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“Damn. What the hell happened?” one of the men he recognized from the bachelor party asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Eamon told him. Though everything was a mess, he didn’t see anything broken. That definitely came in handy in case the hotel came after him and The Dollhouse.
“What time is it?” the guy asked, looking at his wrist and seeming disappointed to discover that he didn’t have on a watch.
Eamon thought he’d help by looking at his own watch, but his was gone, too. “It’s a hair past a freckle, apparently.” He glanced around on the floor.
“Ohmigod! The wedding! Where’s Marcus?”
“That’s a good question.” Eamon started looking around at the faces on the floor, but didn’t see the groom anywhere. “I guess he has to be around here somewhere.”
They worked their way around the living room and then finally headed back to the master bedroom. However, the moment he opened the door, something came whizzing toward Eamon’s head. He ducked but the object hit the man behind.
“Ooof!”
Eamon shut the door and turned around. “Are you okay, man?”
The dude placed a hand over his left eye for a moment and then declared, “I’m okay. What the hell was that?”
They looked down to see that it was only a plastic bowl full of colored popcorn. Then something else hit the closed door, drawing their attention.
“What the hell is in there?” Eamon asked, almost afraid to try to open the door again.
“I think I saw a monkey,” the brother behind him offered.
“A monkey?” he asked for clarification. I don’t remember a monkey being ordered.
“Robert!” Another brother from the bachelor party called out and then raced down the hallway to join them. “Man, we’re missing the wedding.”
Robert, the monkey-bowl victim, shook his head. “I don’t think there’s a wedding without the groom.”
“Is he in there?” the guy asked.
“We’re just about to check, but he might have been killed by a raging monkey.”
That explanation succeeded in making the new guy look just as confused as they were.
“Okay,” Eamon said, starting to crouch before he opened the door again. “Everyone, be prepared to duck.”
“That warning would’ve come in handy the last time,” Robert snipped.
“Sorry.” Eamon turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open.
Oooooh ooohhh aaaah aahhh!
Sure enough there was a white-face capuchin monkey, clearly losing his mind while he jumped up and down in the center of the bed. Eamon found himself echoing his brother from last night.
“Now, there’s something that you don’t see every day.”
“With good reason,” Robert whispered. “Do you see Marcus anywhere?”
While the monkey was busy having a fit, Eamon glanced around the bedroom and came up empty. “No. He’s not in here.”
At the sound of his voice, the monkey whipped his head around and with lightning speed, grabbed one of the bed’s pillows and hurled it at him. Though Eamon wasn’t normally afraid of pillows, he quickly jerked back and slammed the door again before the fluffy bomb smacked him in the face.
Exhaling as if he’d just saved their lives, he turned toward the men and asked, “Is there any chance Mr. Henderson left without you guys?”
“Highly unlikely,” Robert said.
They turned and headed back toward the front of the villa, checked the dry and the steam sauna, then the courtyard and then lastly the private pool. No Marcus.
“I don’t know what to tell you guys,” Eamon said. “He’s not here. Maybe he went and got breakfast.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. After a couple of rings, he reached Johnson’s Cleaning Crew on the line. “Hey, it’s Eamon. Can you go ahead and send your guys on over to the Henderson suite? Yeah.” He glanced around again and spotted the goat still roaming around. “Wait. Actually, wait an extra hour. I need to call animal control first.”
The moment he disconnected the call, the villa’s front door opened and in walked Marcus Henderson, smiling and gushing at…Delicious. “Good morning, everybody,” he said with a goofy smile.
The rest of his friends started peeling themselves off the floor while most of the women were making a beeline to the bathroom.
“Where have you been?” Robert asked.
Another guy in the villa, smiled just as broadly. “Everyone, gather around. Marcus has an announcement to make,” he broadcasted like he was the King of England or something.
Intrigued, Eamon folded his arms and wondered why Delicious—a.k.a Michelle—was bouncing around and holding Marcus’s hand, but he had a suspicion that he wasn’t going to like it.
It took a few seconds, but everyone gathered around and waited.
“All right, Marcus,” the man said. “The floor is all yours.”
“Thank you, Kent.” Marcus smiled at Michelle, squeezed her hand and said, “First, I want to thank you all for giving me a wonderful bachelor party. I’ve never had anything like it.”
The small crowd clapped and Eamon was pleased that he had indeed pulled off another successful party.
“However,” Marcus continued and then started gushing as much as the woman beside him. “There’s been a change in plans…or rather…a change in brides.”
“Please no,” Eamon moaned, filling in the blanks a second before Marcus held up Michelle’s hand and announced, “Delicious and I just got married!”
Eamon groaned. “Oh God.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention?” Mondell Gregory announced in the center of the Waldorf’s Park Avenue lobby. Three hundred sets of eyes zoomed to the larger-than-life man with rapt attention. He took a deep breath and with his head held high he continued. “First of all, I want to thank you all for coming today, but I regret to inform you that the wedding has been called off.”
As expected there was a collective gasp followed by a low, steady murmur as most of the invited guests turned to one another to express their surprise.
“However, since we are all here and since we have a mountain of food and good music arranged for you, I don’t see why we can’t just turn this into an old-fashioned brunch party and take pleasure in one another’s company.” He held up his glass of champagne, though he wished that it was something stronger. “Enjoy!” Mondell nodded his head and then downed his drink in one gulp.
Plastering on a smile, he strolled briskly back out of the grand ballroom, ignoring a few questions being thrown at him as he passed. “How did I do?” he asked his wife, Celya, once he exited the room.
“Great. Given the circumstance,” she answered as she began the difficult task of trying to keep up with his long strides. “What do you think has happened?”
He took an impatient breath and then shook his head. “He better be lying in someone’s hospital bed. That’s all I know. If not, he’s going to be once I get my hands on him.”
Celya didn’t like the sound of that. Instead of enjoying her daughter starting a new chapter in her life today, it looked like she was going to have her hands full trying to calm and soothe two people. That meant a full plate when dealing with her husband and daughter. They were too much alike when it came to temperament. If Marcus was smart, he’d forget that the whole state of New York even existed, because if he ever came back, it would be to attend his own funeral.
When they returned to Victoria’s suite, they found her exactly where they left her. Sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at her cell phone as if willing it to ring. Grace hovered around closely, though it was clear they were also at a loss as to what to say. No one saw this coming. Marcus Henderson seemed as dependable as they came.
Mondell swore under his breath. He didn’t like seeing his daughter looking so distraught and it was clear that it was eating him up inside.
“Is it done?” she asked without looking back at them.
Celya instantly went to her side. “Yes, sweetheart. Your father took care of everything.” She squeezed her daughter’s shoulders.
Exhaling a long sigh, Victoria leaned over and rested her head on Celya’s shoulders. “Did they laugh?”
“Of course they didn’t laugh!” Mondell thundered. “They wouldn’t dare.”
Victoria closed her eyes. No doubt her father truly believed that, but she knew better. Right now, it was just three hundred people. By tomorrow, it will be all of New York when the news hit Page Six. Then again, maybe the whole world was already twittering and Facebooking about the whole debacle.
“It looks like I really know how to pick them,” she moaned.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Her mother delivered another squeeze. “Please don’t beat yourself up over this.”
Well who else was there? Marcus? Hell. She didn’t even know where he was.
Her cell phone rang and vibrated on the nightstand.
Victoria’s head popped up off her mother’s shoulder and she stared blankly at the phone.
“I’ll answer it,” her father said, moving in to swipe up the phone.
But the idea of him tearing a chunk out of Marcus’s hide before she had a chance didn’t set well. “No! I’ll handle this.” She seized the phone from her father’s hands and ignored the disappointment written on his face.
“Hello,” she answered coolly.
“Uh…Vicki?”
Victoria pulled the phone away from her face and frowned at it. No one called her Vicki. No. One. Rocking her neck from side to side, she cracked a few stiff bones in her neck and then placed the phone back up against her ear. “Marcus, where in the hell are you?”
“I’m still in Las Vegas.”
“Did you miss your flight? Did you forget that we were supposed to be getting married?” Her voice rose with every question. “How about, did you forget that we have over three hundred people here—waiting?!”
The phone line fell silent.
“Marcus?!”
“Um…no.” Marcus cleared his throat. “I didn’t forget. That’s sort of why I’m calling. I, uh, I’m not going to be able to, um, marry you.”
This time, she let the phone go silent.
“Vicki?”
“What is it with this Vicki crap?” she snapped. “Stop calling me that.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“And what do you mean you can’t marry me? Do you know how much has gone into this wedding? The time? The money?” She started pacing back and forth, wishing that he was actually there so that she could wrap her hands around his neck and squeeze it until his eyeballs popped out.
“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. But, you see, I met this wonderful woman out here and…well…we got married last night.”
Victoria stopped pacing and, once again, the phone line went silent.
“Vicki—I mean, Victoria? Are you there?”
Frankly, she wasn’t sure whether she was there or not. This certainly felt more like an out-of-body experience. “What do you mean, you got married last night?” she hissed so low that it sounded like she was pouring venom into the phone.
“HE WHAT?” her father roared.
Undoubtedly Marcus heard her father’s roar because suddenly he developed a stuttering problem. “S-see. Wh-what had h-happened was…D-Delicious and I—”
“DELICIOUS? You’re dumping me at the altar for some trick named Delicious? Have you lost your damn mind?”
“WHAT?” her father continued to thunder. “Give me that phone.”
Before Victoria could really unload on her second-rate Urkel-wannabe fiancé, her father successfully grabbed the phone from her.
“NOW, LOOK HERE, MARCUS! Clearly you’ve either had too much to drink or you’ve smoked something that has cooked your brain. You must have forgotten who you’re dealing with. From now until you’re six feet under, I will take great pleasure in personally destroying you. Do you hear me, young man?”
Trembling with anger and humiliation, Victoria turned and stormed out of the master bedroom and went in search of a good stiff drink—or a whole bottle. At this point, it didn’t matter.
The twins and her mother shuffled behind her. Each of them told her to calm down and tried to assure her that everything was going to be all right, while her father continued to rant and rave into the phone. Three quick shots of Jack Daniels later, her nerves started to settle down, but her fury was just getting started.
Chapter 4
One week later…
Quentin Dewayne Hinton was rocking Eamon’s last nerve. This simple babysitting project was backfiring more rapidly than he’d anticipated. Sure, he knew that his older cousin was a spoiled rich kid, but he was unprepared for Q’s total disregard for reality. The man had managed to arrange his life to be one giant party. Since he’d arrived, he’d basically hired most of The Dollhouse’s dancers to perform at his over-the-top private parties on the top floor of the Bellagio. Who in the hell rents the entire top floor of a casino?
Now Eamon was up to his ears with complaints from customers, because he didn’t have enough women working the floor or the upcoming slew of bachelor parties. And where were his two brothers? Apparently nowhere since they were clearly dodging the fifty calls he made to each of them a day.
“I know that you’re screening your calls,” Eamon barked into the phone. “Call me back!” He slammed the phone down and then ground his back teeth together until he swore that he could taste powder.
Knock! Knock!
“What do you want?” he barked and then immediately regretted it.
The door slowly cracked open, but then just enough for Hayley to stick her head through. “Sorry to disturb you, but we have all the new girls ready to audition.”
“You have their applications and had them fill out the questionnaires?” he asked.
Hayley bobbed her head and tried to flash a smile.
Sighing, Eamon climbed out of his chair and headed toward the door. “I guess the faster I do this, the faster it’ll all be over with.”
Hayley handed him a thick folder and then patted him on the arm. “See. That’s the spirit, Boy Toy.”
The meek smile that he was trying to force died as he cut her a look.
She just laughed.
The permanent marker that had been used on him at the Hendersons’ bachelor party had been scrubbed with everything from soap, alcohol, makeup remover and at one point a few cotton balls of bleach. The lettering had faded significantly, but if anyone was to look real close, they would still be able to make out the words.
“It’s not funny,” he grumbled when Hayley’s laughter refused to die out.
“I think that depends on who you ask,” she volleyed back.
Sighing, Eamon picked up his pace. He had enough of everyone’s cackling.
It being just a little past noon, there were just a few people scattered about cleaning and stocking up the club. At the main stage in the center of the club were approximately fifty new girls, ready to audition. At first glance, the women were all very beautiful and their dancing outfits ranged from everything like the naughty nurse to the dominatrix police officer.
Pretty much the typical stuff.
Drawing in a deep breath, he pulled out a chair and plopped down. “Good afternoon, ladies.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. King,” they chimed back as though they had been practicing all afternoon.
Eamon smiled and opened the folder Hayley had handed him and immediately started delving into the women’s head shots and applications. “Okay. First up, Regina Bailey?”
“That’s me.” Regina stepped forward, showcasing a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
Eamon looked her over. “Like the smile. Like the legs…” His eyes parked on her flat chest and then hesitated. “So how long have you been dancing?” he asked while he read her information as she answered him.
“Since I was six,” Regina said, remaining chipper.
“Professionally?” he asked, even though he’d already made up his mind that she wasn’t right for the club.
“No. Actually, I just moved out here from Madison, Wisconsin. It’s always been my dream to become a showgirl.”
Eamon arched a brow and eased back into his chair. “A showgirl? You know The Dollhouse is a gentlemen’s club. This isn’t casino work.”
Regina fidgeted a bit, but her smile never faltered. “Yeah. I know, but…I haven’t been able to land anything yet. And—” she snuck a quick glance at the other women behind her “—well…I sort of really need a job.”
Eamon stared at the young girl for a long moment before he then glanced back down to see that she was just twenty-one. An innocent. “Have you ever done any waitressing?”
“Yeah. Actually, my daddy owns a restaurant back home. I grew up helping wait tables. Problem is that it’s just as hard trying to find a waitressing job out here as it is trying to land a dancing gig.” Her smile finally started to falter.
“Well, today is your lucky day. I just happen to have an opening. It’s yours if you’re interested.”
Eamon watched as if he’d just lifted the world off her shoulders.
“Really?”
He nodded. “I’m sure as long as you keep flashing that pretty smile of yours. You’ll rake in a lot of money in tips.”
“Oh, thank you so much.” She blew him a kiss and started bouncing up and down. “You just don’t know how much that means to me. I thought I was going to have to go back home with my tail tucked between my legs. Thank you. Thank you.”
“All right. All right. You’re more than welcome.” He turned toward Hayley and handed her Regina’s picture and profile. “Will you take Regina here and make sure that she fills out all the necessary paperwork?”
Her eyes danced with amusement as she whispered, “I didn’t know we had a position available. I would’ve had my cousin Gwen apply.”
“When Gwen learns to walk and chew gum at the same time, you do that.”
Hayley laughed and then escorted Regina to the back office.
For the next two hours, Eamon watched the rest of the girls audition. There were a few potentials, maybe one or two break-out stars, but the majority of them were rhythm and balance challenged. Just when he and the DJ were getting down to the last dozen women, the front door swung open.
Eamon glanced at his watch. “I’m sorry, but auditions are closed right now.” He shook his head. Tardiness was a trait that he couldn’t stand. But when he heard a pair of heels stab the hardwood floors, he turned his attention to his right. “I said…”
Nothing, absolutely nothing could’ve prepared Eamon for the tall, fiery divinity that was storming his way. Six feet tall, with long flowing brown hair and blond highlights, this woman commanded attention like no one he’d ever seen before. Though her eyes were hidden behind a pair of fashionable bumblebee sunglasses, Eamon took time to note her high cheekbones and her thick kissable lips. And her body was sick. Sleek shoulders, high D-cup breasts, slim waist and butt that had just the right amount of jiggle when she walked.
“Now, this is more like it,” he said and then shifted in his seat to relieve some of the pain of his erection that was creeping down his right leg and threatening to escape his boxers.
“I’m looking for the owner,” the woman announced with a thinly concealed attitude.
Eamon didn’t answer. He was too busy taking in her tight, white-lace dress that hugged her body like a second layer of skin and just barely kissed the middle of her incredibly toned thighs.
Clearly impatient, his dream woman snatched off her glasses and proceeded to stare him down with her blazing green eyes. He froze, looking at her face and remembering.
“HELLO!” She snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Do you speak in English? ¿Habla inglés?”
Eamon finally broke out of his trance. “I’m sorry, what?”
She huffed out a breath and she settled a hand on her hips. “I said that I was looking for the owners.”
“Well, you’re in luck. You just found one of them. What are you going to perform for me today, honey?” He couldn’t stop the smile that was creeping across his face. The image of her slicked down with baby oil and swinging that incredible body around a golden pole had him feeling like a preteen schoolboy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this—if ever.
“Perform?” She whipped her head around and finally took notice of the other scantily clad women behind her. When she turned back around, she was bubbling with laughter. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She rocked her neck. “Do I look like someone who works a pole for a living?”
Eamon took the question as invitation to take another look at the incredible brick house in front of him. Apparently he was taking too long because she started clearing her throat.
“Are you done?”
Eamon’s gaze sprang back to her heated stare. “I guess I am now.” He leaned forward and planted his elbows on the table and then braided his hands together. “All right. I’ll bite. If you didn’t come here to audition today, then why are you here?”
Her lips spread into a tight smile as she reached inside her large purse and withdrew some folded paper. “I came to serve you this.” She thrust the papers toward him.
He froze at the word serve and refused to take the papers from her. “What is it?”
His discomfort and mistrust seemed to amuse her further because if her smile grew any wider, she was going to look like the Joker after a while. “I’m suing you.” She dropped the papers on the table in front of him. “Honey.”
“What for?” He snatched up the papers and rolled his gaze over the pages. So entrenched in his reading, he didn’t hear when Quentin entered the club, let alone him walking up to the table.
“Hey, cuz. What’s up?”
“FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!” Eamon roared.
“Congratulations. You can read,” she said smugly. “Now, if you can write and add, I’ll be expecting that check when we go to court.”
Quentin placed one hand on the table and leaned over so that he could catch the fire-breathing Amazon’s attention. “Aren’t you a feisty one?” He flashed his woman-magnet dimples at her. “Please don’t break my heart and tell me that you’re dating my knucklehead cousin here.”
She leaned away from Quentin, suspicious of his over-the-top charm and his seemingly X-ray eyes.
“Fat chance,” Eamon barked. “She’s suing us.”
“Oh? Are you one of the owners of this—” she glanced around and drew a deep breath “—establishment?”
“Guilty. Quentin D. Hinton at your service.” He looked her over again. “Have you ever thought about a career as a dancer?”
“What the hell is wrong with you two?”
Eamon popped up from his chair. “Q, would you mind finishing up the auditions? Ms.…” He looked down at the paperwork. “Gregory?”
She smiled. “You’re still impressing me with those reading skills.”
He frowned at her constant sarcasm. “Ms. Gregory and I will be in the office if you need anything. There are just a few more girls. I’m sure you’re more than qualified to handle it.”
Quentin saluted. “Yes, sir. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it.” He shifted his gaze back to Ms. Gregory. “When you finish your meeting you know where to find me.”
She simply stared at the handsome playboy like she had never met or even seen anyone like him before.
“This way, Ms. Gregory.” He swept his arm in the direction of the back office.
She hesitated for just a moment, but then finally pulled her purse strap over her shoulder and then marched off toward the back.
Quentin cocked his head to check out her walk.
Eamon socked him on the arm. “Ow. What?”
“Just…handle the auditions. Geez.” He fell in line behind Ms. Gregory. But after a few strides, his head slowly started to tilt to the side as well while he twisted his face at the sight of that wonderful jiggle this woman had.
She reached the door first and turned.
Eamon fixed his face and pasted on a smile just a nanosecond before she busted him.
However, her hard green eyes narrowed like she had eyes in the back of her head.
Playing it straight, he just opened the door. “After you.”
She hesitated again.
“Don’t worry. I don’t bite,” he assured her.