and takes me home. He walks me to my front door and waits until I open it. Chivalry is not dead.
Before turning to leave, he bends over and brushes his soft lips against my forehead. I’m certain he’ll give me another one of his panty-twisting kisses, but sadly, he doesn’t. I set the rules, and he’s playing by them.
Chapter Eight
Thursday afternoon, I fill out paperwork and watch safety videos. Friday, I arrive at eight o’clock and meet Trevor on the third floor, where the public relations and advertising offices are located.
He takes me on a tour of the building, but thankfully we avoid the executive offices. I don’t want Damon to know I’m working for his company. It’s important for me to have an authentic experience, one that won’t be changed by his influence.
Trevor sits down with me and outlines the grand opening plans. The official party will take place on June fifteenth. The complex features ten bars within six distinctive environments. Ahz includes three ultra-modern dance floors complete with state-of-the-art audio and visual enhancements. It hosts a ninety-foot stage for live musical performances, a modern VIP lounge, and a rooftop terrace offering spectacular skyline views.
The first floor has Anthony Haywood’s. The fifth floor contains the VIP lounge. Floors two through four make up the live performance venues. The sixth floor is rather unique. It has a glass floor so the people in the VIP lounge can see everything that’s happening above them, and vice versa. Trevor plans to take me on a tour of the entire building next week.
He outlines my duties, which means I’m basically the go-to girl for everything no one else wants to do, and I’m okay with that. I’m excited to be here, soaking everything in like a sponge.
Trevor gives me his background, telling me he went to school back east and has been working for Noble Enterprises for five years. He has successfully opened over half the clubs for Zenith with the most recent opening in London.
“How was working in London?”
“It’s different from opening a club here. We always open with a top-rated performer, and they always have specific things they require. In London, we opened with an American band. Have you heard of Mystic Mavens?”
“Yes, they’re not my cup of tea, but they have a huge following.”
“They also have huge egos, and here’s where we come in. It’s our responsibility to secure the act, but we also have to make them happy. That’s the biggest challenge. Mystic Mavens were impossible.” He grumbles something unintelligible. “They insisted on American-made products. They wanted special drinks and special foods, special lotions, and specific toilet paper,” he explains. “We paid them an extravagant amount of money, yet they continued to make demands. They wanted gift bags in their rooms that contained everything from L’Occitane to Cartier. I had to charter a private plane to deliver everything they required, and we had to pay a fortune in import taxes.”
“Wow. That must have been pricey. What did you learn from the experience?”
“I learned I should hire a local band,” he says as he laughs. “In the end, the opening was a success, and the London location is one of our most profitable sites.”
“What’s the key to your success?” I have three months to learn everything I can from him, so I’ll ask questions until he turns blue from answering me.
“I think it’s all in the details. The big things are easy. Booking the entertainment is the small stuff. It’s everything that happens in between the concept and opening day that matters.” Shifting in his chair, he continues. “You need to know everything that’s happening in the world. If there is a caviar shortage, you don’t want to have it on the menu for your grand opening. If your guest of honor is allergic to nuts, don’t serve baklava. Anticipate everything and everyone’s needs. That way, you won’t get caught unprepared.”
“Who is the opening act for Ahz?” I ask.
“That will remain a secret, but it will be the biggest thing happening in the Los Angeles area this summer. I’m going to have you help me come up with gift packages for our VIP guests. We need one hundred gift bags, and your budget is one thousand dollars.”
“I have to make one hundred memorable gifts, and I only have a budget of one thousand dollars?” My voice sounds panicked.
“You have a budget of a thousand dollars for each gift.” Trevor shows me to the cubicle I’ll use during my internship. “There’s