--The Silver Lounge

@Jared Cigar and cigarette smoke hung heavy in the air, and the lights were dim, giving the place an almost oppressive feel. A stage stood in the middle of the room all lit up, bringing the eye straight to it. Even in the middle of the day, the room was packed full, although the noise level was down right now. Rich men sitting on plush couches, sipping on their cocktails and hard liquor, waiting for the show to start. The day crowd was usually less rowdy than the tourists and younger people with actual day jobs.

Jared reclined in one of the leather arm chairs, nursing a whiskey glass. He wasn’t there for the show, although that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to enjoy it. No, tonight he was just checking on one of his investments. He was pleased to see so many fine suits sitting around the place, especially when the bartenders were being kept busy. Liquor sales went up, inhibitions went down. The employees always contributed to any company as well. He eyed the bartenders and bouncer, see how they interacted with the customers. Bouncer: intimidating as he should be. That was good, because Jared had been sure to choose the man himself. The two bartenders were quick and efficient with their job, and they even seemed to talk up the crowd a little. Good. The staff also seemed to do a good job keeping the place clean. No empty drinking glasses anywhere and the carpets were clean. The arm chair wasn’t sticky either. He shuddered at the thought. There was only one last thing missing. Jared looked down at his phone, the lit screen clearly displaying 11:59 am.

Just like clockwork, as soon as the phone clock displayed 12:00 pm, one of the dancers came out. She wasn’t one of his picks, but that was all right. Long legs, long wavy brown hair, and smooth pale skin accentuated a beautiful face. He was glad the manager knew his tastes and made sure to cater to them.

They were keeping the not so savory dealings under the radar too. Good. He didn't really need the police cracking down and arresting everyone there. He didn't want to be another de Haven bringing attention to the de Haven name through going to prison. He wasn't even sure if Briarleigh would come out of retirement long enough to bail him out.

He shook his head. He didn't need to worry about that right now. He'd be coming back later to make sure they were handling the night crowd just as well as they were the day crowd.

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