I pick up the phone. “On our way down.”
Chelsea waits at the door while I pack up my stuff quickly and lock up behind us. A few minutes later, we climb into a limo to make our way up north to try and secure the gala location.
Three hours later the contract is signed and we’re on our way back to the city.
Hannah lays her head against the back of the seat. “Thank goodness that’s over.”
“Yeah, and your ex can shove it up his ass because this venue is so much better.” Leave it to Chelsea to bring up a touchy subject.
Hannah nods but doesn’t say anything. After a few minutes, she sits up and presses the button on the partition. “Jacob, can you drop us off at the corner of State and Madison?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He nods, and Hannah leaves the partition down.
“Victoria, is your mom okay to watch Jade tonight?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure when we’d get back, so I already made arrangements.”
“Great. Girls, we’re going out for happy hour tonight.” She toes out of her heels and rubs her perfectly manicured toes against one another. No surprise since she wears fuck me pumps all day every day. Those things must hurt like a bitch.
“Don’t worry, Hannah, I’m free.”
Hannah glances to her side at Chelsea with a smile teasing her lips. “We both know you have your weeknight ritual and you didn’t already have plans. Besides, there will be guys where we’re going, and they’ll be rich.”
Chelsea pretends to rub her hands together and then drops them unexpectedly. “Rich doesn’t always mean hot.”
“Rich guys are their own breed of bad but not in the way you like them.” Hannah winks at her with a smile. “I want girl’s time anyway. We need to unwind. We’ve never been out together socially before.”
The idea is great, I love both the ladies I work with and a little adult time with the girls sounds perfect.
A while later the limo pulls up to the curb, stops and we step out. There’s no bar in sight.
Once the limo pulls away, Hannah slides in between us and links both her arms through ours and we walk in the opposite direction like Laverne and Shirley with a sidekick. A few seconds later she leads us down an alley.
“Not really in the mood to get mugged tonight.” Chelsea slows her steps which makes all of us slow down.
“There are cameras watching the alley and there’s always someone’s watching those cameras.” She pulls us farther down the alleyway. “This is the safest alley you’ve ever been down.”
When we reach a plain looking, worn black door she unhooks herself from us and knocks four times. I wait for the small window section to slide across, so someone can peer down at us and ask us the password, but disappointedly, that doesn’t happen. Movies make everything look so cool.
Instead, a large man with a barrel chest opens the door from the other side. “Ms. Crowley,” he says to Hannah.
“How are you doing tonight, Sam?”
He nods. “Haven’t seen you awhile. I was worried.”
Hannah shakes her head like she understands his line of thinking. “Uh uh. Never. I got this in the divorce.” She winks.
He tips his head and smiles.
“These are my two friends.” she turns and gestures to where we stand behind her. “Victoria and Chelsea.”
He nods. “Pleasure ladies. And I have to tell you this…don’t go telling anyone about this place, otherwise you’ll see this face on the other side of your door at home.”
“Point taken,” I say, wondering what kind of place Hannah’s bringing us to.
“Oh, and you can’t get in here without her.” He points to Hannah.
Chelsea slaps him on the shoulder. “No worries big guy.”
Sam looks over to Hannah and she giggles. Only Chelsea would do that to someone as physically imposing as this man. We enter and step through another door. The sound of clinking of glasses and chatter makes me more comfortable about our surroundings. At least I know Hannah didn’t draw us to this place to have us murdered.
We enter the bar area and are met with dark wood-paneled walls with a matching bar. The far wall is lined with red velvet booths while small pedestal tables are strategically placed around the room with fabric backed chairs.
“Did we just warp back to the forties?” Chelsea asks.
“I love it,” I say.
Hannah swings her arm through mine. “This place is called Torrios Table because Torrio—”
“Was the one who got Capone into the mob,” I finish for her.
“Yep. See how smart you are? Once you get that degree you’re going to leave me.” She pretends to pout, and I smile in return. I’ve never seen this fun side of her before.
“Let me get my degree first then we can worry about what I’m doing. As it is I’m the oldest person ever enrolled in college.”
She leads us to one of the booths and slides herself in until she’s in the middle, so Chelsea and I take a spot on either side of her.
“No, you’re not, and just think of all the younger men you have at your disposal this time around.” She grins.
“You want her to go cub hunting?” Chelsea picks up and glances over a small menu on the table.
“I’m not old enough to be a cougar.” I lower my voice. “The thought of dating a younger guy who knows nothing about women, does nothing for me. He wouldn’t even know his way around a woman’s vagina, let alone how to get me off.”
Chelsea raises her hand in the air as if to signal ‘victory!’
“I knew you were just being nice.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I lean forward and smack one of her hands down from across the table.
“It means…I knew there was a smart-ass hidden in there.”
Hannah smiles. “I agree with Victoria. Next go around I want a man who can take care of my needs. That knows his way around a woman’s body as well as he does the sports channels on television.”
We all nod in agreement.
“And I don’t care how many partners he’s had because I say the more women, the more skills he learned from them. As long as he can be faithful, we’d be good.” Hannah raises her hand to get the waiter’s attention although I’m certain he noticed her when she came in. Hannah is hard not to notice.
“Ms. Crowley, so nice to see you again.” He bows down. “Good evening, ladies. May I suggest a bottle of Chardonnay?”
Hannah shoots him a tight smile. “Not tonight.” She looks from one side of the table at Chelsea to the other at me. “Three Vespers.”
He tries not to act surprised, but I see the emotion register on his features for a split second. “I’ll be right back.”
As we wait for the waiter to fetch our drinks, I soak up the rich atmosphere. The room is filled with mostly men, men in suits. Men like Reed. Probably lawyers or some other equally untrustworthy profession where they take advantage and rip people off. Married men probably come here to unwind, leaving their wives alone. Whoa, Earth to Victoria.
The waiter brings over our Vespers and we’re each a vision of poised sophistication as we slowly bring the glass to our lips and swallow a small sip, when what I really want is to pour it down my throat I’m so thirsty. Not to mention the buzz will help tremendously to push away all thoughts of He-who-shall-not-be-named.