Chapter Nine

At Passion, Angela was waiting for the new girls to arrive. Jordan always trusted her with the latest recruits and knew she would whip them into shape before they hit the stage. Jordan walked in. Angela sat up straight, pushed her breasts out in front of her and crossed her legs. This was her time with Jordan, a time when she could have him all to herself without that daft cow Karla swinging around his neck.

‘What time are the girls landing, Jordan?’

He plonked down on a chair next to her. ‘Wes is on route with them as we speak. You know the drill, get them checked out and make sure they’re clean before anyone touches them. I don’t want any girls working for me who are riddled with the clap. It’s not good for business.’

‘I’ll sort it out, just like I always do,’ Angela said. ‘And while you’re here you need to sort Karla out. She’s going to end up getting her lights punched out if she carries on with her mouth. Jenny was going to rag her out last night, if I hadn’t stopped her. Honest, she’s getting above her station. You need to get her in line or get rid.’

Jordan raised his eyes to meet her gaze. ‘Tell me about it. Why do I always get myself caught up with women like her? You’d think I would have learned by now.’

Angela sensed her chance. ‘Oi, I wasn’t like that. I looked after you and never pressurised you to do anything you didn’t want to do. I know Karla thinks you’re going to leave your wife; she’s got a big shock coming when she finds out you’re going nowhere. Even I know that. You promised me the same thing, didn’t you? But I knew it was all talk.’

Jordan jerked his head up and stared at Angela. ‘We had a fling, Angela. We both knew it wasn’t long term. So I might have got carried away and said a few things in the heat of the moment, but it was a shag, nothing more, nothing less.’ He yawned and stretched his arms over his head. ‘I’m not in no mood for this ball-ache today. Wherever I go lately, I seem to be getting headache from you women. Fuck me, I just want a quiet life.’

Angela was fuming. ‘You get ball-ache because you’re a player. You’re full of bullshit. All these women think you’re going to leave your wife and live happily ever after. You should be straight with them from the start and tell them they’re just a leg-over, then your love life wouldn’t be hectic, would it?’ Angela stared at Jordan, waiting on a reply. She was beginning to see that she would never get this man back in her bed. Maybe it was time to move on and get him out of her head for good.

Jordan casually stood up, aware that there was an atmosphere. ‘Get the girls ready for tonight. Mickey wants a few girls around at his gaff. He’s throwing a party and wants some eye-candy there for his guests. Don’t put the newbies on their own, either. Make sure a couple of the other girls go, too. Now I’ve got to be somewhere, so I’m trusting you to sort tonight. I don’t want any fuck-ups. There’s too much at stake.’

Jordan pulled up at a long, low building and pulled the keys from the ignition. He was eager to get inside and have a look around. This was his next project, his next club. Jordan could see a man in the distance waiting for him. He was late so he jogged over to him. He stretched his hand out to greet the man.

‘Sorry I’m running late, Gary. It’s been one thing after another today, mate.’

Gary smiled, and shook his hand. ‘Before we start, Jordan, I need to tell you there are a few people after this place, so don’t drag your heels making a decision.’

Jordan raised his eyebrows. This guy must have thought he was green or something. He knew the score and how things worked. This plonker was just trying to get a deal done today. ‘Show me around and then we can sit down and talk about money. Who are the other people interested, then?’

Gary shook his head and straightened his jacket; he held a poker face. ‘You know the code of conduct, pal. I can’t break confidentiality. It’s more than my job’s worth.’

Jordan sniggered: he knew this man was after a backhander. ‘I’m sure a few quid will loosen them lips, Gary. I’ll sort you out. You look after me, and I’ll look after you. You know the Bobby Moore.’

He followed Gary into the building. This place was the dog’s bollocks. It was everything he thought it would be. He stood in the middle of the room and pictured how it could look. ‘Yep, a stage could go there, dance floor here, and the bar over here.’

Gary agreed. ‘It’s got lots of potential. I can see your vision, and I like it. This is a gold mine and, with some work on it, I can see it being one of the best clubs in Manchester.’

Of course, Gary was pitching the place. He wanted a sale here today and Jordan could see him trying to work out if he was going to make an offer.

Jordan’s eyes lit up. ‘I can see it all. I’m going to call this club Peaches. The name will be in lights over the bar and over the stage. Now let me see the rest of the place, so I can get a full picture.’

Gary was talking non-stop, chatting shit, nothing of real importance, but trying to sound like a player. Jordan let his chatter wash over him and opened the fire exit to look at the parking spaces. There was enough ground here to park at least a couple of hundred cars and a few coaches. His nostrils flared as the cold, crisp air hit his body and his chest expanded as he took a deep breath. His empire was growing and, once he had this club under his belt, the sky would be the limit. Gary was lingering, never far from his side. Jordan reached over and patted his shoulder.

‘Let’s talk about money. How much are you looking at? And don’t be insulting me with daft figures. This isn’t the only place I’m interested in, so don’t think you can have my eyes out on this.’

‘Mate, since when have I had you over? I have the guideline price, and that’s all I can tell you. Put an offer in. I’ll ring the seller and see what they’re saying, that’s all I can do.’

Jordan chewed on his bottom lip. He knew that, to get the best price here, he had to play it cool and not be so eager. ‘I’ll ring you later with an offer. I’m going to look at some other buildings first before I make my mind up.’

Gary was deflated. He’d thought this was a done deal. He stuttered. ‘That’s fine, but sooner rather than later, pal. Like I said, there are other interested parties.’

‘Blah fucking blah.’ Jordan chuckled. ‘Like I said, I’ll ring you later, so keep your phone handy.’ Jordan walked back to his car and got straight on the blower.

Over at Passion, Angela greeted the new girls: Polly and Anneka. They were like two scared animals stood in car headlights. They could barely talk through shaking. Angela came to their side and spoke in a quiet, calm voice.

‘Hello, girls. Don’t be scared, I won’t bite. You’re going to like it here, and I’m going to look after you both.’

Polly edged away from her and tried to raise a smile. Her voice was low. She seemed so timid. ‘Do we get to use the phone now? We were told we could phone home and tell our family that we are safe when we arrived here?’

Angela brushed the comment off. She knew these girls would never phone home again after they started work. Who would want to tell their parents they were selling their bodies and dancing for dirty old men?

Leaning against the wall, Jenny watched the newcomers with her hands on her hips. She was the main attraction here and that’s how it would stay. She looked the new arrivals up and down, and spoke in a cocky tone. ‘So, can either of you girls dance, and I mean really dance, not just fuck about on the stage doing pussy shots?’

Polly’s eyes were wide. ‘I can dance. I love dancing.’

Jenny shot a cunning look at Angela. ‘You girls have only just landed here; you need to do your induction first. Good luck with that. I hope you know what to expect because, whatever you think, it’s probably a hundred times worse.’

Polly looked confused. ‘So, we’re not dancing tonight, then?’

Jenny howled laughing and sat down on a silver-padded stool. ‘Not yet, darling. You have a lot to learn before you step on that stage.’ Her position as the top dancer was safe for now, and Jenny knew she had nothing to worry about.

Angela snarled over at her and gave her a look that meant, shut your gob. The girls followed Angela backstage to meet the others. The room was loud and noisy and there were semi-naked women walking about everywhere you looked.

‘Right, Polly and Anneka are down to do Mickey’s party tonight, so I want them looking top-notch. Grace, can you sort them out and make sure they’re ready to go in a couple of hours? Jade is going with you, too, so that’s four of you at Mickey’s tonight.’

Grace had long red hair and sea-green eyes. She shouted over to Angela. ‘Fucking hell, Ange, why am I going there again? The guy is a pervert. I told you what he did last time I was there, the dirty git. I said I would never go there again. Come on, send someone else. I can’t stomach the man. I’d rather move clubs than face that perv.’

Angela walked over and eyeballed her. ‘You’re going, end of. Jordan picked you to go, so, if you don’t like it, pick your bottom lip up from the floor and go and take it up with him.’ Angela was used to the moaning from the girls, and if she had a pound for every time one of them said they were leaving she would have been a rich woman. She looked at the two new girls. ‘Right, get in the shower first and make sure all your bits are shaved. Even your arse crack. I don’t want any hair down there whatsoever, do you hear me? A clean landing strip, no Hitler moustaches, no nothing, bald as a badger. Grab a robe each from the back of the door and go and get sorted. When you’ve done that, I’ll get one of the girls to do your make-up and style your hair.’

The girls all looked amazing when they were ready. The outfits they wore were revealing, tantalising. Jenny had chosen a red sparkling bikini tonight for her main dance and she was hoping to pull some decent cash in from wearing it. Of course, Jordan took money from each girl’s wages to pay for these outfits. He wasn’t a charity and told them straight that the more they invested in new outfits to wear, the more they would earn.

There was a silence as Karla opened the door and stood looking at them all. She held her head high and took a few seconds to speak. ‘Have any of you seen Jordan tonight?’ Not one of them answered her. She walked further into the room and started to check the girls over. ‘Angela, have you seen Jordan?’

‘Nope, last I seen of him was this afternoon. He said he had business to take care of. You know Jordan, he’s probably stuck up some new girl.’

The dancers giggled and whispered under their breaths. This was a low blow from Angela. There was no love lost between these two, none whatsoever.

‘Keep your smart remarks to yourself, Angela. And why would he even look at someone else when he has me?’

The dancing girls whispered amongst themselves and Karla clocked them.

Angela smirked. ‘Are you dropping Grace and Jade off with the new girls at Mickey’s?’

Karla let out a sarcastic laugh and shook her head in disbelief. ‘Do I look like a fucking taxi driver, or what? I’m a manager here, not a driver. Phone Malc, or one of the other lads, and ask them to.’

Karla walked out, still searching for Jordan. The moment she walked through the double doors she clocked him on the other side of the room on the blower. She approached slowly, trying to look casual, in the hope she could hear his conversation.

‘Gary, stop fucking about with me. I told you before I was ringing you. You can’t piss about with me when you know money is involved.’ Jordan walked in a small circle as he continued. ‘So, tell me who bought the building. Surely you owe me that?’ His ear was pressed firmly to the mobile phone as he listened. Clearly he didn’t like the answer. He lashed out, sending a silver stool flying. Then he booted another chair. ‘I want that club. Don’t fucking tell me you can’t help when I’ve helped you out in the past. Get on the fucking phone to whoever it is that’s bought it and tell them you’ve made a mistake. Honest Gary, you mess with me and I’ll put you in a fucking body bag. Get it sorted, pronto.’ He slammed the phone down on the bar and dropped his head into his hands. Karla stepped out from the shadows. Jordan lifted his head and spit sprayed from the corner of his mouth as he raised his voice at her. ‘Some twat has bought the building I wanted to open another club in. Gary won’t tell me who it is, just that they paid a good few quid for it. He’s a shady twat, him, and when I see him face to face, he’s getting told. I swear to you, I’m ready for going to find him and snapping his fucking jaw.’

Karla knew not to add fuel to the fire. She tried to calm him down. ‘You can look for another location. If it’s not meant to be, then it’s not meant to be, is it?’

He shook his head at her and cringed, her voice going through him. ‘Fuck off, what do you know about business? It was perfect.’

‘Don’t speak to me like that, Jordan. I was only trying to help.’

‘The only way you can help me is by fucking off out of my face. I’ve had a bad day and, the way I’m feeling at the moment, I’ll end up smashing some sod’s face in. So do yourself a favour and do one before it gets ugly.’

Karla was fuming. She stared at him and never flinched. Oh, the words were there, alright, but she didn’t have the balls to say them. She knew from everything she’d seen that Jordan Maylett could be a very dangerous man to get on the wrong side of.