J.B. Mercer

Deals

First semester was nearly done, and Luka had been learning more about the legal side of the Family business as his Pops made two other deals. The more he learned the more he realized if they expanded the clubs, it would be the perfect cover to move their other business and make it bigger. Luka just had to figure out to get his Pops to see that too.

Luka was working the club this weekend. Santana's.  Not the kind of name you expected for a club, but his Ma said Pops just picked the first name that came to him after they took over Victor Sweet territory. Santana's catered to all since most people in this town enjoyed music and dancing. During the day they were opened to families with kids. Santana's had a curved half rectangle at the side area. In that small area were six tables, large enough to hold at least ten people. Parents would come in with the little ones, order something to eat and drink, then watch as their little ones danced with no discrimination or opinions from others around them. Towards the late afternoon highschoolers came in mostly just cliques. They would order large pizzas and personal drinks. In between cracking jokes and eating there would sometimes be dance challengers. At eight o'clock the club would shut down for an hour and clean up for the big timers. Kitchen staff would make everything spotless and close up for the night. The bar would be prepped, liquor would be pulled down. Freezer would be checked for the more exotic ingredients. The music bass would be exchanged and spread out. Tables would be flipped, folded and put away for the night. Stamps would be set up for entry. Bouncers would arrive. The night life would be lit from nine at night till four in the early morning. Santana's would be closed from four to eleven in the morning. Cleaning crew was paid to only come in for setting up in the morning and taking down at night. It was thanks to Luka's new idea that they got paid three hundred bucks for each hour of the day. They made six hundred in one day which allowed Luka to hire a different ratio of teams therefore no more complaints about the heavy work. Since that decision the club ran fifty percent better than when his Pops was running it. Seeing this Ricky had officially given Luka management of the club a week after the Reyes deal.

With only one exclusion. No doing drug deals at the club, the standard family rule. Luka didn't bother to inform Pops it would never happen. Santana's wasn't just the first step in their Family business. Santana was located in their hometown. And Luka never plan on having any of the underworld business happen in Detroit. Still, he had many more ideas. In order to make his ideas come into fruition he had to change some dynamics of the family.

Luka watched the dance floor become packed up with people from the second floor office window. He was supposed to be going over the books. He only stepped back because his mind was bouncing other things around. Nick stepped into the office at that time. Nick was the only one allowed to come in without knocking. Luka watched as down below bodies gyrate together, laser lights flashed over head, drinks poured, and every second was more and more money. Nick came to stand beside him. "So, I've been thinking...." Nick started speaking nervously. Luka didn't look at his cousin. Luka knew something had been on Nick's mind but he had given him space to come forward. "I want to go to school for Restaurant Business." Nick rushed out.

Luka froze with the bud light in his hand. He could no longer savor the taste. Before he could speak Nick stated "I get it. This really isn't something a Ramirez would do but look at this way we own three clubs and two bars. Neither business interfere with the Mercer's because they're on two different sides on Detroit and Detroit is huge. But Luka, we're chewing off too much. We have to pay cops and employees way higher to keep from being charged.   The restaurant if we start it and it blows up would give us leeway with some of the money we had to put away for use." Nick was rambling which meant he didn't wanna back down. Nick had never been this nervous.

Luka stopped his cousin before he went too far. "Why a restaurant?" Is the only thing Luka really wanted to know. Luka knew he could use this to his advantage. He wanted to make a deal with Pops but had no idea how at first. However, if Nick wants to follow a similar path then maybe they could make the family see that sometimes a higher education may be required.