was going to be. Shining lights around the club with touches of blue and silver around the room. The sound and light systems were state of the art, with several blue couches around the club to give it a homey feel and a way for customers to relax. There were three bars stationed at the sides of the main floor, with the bartenders eagerly serving the many celebrities on hand for the opening event. Alex put his arms around Lauralee’s shoulders. “You did it, babe.” He planted a kiss on her cheek. “It’s everything I thought it was gonna be,” Lauralee rested her hands on his forearms. “Right Laura?” “All that and more,” Laura smiled. “And I think she,” Laura pointed to the sky, “thinks it’s awesome.” The whole crew went to the VIP section, where a huge table was awaiting them. The champagne was poured, and they all held up their glasses. Nick stood up. “You know I’m not so good with words, but I just want to toast to you guys. I’m sure Club Passaro will be the best club in Florida.” Howie cleared his throat. “Oh, sorry, of course tied with Tabu,” Nick smiled at Howie. “That’s better,” Howie smiled. “So, to a new club, and the two sexiest club owners in Florida. Congratulations.” They toasted and drank the champagne. “Alright,” Elizabeth put her glass down. “This is a club, so let’s dance!” They went to the already crowded dance floor and made their moves so that the other guests on hand took notice. They were not even on the dance floor for two minutes when the head bartender ran onto the dance floor and grabbed Lauralee’s shoulder. He seemed out of breath. “What is it Bruce?” Lauralee yelled into his ear over the booming music. “Back… kitchen… no… glasses…” Bruce held his hand to his chest. “OK, I’ll be right there.” Lauralee made her way through the crowd to the kitchen where several of the workers were panicking. After showing them where the glasses were stored, Laura came in the kitchen. “Lau? Daria said they couldn’t open the wine cellar. Champagne’s getting low.” “That damn thing’s stuck again,” Lauralee growled. “Remind me to call the contractor in the morning.” They both went down to the cellar and, with a little bit of force, managed to open the door so the waiters could get the cases. More problems arose. Every time Lauralee and Laura went onto the floor or tried to mingle with their guests, another person would interrupt them. They did manage to greet their guests as the night wore on, and managed to spend time with the crew. The sun seemed to greet them as the last guests left and they were sitting at the table. “Great opening night gals,” Bianca leaned against Nick and took off her shoes. “Yeah,” Laura yawned. “But there wasn’t time to really enjoy it. God, I didn’t know running a club like this was going to be so hard.” “It’s a lot of work,” Howie nodded. “Yeah, but you ladies are gonna need some help,” Brian added. “I mean, you ladies got the album to finish. Laura, you have a wedding to plan. You really won’t have the time to run the club after this month is over.” “I’m just glad to have this break off to devote to the club,” Lauralee sighed. “But, you’re right. We do need some help. What we need is a manager.” “Yeah, someone you can really trust,” added Elizabeth. “Whoever it is, they are gonna have to be able to run the books, handle things around here, but won’t screw you around.” “Well, I’ll ask around the club circuit for some capable people,” Howie rubbed his chin. “It better be soon,” Laura yawned, “because I don’t think we can handle this 24-7.” “True,” Lauralee reciprocated with a yawn. “OK, this night is over.” She turned to Alex. “Let’s go home.” Chapter 2 Contents |