Chapter 2 The Jones place

Ella hit the door of Jones at 5:02. She took an extra minute to smooth down her hair, catch her breath. she stepped inside and looked around.

The bar was big and long, gleaming black slab that curved into a sung semicircle and offered plenty of rooms, with thick, black leather cushions, mirrored panels of sliver and black ran down the rear wall, colourful green and yellow and blue lights, tossed back reflections. Comfort, style and as well as class, she decided. A good place to sit down, relax and spend your money.

There were plenty of people and every cushion was occupied. Those who sat at the bar, drink and nibbled to the tune of the recorded music being played by the DJ at the back end,kept low enough to encourage conversation.

Some patrons were on suit and tie, with briefcases dumped on their feet. The business brigade, she decided. who'd managed to leave the office a little early,or were using the club as a meeting point to discuss deals or close them.

Three waitresses worked the tables. they wore black slacks rather than skirts,she noted with a little hiss. While at the right far end a young man was working the bar. He was young, handsome and openly flirting with the trio of women on stools.

She'd need to get work schedules from Jones. "You look a lost."

Ella shifted and studied the man who approached her with an easy smile. Black hair, brown eyes, well trim beard. his dark suit was well cut, his black tie was well knotted.

Joel de sliver looked great and presentable tonight,she thought as she shifted her shoulder bag and offered a nervous smile.

"I'm Ella. I'm supposed to see Mr Jones at five. I guess am late?"

"Couple of minutes, don't worry about it. I'm Joel de sliver." As he offered a hand and gave her a brotherly squeeze. "He told me to keep an eye out for you. I'll take you up."

"Thanks. Great place." She commented.

"You can say that again. The boss is a man of class, he always wants the best. I'll give you a quick go throught."

Jones led her throught the bar area, into a wide room with more tables,a two levels stage and a dance floor. Lighting silver ceilings,she mused. while glancing up,set with pinpoint different coloured lights that blinked.

The tables were black squares with little lights on twinklings under the surface,a good example of Stars behind clouds. Some tables were bare but for a slim metal cyclindrical lamp with cut out in the shape of crescent Moons.

The art was modern and streaked with wild colours,odd intriguing Wall sculptures fashioned from textiles.

Wow_Damn it, she decided. Eric Jones had built himself a very classy joint.

"You work clubs before?" she'd already decided how to play it.

"Nothing like this. pretty fancy."

"The boss wanted class." He opened a corridor, then punched a code into a control panel.

"Watch this." When a panel in the Wall slid open,she stepped in with him, watched him enter and re-enter the code.

"Any of us who've got to do business on the second level get a code. But don't worry about it. So you new in Bahia?"

"No, I grew up here."

"Wow, but I haven't seen someone like you, certainly feminine and sexy." Joel said on a clam low voice.

"Guess you know or have meet all ladies in Bahia, Right?" "Hahaha......." Joel laughed with a little smile.

The door opened again, directly into Eric's office. it was a large space, split into business and pleasure, with an area to one side devoted to a long leather black sofa, a sink into me armchair and a wide screen TV where a night football game was being battled out in silence.

Codedly she checked the stats in the top corner of the screen. Santos at home against Gremio, still goaless draw.

She shifted her attention to the business area. the work station held a computer and phone. Across it stood a monitor with showed the club area. And the single window was shielded with blinds that were tightly shut.

Eric sat at the desk, his back to the wall, and help up a hand as he completed a call,with an amused face. "I'll get back to you on that. you'll just have to wait." he hung up, sat back in his chair.

"Hello, Ella. thanks Joel." "No, problem.see you later, Ella."

"Thanks a lot." Eric waited until the elevator door shut. "You're late."

"l know, sorry it was unavoidable." She turned to the monitor giving him an opportunity to glance down her back, over those long legs of hers. Very nice,he thought.

"You have security cameras throughout the public areas?"

"I like to know what's going on in my place." "Do you keep the tapes?" She asked.

"We turn them over every three days." "I'd like to see what you've got."

"For that you'll need a warrant." "l thought you'd agreed to cooperate." She mused. "Why don't you sit down, we'll work out a plan." "The plan is simply." As she kept standing.

"l pose as a waitress, talk to customers and stuffs my ears to the ground and my eyes open and do my job, while you keep out of my way and do yours."

"Wrong plan my dear. I don't have to keep out of anyone's way in my place. Now,ever worked a club?" "No." "Ever waited tables before?"

"No." with a hand look on her face. He smiled, "your about to get an education,on the other side of life, Detective. Head waitress on your shift is Nelly. She'll help train you. Until you've got a handle on it. You'll bus tables to night. it means_"

"l know what busing tables means."

"Fine, I've put you on six to three. You get a fifteen minutes break every two hours. No drinking during shift. Any of the customers get overly friendly or out of other, you report to me or Joel."

"Thanks, but I can handle myself."

"You're not a Cop here remember, So should somebody puts hands on you inappropriately, you report to me or Joel." He got to his feet, walked towards her. She waited until he'd come close or face-to-face.

"I'll need work schedules for all employees. or do I need a warrant?" With a little smile. "No, I can help you out there." He liked the scent of her. " I'll have printouts for you by closing.

Eric picked up a remote, switched the angle of the cameras so the bar area popped on screen. "Kid just coming off shift at the bar, Grew up with his grandparents after his mother ran off. Got into little trouble when he was fifteen."

"Trouble! what kind of trouble was that?"

"Got tagged with a joint in his pocket. but he was upfront with me when he wanted a job." She kept her eyes on Eric as she seen uninterested in the young lab going off shift.

"ls everyone upfront with you?" "The smart one's are."

"Hmm...... I see."

"That Nelly." He tapped the screen. " She use to be married."

"Use to be married, What happened?"

"Damn it, that bastard kicked her around. She can't add a pound. She's got two kids at home. twelve and ten. Some days she comes to work with a black eye. she left him with her kids two years ago."

"lt's a pity."

"I'll take you down. you can leave your bag up here if you want?"

"No, Thanks."

He pushed the elevator button. "I assume you've got your gun in there. There's a private secure area for employees off the bar area. You can lock it up there. Nelly and Aderson have keys for this shift. Joel and l have keys for all areas at all times."

She sent him a smile. As them stepped out of the elevator, and walked towards the club's bar area. The noise level had bumped up several notches. It was a time to unwind, she thought, but for other it was a hunt. She mused at people carelessness.

She saw men leaning on the bar, with back pocket ripe some handbags hung vulnerable on the back of a chair. Suits and jackets were tossed aside, some likely with car or house keys in their pockets.

"Check out the guy at the bar.....six mugs down." Amused Eric. "He's not trying to lure the lady on redhair style there, or her pretty blonde friend. Doesn't matter which."

"Hahahaha."

"l guess he meet hit the blonde." Eric concluded. As she watched, two minutes later, the blonde sidled over with the man. "Wow.... Good call."

"It was easy." He walked Ella back to towards the club area where Joel and Nelly huddled over the reservation book on the podium.

"Hey, boss." Nelly seens to be making a note.

"Looks like we're turning most tables over twice tonight." "Good thing then, I bought you some help. Nelly, Ella Naismith. She needs training."

"Nice to meet you, Ella." she shot out a hand. "Thanks."

"Take her through, Nelly. She'll bus tables until you figure she can wait them well enough." "Okay boss. Come on with me, Ella. I'll get you set up. Got any experience?" She asked as they walk through the crowd.

"No, I don't." Nelly with a little cackle of laugh. "Anderson, this Ella, new waitress in training. Anderson's captain of the bar."

"Nice to meet you." Anderson called out, with a smile.

"And the gorgeous specimen down there is John. Now no flirting with him, cause he's my man and nobody's else." With another laugh, Nelly unlocked a door marked employee only. Now, if you need to get in here for any reason just Ader know."

"Hey, Nelly." The curvy chick on the other side of the door, with her lonely, heart-shaped face, as she freshened her lipstick in a mirror.

"This is Ella. fresh meat." "Oh, your welcome." She turned with a friendly smile.

"Thanks. everybody is so friendly." Ella said to Nelly when Rose strolled out.

"Yeah, you get to be friendly when you work for Eric. he's a good boss."

"l see." Ella mused.

"You work your butt off, but he let you know he notices and that he appreciates." "How long have you worked for him?"

"About five years now. I handled tables at De BASE his sports bar. When he opened the club here,he asked me if I wanted to switch. lt was closer to home and very classy too, the switch was easy decision."

"Good for you..." "You want to freshen up or anything?" "No, I'm fine. Just a little nervous, I guess."

"Don't worry. In few hours your nerves will all disappear when your feets start aching." By eleven, the live band was considerably louder than the recorded music that had played until just after ten.

Ella clean the mugs on trays and wacted the crowd. There were plenty of expensive stuffs, which included watches, cell phones, designer clothes and bags. Plenty of money her, she noted. As she headed off for the kitchen.

"Sweetheart, can you get my love and l a refill?" "yeah.... sure."

She walked back to the bar podium. "Nelly, table fifteen is looking for a refill."

"I'm on it. You're doing good, Ella. Time to take your break."

"Thank Goodness. I needed it badly." "I know you will."

"But I can still serve them the refill, before taking my break, seems your busy with something else."

"Don't worry am done with what am doing. So I'll serve them the refill myself." "Okay....no problem."

Gratefully Ella sat down her tray, as she lifted her eyebrows she spotted Anderson slipping out the brack door. She stalled for ten seconds, then followed.