6. Garret

6

Garret

I woke up the next day riding the high of sex with Felix from the night before. I still felt euphoric. I climbed out of bed earlier than I normally did and took an extra-long, warm shower, still thinking about Felix and basking in the memories of our encounter. Everything was still fresh and vivid in my mind, giving me a thrill and making me hard again.

Things were progressing with him, and I felt confident that I could bring him out of his shell. The fact that he had willingly allowed me to be the top last night proved that he must have wanted these rendezvous as feverishly as I did.

I got dressed and walked downstairs, ready to start my day.

Carol was already in the office, sitting at her computer and studiously working. Her concentration was focused on the computer screen. A blue light reflected off her glasses. Her short blonde hair was stylish and chic.

Carol's eyes wandered upward when I entered the main office where her desk was situated.

"Good morning," she said in a grim tone with a bleak expression.

My heart instantly began to pound. Carol was normally bright and bubbly.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately, cutting straight to business.

Carol sighed and plucked her glasses from her face. She squeezed the bridge of her nose and briefly closed her eyes.

"Carol?" I urged. I approached her desk and stood in front of her.

Carol peered up at me with a reflection of sincere apology etched into her features.

"I have a piece of mail that you are probably… not going to like…" she trailed off with a wince.

"Okay," I said guardedly. "What is it?"

I wanted her to just spit it out already. I didn't like being left in suspense, especially if it was something that was going to ruin my otherwise peppy mood.

Carol reached across the desk and picked up an envelope that had already been opened. This wasn't uncommon. In fact, it was customary for Carol to go through my mail and pick out what was junk and what I needed to review.

If there were any bills to take care of, Carol was always on top of it immediately. I trusted her and never doubted for a second that she wasn't fit for the job.

I assumed that the contents of this letter were going to upset me. She practically squirmed as she handed over the envelope, relieved to have it out of her own hands.

I felt another surge of adrenaline, only this time it wasn't in a good way. I licked my lips, suddenly feeling parched and nervous.

I scanned over the first few lines and read them aloud, becoming more horrified as the typed words began to sink in. The sender of the letter was from the City of Chicago.

"This letter is to inform you that a temporary suspension has been enacted on the liquor license for the club Tiger's Eye, under section 402 of the code 1134. This hold is in effect immediately upon the date of the letter."

I glanced up at Carol, feeling like I was dropping into a bottomless pit of despair. This letter was infuriating me. I wanted to crush it in my hand.

"Who did this?" I hissed through clenched teeth.

"Keep reading," Carol said, ashen faced and somber.

"Do I need to prepare myself?" I asked, making a dark joke of the situation.

Carol blinked grimly. I took that as a yes, and inhaled sharply, exhaling even slower.

"The city has been informed through ‘anonymous tips' of an issue that must be investigated before the license to sell liquor of any kind can be reinstated to the club Tiger's Eye , under section 402 of the code 1134."

"What does this even mean?" I was devastated. My nightly sales were going to take a huge blow. "Is this some sort of joke?"

"It came certified," Carol stated regretfully. "It has the city official crest on it too."

I groaned. I knew it wasn't her fault, but I wanted to punch my fist through a wall.

"Who would do this?" I asked, more rhetorically to myself than to Carol outright.

"I can think of someone," Carol said with a scowl.

"Who?" I gasped as the name came to me. "Nelson…" I trailed off in a snarl. "That little prick, Nelson Sanderson."

Carol knew all about Nelson's antics and his attempts to tear down my building and create a strip mall in its place.

"Well, this really brings my day down to shit level," I declared. "And I woke up in such a good mood too."

"I'm really sorry." Carol's features were full of empathy.

"I need to make some calls this morning," I told her with a resigned sigh. I walked into my office. "Hold all my calls, unless they are from the city or Nelson," I shouted to Carol as an afterthought before slamming my office door shut.

I plopped down in my desk chair and rubbed my aching temples. A migraine was starting to take root in my head.

"What kind of anonymous tips could the city have gotten?" I asked myself, feeling completely baffled.

I read the letter twice more. I didn't see anything in the letter that pointed to why they got the tip or who would have sent it, more importantly, there was no reason provided on what they had to investigate.

I wanted answers, and I wouldn't stop until I got them. I picked up the phone and dialed the number listed on the letter for inquiries. It was a department within the city that handled zoning ordinances and business licenses. I wasn't going to get my hopes up that I wouldn't have to yell at somebody, but I remained as stoically optimistic as I could that I wouldn't lose my temper unless it was absolutely warranted.

A female voice droned on the other end, answering after a couple of rings. "City of Chicago," she declared flatly.

"My name is Garret Olsen. I own the Tiger's Eye nightclub in town. I just received a letter—"

"Sir, can you hold please?" the clerk asked as if there was nothing in the entire world she cared about less than the explanation I was gearing up to give her.

"What? I… uh—" I was taken aback by her immediate interjection. "Sure. I can hold."

My pride was already wounded, but I took another deep breath and closed my eyes, centered myself, and tried to keep my cool.

Sleepy elevator music began to float through the receiver. I sighed, losing my patience and tried my best to keep myself busy. I turned on my computer and logged in, using the time to pull up all the programs I would need for the day before the clerk came back on the line.

"How may I help you?" she asked as if she couldn't remember who she had put on hold.

"I'm Garret Olsen," I began a second time. "I own the Tiger's Eye nightclub in town. I just received a notice that states my liquor license is being suspended due to an anonymous tip."

"What's your question?" the woman asked.

I was exasperated by her blatant disdain. I mentally debated whether I was going to have to walk down to City Hall and talk to someone in person to get some much-deserved answers.

"My question is who sent in the tip?"

I heard silence on the other end, then, after a brief pause, the woman spoke again. "I don't have that information for you, sir."

"Well, can you please find out?" My voice was becoming frantic and high pitched.

"Please hold," the clerk advised.

I tightened my jaw. I was tired of being placed on hold. The same dry woman clicked back on the line a few seconds later.

"Sir, what is the property address?"

"1040 Sycamore Avenue," I stated.

I heard the sound of fingertips clacking against a keyboard.

"I have your letter pulled up," she said after a few seconds.

"Okay… so what does that mean?" My patience was a thin film of ice that was cracking in the middle.

"It means there will have to be an investigation before the license can be reinstated," the woman affirmed robotically.

The pressure was building in my head. I didn't want to become a fire breathing dragon in front of this lady, but she was pushing her luck already. It was obvious that she was simply reading back the information on the letter to me and making no effort to figure out the problem or find a solution.

"That's what the letter states," I confirmed. "I already know that much. I just want to know what the reason is behind the investigation. What kind of tip did you receive?"

"I didn't receive anything, sir," the woman hashed defensively.

"Do you have a supervisor I can talk to?" I asked.

The woman was quiet for a moment. "He's not in yet."

I was cynical and didn't really believe her, but I couldn't exactly accuse her of lying either.

"Is there no one who can help me? Or at least provide me with some insight? The evasiveness of this letter is quite disconcerting."

"I understand that, sir," the woman said as if she were used to dealing with disgruntled people all the time and had become desensitized to all the complaints she probably received on a constant basis.

I understood where she was coming from. She probably had a tough gig, but she wasn't willing to meet me halfway and was being difficult. I had no choice but to bark back.

"Well, can you at least tell me when I can get the license back up and running?"

I hated to sound weak and desperate, but until I figured out what to do, I was at the mercy of these people.

"At least a couple of weeks," she said, her voice monotone.

Her lack of emotion added fuel to the fire of my own derailing emotions.

"This is ridiculous," I protested. "I have a business to run. Why will it take a couple of weeks? Who is going to make up the difference for all the alcohol sales I won't be able to bring in now?"

"Sir, the city is backed up. I can put in a request to have it completed sooner, but I can't make any promises."

I sighed and planted my head in my hands. At least now she was attempting to try something proactive.

"Fine. Sure. Whatever. Just see that you get my claim in as quickly as possible."

I hated to sound so self-righteous, but in my defense, it was true. I had a business to run, and my profits were going to take a massive hit because of this inconvenience.

I hung up from the clerk feeling like I hadn't accomplished anything besides wasting my own breath and energy. It was too early for me to endure this type of stress. I hated getting the runaround, but my hands were tied. I brainstormed who to contact next.

I thought about calling Nelson, the asshole. I could try to manipulate him into giving me a confession that he was behind this suspension, but I didn't have enough evidence just yet to prove that he was the mastermind behind it all.

All I could do was work around the restrictions. I had no choice until the investigation happened. If I continued to sell alcohol anyway, I would just end up sabotaging myself and my business even further. I would have to play by the rules whether I deemed them fair or not.

The next person on my contact list for the morning was Jimmy Yadar. He was my supplier for all beverages, including non-alcoholic items.

Jimmy answered in a chipper tone, recognizing my number. "Hey there, Garret."

"Good morning, Jimmy," I said and attempted to sound cordial, but my irritation showed.

I reminded myself that my unfortunate situation was not Jimmy's fault and treated him with the dignity he deserved. He had always been loyal to me, and I had no reason to suspect his sketchy involvement in the problem.

"What can I do for you today?" he asked.

I heard the sound of a truck backing up and men talking in the background. I assumed he was in a warehouse, getting his shipments for the day ready for delivery.

"My liquor license got suspended, so I'm in a bit of a spotty situation," I admitted. "I need you to do me a favor."

"Suspended? What for?" Jimmy's tone reflected honest confusion.

"I'm not sure yet," I chuckled ironically, even though I didn't find anything about the situation amusing in the slightest.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"To my knowledge, nothing," I said. "But I can't sell any liquor until I get the situation cleared up."

"How long do you think that will take?" Jimmy asked. It would hurt him and his own profits if he couldn't sell to me.

"The city said it could take up to a few weeks," I informed begrudgingly.

Jimmy whistled a sound of shock through his lips. "That doesn't sound good."

"No," I agreed with a nod. "It's not good at all."

"So, does that mean you don't want me to put you on my route until you get it resolved?" he asked.

"I still want you to stop by the club with a truck," I said. "If you could replace the alcohol with tons of soft drinks and non-alcoholic juices, water, things like that, I would enormously appreciate it."

"You've got it," he obliged. "Anything in particular?"

"Whatever you think will sell the best," I said. "Bring a variety of items. Nothing alcoholic. Remember that. They probably have people surveilling me now."

"Who is they?" Jimmy sounded paranoid.

"I don't know, the city probably." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry man. I know this is gonna hurt you."

"I'm going to suffer," I admitted, "but I should still be able to stay afloat."

"All right," Jimmy declared. "I'll see you on my regular route, minus the alcohol."

"Sounds good, Jimmy. Thanks for working with me on this one."

"No problem."

I hung up with Jimmy, feeling exhausted even though the day was only just beginning. My head pounded.

I walked out of my office and Carol was still sitting there, gazing at me expectantly. "Any luck?"

"Not so far," I said with chagrin. "Jimmy is going to stop by later with his regular shipment, minus the alcohol."

Carol nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"There is, actually," I said. "Would you mind printing out brightly colored flyers for me that say no liquor is being sold on the premises until further notice?"

"I can do that." Carol gave me a professional nod.

"Just make it sound like we should get the liquor pouring again soon, but that for now, sales on that have to halt."

"I'll get started on it right away." Carol smiled.

"Thank you." I sighed. "I'll have the bartenders post them all around the bar tonight, and I'll also place a couple at the front door."

"Do you think that it will inadvertently send people away?" Carol's eyes shimmered with angst.

"I hope not," I said. "To be honest, we get enough foot traffic in here for other reasons that I think we should still be okay. It's not a great situation to be in of course, but there's nothing we can really do about it for now. I ordered more non-alcoholic beverages, so at least people will have the option to drink something ."

"It sounds like you're doing all you can," Carol said in a friendly tone.

"I'm trying…" I trailed off and walked out of the office to figure out what to do next.

The lack of alcohol would definitely undercut my sales, but I was still confident enough in my clientele that the members would still want to engage in all the other sexual perks and keep coming, regardless of whether they could get drunk in the process.

I was in a sour mood, but I had to figure out a way to make this work under the circumstances.

__________________________

Later that night, I was giving instructions to the bartenders about how to go about business as usual without liquor, when a thought suddenly dawned on me that further sent my annoyed mood into a tailspin.

"Well this is just great," I practically whined.

Tom, one of my best bartenders gave me a sideways glance. "You okay there, boss?"

"No." I cut sharply. "I'm not okay."

I noticed Tom exchange a wary look with one of my other bartenders and they quickly set back to work. Normally, I had a good rapport with my employees, but I had been on edge ever since I'd received the suspension notice and found myself unintentionally barking at people who didn't deserve the brunt of my frustration.

I realized that I had completely forgotten to check in with Felix to see if he was going to come back tonight. He seemed like the type who needed to be reassured with a formal invitation, and due to the stress of the day, it had completely slipped my mind.

I went about my routine business as the club opened its doors. I was more in the thick of things tonight, immersing myself in the crowd. I wanted to provide individual attention to members to make sure that even with the lack of alcohol they were still satisfied with the general experience of the club.

I wasn't expecting to see Felix, so when I noticed him slip in the front entrance, my mouth dropped. I glanced at my watch. Sure enough, he was right on time for his usual appearance. Maybe this horrible day would have a happy ending after all.