clubs open in the first year, I think that shows how serious I am. We just opened Saint Bart’s, and that follows our first club in Vegas, as well as our clubs in Miami and San Francisco,” Brent said, carefully detailing the progress his business had made during the first twelve months.
Tanner shrugged dismissively. He might as well have just said who gives a shit? Brent wasn’t so sure if Tanner was the enemy or just the gatekeeper of all the problems the city kept heaping on him. Permits were shooting up in cost. Hands needed to be greased. The zoning commissioner threw up roadblocks. But New York was a linchpin in Brent’s plans for Edge. It was vital to the growing success of his operation, and Brent needed Tanner to help him win this city over, even though just then he wasn’t sure if Tanner was even on his side.
“So what’s the real concern?” Brent said, opting for directness. “And what can I do to help ease them?”
Tanner scratched his jaw, and cleared his throat. “Look. I’m just the messenger here, so don’t shoot me. But the neighbors don’t trust you. They think you’re a flash in the pan. Impulsive even. They see you as the bad boy of comedy who hosted a foul-mouthed TV show. And they worry you’re just some former TV celebrity who’s going to bring a lot of noise and crowds into their neighborhood at night,” Tanner said, and Brent reined in the flash of anger he felt over that word—impulsive. “And they want to know why they should allow another club in their neighborhood, especially one run by someone with a high profile.”
“The location is zoned for a nightclub,” Brent said, pointing out the obvious, because that was the reality of the property. Rather than deal with intangibles, Brent wanted to try to focus on the facts. “You had one in the building before mine and it went out of business.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying to them,” he said.
“And how do they take it?”
Tanner sighed, a frustrated stream of breath that seemed to peter out of him. “Not well.”
Irritation knotted in his muscles. He didn’t even know who was friend or foe. He might not ever know though, so he shifted gears. “So I need to prove to them why it should be my club?”
“Yeah. Why you and not some other nightclub.”
Brent launched into his pitch about Edge. He wanted to make sure the landlord would go to bat for him. “Because we don’t attract the raunchy crowd that the previous club drew. You won’t find twenty-one-year-olds puking outside the loft apartments at three in the morning. We don’t cater to the whole deejay culture that attracts the crazy fans. My clubs are upscale and classy. They have a certain mystique, a lush sensuality, but it never crosses over into trashy. Edge is seductive, it’s sexy, but it’s never raunchy.”
The waitress returned with a fresh iced tea. “Here you go, sir. Sweetened, as you requested.”
Tanner grunted, then spoke to Brent. “That’s what we need the neighborhood association to see.” Tanner lowered his voice to a whisper. “And it wouldn’t hurt if you threw in a few thousand to have some of the Tribeca parks redone. There are a couple in need of a makeover, and that could make the residents happy.”
“Easy enough. I’ll be glad to do that. Anything else?”
“Yeah, how about you peel off a little extra for me? The ex is trying to take me to court about alimony payments.” Brent didn’t answer because he didn’t like the sound of the request, but Tanner quickly waved a hand and flashed his yellowed smile. “I’m just kidding. I won’t let the bitch have a dime of my money. And I’ll help you with all this. I want your club in my building.”
“Great. And I want Edge there too. So let me know if there’s anything else you need from me.”
“That’s all for now. But I’m sure there will be something else soon. That’s how it goes in New York. You gotta do whatever it takes.”
That seemed to be the new mantra in his life, whether with women or with business.
CHAPTER TEN
Shannon extended her arms high above her head, her palms flat together, her fingers pointing towards the sky. Perfect warrior pose. Just like her grandmother beside her.
At age seventy-three, Victoria Paige showed no sign of slowing down. She was fit, trim, muscular, and determined to keep up with anyone and everyone.