The Final Note (DJ Series Book 1) (15 page)

She grabs my chin, forcing my head up and I feel her talons digging into the sensitive skin on my face, burning and stinging. I whimper and screw my eyes closed tight against her breath blowing in my face. “You listen to me, you little whore, Dayton is going to be catapulted into a whole new light after he rocks this audition in London and
you
will not be with him when he hits the top, I will. My dad got him this chance because of me and I can pull the plug any time I like. One message to Mark and Jimmy telling them about the trouble we have had here and his dream job down south goes up in smoke."

I crack open an eye and grab her wrist, sinking my nails in as I yank her hand from my face. I’m panting and adrenaline is coursing through my blood, it takes every bit of my self-restraint not to lay the bitch out right where she stands. “I don’t believe you, you don’t have any dirt on Dayton, he has done nothing wrong in all of this.”

“Yes, he has! He picked the wrong girl. All Mark needs to know is that last weekend he was thrown out with his best friend for dealing and his girlfriend doing drugs in my bar. Bye-bye opportunity of a lifetime.” She waves with a smile. “I could even send a message with a mucky attachment explaining how his dirty laundry follows him to work.” She laughs, a loud cruel laugh.

“But you laced my drink with those drugs and you shared that private text after you stole Dayton’s phone. How would you explain that?”

“Oh, I don’t have to. You see, the girl who served you the drink I spiked is no longer employed by Lexis and that phone could be in anyone’s hands, Dayton doesn’t know where he lost it. Anyone could be using it, if it wasn’t in my locker.” She is smug and it is killing me not to throw my fist in her face. I remind myself to hold my fists back, for the greater good, for Dayton’s sake.

“It was you who damaged our cars, made the complaint about me at work and made all those cold calls?”

“Check, check and check.” She laughs before coming at me again, this time grabbing me by the throat and squeezing, gripping me until I can barely breathe. “So, get this straight, Alannah, tonight you say
goodnight
and
goodbye
to Dayton Scott, because he is
mine
and if you love him as much as I do then you will let him go. Let him go rock London and live his dream and I’ll be the one beside him, supporting him like I always have. A little tramp like you doesn’t deserve a guy like him. Now get the fuck out of my bar and kiss him goodbye on your way out.” She spits in my face and I push her, hard. She goes reeling back but gathers her footing. I wipe the saliva out of my eyes, grabbing a paper towel and racking it across my eyes whilst I pant and try to gather some composure.

I look at her, standing with her hands on her hips and a look of pure death on her face. I put my hands up in surrender and step away from her. Looking defeated I shake my head and put my hand up in a ‘stop’ gesture. After catching my breath I meet her eye and choke on a sob.

“I love him enough. I love him enough to let him go. I couldn’t be with him knowing it was me that stopped him achieving his lifetime goal. Don’t think this won’t hurt him just as much as it will hurt me, Regina. He loves me.”

“Then I’ll be the shoulder he cries on. I’ll mend his broken heart. I’ll give him his dream of being a professional DJ and producer. You will leave. Now.”

Her eyes are on fire with determination and I back away to the door, biting my lip to stop the tears. I choke down a sob. Before I open the door I turn to her.

“Don’t you hurt him, Regina.” My voice breaks and doesn’t sound like my own.

“I won’t hurt him, Alannah, unless he is into rough sex.”

Her lip curls into an ugly sneer and I recall those words from the first time I came here to see him work. The last two months have flown by and I never realised I would be standing here, in the same place, with the same bitch before me, but so much different as a person. I’m so much stronger now. Dayton and falling in love with him has changed me. I would have never gone to these lengths or fought so hard for a guy before. Now I would happily sacrifice myself for him. I sigh in defeat and pull open the door, heading out to Dayton at the bar.

He lifts his head and meets my gaze, his eyes look sorrowful and defeated and I know I look a mess. I put my hand on his shoulder before stooping to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I love you,” I whisper into his ear and he blinks three times. The code he gave me that means he loves me, too, so much more. I walk away and Gemma stands at the table, offering me her hand to walk out of the club with me. I give her a small smile and she grins back. We go outside and stand in the cool night air, a refreshing change from the stuffy and smoky atmosphere inside.

“So, back to Dayton’s?” Gemma smiles and I nod as her phone bleeps with an email. She waves her phone at me. “Got it. Let’s go get a taxi.”

“No, wait for Corrine.” Right on cue she comes bounding out of the club.

“Did you get my message?”

“We did. Did Dayton?” Gemma grins and Corrine nods that he did.

“Shame we can’t stay for the fireworks. Let’s get back to the flat, I have champagne on ice.” I giggle as the girls loop their arms through mine and we head off to the taxi rank, ready to start the celebrations.

Dayton

Without a word to anyone I leave the bar, armed with my new (and hopefully temporary) mobile phone. I’ve had a copy of my phone records emailed over and printed, I’m armed with those, too. I don’t have time to stop and make pleasantries with the clubbers tonight, I need to get upstairs.

With a backwards glance to see if Regina is following me I slip through the ‘Private’ door behind the steps to the DJ box. The stairwell is empty and the music of the club is muted. I make my way up to the top floor where Barros’ office takes up almost the whole floor. I know he was around tonight as I saw him before opening. I stand on the landing and knock lightly, my nerves are jangling and I hope he listens to the whole explanation before his legendary short fuse ignites.

“Enter,” his deep voice emits from behind the closed door and I silently step into the large and incredibly old fashioned office. The walls are panelled in a dark wood and the carpet is a deep, blood red. His desk is a huge mahogany affair and he is seated behind it in a large deep red leather office chair. He looks up and I see a frown mar his forehead. “Dayton, is everything okay? You’re supposed to be working now.”

I shut the door behind me and come into the room which for its size only boasts one window that overlooks the club car park out back. The only light in the room is from brass ornate lamps dotted around the room. The place looks dated and reflects the owner to a T. Barros is a large, balding Hispanic descendant and is in his late fifties. His face looks weathered and he has a habit of running his thumb through his moustache when he is thinking. With many years of experience in the game he may not look the part of a nightclub owner but I’ve learnt not to be fooled by his age and his traditional values, he has a head for the music business and demands respect for the power he possesses.

“Brent is covering my set. I wouldn’t normally come to you during opening hours but it’s urgent.” My voice sounds small and sheepish. I hate it.

“Oh, well, take a seat. What can I do for you?”

I sit on the matching, yet slightly less elaborate, red leather seat opposite him and empty my pocket of documents and my mobile phone. I meet his eye and he looks intrigued but baffled. “Before I start, Barros, I would just like to say this is in regards to Regina and I come here with every respect for you and your family. I know she is your daughter but I would really appreciate it if you could keep things professional. I’m not here as her friend, I’m here as a co-worker, nothing more. This isn’t a personal attack on her, I assure you.”

I see the cogs in his head start to turn and he is frowning but silent. A simple nod tells me to elaborate as he eyes the papers with curiosity etched into the wrinkles around his wise, old eyes.

“As you know I have always had a good working relationship with Regina. Over the years I have worked for you we have become more like friends than co-workers. That is as far as it goes, I have never given her reason to think otherwise.” I am sure to make this point first and foremost. “I recently got into a relationship which means a whole lot to me, everything. My girlfriend, Alannah, was met with a very frosty response from Regina.”

Barros seems to smirk at this. “Regina has always had a very jealous streak, it has caused problems in the past.”

“It’s caused problems now, too. These problems are serious, Barros. To start with it was just threats and bitching. It has escalated into illegal activities. Here I have a receipt for a tyre on Alannah’s car that got slashed, as well as a crime number and receipt for extensive damage to the paintwork on my car. I’ve attached a picture of my Mitsubishi for you to see it was a deliberate attack.”

I pass Barros the paperwork and I see the serious nature of things has dawned on him and there is no sign of his smirk now. He reads over the papers as I continue. “I forgot my mobile phone after our meeting the other day, there has been literally hundreds of cold calls made to Alannah’s mobile, made from my missing phone. Prior to that they were made from a different number and I’m sure if you check Regina’s recent bill the days and times will match up.”

I hand him my itemised phone bill and Alannah’s call registry. He eyes them, seeing all the calls I have highlighted. I can see he is satisfied that the calls were made from my phone. “It gets worse. There have been some very private multimedia messages circulated from my phone to all the club regulars, including all staff and security. You can imagine my embarrassment, Barros. I won’t embarrass you by showing you the picture.”

He silently nods. “You can prove this was all done by Regina? How? The phone could be anywhere and the damaged cars could be any jealous punter. You know you have many women in this club falling over you, Dayton. My Regina isn’t starved of male attention.” I see he isn’t asking the question to defend her but to rule out all other possibilities. I knew he would need further proof.

“Well, to start with, I didn’t think Regina was capable of doing these things and, as you can imagine, it made things hard between  Alannah and me. Then she got spiked.” I put the accusation out there and he frowns, shaking his head already.

“The culprit for lacing the drink was fired, with immediate effect, you might recall. You and Regina agreed on my decision to terminate her employment.” I nod, agreeing with him again.

“I know this, Barros, but Alannah and her friend were adamant that Regina spiked the drink before using the new waitress as a scapegoat to deliver the drinks for her. I know this is probably a lot for you to take in and my apologies for dropping all of this on you but you have to know what she is capable of and has done.”

“Again, Mr. Scott, I ask you to show me solid evidence, because without water tight proof I cannot and will not act.”

I note he called me Mr. Scott for the first time ever; he is definitely taking this seriously and has his
business
hat on.

I open the email on my phone, hoping it wouldn’t come to this but knowing it probably would. “I knew you would need to hear this from the horse’s mouth and with Regina refusing to confess to anything I knew we would have to be as cunning as Regina has been. Don’t hate me for this, Barros, but this was all Regina and her hate campaign.”

I hit play on the voice recording emailed from Corrine and Gemma’s phones to my temporary one. The first recording from Gemma is a little hard to hear in the busy bar area but I can see Barros gets the message loud and clear. Corrine’s recording is crystal clear, even the banging and slamming where I’m assuming the girls are pushing each other around in the ladies’.

The recording goes on for minutes and when it ends I look up and see the anger etched into his features. I swallow loudly, sure that he is going to throw me out on my arse and tell me if I ever let anyone else hear the recording then he will have me hunted down. I know he knows enough dodgy friends to have it done. The silence extends in the room and I wait for him to speak, but he doesn’t.

He runs the heels of his palms down his face before pressing his fingers to his temples and looks back at my phone in front of him. He looks up quickly, like he has realised something. “Will you follow me, please?” He stands suddenly and I nod, wondering where the hell we are going. He presses a button on his desk and asks for a member of security to come to his office. “Can I keep these files, please?” He indicates the papers I brought with me and I nod again.

When Steve arrives Barros explains nothing, he just nods with his head towards the door. We go out to the stairwell and head to the door to the second floor. I think this is the first time I have seen Barros on the club floor during opening hours. Steve moves first and Barros follows him as we head to the main bar and behind the counter. Barros stops and turns to Steve. “Bring me my daughter,” he demands and Steve nods before heading for the VIP lounge. I follow Barros through the ‘Staff Only’ door for the main staffroom that houses the lockers. Barros points to one.

“This is where she claims your mobile phone is?” I nod. “And on that phone is a private text from your girlfriend, that was delivered before Alannah knew you’d left your phone here by accident after our meeting?”

“Yes, it was sent shortly afterwards and circulated since. It’s an invasion of privacy. Regina knew full well it was my phone. She even brought me back here earlier tonight to prove I hadn’t left it here.”

Barros nods, looking at Regina’s locker, decorated with a big pink love heart with ‘Lexis’ scrawled across it. “I understand. So we can add invasion of privacy to criminal damage and drink spiking and harassment. Oh, god, she really has lost the plot this time.”

“This time?” I ask in astonishment and suddenly with one look at the apology in his eyes I realise she has done this before.

“In university, her mentor. I can’t apologise enough, Dayton. Not just to you but to your girlfriend. I totally understand if you wish to press charges,” he laments and I take a step back, needing to sit but I don’t have time before Regina comes waltzing into the room with Steve in tow.

“What’s wrong, Daddy?” she tinkles and, I swear, anyone would think butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. She is the image of innocence. Then she spots me and stalls, looking from me to Barros and Steve then back to me. “What the hell is going on?”

I look to Barros, letting him handle this situation, not just as her boss but as her father. It’s pretty obvious she is not well and it must be hard on Barros. He gives her a cool look before pointing to the locker. When he speaks his voice is harsher than I anticipated. “Open this locker, immediately.”

Regina frowns and points at me. “Is this about his missing mobile phone? Because I haven’t got it, Daddy. I swear.”

“You swear? You’re not lying to me?” he demands to know and Regina shakes her head. “Then open this locker or I will have Steve open it for me.”

“But you know what Doctor Kasmere said, you should show me that you trust me.”

“You earn trust. Until you have proved I can trust you I will have you prove yourself. I have seen all the evidence against you. Now produce me Dayton’s phone and admit you are right back at square one, Regina.” Barros doesn’t mince his words and I see Regina start to shrink before my eyes. “You show no remorse for your actions, young lady. If you don’t feel remorse for being caught then I will make you remorseful, when you join the unemployment line.”

“What?! Daddy, you can’t do that!” Regina gasps and I have to fight to keep the smile from etching its way over my face.

“Yes, I can. I just did. Now open this locker and return the property you stole.” Regina scowls at him and begrudgingly opens her locker. Low and behold my phone sits there, clear for us all to see. Barros hands it to me. “Please, accept this with my apologies on behalf of my family.”

“Thank you, Barros. Do I still have a job here?”

“Why, of course. It’s my daughter who doesn’t. I’ll be reimbursing you for all of your repairs and bills incurred also. You,” he rounds on Regina. “My office. Now.”

Barros leaves with Steve in tow and Regina glares at me, I can’t resist a small smirk. “Daddy gave you an order, babe,” I sneer. She opens her mouth to respond.

“Regina Escarra, out of
my
staffroom. Now,” Barros bellows from out in the bar and Regina literally stamps her foot and growls.

“Fuck you, Dayton!” she screeches before storming out. The laugh rips from me involuntarily. I sit down in the hot pink leather seat and kick my feet up on the table, taking in my surroundings.

I’ve loved working here, Regina’s spiteful hate campaign aside. I hate that Alannah has had to go through all this. I can’t imagine many women would have been so dedicated to me to put up with it all. My heart constricts just thinking of her. The look on her face when I told her to go home earlier in the bar, damn, I know she was only acting but her tears were real. The thoughts of ever having to say goodbye to her for real would break me.

I’ve never felt for another woman what I feel for Alannah. She totally possesses me. I’d walk through the fires of hell for her. Every year I make a resolution that this year will be the one I dedicate to my career and really achieve something. In January this year I never anticipated that my resolution would become secondary to making a woman happy. I know I have sacrificed time in the studio and time out and about making contacts to spend time with Alannah. And you know what? I haven’t felt in the slightest bit bad for it. I have loved every second of it. I can honestly say there is nowhere else in the world I would rather be than with her.

So why am I sitting in here when she is at my flat waiting for me with our friends and a bottle of Budweiser on ice? I don’t know, but I don’t waste another minute sitting around in the staffroom.