The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale (32 page)

             
Shaking her head Joey continued, “This is Bev, my right hand she is over all operations at The Luxe. Any problems and you can’t find me, Bev will take care of you.”

Strutting meanly in a white on white David Koma sleeveless body con print dress and purple Brian Atwood strappy six-inch he
els, Isadora entered the room. A few steps behind Isadora, Cee and Evan walked in. Cee dazzled in a white curve hugging Jean Paul Gautier long sleeve knit dress, gray and white Lanvin Platform pumps. Her short hair was in a sleek sophisticated slicked back style and her face had been wonderfully beaten by M. Latrice also. A large silver chunky chain link necklace lying close to her neck made the outfit perfect.

             
“And this is my left hand,” Joey beamed. “Isadora, she is second in command to Bev, as well as, over all of the VIP hostesses and waitresses.”

             
“Hello,” Isadora waved flashing a brilliant smile.

             
“What’s up chocolate,” Rico swooned forgetting about the waitress that he was exchanging googly eye with seconds earlier.

             
“You,” Isadora flirted back.

             
He is definitely a Tappen’s man,
Joey thought. “Okay y’all can do all that later. These ladies have a lot to do.” Bev, Isadora, and the waitresses exited to go back to the Luxe.

             
“Last but not least,” Joey said, “I would like for you to meet my two best friends and business partners— Evan and Cee this is Tony and Rico.”

             
The four exchanged handshake, nice to meet you, and how are you.

             
“I hate to rush, but I have to get over here and make sure everything is in order.  See you guys soon and once the party gets going I’ll come to your section and pop a few bottles with you!”

             
“Yo what’s up with blondie?” Tony asked, eyeing Evan hard as she walked away.

             
“She ain’t shit.” Zay replied dryly. “Stay the fuck from round her at all times.”

             
“Damn I didn’t say I want to marry the girl, you just told me a few minutes ago to get as much pussy as I can.”

             
“Yeah, but my nigga, not
that
pussy.”

             
“She that awful?”

             
“The robbery you keep asking me about… happened because of some bullshit she did.”

             
“Well I be damned.”

             
Immersing himself in the conversation, Rico asked, “what about the pretty lil one with the short hair?”

             
Zay looked at Jason and smiled, then replied, “That’s Cee, she’s the one whose husband got killed here. You better refer all questions to Jason about her though. He says they’re just friends, but…”

             
“What’s good with her Jason?”

             
Side eyeing Rico, Jason replied, “Cee is completely off limits.”

***

             
Drake’s
Started From The Bottom,
blasted through The Luxe’s high tech sound system as the DJ yelled into the mic. “If you started at the bottom, let me see ya fucking hands in the air!”  The three thousand-plus crowd of people dressed in all white was enthralled in a good time of drinks, dancing, and shining when the DJ made his next announcement. “Ah Shit I just got the word the men of the hour are in the buildiiiiiiiiinnnnnngggggg! Welcome home Tony and Rico. Ladies show my dudes some love and twerk something for them.” He dropped Busta Rhyme’s “Twerk” song remix, and the crowd went crazy.

             
Rico and Tony were greeted with hugs and kisses from females that they’d known before going away, females that they didn’t know, and skimpy dressed females that were young enough to be their daughters. Dudes gave them pounds and embraced them as they made their way through the club and up to their VIP section on the second level. The club was filled with people who actually knew the brothers, knew of them, and people who knew that it was going to be a banging party.   

             
Both brothers were beyond amazed at how nice their sister-in-law’s club was. When they’d went away clubs were not tricked out in such a luxurious manner, especially not in Charlotte.  Not only had the city come a long way, so had the nightlife.  Rico was completely blown away by what the chicks were wearing or lack thereof.  Pointing at different women dressed in sheer or teeny-tiny ensembles with no bra or panties beneath them, Rico told his brothers.

              “I thought them bitches at the airport had little hoe outfits on, these bitches in here is damn naked.”

             
“Wait ‘til we take you to the strip club after this,” Jason cheesed, “that shit is totally different now. Them hoes don’t be having on nothing but a string between they ass, if that.”

             
Proud of the job that Joey had done thus far, Zay looked around with a big grin on his face. He couldn’t wait for Tony and Rico to see the rap acts that were about to take the stage. Joey had brought in the brother’s two favorite rappers from the era before they went to prison.  Following their performances the two hottest rappers presently at the top of the billboard charts were set to perform a medley of hits.  As with every big event at The Luxe, Joey moved around the venue making sure that everything was as close to perfect as possible, especially for the celebrity performers.  Because of Joey’s hospitality, special attention to detail, and prompt payments, celebs loved to work her events even before she opened her own club.   

             
A small room behind the second level VIP area served as a food station for Tony and Rico’s VIP guest and the performers. The L Room staff set the room up like a classic 1950 burger joint, complete with authentic decor. Those who were allowed to access the exclusive food room had the choice of: gourmet chicken, beef, turkey burger, jumbo-sized onion rings, and steakhouse fries. Although the staff had the pop up burger shop running smoothly, Evan played the room close. She didn’t want to interact too much with Zay and she surely wasn’t in a partying mood. In addition to the stress that John Doe was causing her, Evan’s stomach had been cramping badly for the last few days, and if she stood on her feet too long she became woozy. The night wasn’t all bad for Evan though she had Reza. He stayed by her side for the better part of the night. The only time he strayed was when he went to chill in the VIP with Zay.

             
The club was a movie and Tony and Rico felt like the stars of a real live motion picture. They went ballistic with excitement when the rappers performed. Tony and Rico were even more geeked when all four of the rappers wanted to party in their VIP sections. The entertainers were familiar with the elder Tappen’s boys from articles that had been written about them in Street Dons magazine. When the brothers got busted eighteen years earlier, Tony and Rico were the youngest amongst twenty-eight people indicted in a multi-state cocaine trafficking ring. The streets praised them for being the only two on the case that didn’t rat.

             
With the performances over and all of the VIP guest and celebs enjoying themselves, Joey decided that it was time for her to kick back a little. On her way up to the second level she literally bumped into Kisa. Happy to see her, Joey smiled and gave Kisa a once over. Kisa was stunting hard in a really short white Balenciaga short-shorts, a white long sleeve backless blouse, gold Tom Ford six inch knee high Grecian gladiator heels and a big brown and gold python clutch by Gucci.

             
“Yo bitch, I can’t stand your fly ass,” Joey said. “You smashing every chick in here right now.”

             
“I try-I try,” Kisa jokingly replied. “You look like a bag of money though in that Phillip Plein.”

             
“Thanks. Did you just get here?”

             
“No, I’ve been here for a little while.”

             
“Why you didn’t find me when you got here?” Joey questioned.

             
“I knew you were busy, and we were straight any way.”

             
“We?”

             
Kisa stepped to the side revealing a gorgeous milk chocolate complexion young woman, with a bounty soft light brown curls reminiscent of seventies disco hair crowning her heart shape face. She was casket sharp in a sexy white fitted skinny pant Moschino suit and Jimmy Choo crystal jeweled platform pump sandals.               

             
“This is Mish,” Kisa introduced.

             
“This is Mish?”  Joey asked, surprised with raised brows. 
Damn I didn’t know killers came this beautiful she doesn’t look anything like she sounds,
Joey thought.

             
“Yes I’m Mish,” she extended her hand.

             
“Nice to meet you in person,” Joey shook her hand. “I didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow, I’m glad you’re here now though. With the way this shit been going down you being here early don’t hurt nothing.”

             
“Nice to meet you too.”

             
“Y’all come on up to the section. We’ll pop a couple of bottles, and discuss a few things.”

             
“Ok,” Kisa followed Joey. “Mish is going to stay, but I have to leave in forty-five minutes.”

             
“Why?”

             
“I have to pick Sin up from the Air Center. He’s coming in from Amsterdam.”

             
Heads turned when the three ladies entered the VIP area, all eyes were mainly on Kisa and Mish. Although their section was filled with pretty, scantily dressed women, Tony and Rico almost tripped over one another trying to get over to Jason to find out about the two jaw dropping beauties. Sitting next to Jason on the couch, Cee laughed as the brothers stumbled toward them. Holding up her hands she halted them.

              “We already know what you want,” Cee announced.  “That one,” she pointed at Kisa. “She’s very married and the other one… we don’t know who she is, y’all are going to have to ask Joey.”

             
Both drunken brothers made a beeline for their sister-in-law. Inebriated and drained, Zay flopped down on the couch next to Cee and Jason.

              “What are those two drunk niggas,” he nodded toward his older brothers, “up to?”

             
“Trying to find out who shorty with Joey and Kisa is,” Jason replied.

             
Studying the unfamiliar woman. “I don’t know her, but she is bad,” Zay admired.

             
“Yo,” Cee squealed, elbowing Zay in the ribs. “Your wife’s best friend is sitting here.”

             
“Ain’t nothing wrong with looking, and I see you sitting here with Jason. Hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”

             
“No you are not interrupting a thing! Jason and I are just friends I don’t know why y’all don’t believe us.”

             
“Y’all might just be friends right now... We can all see you both want more than friendship though.”

             
Joey walked over and took a seat on Zay’s lap. “Are you guys happy with the way the party turned out?” she asked Zay and Jason.

             
Nodding his head, Jason raised a pink bottle of Ace toward her. “You did a great job sis-in-law!”

             
“You sure did baby,” Zay told her. “Thanks for making this happen for my brothers. They’re having the time of their lives.”

             
“That’s all that matters.”

             
“Is that one of Kane’s cousins?”

             
“No, that’s the person that I called about Evan’s problem.”

             
“What is she going to do?” Zay asked skeptic of the brown beauty.

             
“Kane said she’s one the best hitters that she knows. I’m going to chop it up with her in my office in a little bit so that she can track this clown ass nigga down.”

             
“I hope that she is that good, I’ll pay her whatever. She don’t even have to kill that nigga, just find him and bring him to me.”  Zay slipped his hand beneath her tiny dress and massaged her inner thigh. “What’s up with you though?” He kissed the side of her neck.

             
“I’m good,” she blushed biting down on her lower lip.

             
“I want to go home and do some things to you.”

             
“What kind of things?”

             
“Things like this,” he pushed her thong to the side and tickled her clit with the tip of his finger.