Fire and Desire (BWWM Romance)

by Watts, Rebecca K.

  “I’ll call you.” Emily unlocked the door and opened it. “Have a nice day.”

  Spice took the hint and left. Emily closed the door behind her and let out deep breath before calling Kenny back.

  “You enjoy the show?” she asked as soon as he answered.

  “Did I? You know I did. The question is, what do you think, boss lady?”

  Emily laughed. “She’s hell of a lot better than the last three. Normally when I interview someone who’s worked at a strip club, they’re so involved with working the pole and doing tricks they don’t connect to the client. They have to learn the art of making a client feel as if they are with them in the room. Spice performed for you and you only. Heck, if I was a man, I would have wanted her.”

  “I guess that means she’s hired.” His smile could be felt through the phone.

  “She won’t get a call back to the end of the week. For some reason, when I call them too early, they act like they made this business and I need them. They have the nerve to act like they are doing me a favor by logging on.” Emily’s tone went up an octave. “Please, my name is Mercedes. I can still put a man in a trance and make him come his pants in less than a minute so they better recognize who the Queen Bee really is.”

  Emily closed her eyes and counted to ten, still reeling over firing some of her models who were too diva for the business the previous week.

  Jasmine and Sapphire somehow felt Emily should pay for their clothing as well as personal vacations outside of the ones she sent them on in groups to take photos for the website. Emily had a deal with a clothing designer. The woman used to stop by the club selling her outfits to the dancers when Emily first started dancing. She extended the hefty discount to her girls as long as they bought three or more outfits at a time, and even gave them one free when they made the top five on the site. Her bending any further to please Jasmine and Sapphire was simply out of the question.

  Emily even booked headline shows across the nation at various strip clubs that brought in major cash just because of her site. All they had to do was dance three songs for a flat fee. No lap dancing unless they wanted to for extra, but she left the decision up to them. They did, however, have to mingle with the clientele. Jasmine and Sapphire tried to treat Emily like she was a regular employee and not the owner because they were the first ones hired. She showed them who was in charge and fired them. Keeping them around only would have put ideas in the other girls’ heads.

  “Okay, remember I’m on your side. Call the girl when you want to,” he joked. “By the way, I just finished uploading the new photos and the Playhouse Pick of the Week.”

  “Thanks.”

  The doorbell rang.

  “I’ll talk to you later. Asia’s at the door.” She pushed the end button on her cell phone.

  Emily opened the door for Asia, and Asia swiveled her hips past her, wearing a pink sweat outfit with her expensive satchel in tow. Asia was hands down one of Emily’s best money makers. She was an exotic beauty, a mix of black, white, and Japanese, complemented by her long, thick, wavy black hair, and almond-shaped green eyes. Her skin was a perfect bronze all year round. Asia had luscious lips and the body to match. She was one of the most requested models and also the most downloaded in the picture gallery. A sweet plus of being online is that several men could pay to watch her at the same time instead of having to wait, risking them losing interest and going to another site.

  “Hey, Mercedes.”

  They gave each other air kisses.

  “You’re in the Love Nest,” Emily instructed.

  Asia nodded and headed up the stairs. The Love Nest was retro with a twist with a big, crimson, round bed in the center. Fashion mirrors accented one of the walls, and a white love seat sat in front of the computer. A black light and a lava lamp completed the look. Men went wild when the girls put on body paint and turn the black light on.

  On good days, Asia’s performances averaged over thirty men paying to watch her at the same time. Thirty men paying twenty dollars for fifteen minutes came to six hundred dollars for one show, and she rarely did less than ten a night. Dancers in a strip club would collapse trying to do thirty-two lap dances in a night, not even coming close to the three thousand Asia was guaranteed to make on one of her bad days. She was definitely a gold mine.

  Emily caught with of the flowery perfume Asia left lingering in the air. Even though it was barely two in the afternoon, Emily knew people would want to see their idea of a fantasy. She laughed at the idea of some corporate bigwig sitting in his office, getting his fantasy fulfilled prior to going into a meeting, while ensuring his employees computers were monitored by fire walls blocking sites like hers.

  Normally Emily would have gone into her office to monitor a few more shows, but she needed to finish up two other interviews, hire security guards, and check on a building downtown that was for sale. She decided to get security guards once she realized the big risk of opening up her home, allowing her models to work out of it. Emily wanted to keep them and her family safe. She didn’t want to risk anyone daring to come in her home even though she had cameras covering every inch of it.

  ***

  Slamming the door after dealing with the last interview, Emily felt like a pressure cooker reaching its peak. She was an equal opportunist, but some people needed their asses kicked. Fake online pictures were common when a person had no intention of meeting face-to-face, but what in the world would possess a sane person to use a fake picture knowing they were going to an interview? Especially one based on appearance.

  She had no problem with gay men dressing like women; however, this man couldn’t have been a woman no matter how much money he paid for it. He/she was a linebacker wearing a spray painted leopard-printed dress and It had a full beard. The interview only lasted five minutes, but it felt more like forty to Emily. The online picture had showed a beautiful blond and white. This monster wore a cheap blond wig and was black.

  Emily wondered who he/she used to speak on the phone when she scheduled the interview. The person who she just slammed the door on had a deep baritone.

  She snatched up the interview sheet and balled it up.

  Ding dong.

  “Please tell me It did not forget something.” Sighing, Emily walked back to the door and snatched it open.

  A six foot two, dark-haired, olive-toned man stood on the other side.

  Her breath caught in her throat. “Can I help you?” Emily managed to get out before she could get lost in those big hazel eyes.

  “Hi, I’m Antonio Moretti with Safe Guard Security.” He held out his hand for a shake. “I’m with the security company.”

  “Hello, I’m Emily, and you’re twenty minutes early.” She smiled.

  “I rather be early than not on time.” Antonio flashed a perfect set of teeth.

  “Point taken. Come on in, and have a seat.” Emily led him to her formal dining room instead of the den area she’d used to interview the girls. Artwork from the Orient donned the walls and shelves, gifts from her father. He was a retired Navy man and had traveled to China, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.

  Emily motioned for Antonio to have a seat in one of the burgundy chairs positioned at her oversized glass table. She made her way to the head of the table, where her paperwork was already laid out.

  “This is a very nice room. I can tell you took a lot of time with it.” Antonio’s arm flexed as he grabbed the chair and pulled it out. His muscles were snug around the hemline of his short sleeve.

  “Would you like anything to drink? Water, tea, or Pepsi?” She needed a moment to compose herself. Antonio was nothing like she expected. Though she loved black men, this Italian man was not to be overlooked. Only in movies had she laid eyes on men who looked like him.

  “Water please.”

  She nodded and went to her kitchen. Emily was glad she chose to conduct the security interview in a more professional manner than she had for the models. There was no way she would’ve been comfortable
sitting on the couch next to him.

  Taking a deep breath, Emily returned to the room in full business mode. “Let’s get started, shall we? Why does your company think you’ll be a good fit for me? They could have sent anyone.”

  “The position description says security, but being this is a home and the line of work you’re in, they felt you needed more of a body guard. That’s more of the role I fill.”

  Tilting her head to the side, she asked, “What’s your opinion about my business?”

  “It’s a lot different than what I was expecting. I’ve been to plenty of strip clubs…” He scratched his head. “I was thinking…I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  Emily laughed. “Were you expecting a brothel?”

  His cheeks reddened. “No, but even if it did, I wouldn’t have an issue doing my job and keeping the girls and you safe.”

  “That’s good to know. What was your job before this?”

  “A Marine but once a Marine always a Marine.”

  “Really?” He had her full attention. She leaned forward on the table. “How many years you serve?”

  He stuck out his chest. “Ten.”

  “Impressive.” She scanned his body. His broad shoulders and muscles suited him well. Emily could see him wearing one of the Marine outfits she saw in her dad’s many photos. He always told her of the Marines on their ships. “Why’d you get out?”

  “Don’t worry. I had an honorable discharge. I was just ready for a change. It’s hard to have a family when you’re always in the desert.”

  “I see.” She nodded. “Can you please fill out this form?”

  She slid him the paper and waited patiently as he filled it out. When finished, he handed it back to her. Emily looked it over and smiled at his answers. The questions were nothing more than standard interview questions found online, but she wanted to see how he handled filling them out.

  “Well, that’s really all the questions I have for you. You come highly recommended by the company. I think I’ll give you a shot. I’ll contact your company and work out the details.”

  “I have to a confession to make,” Antonio said with a serious look on his face.

  “Yes.” She bit the inside of her cheek in confusion. After the crazy day, she had she braced herself for anything.

  “I own the company. You don’t need to contact them.” He handed her a blue business card with white lettering. Antonio’s name was listed name as the CEO. “After I left the Corps, this was something I decided to invest in.”

  Her mouth dropped. “Then what was all of this about?”

  “I conduct all of my interviews to make sure I’m dealing with a legit company. My employees are not some club bouncers. They are more on the line of body guards. Even though I have it in black and white on my website, people still try to hire us for their clubs anyway. With a name like The Playhouse, I had to be sure.” A sly grin spread across his face. “Besides, what man in his right mind would pass up an opportunity to meet with the owner of a business like this? I do fill in for my workers from time to time as well.”

  Emily opened her mouth to speak, but she heard movement on the stairs.

  A strawberry blond poked her head in the room. Her eyes were glued to Antonio. “Mercedes, I’m gone. Don’t forget I won’t be back for a few weeks. I’m going to visit my mom in Canada.”

  Emily looked at her watch. An hour had past while she had been interviewing Antonio. “I have you marked down. Enjoy your vacation, Sapphire.”

  Sapphire nodded and continued on her way.

  Emily turned her attention back to Antonio. “So, Mr. Owner, do you have any questions for me?”

  “How often are the girls here?”

  “Around the clock. Up until now my sister Keisha and I have pulled watch. There are certain girls I’m okay allowing in my home alone. I started out with just doing eight to midnight during the week day and closing my door at three on the weekend, but with this being an online business, everyone’s in different time zones. There is no such thing as not having someone online.” She took a drink of water. “And my club will be open soon.”

  Antonio nodded. “And what are your expectations for my company?”

  “I’ll need twenty-four hour security here, and once the club is open, I’ll need two or three guys for normal club hours.” She tapped her hands on her notepad. “I used to work in a small building as a lingerie model a few years ago. They didn’t have security. One night, they were robbed and held at gunpoint. Thankfully, I was off that evening. The area wasn’t the best, but things can happen anywhere. I want my girls safe. I thought living in a residential area would be safer, but as business started growing I’m no longer sure.”

  His hazel eyes looked deep within her, making Emily wonder what was going through his head. “Can I get a tour?” he asked.

  How could she have forgotten? “Of course. Let’s start upstairs.”

  She led him up to her office to view the cameras.

  He eyed the monitors. “This is a nice setup.”

  “It covers three rooms on this level and three more in the basement. Monitors two, three, and five are all the online models.” Her pride came through in her smile.

  “Now I’m impressed. Mrs. Washington, my company will have no problem providing security for you.”

  She blushed at his formality. “Good.”

  “I’ll email you my standard contract and any more questions if I have them. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get to another appointment. Time seems to have gotten away from me.”

  Emily led him back downstairs to the door. “I’ll give you a call once I’ve reviewed the contract.”

  “I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  She closed the door behind him and leaned up against it, this time not in frustration. To her surprise, her heart rate increased. The slight contact her arm made against his as she held the door had given her goose bumps. Though she was in the adult industry, it had been over a year since anything other than her vibrator had been between her thighs. Antonio’s touch made her tingle. She shook it off and headed to the kitchen. It was time to start slow cooking the roast for her son and the night crew.

  Chapter Two

  “And our top story for the hour, a family was playing cards with friends when armed men ran in their house, robbing them, injuring three people and killing another…” the news anchor woman said.

  Emily winced, then turned the television off.

  Meeting with Antonio had been one of her better decisions. True to his word, the contract came that evening, and as promised, she called him once finished. The following day, he sent Ryan to her home. It had been two weeks, and they’d fallen into a routine. Emily heard his truck pull up, and she headed to the door.

  With Ryan arriving, she was free to go to her appointment with her realtor regarding the property downtown. The building was only one block away from one of Atlanta’s most popular strip clubs, which meant the area was properly zoned.

  They said their hellos as he came in and she left. Time was a factor with traffic on 85 South. She needed to get there and back before rush hour.

  Excitement flowing through her, she sang along to the music as her black Audi zig-zagged between the traffic. As she neared her destination, she noted different people standing in the rain at various bus stops.

  “The head diva won’t be caught dead on the bus nor train next to addicts and babies with rotten pampers,” Emily said, winking at herself in the review mirror.

  She had enough of that experience a few years earlier when her car broke down and she couldn’t afford to get it fixed right away. She needed to get to work at an office building across town, and the bus was her only option. She ended up being smashed next to a woman holding a baby whose pamper smelled like he took a dump weeks ago. The mother’s body odor was just as foul.

  To make matters worse, a crack head kept walking up and down the aisle harassing people. “Gimme twenty for
this iPhone,” he said, breathing on the back of someone’s neck. The screen was cracked and the back was held together with a rubber band. “You got a dollar? How about some change?” He flashed his rotten teeth and had a huge pee stain on his pants.

  Closing her eyes, she pretended to sleep for the rest of the ride downtown. He ignored her, continuing down the aisle. She endured episodes like that for a month before she could afford to pay for her car repairs.

  Emily let out a laugh and made a right turn. The weather was so nice she wished she had ridden her Ducati motorcycle. She had joined a bike club, Atlanta Hot Girls, a few months earlier after talking to one of their founders on a social network. She loved the look on people’s faces when she pulled up on her ride. Most females sat on the back as a passenger, or if they rode solo, they as looked harder than some men.

  Emily pulled up and saw Shayla was already outside of her SUV. She had informed Emily prior to scheduling an appointment that the building had been on the market for over a year so she could definitely get the price reduced.

  Shayla stopped inspecting the building and headed toward Emily. She checked out Emily’s upgrades to her car. “Nice rims. When did you get them?”

  “I ordered them a week ago. They came in yesterday. What do you think so far?” Emily replied, checking out how nice her old college roommate looked in her baby blue business suit. Shayla had been a trendsetter since college. She would take an outfit that Emily thought wasn’t fit to be curtains and make it look beautiful.

  “The structure isn’t bad, but I won’t give it a thumbs up until I see how well they kept it up inside.” Shayla led her to the door and punched in a code on a keypad attached to the handle.

  The old warehouse appeared to have several new renovations. This was something Emily felt she could work with because of the size and location.

  Shayla walked around knocking on walls, shaking pipes, and testing the stairs, giving the building a thorough inspection. She checked every inch of it from the structure itself to the plumbing before she finally gave it mid-thumbs up little over an hour later.