Club Abbott: Yours (Club Abbott Series, #5)

by Hazel Kelly

  I rolled my eyes.

  “In fact, it can’t be a good reflection on the economy if that many people have hours to sip two tablespoons full of coffee.”

  “Maybe they can afford to do that because they’re so much more efficient at work than we are.”

  He waved the idea away with his hand. “Nonsense. It’s completely backwards. There are more important things to do than people watch and take your dog to cafés.”

  “What did Ella think?”

  He rolled his eyes. “She thought it was brilliant, obviously, but she does a more convincing job of relaxing than I do.”

  I laughed. “Well, I’m glad one of you had a good time.”

  “I had a good time, too,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. But I’m glad I live in a country where making money is more important than sitting around trying to look like you have it.”

  “Fair enough.” I shrugged. “To each their own.”

  “You like it over there, though, don’t you? In Italy, too. God they’re even worse there than France.” He shook his head. “Can’t even count on places being open at reasonable times.”

  I smiled. “I think it’s great. I think there’s something broken in a society where everyone needs access to fast food and DIY shops twenty four hours a day. I think the schedule they keep over there is good for quality of life. It forces people to slow down.”

  “Forces people to sit on their thumbs more like.”

  “I was actually thinking of opening a club there, too.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Where?”

  “Rome,” I said. “At first I considered Milan, but-”

  “You haven’t even made a success of the first club yet.”

  “Yet being the operative word.”

  He narrowed his eyes at me.

  “And I don’t see any harm in thinking ahead.”

  “You’re better off opening a location in California. Get some crossover with the customers you already have.”

  “I already bought a location out there.”

  He leaned forward. “Where?”

  “LA. But it wasn’t easy. You should see some of the people I had to sleep with to secure property out there.”

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “I’m just kidding. But it was trying.”

  He shook his head.

  “What?”

  “You’re serious about making this work then?”

  I furrowed my brow. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  He drummed his fingers on the table between us. “So running the club isn’t a fad you’re only trying to play around with for a while?”

  My lips fell apart.

  “Like bass guitar.”

  I let my head fall back. “I was thirteen!”

  “And by thirteen and a half you’d lost interest.”

  I sighed. “This isn’t like the bass guitar. This is what I want to do. Everything else is the fun stuff. This is serious business. I want to open six clubs in the next six years.”

  He turned an ear towards me.

  I counted on my fingers. “New York, LA, Rome, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong.”

  His eyes grew wide.

  “Unless I find out that Tokyo is a better choice in which case Hong Kong is out.”

  “Wow.”

  “As if you ever thought you were only going to have one hotel.”

  He leaned back and clasped his hands in his lap. “I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “Not that I’m doing it to impress you, but I appreciate your vote of confidence.”

  “What can I do to help?” he asked. “You need capital? Connections? I have a realtor I can recommend in Singapore.”

  “That’s really nice of you, but there’s only one thing I want from you, and you’ve made it clear in no uncertain terms that you’re not interested in letting me use our name.”

  “And if I change my mind?”

  I cocked my head. “Don’t fuck with me right now, Will. I’ve got too much to worry about without you pulling my leg-”

  “I’m not fucking with you.”

  I leaned across the table. “What?”

  “I said I’m not fucking with you.” He lifted his hands. “If you still want to call the place Club Abbott, then you can go ahead. You have my blessing.”

  I blinked, convinced I was hearing things.

  “Close your mouth, Ben.”

  I did as I was told and leaned back in my chair. “Are you serious?”

  “You know I don’t joke about business, especially business that’s got my name on it.”

  I pressed my wrists against the edge of the table, overwhelmed with the desire to lunge across it and give him a hug. Then I raised one finger at him. “You swear you aren’t messing me around?”

  He smiled. “If it means that much to you to call the place Club Abbott, I don’t want to be the thing standing in your way.”

  I swallowed.

  “I’m incredibly proud of all you’ve accomplished, and I know how hard you’ve been working to get this thing off the ground.”

  I pursed my lips.

  “And what good is my name if I can’t use it to help out my only son?”

  I straightened up in my seat. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You can thank me by making sure Club Abbott is the finest fucking club in New York,” he said. “And then we’ll deal with the rest of the cities one by one.”

  “I won’t let you down, Will. I promise you’ll be happy you changed your mind.”

  “I’m already happy with my decision,” he said. “All I ask is that you keep some Middleton in stock for me.”

  “Anything you want,” I said. “You are going to come for the grand opening on New Year’s Eve, right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “Ella’s bought a new dress for the occasion and everything.”

  I smiled. “Well I’m delighted to have you both as guests of honor, and if you think of anything else you want me to have on hand, just say the word.”

  “Will do,” he said, checking his watch.

  A moment later, Marion appeared with our Peronis. “Here you go, gentleman. Your food will be out shortly.”

  Will nodded and turned to me after she walked away. “Thank god. I’m starving over here.”

  “I know, me too.” I raised my glass. “Cheers, Will, in every sense of the word.”

  He clinked his glass against mine and took a sip.

  I relished the cool bubbles on my tongue as I put my glass down. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” he said, taking another healthy swig.

  “What made you change your mind?”

  He leaned back in his chair. “Believe it or not, a very persuasive woman paid me a visit.”

  I raised my eyebrows.

  “And she made some very good points.”

  I furrowed my brow. “What woman?”

  But of course, I already knew.

  Chapter 11: Carrie

  I bought a new dress for New Year’s Eve.

  I knew it was a silly thing to do, but at the same time, I worked hard on that project, and if New Year’s was the last time I’d ever see Ben, I wanted him to remember me at my best… not crying in a baggy bridesmaid dress or lying on my desk with my legs spread.

  Just a good classy memory of me looking as smart as the club I’d designed.

  Club No Name Yet as far as I could tell.

  I did a drive by at the weekend to see if Will had taken anything I’d said to heart, but the space above the door was totally covered by a black tarp. So it was hard to tell what name Ben had gone with.

  And I couldn’t exactly call and ask.

  I mean, after dinner the other night, he’d said good bye and mentioned that he looked forward to seeing me on the night, but that was it. Otherwise, I hadn’t heard from him and all his checks had cleared so I didn’t really have an excuse to get in touch, despite the fact that I missed him more than ever
.

  Anyway, it wasn’t so much that I bought a new dress that I felt guilty about, even though it was one of those show stopping short and backless numbers that is completely inappropriate on any other night of the year. What was inappropriate was that I went shopping for it on my lunch break.

  I suppose it didn’t matter because I was the boss, but seeing as how there was no one in the office to set a good example for Nora when I wasn’t around, I felt a lot of pressure to do so.

  Fortunately, the girl at the store seemed fine with the nonsense I made up about why I had to come pick it up later. To be honest, I think she was far more preoccupied with the fact that her chewing gum had lost its flavor than anything I had to say.

  “How was lunch?” Nora asked when I walked in, covering her mouth as she chewed her Subway sandwich.

  “Great, thanks,” I lied. As if I was going to let one bite of food pass my lips before I wore that dress.

  “It’s been pretty quiet today,” she said, glancing at the phone.

  “I know.” I leaned an elbow on her high desk. “I wouldn’t expect to secure any new contracts until the new year, but I want to be ready.”

  She laid a piece of paper in front of me. “I was able to get contact details for most of the people on your list.”

  I scanned the list of names, which featured people I’d met at the wedding who owned multiple properties or at least one business.

  “I’m still working on the last few.”

  “Thanks,” I said, impressed that she’d actually kept busy while I was away. “This is great.” My intention was to get at least a few of the people to meet me in the new year for a quick chat. Even the ones that didn’t have immediate design needs might know someone who did so I wasn’t ruling anyone out. “I’m going to start giving these people a call. So if you need me-”

  “I know where to find you.”

  I grabbed the paper and walked into my office, dropping my purse on the floor beside my chair and pulling my coat off, scrunching my face at the clammy warmth of my body underneath.

  A few minutes later, after settling on a polite way to reintroduce myself that didn’t sound like I was coming on too strong (or too easy to blow off), I finally felt ready to make the first call. I took a deep breath, scooted to the edge of my chair, and picked up the phone.

  My finger was about to come down on the send button when there was a knock at the door.

  I raised my head. “Yes?”

  “Special delivery.”

  “I’m just about to make a call, Nora. Can it wai-”

  She pushed the door open.

  All I could see was an enormous bouquet of brightly colored flowers floating above her legs.

  “What the heck?”

  “Where do you want this?” she said. “It’s too big for my desk.”

  I looked down at my own desk. There was no way I could keep working if half of it turned into a garden. “Oh my god I can smell those from here.”

  “Anytime now would be great.”

  “Sorry,” I walked over to a wooden chest of drawers that I’d been using as a filing cabinet and took several stacks of paper off the top. “There.”

  Nora waddled towards me.

  “That’s it,” I said, putting one hand on the vase and another on her closest arm. “Two more steps.”

  She lowered it down. When her face emerged again, her eyebrows were raised.

  “Who are they from?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “No idea, but something tells me they aren’t for me.”

  I used two hands to look for a card at the base of the arrangement. “The guy didn’t say?”

  She shook her head. “Looks like someone has a secret admirer.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I assure you, I have no such thing.”

  She bent near the far side of the arrangement and looked for a card.

  “Anything?”

  “Nope.” She straightened up. “Weird. If I sent an arrangement like that, I would definitely want credit.”

  “Are you sure they aren’t for you?” I asked. “You’re the one that’s been dating.”

  She nodded. “Do you know what? You’re probably right. They’re probably from the last guy I went out with.”

  I raised my eyebrows.

  “I bet that’s why he’s really still living at home,” she said, folding her arms. “So he can save up to send me bouquets bigger than my kitchen.”

  I scrunched my face. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t him.”

  She cocked a hip. “I suppose they could be from the gym teacher I went out with before that, but I was such a bitch about the fact that he was wearing a track suit when he picked me up I’m surprised he’d go to so much trouble.”

  “Okay. You’ve made your point,” I said, leaning in to smell a big red rose. “Speaking of all the gems you’ve been seeing-”

  “Uh-huh?”

  “Any idea who might have a chance with you when the ball drops?”

  She shook her head. “No idea. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ll be kissing a double vodka tonic when the clock strikes twelve.”

  I smiled.

  “Which will probably give me just as much of a headache the next day as a man.”

  “Except it’s easier to get rid of if it doesn’t agree with you.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I can’t believe there’s really no card in this thing,” I said, staring at it.

  “Maybe they’re from that stud Ben you just did all that work for,” she said. “He’s the only guy I’ve met in the last six months whose pockets are deep enough to buy something like this without a payment plan.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “What about you?” she asked. “Who are you kissing at midnight?”

  “Probably my friend Brook if she manages to drink as much as she’s promised,” I said. “Speaking of which, if you don’t already have plans, you’re welcome to come to the opening of the club with us.”

  Nora clapped her hands together. “I would love to! How fabulous!”

  I smiled.

  She scrunched her face. “Is it very expensive to get in?”

  I shrugged. “I’ll pay for you. Just make sure you’re there when Brook and I arrive.”

  She threw her arms around me and jumped against me awkwardly. “Yay! I’m so excited!”

  “Good,” I said, smoothing down my skirt. “Now I have to make some calls so-”

  “Say no more,” she said, bowing and walking backwards out of the room.

  After she closed the door, I leaned forward one more time and let the smell of the colorful flowers fill my nose. It was such a welcome smell in deepest winter, when the only scent that could survive in the crisp cold was exhaust fumes.

  A moment later, my phone rang on my desk.

  Chapter 12: Ben

  I leaned against the wall across from the main bar, listening to the phone ring in my ear as I watched half a dozen delivery men carry hundreds of crates of champagne in from the curb.

  “Ben.” She sounded pleasantly surprised. “Hi.”

  “I could kiss you.”

  “What?”

  “I could kiss you.”

  “I don’t underst-”

  “That’s what I wrote on the card.”

  “The card?”

  “For the flowers.”

  “But there wasn’t a card.”

  “No?” I asked, feigning surprise.

  “No,” she said. “I definitely looked and-”

  “I must’ve misplaced it,” I said. “I guess I’ll have to give it to you in person.”

  “Give me what?” she asked. “A kiss or a card?”

  “Yes,” I said, deliberately not answering the question. “In person.”

  “Can I ask why you could kiss me?”

  “Cause,” I said, walking further from the door where the cold winter air was spilling into the club. “I understand you put in a good word for me.”

  “What are you talking
about?”

  “My dad,” I said. “He changed his mind. He’s given me his blessing to call the place Club Abbott.”

  “Oh Ben! That’s wonderful news! Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”

  “Thanks. I’m pretty pleased myself.”

  “I can’t believe he changed his mind.”

  “Me neither,” I said. “You must’ve made quite a persuasive argument.”

  “To be honest, I couldn’t tell if he was listening to a word I said.”

  “I guess he was.”

  She sighed. The sound was so sweet I wanted to hear it again… but for entirely different reasons.

  “Hence the flowers,” I said. “And wanting to kiss you.”

  “It’s your dad that you should kiss. He’s the one that had the final say.”

  I laughed. “I would, but I don’t want him to change his mind.”

  “Well thanks so much for letting me know. I’m absolutely delighted.”

  I smiled. “Are you looking forward to New Year’s Eve?”

  “Of course,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the club filled with people, to see you doing your thing.”

  “And have you found something delicious to wear?”

  “Maybe,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

  “Cause trying to guess what you’re going to wear has been distracting me all week.”

  “How very inappropriate of you to say so.”

  “And how about your resolutions for the new year?” I asked. “Have you given them any thought?”

  “Not really. I mean, it would be impossible for next year to be worse than this one.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people that doesn’t make resolutions.”

  “I wouldn’t say I go crazy,” she said. “But I like to take some time to reflect on what I want from the near future.”

  “And what is it that you want?”

  “Aren’t resolutions kind of private?”

  I furrowed my brow. “I suppose they can be.”

  “Why? What are you aiming to do next year?”

  I ran a hand over my head. “I like to break my goals down into personal and professional goals.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Professionally, I intend to make this club a big enough success that I can open a second location on the west coast by this time next year.”