Page 78 of Single Daddy Scot
But I don’t wait to answer, pushing back my chair and storming away.
Keep calm. Don’t blow you top. Fix your expression. Fix all those things before you get to the barman.
‘What can I get you?’
I rub my nose, which probably makes me look like a coke head. ‘How do I get into the back?’ Shit. Not calm. Not cool. Try fucking rabid.
‘You don’t,’ comes his reasonable reply. ‘Sit down. Have another drink. There’s another act coming on soon.’
‘I’m not interested in another act,’ I say, spitting out the word as though it tastes bad. ‘I want to speak to the previous one.’ One sentence, ten beats, and with each stroke, my anger increases.
‘Don’t we all, mate!’ My head turns to the fuckwit to my left, his elbows resting on the bar top. I sniff again as I wonder which of his elbows I’ll break. See, I’m mostly calm. Mostly sensible. But I have the devil’s own temper, as my granny used to say.
‘Do yourself a favour, pal. Get out of my way.’
At some silent signal from the barman, I’m suddenly flanked by two brick shithouses of blokes.And I’ll bet just as intelligent.Black t-shirts denote them as security.
‘I don’t want any trouble. I just want to speak to Ella.’ I lift my elbows away as they reach for them, and at the same moment, Will and Keir appear.
‘What’s goin’ on?’ This from Keir.
‘Come on, lads,’ adds Will. ‘I’m sure this is something we can sort out. There appears to be some kind of misunderstanding, yeah?’
‘No misunderstanding here. Patrons are not allowed access to the acts.’
‘To the stripper?’
‘Will,’ I growl, stepping from the reach of a security guard, right at the same moment recognition crosses his face.
‘Shite. That was Ella?’ His jaw almost hits the floor, his tongue lolling. Okay, so this is all happening in his mind. Or mine. I din’nae ‘ken.
‘That’s it. I’m rippin’ your eyes out on stalks.’
‘Gentlemen,’ Will begins, ignoring my threat. ‘My friend here wants to talk to his girlfriend. Girlfriend,’ he asks looking at me for confirmation.
‘Will, I swear—’
‘As a member of the sister club next door and, I might add, a valued member of thatveryexclusive clientele.’ His words heavy with meaning, but what that meaning is, I really don’t know. And I’ve no time to consider. It also seems like dumb and dumber aren’t interested, either. ‘I can vouch for my friend here.’ He claps me on the shoulder. ‘And,’ he adds as they approach him, ‘I’m also a friend of your boss. Mr Masters? Surely, there’s something we can do to sort this out.’
And to their satisfaction, there is. When the three of us get escorted from the club.
