Anilia sighed and pushed away the keyboard in disgust. The closure of the bar was actually a good thing, because she sat down with the ledgers and books, checking them over. She prepared reports, though she already knew what the results would be.
She happened to be looking up when she saw Bomber step into the doorway. “I got your note,” he said, stepping into her office. “Need me to shut the door?”
“Only if there’s going to be screaming,” she said, trying not to think of him doing amazing things to her.
“Is there a chance of that?” He took a seat in front of her.
“Maybe.” She pulled the keyboard back and tapped a few keys. Then the turned the computer screen so that he could see. On the screen was a graph. “We’ve been steadily losing money these past six months. There’s some peaks, when the kids are around, but we need to have something for the summer, when the kids aren’t here.”
“Are all the Bitten university students?”
“I think three of them live in the area permanently. One is a grad student. I’ll have to ask her if she’s staying.”
“We have how many Bitten now?”
“Twelve.”
Bomber frowned. “Last year, most stayed.”
“They were expecting you to treat them like Jacmes did.”
“Like food? Like animals in a barn?”
“Like disciples.”
Bomber shook his head. “I’m not that kind of a man. Kindred,” he corrected, before Anilia did. “Maybe if I was older, longer turned, I’d think of people as kine, but I don’t think of them that way.”
“Bomber,” she leaned forward, “I know you don’t. But it’s what they want.”
Bomber sat back in the chair, then motioned to the screen. “And what about this? Not enough patrons?”
“That, and too much overhead. We have way too many bouncers. Six a night during the week is a bit much. Three bartenders on a night.”
“Some of them need the money.”
“I can tell you the ones that don’t, and wouldn’t mind your cutting their hours.”
“So what’s this not-enough-patrons? Should I start charging the VIP’s so much a month?”
“Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights are dead. Wednesdays have picked up with that illusionist you hired. Come summer, we’re going to lose that.” She glanced at him. “And no more perks for the Bitten.”
Bomber sighed. “What perks do they have?”
“Free drinks, no cover, friends are free, the right to refuse.”
“Wait, what’s so wrong with the last one?”
“VIP’s have been turned away.”
Again, Bomber frowned. “If they come in with the intention of being a…”
“Blood Doll, it’s called.”
“I didn’t want to say it. Blood Doll. If they come in with that intention, then they should have free cover and not be a cocktease. If they’re coming in for a drink, then no.”
“We will have to get more Bitten.”
Bomber suddenly grinned. “You think the power of my magnetism isn’t enough to get them to pay for the privilege?”
“A lot of people would,” Anilia said, also with a smile. They stared at each other for some time, Anilia feeling suddenly very hot. Anilia shook her head with a laugh. “You’re distracting me.”
“I know,” he said, and returned his attention to the graph, the spell broken. “So Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are dead. What do you suggest?”
“We need to be open all week for the VIP’s, as needed. I’d like to suggest the bar be a coffee house those nights. We change Wednesdays back to liquor night. We don’t have bouncers for Sunday through Tuesday, and have four bouncers, two bartenders on Wednesday, then back up to six and three on Thursday through Saturday. Also cut our hours.”
“We can’t be open all night, then.”
“Until 2 a.m. every night.”
“Does that show how often VIP’s show up?”
She punched more keys. “When they do come…” She pointed. “Most are within an hour of opening and then it spikes again around midnight.”
“Breakfast,” said Bomber. “Like me.” He considered. “What if we open right at sunset? Open to VIP’s only. No bouncers, only Bitten.”
“We’ll need–”
“More Bitten,” both of them said together. Bomber said, “How many did Jacmes have?”
“Twenty-four. Two covens.”
“All right, all right. Do you have any in mind right now?”
“I have a list.”
“Take off the ones who aren’t going to be here in the summer. Then bring them in, one at a time. Is Leviticus still doing our tats?”
“Sure he is.”
“We’ll have a tattoo night, too.”
Anilia giggled. “I always wanted a gecko on my ankle.”
Bomber rolled his eyes. “And I’ve always wanted a tramp stamp.”
Anilia laughed, and Bomber smiled, getting up. “Let’s get more Bitten first, cut the hours, go non-alcoholic on Sunday through Wednesday, and see how it goes. I don’t want the bartenders turned into baristas.”
“I’ll start the new scheduling and hours on Sunday. Will you let Jake know?”
“I will. He was your messenger and my breakfast this evening.”
Words: 838