“Fuck,” and there’s the first shot. I hide my distorted face in her shoulder and bite my bottom lip, hoping like hell our staff can’t hear me cumming. I hate it when people know that I’m fucking my wife; when I walk out and I can see on their faces that they’ve been aware of our antics. Damn it, she feels good. Goddammit, I love cumming inside this woman.

“Shit, Sophia. That was nice,” I pant and kiss her neck.

“I really have missed you, Babe,” she whispers, running her hands through my hair.

“You too. It’s good to be home.”

“I fired Ivy.”

I’m silent for a few moments. I just made her cum and all she’s thinking about is our new employee. “Fuckin’ A, Sophia. Why can’t you let me enjoy this a few seconds longer before you tell me this kind of shit? What the fuck did you fire her for? And I told you we needed to discuss the employees together before you do anything drastic. This is a business,” I exhale. “Shit.” I pull out of her, a release I’m not happy about, and reach for my phone in my pants pocket.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling her... making amends... asking if she wants to come back.” She grabs my phone and throws it across the room.

“She said I was a bitch, Cove. Why don’t you ask me what happened before you call. And why the fuck is her number in your phone? These college girls you and your mother hire hate me because you and I are married. They only work here because they like you and they want to fuck you.”

“First of all, every employee number is in my phone, and my mother didn’t hire her, I did. Second, our business is successful because people come in and are looking for beautiful young women to wait on them. And third,” I button and zip my pants then reach for my shirt. “I’m not fucking anyone but you, and it’s not like you to be this jealous. What gives?”

She buttons her blouse and slips back into her skirt. Ignoring my question.

“Soph?”

Again, I’m given the cold shoulder while she fixes her hair. She mumbles something but before I can clarify, I’m distracted by a set of keys jingling outside the door. The handle turns and Haverty stands in the doorway with his hand over his eyes.

“Is it safe to enter?” He moves a finger then grins and lowers his arm. “You done boning?”

“Hav, we need some time.”

“Ah, so you’ve heard about Ivy. I told your wife it was a bad idea.”

“I’m standing right here and you know my name. Don’t ignore me like I’m not in the room,” she says.

“So you knew she fired her and you didn’t tell me on the drive over?”

“I hinted at it, but it’s not my place, and I didn’t want to spoil your evening of hot lovemaking.”

I pick up my phone with a sigh, as Sophia’s face turns red, both from anger and the amount of alcohol she’s had. “Listen, I’m pissed off that she called you a bitch, and if it was anyone else I would agree with your decision... after we discussed it as a team, but I promised this girl’s mother I’d give her a job. It was a business deal, and you can’t fire people without talking to me. It just gives me more work to do. I have to see if she still wants the job, and then smooth things over with her mother if she’s gotten a whiff of this.”

“Did you hear what you just said?”

“Shit, you two, I’ll be out on the floor shutting things down. Finish your bitchin’ so we can go home,” Haverty walks out and I’m left to explain myself.

“Yeah, I know what I said. And I know what you’re thinking, now stop.”

“A fucking business deal, Cove? Don’t ever refer to a person as being used for profit. You know how I feel about that.”

“I said I knew what you were thinking,” I groan, my hand in my pocket adjusting my dick. “Look, Soph, I’ll make sure she understands she only gets one more shot and if it happens again I’ll...”

“Tell me about her mother,” she cuts in.

I find her number on my phone and have it set to call. “She owns the St. Louis Tribune and gave us free advertising for six months, plus some other free marketing as well.”

“That’s it? I’ll fucking pay for that stuff so we don’t have to bring the little twerp back in here.”

“Your money and my money are one and the same, so that means I’ll be paying for it as well, and you’re missing the point.”

“We have the money, Cove.”

“I don’t like to cop-out on a deal or burn any bridges, whether it’s a free exchange or a million dollar agreement; word gets around and it’s bad for business.”

“Ha, people know we fuck back here, and in the second floor office, don’t you think that’s bad for business?”

I pause for a moment at her smartass remark. I know I sound hypocritical at times. “Listen, we don’t need bad press. Literally. Don’t piss people off who have power, such as those who own the major city newspaper. Anyway, her mother’s trying to get her back on track. I guess she was caught selling prescription meds to her friends, so I agreed to let her work here to make some honest money. It’s a good job for some of these twenty-one-year-olds, you know? They can make a shitload of tips.” I dial her number and hear a ring, except it’s coming from the main room of the Scarlett. Sophia looks at me and then at the door as the sound grows in intensity. I hang up and wait for her to enter the room.

“Hey,” she says in a contrived, innocent voice. “Haverty let me in so I could apologize. I’m really sorry I acted out tonight. I didn’t mean what I said.”

“What the hell. Were you listening to us?” Sophia questions in a cold voice.

Ivy stares with a sheepish grin, and begins that dumbass hair twirl thing that I hate. Women look like whores, or just plain idiots when they do it... just stop and put your fucking hand down. “You’re not speaking to the right person, Ivy.”

She turns and starts again. “Cove’s wife, I’m sorry.”

“Urrgh,” Sophia starts to walk out, but I pull her back and wrap my arms around her body so she can’t escape. I want to show this girl standing before us she doesn’t have a chance with me, and my embrace should comfort Soph as well. My wife is short-tempered, and not the most mature woman in the world, but this wench standing here just pissed me off. “You know what? We’re giving you one more chance, and that’s it. I don’t want to hear any lewd or hateful language toward any employees in my business, and especially not toward my wife. Got it?”

She nods and extends her hand. “I’m sorry, Sophia. It won’t happen again.”

They shake, but I still feel the tension in the room. This isn’t over between them, something’s off, and it’s not just my wife’s balance from being drunk.

“Ivy,” Haverty says from the doorway. “Come on, walk out with everyone else. I’m locking the front.”

She disappears, hidden by Haverty’s massive body.

“Let’s check the place and head home, alright? I need to relax after a few hellish days in Vegas.” I kiss the top of her head and we slip on our shoes.

“That was nice, Babe. Thanks for standing up for me.”

“Thanks for not punching her in the face.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” she laughs. “Well... not to anyone I’m unrelated to.”

I know that’s not true. She acts like a little badass at times and if someone pisses her off she’ll smack ‘em good.

We check the rest of the private rooms for empty bottles and glasses then head to the main room and do the same.

I love the Scarlett and it’s good to be back. My mother, with a keen eye for design, is solely responsible for the interior of the place. The walls are deep grey and gold chandeliers grace the ceiling. The lounge area is set up for our customers to gather in small groups on either black or red velvet sofas, and the number of people we can accommodate with such an arrangement is impressive. She should’ve been an interior decorator.

We play R&B, jazz and trance music most of the time. It seems to be seductive and matches the personality of those who come in before the late night crowd arrives, looking to share a bottle of wine and relax with friends or associates. The later college student invasion can be loud, especially on Thursday and Friday nights, but nothing too wild or over the top that Haverty or the others on security can’t handle. We’re known for our mellower atmosphere, unlike other bars in the area where you have to scream at the top of your lungs in order to be heard. The customers describe it as elegant, tasteful, and exclusive, and that’s how I’d describe the majority of them.