Two
Veronica
“Yes, Sir, I have the accommodation under control for the Sturgis Rally. There will be three buses, one for the band, one for the MC and one for you and anyone else who doesn’t fit in the other two.”
Dave turns around and smirks at me. For an older man he still looks good, the only signs of aging are his graying hair and laugh lines around his eyes. “Hmmm, only three buses?”
He’s testing me, The Grinders are his favorite band to manage and he hates the thought of his precious princess, Kat, slumming it. “Mr. Lawrence, three is enough, in fact I think we could do it with two. And before you ask again, no, the motels, hotels, everything is booked, years in advance. Are you going solo or am I coming with you?”
The grin on his face gets larger. “I’m not going.” He looks down at his desk and moves some papers around. “You’re going to be looking after them.” Dave looks up at me. “Is that a problem?”
Without any hesitation I say, “Of course not! This is what we do.”
Dave nods. “Good. Make sure they are protected. I know the Savage Angels are going to be there but take at least five bodyguards, one for each of them. My only concern is the twins.”
The twins, Jesse and Kristen, are Kat and Dane’s children. Dave thinks of himself as their grandfather. “There is no way in hell that anyone will mess with Dane Reynolds’ children. He is the President of the Savage Angels MC, not to mention he’s built like a linebacker. Besides, there will be a lot of members there, they will be fine.”
Dave pins me with a look. “They had better be.”
I wave a hand in his direction, pick up my briefcase and head for the door. I open it, turn and wink at Dave. “I’ll take care of them, Sir, and I’ll keep you updated throughout the rally.”
“Veronica?”
“Yes, Sir?”
“For the love of God, call me Dave.”
It’s a running joke between us. I have never, nor will I ever, call him Dave. For me it’s a matter of respect. “I will try, Sir.”
Dave chuckles, I close the door and walk toward my office. In one way I’m glad that he’s not coming, as he fusses over Kat and her children, but with him not there, everything will land squarely on my shoulders. If anything goes wrong I won’t have a safety net. Not that I should need one. I’ve been working for Dave for years now, slowly, he’s given me more and more responsibility. The Grinders are his crowning glory, so for him to let me look after them, by myself, even for a short time, proves all my hard work, late nights and attention to detail are paying off.
As I sit down behind my desk, the phone rings. “This is Veronica.”
“Hey, Veronica, it’s Kat.”
It’s not unusual for Kat to ring me but Dave is the person she normally calls upon. “Yes, Kat, what can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if you are going to be partying with us?” asks Kat.
Her question takes me by surprise. “Ahh, no. I’m working.”
“Veronica, it’s a rally. They’re lots of fun. You’re single, there’ll be plenty of available men and when was the last time you had a holiday?”
This again. Kat finds it necessary to remind me that I haven’t had a holiday for as long as she’s known me. I’ve worked too damned hard to let someone else walk in and take over. No one is ever going to take what’s mine away from me.
“Kat, I will have a holiday but this isn’t the time. Dave has entrusted me to look after you and the rest of The Grinders.”
“I know but I’m going to have a good time. I’ll be surrounded by the MC and Dane,” Kat chuckles, “it’s going to be a fun time, trust me. You should try letting your hair down.”
Laughter escapes me. “Kat, work for me, is fun. I love my job.”
“But -”
“No but’s. Now, before I hang up, is there anything else I need to know?”
I hear Kat sigh on the other end of phone. “No Veronica, I just hope you have a good time.”
“How could I not? I’m working with one of the best bands in the industry at one of the biggest events in the country. It’ll be a blast!” I say trying to express my enthusiasm.
“You know Veronica, you’re right, it will be a blast,” replies Kat as she hangs up the phone.
I’m left sitting there staring at it, wondering what the heck she meant by that last comment. I mentally give myself a shake and place the phone back in its cradle. Scrolling through emails there’s nothing that needs my immediate attention so I close it down and head for home. I have a lot to pack, I pride myself in my appearance. I’m five foot six and haven’t eaten dessert in a year. Keeping this trim is hard work and I always try to make it look effortless, this trip will be no exception.