even think about Adrian.
Chapter 4
Adrian sat in his office with his feet kicked up on his desk. He waited to hear if there was a sighting of Richmond and the call girl. When he looked out at the crowd coming into his club, he smiled. Opening night was looking like a success. Just as he was about to head downstairs to check out the scene, his cell phone rang.
âYeah?â
âItâs done,â a voice said. âWe have the pictures of Richmond Crawford and the call girl. Theyâre en route to the club now.â
âCool. Call the police and send the pictures to my Gmail account and to Emily Burke at the Los Angeles Times .â
âGot it.â
âAnd dump the phone after youâre done sending the pictures.â Adrian ended the call with a big smile on his face. Now he was ready to bask in the success of his club opening and wake up to headlines of Richmondâs arrest. He was sure the news would make it back to New York. When he made it downstairs to the main floor of the club, Adrian was annoyed and surprised to see Richmond, looking a little disheveled, sitting at the far end of the bar.
What the hell? he thought as he crossed over to him. Why hadnât the police gotten there yet? Typical LAPD.
âRichmond, glad to see you made it,â Adrian said with forced cheerfulness in his voice.
Richmond whirled around on the bar stool and glared at Adrian. âItâs a good thing that I did make it here. What was the big idea?â
âWhat are you talking about?â
âYou put a hooker in the car with me.â Richmond downed the gin and tonic heâd been nursing.
âWait a minute, I did no such thing. I donât own the car service that picked you up. How do you know the woman was a hooker?â
âThe moment she saw the blue lights behind us, she started screaming at the driver about not being able to get caught because she had a pending prostitution case.â Richmond tapped the bar, then rubbed his face. âIf this gets out . . . Itâs bad enough that Solomon was involved with a lunatic and spent years screwing any woman with ovaries. I knew coming to Los Angeles was a mistake.â
Adrian fought back a smirk. âSo, how did you all elude the police?â
âShe directed the driver here by some back streets. Iâm not even sure the cops were after us,â he said as the bartender placed another drink in front of him.
Obviously. Iâm firing that fucking driver, Adrian thought. âSo, I guess talking business is off tonight, huh?â
âWhat the hell do you think?â Richmondâs mind flashed back to the scene in the back of the town car. Heâd nearly had sex with a hooker. What if that got out? How would that affect the Crawford brand? He was supposed to be the responsible one. And Vivvy. This would be the ammunition she needed to get a huge divorce settlement.
He looked out on the crowd. Though his mind was clicking with thoughts of the huge mistake heâd just made, Richmond told Adrian heâd listen to his plan.
âThis is a nice lounge. I see you draw a great crowd.â
âPeople know I create excellent places to hang out. Stars can come in and not get hassled. The working man can come in and get treated like a star.â Adrian snapped for his bartender, a shapely blonde dressed in a seventies-style white halter jumpsuit.
âHey, A. B., what can I get for you?â she asked with a toothy smile.
Richmond focused on the bartenderâs breasts, then quickly chided himself. Breasts started his problems tonight.
âThe usual and refill my friendâs drink.â
She glanced at Richmond and smiled. âAnd what can I get for you, handsome?â
âUmm, gin and tonic,â he said.
âTop shelf,â Adrian said, his special code for make it extra strong . With all of the photographers outside the club, someone would surely get a shot of drunken Richmond,
Nancy Holder, Karen Chance, P. N. Elrod, Rachel Vincent, Rachel Caine, Jeanne C. Stein, Susan Krinard, Lilith Saintcrow, Cheyenne McCray, Carole Nelson Douglas, Jenna Black, L. A. Banks, Elizabeth A. Vaughan