Ray went down to the street and smoked another cigarette while he waited for the cab. Pedestrians paid him no mind as he paced nervously and smoked. He figured the suit and topcoat made him non-threatening – as if he was a business executive waiting for his limo to pick him up. Not quite. The cab arrived on time and the cabbie smiled a gap-toothed grin as Ray entered the back.
Ray tried to relax as the cabbie negotiated the late morning traffic. There was nothing to be nervous about. It was going to be an easy day. A gorgeous bartender was going to teach him how to mix drinks and then afterwards, he would stand around and watch a bunch of drunken idiots dance themselves into oblivion. Piece of cake. Then why was he so nervous?
Ray felt a fluttering in his stomach as the cabbie pulled in front of the Palladin Club. He took out his wallet, pulled out another hundred, and handed it to the cabbie almost without thinking.
“Sir, do you need me to pick you up at a certain time?” the cabbie asked.
“Do you know what time this club closes?”
“Probably at 2 AM like all the rest.”
“Are you working that late?”
“I could be for another hundred bucks.”
“Okay, pick me up here at 2:30 AM.”
“Sir, I’ll be here at 2:25.”
“I appreciate it,” Ray said as he got out of the cab.
The driver smiled and waved at Ray as he walked toward the front doors. Ray smiled and waved back.
Who says New Yorkers aren’t friendly? Burnside thought. You just have to pay them enough - that’s all.
As Ray entered the club, a tall, overweight bouncer in a suit held up his hand in a “halt” gesture.
“Can I help you, sir?” he asked.
Everyone’s calling me sir today. If only they knew.
“I’m here for my first day of training as a bartender,” Ray said, smiling pleasantly at the big oaf.
The bouncer didn’t appear convinced, so Ray felt he needed to add to his original explanation.
“Mr. Salducci set me up at the bar with Alicia. She’s going to train me.”
Still, the bouncer hesitated. Ray thought the situation was drifting into ridiculous territory. The bouncer outweighed him by about twenty pounds, but most of it looked like fat and Ray could have dropped him in seconds.
“Okay, you’re all set,” the bouncer said, stepping aside reluctantly.
“Thanks,” Burnside said, rolling his eyes as he walked by.
He cut through the restaurant, crossed the dance floor, and entered the bar area. Ray felt another nervous flutter in his stomach as he spotted Alicia behind the bar. She was busy cleaning the bar-top, so she hadn’t seen him yet. She looked gorgeous. Her long, thick black hair framed her tanned, perfectly contoured, oval-shaped face. Like yesterday, she wore her white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, exposing a tantalizing hint of cleavage. She finally looked up and saw Ray approaching the bar.
“Hey, big guy, you’re looking pretty sharp in that suit. How’s it going?” She asked, smiling.
“Not too bad,” Ray replied, smiling back.
“You should take off your suit jacket while you’re behind the bar or you’ll get it dirty,”
Alicia said. “Why don’t you throw it in the back office?”
“Sure, no problem,” Ray said, having a flashback to his erotic dream.
He felt a rush of excitement as he cut through the bar and entered the back office. It was actually a lot nicer than he imagined in his dream. The desk and furniture were top-of-the-line faux antiques. Instead of metal filing cabinets, there were fancy wooden cabinets. There were even some classical paintings on the walls. He recognized one of the paintings from his corps requirement Art History class by the French impressionist artist, Monet. It was called Water Lilies. He took in all the details of the office so his next dream would be more detailed
Ray exited the office and stood behind the bar with Alicia. Ray felt his heart beating like a jackhammer in his chest as he stood in close proximity with the beautiful bartender. From this angle, he could see the bare, rounded contours of the tops of her breasts revealed by her open dress shirt. He tried to remain calm and concentrate on the job.
“I’m looking forward to my first day,” Ray said, feeling like he should say something. He unconsciously flexed his muscles as he stretched his arms.
Ray saw that Alicia took the opportunity to subtly check out his biceps and chest.
“I don’t know how exciting your training is going to be,” Alicia said, mischievously. “But hopefully you’ll learn enough to get by.”
“I’m sure I will.”
“Okay, first I’ll acquaint you with the bar set-up and then we’ll talk about how to make the drinks”
“Okay.”
Ray listened intently as Alicia described the basic set up of the bar and the locations of the various drinks. When she was done, she moved on to describing the ingredients of the drinks. Ray took his notepad and pen out of his pocket and held it like a student taking class notes.
“Wow, you even brought your own little notebook,” Alicia said, smiling.
“I figure it doesn’t hurt to be prepared,” Ray said.
Ray was used to carrying around a small notepad and pen to take information for reports when he was a cop.
Alicia described an assortment of the most popular drinks like an experienced pedagogue and Ray took notes like an infatuated schoolboy. When she was finished, Ray practiced locating the right bottles and mixing the drinks. They didn’t get any customers until after 2:30 PM. A young, well-dressed couple visited the bar and Ray served them drinks as Alicia looked on. The customers sat at the bar and sipped their drinks until a tuxedoed waiter informed them their restaurant tables were ready. Ray was surprised the restaurant portion of the club was so busy already.
As the day progressed, the restaurant and bar became even busier. At 4:00 PM another bartender - a balding, middle-aged man named John - came on duty. Ray stayed behind the bar and continued to make drinks as Alicia looked on.
“Are you ready to take a break?” Alicia asked.
“I’m always ready for a break,” Ray said.
“John, we’re going to take an hour,” Alicia said, addressing the other bartender. “Are you okay here by yourself?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s go grab a bite,” Alicia said, winking at Ray.
Chapter 52
Alicia
They sat down at one of the restaurant’s empty tables and Alicia flagged down a young, good-looking waiter she knew. The waiter quickly took their orders and brought them drinks.
“That’s what I call service,” Ray said, as he took a sip of Diet Coke.
“I have connections,” Alicia said, flashing him a wide smile as she sipped her wine.
Ray ordered a steak done medium-well and Alicia ordered a grilled chicken salad.
“So Ray, I heard you’re from LA,” Alicia said.
“That’s right.”
“I’ve never been to southern California. What’s it like?”
“Just as you would imagine. Sunny, warm, and filled with eccentric characters.”
“Did you like it there?” Alicia asked.
“I liked the weather,” Ray said. “The eccentric characters? Not so much.”
“What brings you to NYC?”
“I needed a change.”
“Nothing more specific than that?”
“Maybe I can get into the details if I ever get to know you better,” Ray said, flashing Alicia a sardonic half-grin.
“Okay, fair enough,” Alicia said, smiling back.
“What about you, Alicia? How did you end up working here?” Ray asked, trying to change the subject.
“I went to NYU with Mr. Salducci’s daughter, Marie. She recommended me for a job here. I really lucked out because this job pays better than anything else in the area.”
“What kind of courses did you take at NYU?” Ray asked, intrigued.
“If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?” Ray asked.
“Twenty six.”
She’s only three years younger than myself, Ray thought.
“It sounds like you’ve been busy,” Ray said.
“Very. I’m making good money here, but I don’t want to be a bartender for the rest of my life. Reading is my passion, so I eventually want to teach English lit.”
“I’m also interested in literature,” Ray said, taking another sip of his Diet Coke. “Last year, I went through a Shakespeare phase.”
He neglected to mention that he obtained the classic plays from the prison library.
“Really? What plays did you read?” Alicia asked.
“Julius Caesar and MacBeth.”
“Wow, you’re full of surprises,” Alicia said, raising her left eyebrow as she took a sip of wine. “What kind of work did you do in California?”
“I ran a landscaping business.”
“How did you like it?”
“It was decent money.”
“How do you know Mr. Salducci?”
“He’s a friend of a friend.”
“I'm not a fool," Alicia said as a mischievous smile curled on her lips. "I know Salducci is connected. That means you're probably connected if he gave you a job here. Funny, you don't look like a typical gangster."
Burnside laughed.
"You certainly are direct. How do you know I'm not like you? Maybe I'm friends with Salducci's daughter too and she set me up with the job."
"Call it woman's intuition," Alicia said, her expression turning serious.
"No, I'm not your typical gangster," Ray said, trying to keep his tone light. "I have scruples."
“A gangster with scruples? Isn’t that an oxymoron?” Alicia asked, raising her wine glass to her full red lips.
“Unfortunately, I’m finding out more and more that it is. I don’t want to do this kind of work forever either.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
“I bartend.”
“Don’t bullshit me. What do you really do?”
He hesitated for a moment as he ruminated.
“I solve problems.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“How did you end up working for the mob?”
“That’s a long story that I would have to get to know you better first before I could tell you the details. Let’s just say that I was faced with exigent circumstances.”
“Exigent. That’s an unusual word for a gangster to use.”
“I’m an educated gangster.”
Alicia laughed.
“Like I said, you’re full of surprises.”
The waiter delivered their food and they dug in. Ray attacked his steak like a ravenous wolf, while Alicia took her time. They engaged in small talk while they ate. Ray thought Alicia was intrigued by him, but she was turned off by the fact he was connected with the mob. There was nothing he could do about that. For now.
Ray was halfway through his steak when he noticed the overweight bouncer approaching the table.
“Are you Campion?” the bouncer asked, standing above them.
“That’s me,” Ray said, recognizing his alias.
“Here’s your car keys,” The bouncer said, dropping a set of keys on the table. “Your
Camry is parked in the garage next door.”
“I appreciate it,” Ray said, picking up the keys and placing them in his pocket.
“Sure, no problem,” the bouncer said, walking away.
“Friendly guy,” Ray said.
“That’s just Big Frank. He’s harmless,” Alicia said. “So what’s with the keys?”
“They just delivered my Camry from California. Now I don’t have to rely on taking cabs everywhere.”
“How do you like driving a Toyota?” Alicia asked.
“It’s been reliable so far,” Burnside said.
“I drive a Honda myself.”
“Here’s to Japanese engineering,” Ray said, raising his glass for a toast.
They clicked glasses and then returned to their meals and more small talk. When they were finished eating, Alicia left a ten-dollar tip for the waiter. Ray tried to offer money, but she refused.
“All right, Ray, we have to split up,” Alicia said, standing from the table. “I’m going back to the bar, while you need to throw on a jacket and keep the peace. Meet up with Frank and he’ll show you the ropes.”
“I have to depend on that guy for training?” Ray asked, gesturing to the big oaf guarding the front doors.
“I’m afraid so,” Alicia said, winking at him. “It won’t be that bad. Feel free to visit me at the bar if you get bored.”
“Sure thing,” Ray said, standing.
“I enjoyed dinner by the way,” Alicia said, smiling.
“So did I.”
Ray followed Alicia to the bar and retrieved his suit jacket from the back office. He donned his jacket and nodded at Alicia as he walked away.
“Talk to you later, big guy,” Alicia said, winking at him again.
Ray went to the front doors and met up with Big Frank. Big Frank told him to “get lost until it gets busy.” Ray was happy to oblige. He took a walk around the club and stopped by to see Alicia at the bar.
“That was quick. You’re finished training already?”
“Big Frank told me to get lost.”
“That sounds like him. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not.”
Alicia laughed.
“Would you like a drink?” she asked.
“Sure, an ice water would be great.”
“Bottled?”
“Is there any other kind?”
Ray made some humorous comments about Big Frank, which received some laughs from Alicia.
“You might as well stash your jacket and train some more while you’re here,” Alicia said as Ray sat at the bar sipping his ice water.
“Sure, why not?”
Ray spent another three hours training until the club started to get busy around 9 o’clock.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Ray said, smiling at Alicia as he donned his jacket and headed toward the club area.
“I certainly hope so,” Alicia said, smiling and winking at him.
They were hitting it off, but Ray didn’t know how far he could take it. He was turning on the charm by using everything he learned at the club scene in LA. He was glad he had plenty of practice with the LA bimbos before he met a real woman in NYC. Ray found Big Frank at his usual station by the front doors and this time he had a job for him.
“Take over here - checking IDs,” Frank said. “I’m gonna walk around.”
“Sure, no problem,” Ray said, taking Frank’s position by the doors.
As customers came in, Ray checked their IDs. After nine, they collected a cover charge, so he also made sure they paid the cashier. Not surprisingly, no one gave him a hard time and things went smoothly. By 12 AM the place was packed. Every table was occupied and the massive dance floor was about three-quarters full. Most of the customers had to stand as they sipped their drinks. At 12:30 a young, dark-haired bouncer approached Ray.
“Hey, buddy, Frank told me to relieve you. You’re all set.”
“Thanks,” Ray said, cutting through the restaurant area.
He made a quick stop at the restaurant’s Men’s Room and headed toward the dance floor. Customers were everywhere and Ray had to dodge and weave to get past them. Big Frank met him at the edge of the dance floor.
“Why don’t you head up to the balcony and keep an eye on things from up there,” Frank said, pointing to the second level railing.
“Sure, no problem,” Ray said, cutting across the dance floor.
He made his way past the dancers until he had reached the stairway at the back of the club. He ascended to the second level and saw there was another bar that was serving customers. The second level bar was set up like the downstairs bar with plenty of tables around it. Ray approached the railing overlooking the main club area. He leaned against it and looked down at the crowded dance floor. The mob writhed and twisted below like an angry, wounded leviathan. Ray could feel the railing vibrate from the force of the heavy base music.
Talk about an easy gig, he thought.
The night went by without incident and Ray left the club at 2:15 AM. He walked Alicia to her car in the parking garage and returned to the sidewalk in front of the club to wait for his cab. When the cab arrived, he thanked the driver for coming, handed him a hundred, and told him he wouldn’t need his services. The driver gave Ray his private number and told him to call him if he ever needed a cab fast. The cabbie told Ray that he would drop whatever he was doing and pick him up no matter where he was or what time. Ray thanked him and returned to the parking garage to look for his Camry. He found it on the third level, got in, started up the engine, and pulled out of the parking space.
Ray drove down the ramp and halted when he reached the street. He was about to turn right toward his apartment when he had a sudden inspiration. The high-class strip club, Body-shots, stayed open until 5 AM; Pierce, Devlin, and the rest of his old crew were known to hang out there on Friday nights to unwind from a rough week. Ray turned left. A white-hot lightning bolt of rage flashed through his mind as he thought about the cops who put him in prison for two and a half years. Adrenaline pulsed through his system like liquid fire. He pressed down on the gas pedal and the car accelerated.
Chapter 53
Old Acquaintances
Old memories came back to haunt him as he negotiated familiar streets. Ray had been through a lot since the last time he drove these streets. He wasn’t the same person anymore. He felt like a fiery phoenix that had been transformed from the ashes of a lesser creature. If he met his old, pre-incarcerated self, he thought he wouldn’t have anything in common with him.
American Criminal Page 32
