Chapter 2
Walking out of the club, Hunter approached the street curb, hailing a cab.
"Where to Mac?" the driver questioned.
"21," he answered.
Noticing who he picked up, the driver could not contain his curiosity, "Hey, you're Hunter Helmsley ain't you?" the driver laughed to himself.
"Yeah and what's it to ya?" Hunter asked.
"Nuthin, just that news travels fast round these parts, real fast,"
"Oh yeah? So what's the skinny?" Hunter questioned with fake disinterest. Maybe he could get a free item off this guy to give to Mark.
"It has to do with a uh soytain somebody's sista and her uh…friend"
"Don't bullshit with me man, I know Mark Calloway and he could cut your balls off faster than you can say 'pink slip'," Hunter threatened.
"Cool it man, just cool it, this aint no chicken wing bullshit, this shit's on the level," seeing that Hunter had not interrupted, he continued, "Well anyways, as the story goes, a soytain bass guitarist has his eye on a soytain piece of eye candy"
"Yeah yeah, and what else is new?" Hunter asked impatiently.
"Well, this soytain bass player," he paused, enjoying Hunter's anticipation, "proposed to this soytain somebody"
Hunter fell back in his seat, shocked at the news he had just heard. Now he was screwed. If he didn't break up that relationship it was sure that he would never work again. As Hunter was thinking, the driver had just yielded at a red light, conveniently in front of Tony's, the jazz club where the "Heartbreakers" did their nightly schtick. Evil thoughts crossed his mind as he began formulating a plan for destruction.
"I'll get off here," Hunter said, not even paying his fare.
"Hey, you owe me seven bucks!" the cabbie yelled angrily.
Stepping out of the car, the driver was able to realize Hunter's intimidating stature, "Old man, if you really knew your news, then you would know that I don't own a nickel to my name, thanks for the lift," he sneered.
The driver took off muttering angrily under his breath, knowing that Hunter had the power, or rather Mark had the power to ruin anyone with a single stroke of the pen, and he wasn't about to step over his right hand man.
Hunter walked into the trendy club, circumventing the hat/check room, God knows he didn't have enough to pay for tips. He was looking for Shawn, not watching where he was going, he ran into Trish, a hat/check girl, and also one of his many 'admirers'.
Trish smiled at him as she looked up into his face, full of determination. "Hunter, I haven't seen ya in eons," she said sultrily while rubbing her hands across his chest, having assumed that he showed up in the club looking for her.
"Uhh, yah babe, have ya seen Steph around here," he asked scanning the room, completely ignoring the blond in front of him. "I don't see Shawn around here either," his glance staring at the stage, a single guitar leaning against a stool, while the rest of the band played on.
"Yah, I've seen em," she conceded, "They're out back in the alley".
"Thanks babe," Hunter said patting her on the cheek.
She sighed at his lack of attention and then remembered something, "Oh Hunter, I gotta tell ya something, it's real important, I really need your help, I'm in a sticky situ--"
"Don't worry babe, I'll catch you later," he interrupted, heading to the back of the club.
****
--Behind the club in the alley, the band can be heard in the background as a couple are engaged in a loving embrace.
"Stephanie Calloway, how I want always to hold you like this and for you to be mine and whisper soft nothings in your ear," Shawn said sweetly holding her close, his strong arms wrapped around her waist.
"Nothing would give me greater satisfaction my love," Steph replied.
"There is one problem though, that damn last name," Shawn suddenly twitched.
Stephanie dropped her gaze from that of her one true love. "I know, I know," she said, sadness in her tone. "My brother, Mark, but there's nothing to worry about, I'll tell him about us tomorrow—at breakfast," she looked up into his eyes, lifting his chin so that their eyes locked, "I promise," she said capturing his lips in a searing kiss.
He pulled away, struggling with his emotions. "Steph, I don't know, I find it hard to believe that you two are from the same family, that man, that, that snake, he has no morals, he is power hungry and I don't know why you just don't see it, Steph just leave him and run away with me. Who is he to tell you what to do, who is he to run your life and ruin our happiness?" Shawn said, releasing his pent up anger toward Mark.
"Shawn," she cried loudly, "Please, don't do that, I'm talking to him over breakfast, you don't know him the way I do, you don't," she said holding her tears back. How could the man she love speak such hard words about the man, her brother, who had cared for her all these difficult years in New York.
"Steph, at least let me be with you there when you break the news to him, about us," he begged.
"I, I can't, he'll totally understand, I gotta do this myself, okay honey?"
Shawn could never resist that smile, "Sure, but don't think that he I'm scared of him, cause I'm not," he said unbelievably. "Okay, okay, he scares the hell outta me, but he could never scare me out of loving you, forever by my side," he said as he leaned in for a kiss.
Suddenly a loud creaking noise emanated from the door that led to the club, directly adjacent to were they had been talking. Someone had been listening. Realizing his cover was blown and that what the cabbie had told him was true, Hunter walked out into the alley.
"Well if it isn't the two lovebirds?" Hunter sneered darkly with a false surprise in his voice to Steph and Shawn, pretending that he hadn't just been eavesdropping.
Walking out of the club, Hunter approached the street curb, hailing a cab.
"Where to Mac?" the driver questioned.
"21," he answered.
Noticing who he picked up, the driver could not contain his curiosity, "Hey, you're Hunter Helmsley ain't you?" the driver laughed to himself.
"Yeah and what's it to ya?" Hunter asked.
"Nuthin, just that news travels fast round these parts, real fast,"
"Oh yeah? So what's the skinny?" Hunter questioned with fake disinterest. Maybe he could get a free item off this guy to give to Mark.
"It has to do with a uh soytain somebody's sista and her uh…friend"
"Don't bullshit with me man, I know Mark Calloway and he could cut your balls off faster than you can say 'pink slip'," Hunter threatened.
"Cool it man, just cool it, this aint no chicken wing bullshit, this shit's on the level," seeing that Hunter had not interrupted, he continued, "Well anyways, as the story goes, a soytain bass guitarist has his eye on a soytain piece of eye candy"
"Yeah yeah, and what else is new?" Hunter asked impatiently.
"Well, this soytain bass player," he paused, enjoying Hunter's anticipation, "proposed to this soytain somebody"
Hunter fell back in his seat, shocked at the news he had just heard. Now he was screwed. If he didn't break up that relationship it was sure that he would never work again. As Hunter was thinking, the driver had just yielded at a red light, conveniently in front of Tony's, the jazz club where the "Heartbreakers" did their nightly schtick. Evil thoughts crossed his mind as he began formulating a plan for destruction.
"I'll get off here," Hunter said, not even paying his fare.
"Hey, you owe me seven bucks!" the cabbie yelled angrily.
Stepping out of the car, the driver was able to realize Hunter's intimidating stature, "Old man, if you really knew your news, then you would know that I don't own a nickel to my name, thanks for the lift," he sneered.
The driver took off muttering angrily under his breath, knowing that Hunter had the power, or rather Mark had the power to ruin anyone with a single stroke of the pen, and he wasn't about to step over his right hand man.
Hunter walked into the trendy club, circumventing the hat/check room, God knows he didn't have enough to pay for tips. He was looking for Shawn, not watching where he was going, he ran into Trish, a hat/check girl, and also one of his many 'admirers'.
Trish smiled at him as she looked up into his face, full of determination. "Hunter, I haven't seen ya in eons," she said sultrily while rubbing her hands across his chest, having assumed that he showed up in the club looking for her.
"Uhh, yah babe, have ya seen Steph around here," he asked scanning the room, completely ignoring the blond in front of him. "I don't see Shawn around here either," his glance staring at the stage, a single guitar leaning against a stool, while the rest of the band played on.
"Yah, I've seen em," she conceded, "They're out back in the alley".
"Thanks babe," Hunter said patting her on the cheek.
She sighed at his lack of attention and then remembered something, "Oh Hunter, I gotta tell ya something, it's real important, I really need your help, I'm in a sticky situ--"
"Don't worry babe, I'll catch you later," he interrupted, heading to the back of the club.
****
--Behind the club in the alley, the band can be heard in the background as a couple are engaged in a loving embrace.
"Stephanie Calloway, how I want always to hold you like this and for you to be mine and whisper soft nothings in your ear," Shawn said sweetly holding her close, his strong arms wrapped around her waist.
"Nothing would give me greater satisfaction my love," Steph replied.
"There is one problem though, that damn last name," Shawn suddenly twitched.
Stephanie dropped her gaze from that of her one true love. "I know, I know," she said, sadness in her tone. "My brother, Mark, but there's nothing to worry about, I'll tell him about us tomorrow—at breakfast," she looked up into his eyes, lifting his chin so that their eyes locked, "I promise," she said capturing his lips in a searing kiss.
He pulled away, struggling with his emotions. "Steph, I don't know, I find it hard to believe that you two are from the same family, that man, that, that snake, he has no morals, he is power hungry and I don't know why you just don't see it, Steph just leave him and run away with me. Who is he to tell you what to do, who is he to run your life and ruin our happiness?" Shawn said, releasing his pent up anger toward Mark.
"Shawn," she cried loudly, "Please, don't do that, I'm talking to him over breakfast, you don't know him the way I do, you don't," she said holding her tears back. How could the man she love speak such hard words about the man, her brother, who had cared for her all these difficult years in New York.
"Steph, at least let me be with you there when you break the news to him, about us," he begged.
"I, I can't, he'll totally understand, I gotta do this myself, okay honey?"
Shawn could never resist that smile, "Sure, but don't think that he I'm scared of him, cause I'm not," he said unbelievably. "Okay, okay, he scares the hell outta me, but he could never scare me out of loving you, forever by my side," he said as he leaned in for a kiss.
Suddenly a loud creaking noise emanated from the door that led to the club, directly adjacent to were they had been talking. Someone had been listening. Realizing his cover was blown and that what the cabbie had told him was true, Hunter walked out into the alley.
"Well if it isn't the two lovebirds?" Hunter sneered darkly with a false surprise in his voice to Steph and Shawn, pretending that he hadn't just been eavesdropping.