Chapter Five
Atlas
I told Toby to talk to DJ Edge, and he’d make sure to arrange the dinner. I was so intrigued by this man. When I pressed his smaller body to mine, it was like something clicked. The perfect dance partner had to not only physically mold to you, they had to be mentally in sync.
Sparkles meshed with me in that carefree, no-strings-attached, this is fun sort of way. Toby was so much more intense, and I felt it in every fiber of my being. His gaze told a million stories, and I had to stop myself from kissing the words out of him.
The rest of the night went on as it always did: People talking and touching me. Numbers being slipped into my back pocket. And quite a few people enquiring about the job Max had put up only a few hours before we opened. By the end of the night, I felt how I always did. Content. It was a successful night, and patrons were happy.
“Hey,” I heard Lance’s voice as I leaned on the bar, waiting for Max to get me a water.
“Hey, yourself. Good dancing up there tonight.” I gestured to the stage.
“Not good enough though, right?” He wasn’t angry, but I could read his frustration.
“Just because your tight ass makes me hard doesn’t make it a fair enough reason to let you win.” I pushed off, grabbed Lance by his belt loops, and turned him so he was now against the bar and I was pressed close to him. “Doesn’t mean I’m not going to give you a prize for tonight.”
“Oh, God, yes please.” He gripped my shirt and moved to kiss me.
“Not here. It’s last call. What say you sit right here and when I’m all done, we head out?” He nodded excitedly. Smiling, I took the water that was placed in front of me, chugged it, and moved to close the place down.
“Knock, knock, knock,” Ledger said as I sat at my desk the following afternoon. “Got a sec?”
“Yeah, what’s up?”
He sat, wearing a Cheshire grin that would make anyone nervous, but I’d known Ledger a long time. No matter what came out of his mouth, I’d deal.
“Have fun with the third runner-up last night?” He was referring to Lance, and while we’d had an amazing night, I wasn’t going into details with Ledger.
“It was sex, Ledger, and since when does curiosity about my sexual partners have you coming into my office, smiling and bothering me?”
He chuckled and ran his fingers through his black hair. “Right. I just wonder if you’ll ever maybe keep one longer than a night.”
“Why? You never do.”
He lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. “We’re talking about you.”
“Then I’m ending the conversation.” I turned my attention back to my computer, reading an application for floor manager.
“Fine, new topic. Toby St. Claire.”
Hearing Toby’s name sent a wonderful tingle right to my balls. “Mmm, yeah, what about him?”
“He chose Vayne’s for dinner, but the thing is, the dude only gets one night a week off, so it can’t be until next week, Saturday.” Ledger scrolled through his phone. “I called Xander Vayne himself, and he said he’d hold a table for seven o’clock and to let him know if that doesn’t work.”
“Saturday night? Ledger, that’s impossible. I need to be here on Saturdays. He can’t maybe get another night off during the week?” Me not being here on a Saturday wasn’t an option.
Ledger scrunched his face. “Didn’t sound like he had any wiggle room with his boss.”
“Where’s he work?” He shrugged. “Did you get Toby’s number?”
“Yeah, want it?”
Nodding, I wrote it down as he said it. “Okay, let me talk to him. I can’t imagine any boss making it near impossible to change a day off.”
“You got it. I’m going to be going over the song lineup today for next week, you want to see it when I’m done?”
I chuckled. “Do I ever change it?”
“Nah, but you have a theme for Saturday, Women of Rock. Didn’t know if you wanted to see what I choose.”
I shook my head. I trusted Ledger to do the job I hired him for, and just like I wouldn’t let anyone tell me how to do mine, I wasn’t about to insult him by telling him how to do his.
“ ’Kay, see ya.” After he left, I stared at Toby’s number for a good minute. What would I say to the guy?
“Fuck it.” I picked up my office phone and dialed.
“Hello?” Toby answered, sounding a little unsure, which likely had to do with the number coming up as Private Caller, since he had no idea who was on the other end.
“Toby, hi, it’s Atlas Durand.” Hearing Toby gasp put a smile on my face. I was used to people being enamored with me but with Toby, I found I enjoyed how much he was affected.
“Hey, um…hi.”
“I’m actually calling because Ledger, or DJ Edge as you know him, informed me you could only do the dinner with me on Saturday?”
I heard a voice in the background, and Toby shushed them. “Um, yeah. I work six days a week, and Saturday is my designated night off. Which is probably really cool for some people to have off. But I imagine for you that’s not a good day, seeing as you have to work. So, I understand if you need to cancel. Thanks so much for the opportunity though, and—”
“Whoa, whoa, come up for air, Toby. It’s okay. I’m not canceling.” I was, in fact, going to see if there was any way he could talk to his boss, but he seemed a little high-strung, and I suddenly wanted to hug him and tell him to breathe.
“You’re not?” he squeaked, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Nah, but I do have to work, so I wanted to run an idea by you.”
“ ’K, sure.”
I didn’t have any idea at all, so I had to think fast on my feet. “I love that you chose Vayne’s; it’s one of my favorite places. And Xander, the owner, is an amazing chef. So, how about I order from there, and you join me in my office for a candlelit dinner here? That way, I can spend the evening with outstanding company and still be available if there’s an emergency.”
I didn’t want Toby to feel like I was squeezing him into my night or life. I did want him to enjoy it, and I was interested in talking with him.
“Oh, wow that’s even better. Thank you!”
“Perfect. I’ll let Ciro know you’ll be here at five, so maybe we can get a little quiet time before the doors open. Would that work?”
“Absolutely. Thank you for all this.” I smiled at the sincerity in his tone; it tugged at my heart in a way I wasn’t used to. Sure, he might have stars in his eyes, but something told me Toby had his feet firmly planted on the ground.
“My pleasure. I look forward to seeing you Saturday.”
After we hung up, I felt better that I didn’t cancel or make Toby’s life harder. I got lost in the applications and was able to pick three people I was interested in meeting. Max was setting up interviews. Since we all had to work together, I liked to have Max, Ledger, Ciro, and myself in attendance, interviewing as a team. Each of us held a position in Joker’s Sin, and together we made the place run smoothly. No way would I bring in someone who could throw a wrench into this well-oiled machine.
Chapter Six
Toby
I had just finished making sure the bar was fully stocked at Vick’s Tricks when I heard my boss call my name. Shane, the bartender and a good friend, looked up and rolled his eyes. Working for Vick was like trying to navigate around land mines—you never knew when things were going to go fine or when you’d sneeze wrong, and he’d fly off the handle.
He was also a dangerous man. I’d seen him do things that haunted my dreams. Poppy had told me so many times to just quit, that we’d figure things out. We had a small savings, but I liked to keep it there, unused, in case of emergencies. Poppy didn’t make a lot as a seamstress; she covered a couple of bills. My paycheck from Vick’s was double hers. I needed this job.
I shut the dishwasher and hit Start. Shane patted me on the back as I made my way toward Vick’s office. I knocked, entering when I heard him
say to come in.
“Toby, yes, good. Have a seat.” He gestured to the rickety-looking chair across from him. Carefully, I sat.
“Is there something wrong, sir?” Nervous bubbles fizzled in my stomach as I waited to hear why I was called into his office.
He chuckled and looked behind himself where Liberio, his main muscle as I called him, stood. “No, you’re fine, but…” He wagged a finger. “I found out something very interesting about you.”
As quickly as my brain could process, I ran through everything about my life that could, even a little bit, interest Vick.
“What’s that, sir?” I could feel a bead of sweat trickle down the side of my face.
“Liberio here went to Joker’s Sin on Saturday to scope out the competition. Trying to figure out how exactly we can maybe push them out of the way and be the bigger, better show in town.”
If I wasn’t silently panicking inside, realizing that Liberio saw me on that stage, I’d be scoffing if Vick thought he could hold a candle to Joker’s Sin.
“Ha ha. From the look on your face, you’re freaking out.” Vick’s green, squinty eyes and slicked-back blond hair were a stark difference from Atlas’s honey-colored eyes and shiny braids. And I took a moment to remember the dance…to find my happy place.
“I go there sometimes, I um…” My eyes darted to an emotionless Liberio. “I wasn’t aware that wasn’t allowed.”
Vick cackled and slapped his desk. “No, boy, calm yourself.” He reached in his desk drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “Liberio said you got yourself a date with the man himself, Atlas Durand.” He put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it.
“Um…yeah.”
“Congrats. Good for you.” I couldn’t tell if he was being genuine or sarcastic, so I gave him a small smile and waited. “You have given me an amazing opportunity.”
Him? “I have?”
“I want Vick’s Tricks to be something more than it is. This last year, I’ve lost almost forty-five percent of my clientele because they’re over there at the faggy place.” He held his hands up. “I know you’re gay, Toby, no disrespect.” What was I going to do, fight him?
“None taken, sir.” I clenched my fists; I knew I couldn’t yell at Vick—he’d have me laid out in a second if I tried.
“I was thinking maybe you winning that dance thing could benefit us all.”
Fuck my whole life. “How so?”
He blew a stream of smoke from his mouth and smiled. His yellow-tinted teeth and smarmy grin made me want to run out of there and shower.
“See if you can’t maybe poke around in Atlas’s head. Get some info out of him.” He shrugged. “Nothing too intrusive. Just maybe feel him out…literally if you have to.”
Was he asking me to sleep with the man to get information on Joker’s Sin? I didn’t have to vocalize the question; that was exactly what he was saying.
“When do you have this date?”
I scratched behind my neck, a nervous gesture. “He knows I only have Saturday off, so we’re doing a dinner at the club in his office.”
“Ok, good, that’ll work. Sunday, you come in, and we’ll talk. It would mean a great deal to me if you had something to tell me. Anything at all that may help me out. No matter how little, but definitely the bigger the better.” There was a warning in there; I heard it, and Vick knew I did.
“Yes, sir.”
He sat back and waved his hand, causing ash from his cigarette to fall on his pants. “Good, now go.” I was happy to get the hell out of there.
When I got back to the kitchen, I was shaking. “Hey.” I jumped when Shane put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s ok, just me.”
“God, Shane, I hate this place,” I whispered.
“Yeah. Not a lot of job opportunities these days, though. I put in two applications last week. Vick called me into his office and reamed me a new one when he found out.”
“How’d he know?” Wide-eyed, I watched as Shane paled.
“How’s he know anything, Toby? He just does.”
It was true. About three weeks into me working here, a cocktail waitress named Franny told us she spent her days off at a strip club, working the pole. Said in that one night, she made more there than a week here and was trying to get extra hours there so she could quit working at Vick’s.
The next day I came into work, and she and Vick were yelling something fierce. A day later, Shane and I found out Franny was in the hospital with two broken legs and a concussion. Vick Keller wasn’t a man to be trifled with.
“What happened?” Shane asked as he helped me organize the kitchen for when they opened. Vick’s wasn’t anything like Joker’s Sin. We served finger foods, there was a small stage for performers, a bar, pool tables. So different. How Vick thought he could ever make this place into anything close to Joker’s Sin was beyond me.
I explained everything to Shane, and when I was done, he let out a low whistle. “Damn, Toby. What’re you gonna do?”
“I dunno. I’ll maybe see if I can learn anything from Atlas. Something that won’t be too big, and hopefully that’ll make Vick happy.”
Shane offered a small smile. He was a good-looking guy with his bright red hair and gray eyes. I knew he was bisexual, but neither of us had ever shown interest in each other. We clicked as friends and never thought to try for more.
“Good luck, Toby. I’m here if you need to talk.” He left after that to finish his tasks before opening, and I took a moment to calm my frantic heart. This place was a pit of despair. Hearing how Vick reacted to Shane simply applying to other places sat heavy on my chest. There was no way I’d get away with secretly applying anywhere.
I worked my shift, and grease, grit, and booze soaked through my skin and clothes. By the time I got home, Poppy was asleep and my legs and feet were killing me. I wanted nothing more than to faceplant on my bed, but there was no way I wanted the scent of Vick’s on my bedsheets. So I showered as fast as I could, threw on a pair of boxers, and did exactly what I wanted to do. Sleep.
Chapter Seven
Atlas
“So, Ethan, tell me about this experience you have here. Says you managed a club in New York called Dive.” Ethan was the first one we were interviewing. Joker’s Sin didn’t open until later, so I was holding the meetings right in the club, on the floor with Max, Ledger, and Ciro in attendance.
“Yes. Oh. My. God. It was the best ever. I mean, this place is the best ever, but yeah, best.” He then winked at Max, and it took everything in me to hold in my groan.
“Best ever isn’t really an answer,” Ledger deadpanned.
“Oh, um, well, okay. So I oversaw the hosts and servers, made sure there weren’t issues between the bar and the waitstaff. I saw to it that the right people were on the floor. Things like that.” I noticed he kept shifting his eyes toward Max.
“Do you two know each other?” I pointed between them.
“What?” Ethan’s voice rose an octave, which told me everything I needed to know.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, Ethan. I don’t think this will be a good fit.”
“Oh, come on. I didn’t know Max was here, I swear.” Ethan was arguing, and I found it hard to believe him.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s illegal.” Ethan stood, hands on his hips. “You can’t not hire me because I slept with someone who works here. I would never sleep with him again.”
“What the fuck!” Max stood, taking a step toward Ethan. “What about the last time we fucked? You were all, ‘Oh, Max, I love your cock, best cock ever.’ ”
I believed Ethan said exactly that, but seeing those two going at it right in front of me didn’t bode well for the working environment or chemistry I needed with my staff.
“This is why, Ethan. I can’t have this. Have a good day.” I nodded to Ciro, who quickly guided an irate Ethan out the door.
“Max, is there anyone you haven’t slept with?” Ledger chuckled.
“Yes, your mom.”
“Very mature.” Ledger scoffed.
“When’s the next interview?” I stood, stretching my back and loving the way it cracked and popped.
“Half an hour, then no more for an hour after that.” Max gathered the applications. “I don’t recognize the name of the next one, so I’m fairly certain their virtue is safe.”
For the remainder of the day, until about two hours before we opened, we had interviews but of the many we saw, only two were qualified. And we weren’t totally in love with them either. The place was set up for the night, so everyone left to spend the next couple of hours getting ready, eating, whatever they had to do. I opted to spend it in my office with some Chinese takeout, the show Sex Education, and thought about what I’d be wearing that night.
On Thursday we announced on the website that Saturday was Women of Rock night. I wasn’t sure what Ledger would play, but we’d be sure to make it an amazing night. I would be sporting some kickass Joan Jett and the Heartbreakers garb, wearing black kohl around my eyes, and make it a night to remember. I hoped Toby would have no issue with the theme and embrace it when he arrived. I told Ciro he was coming that night around five and made sure to inform Toby in advance what tonight was, so he wouldn’t stand out in a bad way after our date if he wanted to stay in the club. Seeing as no one who wasn’t wearing the appropriate attire would be admitted, he had to blend in.
I was just putting the finishing touches on the elegant table I had set up in my office when I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Turning, I saw Toby enter. He wore white ripped jeans, Converse sneakers, and a vintage Blondie T-shirt. His make-up was subtle, but his hair had flecks of glitter throughout.
“Oh, wow,” I said as I approached him. “I am loving this.” I brushed my hand over his shirt, thrilled with the reaction I got when I did.
My Whole World Page 3