TWO
Anton
I'd been in my office all morning, interviewing, and only one girl showed up, a sexy blonde with the brightest blue eyes I've ever seen, Savannah Parker.
I would have hired her on the spot based on her looks and the set of tits and ass on the girl.
But I figured that I might as well make her dance, and boy, am I glad that I did. That was quite a show, and it was entirely for me.
Until my boss, Nikita, decided to burst right in without knocking. Couldn't he pretend to give a shit? The last thing I want is the new girl thinking that I'm below Nikita, even if he is my superior.
The man runs the club.
He doesn't own it. Mikhail, the head of the bratva, owns the business. But he's too busy with other matters to run every enterprise that he's involved himself in, which works out well for me. I get a portion of the proceeds brought in from the club, while Mikhail gets to launder money. It's a win-win for everyone.
I loosen my tie and stand. Savannah has already found her way out of the office. She has orders to return when we open this evening. Until then, she doesn't need to hang around. I don't need her discovering the shit we do around here.
I open the office door and head up the stairs for Nikita's private office. He's got a large office with an exceptional view that overlooks the dance floor with one-way glass. Even after the remodel, he kept the same floor plan and layout. His office is three times the size of mine. Although, in his defense, I spent quite a bit more time on the floor with the ladies and patrons.
Someone has to make sure the place is running smoothly, and although Nikita is the manager, I mingle with the guests, help when the floor is crowded with drink orders, and keep the place operating smoothly.
I ought to run the club, but I have no hard feelings for Nikita. We're brothers.
Unlike Nikita, who barges into my office, I knock before entering.
"It's open," Nikita says.
I step into his office and close the door behind myself.
He glances up from behind his desk, his pen poised in his hand, but he stops writing. "Cute girl you had in here earlier. Did you hire her?" Nikita asks.
"I did," I say and quirk a grin.
"Quite the dancer. Is that how you interview all your employees? Because I'd love to be part of the interview process."
"Shut up."
Nikita shrugs, not the least bit offended. "I'm taking off early tonight. I assume you can close for me."
He's not asking.
"You got it," I say. I shouldn't ask, but I can't stop myself from wanting to know if it's because of his new flame. "Do you have plans with Lucy?"
He's married, and while he doesn't strike me as a family man, the marriage was initially to protect Lucy and her son. But I think he's always harbored feelings for her, even when he hated her. Besides, the man can barely keep his claws off her.
"No, she's going shopping with Hannah."
"Better keep her on a tight leash," I joke.
"I'm not worried. Hannah is shopping for a wedding dress." Nikita flashes his wedding band at me. "The way I see it, I got off cheap."
"Careful, brother. Marrying her at the courthouse could come back to bite you in the ass. If she hears you talking like that, she'll be asking for a do-over wedding somewhere exotic and expensive."
While Nikita and I aren't blood brothers, we're both members of the bratva. We might as well be blood because our ties are just as strong.
"Don't go putting any ideas into her head," he warns.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Nikita shuffles a few pages around on his desk. He glances up at me once more. "Did you run a background check on the new hire?"
"I did not." I wince at the realization that I was supposed to vet her qualifications before I offered the job. "Is that a problem? We're short two dancers." We're not down several more because Nikita paid them during renovations to ensure that when the club reopened, they would be ready to work.
Nikita glances at his watch as if that will indicate how long a background check will take.
Days.
We don't have days.
I'm down to a couple of hours and no more interviews for the afternoon. Besides, even if I had a half dozen girls lined up for the job, I wouldn't be able to run background on them, either.
"Just make sure her references check out. Did she strip at another club?" Nikita asks.
"I should probably look at her resume," I say, admitting that I hadn't even given it a cursory glance during the interview. I was too hung up on the cute blonde.
I clear my throat. I'm not usually this unprofessional when hiring dancers. Typically, I have more time between the interview and hiring them.
"You think?" Nikita is more than a bit snippy. "Begin the process on the background check, but we'll let her start work tonight."
* * *