New Story - again written exclusively on Steemit - WiP - Bouncer Part 29

This story is evolving with a pace all its own. I'm listening to the feedback and if something resonates, I've decided that I'll go with it (thanks @kiwideb). Feel free to give feedback on characters, storylines etc - even if you think it's harsh.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, part 27, Part 28,

Pictures from Google free to use search

Please note: This is the FIRST DRAFT, no editing, written straight onto paper. I don't know how to highlight that any more than it is. I'll NOT be making any alterations to what's already been written. As a good friend and excellent author has said, First draft is a race to get the story down before it decides to stop telling itself to you. Thanks Glenn. @alienbutt

66 pages, 26,203 words so far.

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On the morning of the pre-opening party – strictly private, invite only and a guest list with no exceptions – Zack and Liz went over everything, from the time she expected the security team, the bar staff and cleaning staff to get there and start work, the times the guests would start arriving, down to the time she expected everything to have finished and everyone except the overnight security team to leave.

“You’re thorough, I’ll give you that,” Zack said as he looked over her itinerary.

“You have to know where everyone is expected to be at all times, otherwise, how will you know if something is going wrong?” she said.

“Oh, it wasn’t a criticism,” Zack said. “This is really useful. Can I get a copy?”

“Sure, here’s one I printed out in the hope that you’d ask,” she said.

“And if I hadn’t asked?” Zack said.

“You’d have gone down in my estimation of you and so far, you’ve not done that.”

“You’re evaluating me?” Zack said.

“All the time,” Liz said. “As I assume you’re evaluating me – not only in my position as manager, but also as your brother’s girlfriend. Am I right?” She spoke with no hint of belligerence or malice and she looked up from her paperwork to Zack’s face.

“Yeah,” he said, conceding her point. “You’re right.”

“Good. Now let’s get on, shall we? There’s a lot to do and if I’m to enjoy this, I need it to go exactly to the itinerary,” she said.

The buzzer for the front door sounded and Liz clicked on the camera for that door.

“What does he want, I wonder?” Zack said.

“I recognise him, where do I know him from?” Liz said.

“He’s the one that ‘saved’ you and Taylor the other night, when those thugs caught you and Taylor out on the street,” Zack said. “That’s Sinbad and it’s probably best to make him think we’re not aware of what really went down that night.”

“And now, I suppose he wants you to return the favour,” she said.

“That was my guess too.”

“Tell him there is no room on the guest list for tonight, but we may be able to get him in later tomorrow evening, say after midnight. It should still be lively, but most of the main guests will have gone by that time,” Liz said.

“I doubt he’s here to get on the guest list, but I’ll try that first,” Zack said as he left the office and went to see what Sinbad wanted.

Zack opened the back door and called Sinbad around.

“Sinbad, come ‘round the side!” he shouted.

Sinbad rounded the corner and saw Zack holding open the side door.

“We don’t use the front door yet, they’re still working behind it,” Zack said.

Sinbad nodded and stopped at the door.

“Come on up,” Zack said. “I’ve not thanked you properly for backing Taylor up the other night. Would you like a coffee?”

Liz followed their progress up the stairs to her office and had three mugs ready for when they got there. Zack brought Sinbad through the club, he thought it best that he didn’t know the way in through the corridor network the builders had put in.

“Morning,” Liz said. “Coffee?”

“Oh, yeah, morning,” Sinbad said. “Yeah, black no sugar.”

Liz noticed the lack of manners but said nothing. She also played down her role at the club.

“What do you think about the staff rotas?” she said. “If there’s anything you’d like changing before I print them off, please let me know. I’m just going to check the delivery. Shout me if you need me, ok?” She took her mug of coffee and left the room.

“That’s Taylor’s bird, isn’t it?” Sinbad asked when she’d left.

Zack nodded.

“What can I do for you?” Zack said. “I can get you a pass for the opening party, but it’ll have to be after midnight, but you’ll be at work ‘til then, won’t you?”

“I was hoping for an offer of a job,” Sinbad said.

Zack nodded and pursed his lips in contemplation, his brow furrowing as he mulled over the thought. “It’s not going to be at this club,” he said. “We have a full team and they’ve been approved by the boss so it wouldn’t be possibly to change it at this stage. He doesn’t like sudden changes, it makes him wary. We have other clubs out of town, but you have a car, don’t you.”

Sinbad nodded. He also stood mulling over what had been offered. “I suppose the pay is around what we’re on now?” he said.

“Yeah pretty-much. For the time-being at least. Once the club owners realise what extra value we can provide, that’s when we can start hiking the prices up and the lads will start benefitting from the extra money.”