Chapter 102

Rodney and I settled in to wait for the boss, or at least the rental boss. I had time to assess Rodney in full daylight. He walked with just a slight almost unnoticeable limp. He was not quite six foot tall and probably one hundred and eighty pounds. He was the color of coffee with just a touch of cream. There was some white in his gene pool for sure. His hair was too short to be in the least curly. As I think I said earlier he looked like he might have been a gym rat.

Joan Pacer arrived along with her staff of three women, at 2PM exactly to the minute. They spread out over the empty offices like a swarm of locust. Rodney and I were amazed at their organization. Within minutes it looked like they had been there for months.

After Joan claimed her desk she turned to me. "Sylvia?" she asked.

"That's me, so you are Joan. You seem to be a force to be reckoned with." I admitted.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said smiling.

"That is how it was meant, but you can take it anyway you like, since you are the boss," I said to feed her ego.

"Good that we have that straight, so what have you done so far," She was either testing to see how competent we were, or she wanted to know about the security of her performer.

"Well, we checked the office complex first. There are only two ways into the complex of offices. We talked to the track security manager and he agreed to have a uniformed guard on the doors during the time Coca Cola is in the office for the conference." I said. "Oh yeah we went to the dressing area there are only two ways in or out of it. Same thing tonight there, uniformed track security people.

Rodney and I will be on the inside door to the dressing room. Until Coka Cola goes to the stage. When he does, we will go with him and stand at the bottom of the stage facing the crowd till he finishes. We will then accompany him back to the dressing room till the crowd leaves. That is the way it is done usually.

After the performance and when he and the performers are on the bus, we would ordinarily call it a wrap. Now if you have something different in mind speak up now, or forever hold your peace." I said

"It sounds good except I want you in the dressing room whenever he is there," Joan said.

"Not a good idea for us both to be in there. Best to catch a threat earlier than that." I replied.

"Okay one in and one out. You be the inside man," she said without batting an eye. "I think Soda would be less likely to complain than if it were Rodney."

"Alright, but we work on a non sex discrimination policy in job assignments. You do understand that. No racial or sexual discrimination. Somewhere along the line, he will have to understand that as well."

"Alright, but not right now please." Joan said.

"If you two will excuse me, I need to use the latrine," Rodney said and rushed out of the room.

"Is he gonna' be alright," she asked.

"Just something he ate," I replied. "He should be okay any minute."

"Why don't you take one of the network radios and go to the parking lot. Let me know when the tour bus pulls in," Joan said.

"No problem," I said taking two radios.

"I'm going to be in the parking lot when you feel up to it," I said into the men's room as I held the door open. I'm not shy that way either.

I was standing the the parking lot filing Joan Pacer in my memory, when Rodney came up. "How you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm okay I guess. You knew I was going to have the GI shits, didn't you?" he asked.

"I knew it was possibly. That sandwich had thing on it you probably never eat. So it was possible. That little bit of information comes from a year of being a deputy sheriff. Pretty hard to deal with diarrhea, when you are in a patrol car miles from a public bathroom."

"Point taken, nothing but burgers and fries on a work day," he said with a weak smile. "So you think Joan Pacer is a dyke?"

"Why you ask that, because she has a take charge attitude, or because her staff is all woman?" I asked.

"Because she talked to you and ignored me even though I am obviously in charge," he said with a big smile.

For thirty grand and all expenses I don't give a rats ass who is in charge," I said.

"Roger that," he said. "She is about our age so to get this job she must be pretty smart. I doubt a fat Lez chick fucked her way into it."

"You do know, you are a pig," I said.

"Cause I called a fat chick, a fat chick. You noticed it too. Don't tell me you didn't. You weigh what? a hundred pounds. You know, she would make more than one and a half of you."

I don't think twenty five pounds over weight makes her a fat chick. I also assure you there are lots of men that prefer her body type to mine." I looked to the entrance and added, "Heads up."

I saw the bus pass through the gates of the huge parking lot. "The bus is here," I said into the blue tooth headphone set of the radio.

"On the way down," Joan answered. I want a word with them before they get off the bus.

"Roger that," I said smiling at Rodney.

The bus pulled to a stop and I stood by the door. "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated till the craft is at the loading unloading ramp." by the time I finished my little speech Joan was there.

I ignored her speech to the captive audience. I waved when she introduced me otherwise I tuned her out. The really large black man stood when she called for TJ. "TJ this is your personal bodyguard. Now I know you have your own people friends from the hood, but she is the professional we are assigning to you. While you are on business for us, she will be by your side. If you dump her, we will dump you. One day you might be a big enough star to no longer need us, but for now you do. Now do we understand each other?" she asked.