change they're gonna need.”
“Oh ye of little faith! You think I don't know how to run my own business right?” Del laughed, pressing his hands to his chest. “I got it all worked out. For two hundred grand, they get the all inclusive treatment, baby. You won't need to make change, you'll just need to hand over the drinks. And I already put in a call to my liquor guy, he's heading to his warehouse right now to load up his truck with twice our normal weekly order, and then he's gonna be on stand by. I got my coke guy flying in from Detroit, I got the best strippers from that place downtown, I got the best DJ in the city coming in – shit, I even scored some lab quality LSD and our pharmacist will be on hand to pass it around.”
“This is going to be insane, Del,” Valentine pointed out. “You really think we can handle it on such short notice?”
They'd hosted celebrities before, but usually with a lot of time to plan. Extra security was hired, the staff was briefed, everything was put into place. Being told roughly two minutes in advance didn't leave time for any of that, so it could easily turn into a shit show.
“I already got extra security on the way, I got all my cameras lit up – so be careful about what you're doing and where you're doing it,” he said, giving her a hard look. She blushed and shrank back on the stool. “And you know what? Fuck it, I'm feeling good tonight, so I'll just say it – I trust you guys. I got the best goddamn crew in Chicago working for me. So yeah, I do think you can fucking handle it.”
Everyone in the Club Room – Gary, the other bartender, the two bar backs, a couple go-go dancers, and a janitor – all started clapping. Valentine felt like she was in some sort of dream sequence.
“Fuck yeah, we can!” Gary cheered.
The energy in the room was palpable and everyone started moving double time to get things ready. Music wasn't even playing, and the go-go girls were already shaking their asses on their podiums. Valentine got off her stool and followed Del back to the hallway.
“This is amazing, Del. Been a hell of a week for Caché, huh?” she laughed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her close to his side.
“Yes, it fucking has, Saint Valentine,” he laughed, as well. “You know what you are, babe?”
“What?”
“You're my lucky fuckin' charm,” he informed her. She rolled her eyes, but he shook his head. “Nah, I think you really are. I know you think I'm some dirty old man, and hey, I am – but I also work hard, and I look out for people, and when you came in for a job that day, I knew before you danced I was gonna hire you. Cause you got something special, kid, and it pulls people into your orbit. I think all this lucky shit that's happening, it's just excess star dust from you.”
“Jesus, Del, stop, you're gonna make me cry.”
“Enough mushiness!” he agreed, stopping in the middle of the Music Room. People were running all around the place, trying to get the silks set up and the band's instruments tuned. “Now, you know what to do tonight. You be your sexy self, you shake that ass, and you flirt. You make them wish they never had to leave Chicago. I want every guy in that party to apply for membership, got it?”
“Got it.”
She thought that was it, but then he was suddenly dipping her back and planting a loud smacker of a kiss on her lips. There was nothing sexual about it – she'd seen him do the same thing to Serge and half a dozen other people. She was just shocked because it was her first time being on the receiving end of a patented DelVecchio praise-kiss.
“Goddamn, I love my job!” he shouted when he let her go, and everyone started cheering again. Then he smacked her on the ass and walked away.
For the next three hours, Valentine did exactly as she was told. Del was still paying her, after all. She was on two payrolls now – she had to show up at the club for opening, and she had to stay until at least midnight, if she wanted to have a job after her “contract” with Ari ran out. So she danced and