by Kally Ash
He kissed her goodbye, loaded up Erin in his car and drove home. On the way, he looked at all the palm trees lining the streets, sneered at the rich taking their ridiculously small dogs out onto the lush green lawns to shit. LA was so fake. Moving here had been a mistake, but it was what Chelsea had wanted. She’d been tired of the forests and the rain in Washington State. She’d wanted sunshine and palm trees. It was a toss-up between California and Florida, but Florida was the state you went to in order to retire from life.
Once home, he set Erin on his bed, and brought down a suitcase from the top of his now empty closet. He’d managed to get that cleared out after work last night. Pulling open all the drawers on the tallboy, he emptied the folded shirts and sweats he kept in there, doing one final visual sweep of each drawer before he shut it. While he worked, he kept chatting to Erin, explaining what he was doing and pointing out colors or shapes. She watched, riveted for the most part, but occasionally giggling at him when he did a funny voice. Zipping the suitcase up and leaving it there, he picked up Erin and moved on to her bedroom.
Her things were easier to pack, and he was done twenty minutes later. By that time, Erin was rubbing her eyes and pulling at her ears—a sure sign that she was going to crash out. He put her down for her nap and continued packing up a few other bits and pieces. As he looked around his house, he didn’t feel anything. He supposed he should have been sad because he was leaving. He’d be back in a few months in any case, and his life would still be the same, but at least he could escape the Chelsea clusterfuck for a while. Maybe he’d even forget about her.
By the time they were ready to go to the airport, his mother had called to tell him she was due into New York at six the following evening. A horn sounded and Max looked out the window.
The cab was here.
Taking everything outside, he asked the driver to install Erin’s car seat while he collected his daughter. She was still asleep in her cot, so he carefully picked her up, locked the front door behind him and took her out to the car.
“Where to, buddy?” the guy asked once Max shut the car door.
“LAX – terminal five.”
“You got it.”
Max completely zoned out on the way to the airport. He watched the streetlights fly by the windows, throwing alternate beams of light and shadow on the interior of the car. He didn’t quite know what to expect in New York, and if he was honest, he was more than looking forward to the challenge.
The previous night, Evangeline had given him a more detailed run-down of the club, so he wouldn’t be walking into the complete unknown. The new club was in the famed meatpacking district. All the wait staff had been hired, the bar was stocked and they were ready for the opening in two nights’ time. That gave Max a day to figure everything out with his apartment and with Erin before he had to start work and begin training the staff to the standard Evangeline demanded.
At the airport, he wheeled his loaded trolley to the Delta desk and checked in. Erin was strapped to his chest in a sling, completely dead to the world. Everything went smoothly from then and, before he knew it, they were boarding the plane and on their way to New York City.
Chapter 4
Gigi was woken the next morning by high-pitched laughter, quickly followed by a masculine groan. She put her hands over her ears in an attempt to block the sound through the adjoining wall. After ten minutes of hearing moaning and furniture banging, she got up; she just couldn’t handle it anymore.
Padding into the kitchen, Gigi started the coffee maker and leaned against the counter, waiting for the rich smell to fill their apartment. It was Friday. She had only one class today, and that wasn’t until the afternoon. Her plans for the remainder of the day were the same as they were every day—study for finals and look for a job, although studying for finals was by far the easier of the two. Job hunting in New York was tough. Hunting for jobs in the anthropological field in New York was even harder.
There was a loud bang, and Gigi looked where the sound had come from; Jen’s bedroom door was still vibrating. She shook her head and returned her attention to the coffee maker. The carafe was two-thirds full, and that was more than enough. Turning off the machine, she poured herself a cup of coffee, adding a bit of sugar to the mix. Still leaning against the counter, she took her first sip and swallowed. The caffeine hit her bloodstream like a very welcome sledgehammer.
“I can’t stay in bed all day,” Jen chastised playfully as she opened up her bedroom door. From across the apartment she watched her roommate, dressed in nothing but her panties and a baggy tee, stumble out into the living space. Jen looked just fucked because, well, she was.
“I thought I smelled coffee.”
Gigi’s eyes darted back to the bedroom door. Declan was leaning against the jamb with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his lips. He, too, was in only his underwear and Gigi found her eyes drifting down of their own accord. Startling when he laughed at her, she felt a blush creep up her cheeks and she got busy taking another sip from her cup and looking for a cereal bowl.
“Is Jen coming back to bed?” another voice asked. Gigi choked on her coffee when she turned around. It turned out Ben the bartender had not been forgotten at all.
Ben looked rumpled and well-used. His dark hair was falling over his forehead, covering his equally dark eyes. He looked over at Gigi and gave her a lopsided smile, which she felt compelled to return.
“Gigi,” Jen called from the bathroom.
She put down her cereal and went to the door. “Yes?”
Jen opened the door and pulled her in. She twisted on the tap, the sound of fast running water drowning out their words. “Can you get rid of them for me?” she asked.
“Get rid… What?”
“You know—tell them I’m sick or something. Just get rid of them.”
Gigi frowned. “I’m not… No. You can do your own dirty work.”
“Please, Gigi?” Jen pleaded. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
One of Gigi’s brows rose. “Anything?”
“Yes, anything.”
The wheels began to turn in her head. “All right. You’re responsible for cleaning the bathroom until we graduate… Do you want me to get rid of them or not?” she snapped when Jen made a face.
Begrudgingly, Jen said, “I’ll do it for the next six months.”
Gigi was triumphant. “I would have taken you doing it for the next two weeks.”
Jen glared at her for a moment before smiling. “Well played, Borello.”
“Thanks. I’ll go and get rid of them now.” She turned off the tap and opened the door. Declan and Ben were in the small kitchen, one holding a cup of coffee, the other eating what Gigi suspected was her breakfast.
“I’m really sorry, guys, but Jen’s just told me that she’s got a raging case of chlamydia and can’t come to see you off.”
Both of their faces drained of color. Declan was the first to head back to the bedroom. Ben wasn’t far behind him, and when they came out they were both dressed and heading for the door.
“Oh, please leave your numbers so Jen can call you,” she called out after them. Neither of them stopped. When the door slammed shut, Jen burst out of the bathroom.
“Why the fuck did you tell them that?”
She smirked. “You told me to get rid of them.”
“Yeah, but not by telling them I have an STD!”
Gigi picked up the half-eaten bowl of cereal and tipped it down the sink. “How do you know? You might after last night.”
“Oh, my god, you’re so jealous of me,” Jen fumed, putting her fisted hands on her hips.
She laughed. “I have to get ready and go to the library. I’ll see you tonight?”
Jen slumped down onto their lumpy couch, all traces of anger gone. “I’ll be at work tonight. I got a call this morning from the new manager and he wants all the wait staff down there for a dry run. He already sounds like an asshole.”
“Have fun,” Gigi said wit
h a smile.
*
“Have you heard yet?” Alex, one of Gigi’s classmates, whispered in her ear halfway through the lecture.
She turned to him. “Heard what?” she answered just as quietly.
“The AMNH is starting an internship program to run through this summer. One person will be selected at the end of it to secure a permanent position starting after graduation. Applications opened last week and close in two.”
She couldn’t speak for a full minute. Her heart had started pounding too hard and too loud in her chest. The American Museum of Natural History was the finest and most sought after institution when it came to archaeology and anthropology. She had student loans she’d be paying off until she was fifty, and the prospect of having a job waiting for her after graduation was more than a little appealing. “They started taking applications a week ago?” How had she not heard of this before now?
Alex nodded. “I put mine in when they opened up, but I heard other people couldn’t as the website had crashed and hasn’t been fixed yet.” Gigi’s stomach dropped. She was a whole week behind everyone else. It wasn’t just the NYU students who she had to worry about, either. Every anthropology and archaeology student from across the country would be applying, so instead of having to compete against two dozen people, she was now up against about twenty thousand. Gigi looked at the time on her phone; she had to get online and apply and time was dragging just to spite her.
When the lecturer finally wrapped up the day’s discussion, she shoved her notebook into her bag and ran out of the lecture hall, heading in the direction of the library. Finding a free terminal, she sat down and entered the AMNH web address. She followed the links and filled out the form, crossing her fingers that the site didn’t crash when she clicked the submit button.
“Did you apply?” Alex asked, falling into step with her as she walked from the library. She looked at him and smiled.
“Sure did.”
“I hope you get it, Gigi.”
“You too, Alex.”
He grinned at her, and she noticed his dimples for the first time. Alex was such a nice guy, but she’d never seen him with a girlfriend. Granted he was a little nerdy, but he was still good-looking in that boy-next-door kind of way.
“Hey, wouldn’t it be great if we both get in? That way we could work together.”
“Yeah, that would be great,” she replied. They’d reached Washington Square Park, and Gigi had the distinct impression Alex didn’t want to go. She gave him another smile. “I have to go and…do some laundry, so I’ll see you in class, Alex.”
Chapter 5
Max secured Erin into her stroller and started walking down the sidewalk on his way to Temptation. They’d arrived at ten to six that morning. By eight, he’d gotten settled in the three bedroom apartment Evangeline had set up for them. By nine, he’d been in contact with all the bartenders, waitresses and bouncers, telling them to come down to the bar to do a dry run and to make sure their training was up to scratch.
It was now ten o’clock, and he was making the three block walk from his apartment to the club to inspect the premises and test the staff. He was well-known for being a slave driver in LA, but his hard-line approach got results. End of story. He didn’t care if they didn’t like him. He was there to be their boss, not their friend.
In his pocket, his phone started ringing. “Mom? Is everything all right?”
“Max, honey, I’m so sorry to do this to you.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, immediately concerned by the tone of her voice.
“It’s your father. He’s had a heart attack.”
Max’s world slowed. “How… Is he…?” he croaked.
“He survived,” she replied and Max had heard no sweeter words. “I need to go to Seattle to be with him. Would you mind if I didn’t come to New York? I know it’s going to be difficult, but—”
“Mom, please, don’t worry about me. Go and be with Dad. I’ll give you a call later on to see how he’s doing.”
“All right, Max. I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
Max slipped his phone back into his pocket, completely shaken to his core. He had always been close to his dad, but he was closer to his mom. Thank god she was able to be with his dad. He forced the news to the back of his mind and refocused on what he was in New York for. He could worry about his dad later when he didn’t have to put the fear of god into his staff.
Five minutes later, he slowed as he got his first look of the club. From the outside it just looked like a run-down industrial building, but then the red awnings hanging above the arched doors made him look a little closer. Brass railings led up a short staircase to the front doors. The name of the club was written in brass lettering on the front.
“Need a hand?”
Max turned to see Jeremy standing there. “Excuse me?” he asked.
Jeremy gestured to the stroller. “Want me to lift the front?”
“Oh, yeah. Thanks, man.”
Pulling the keys from his pocket, he passed them to Jeremy to open the door. They stepped inside, Jeremy reaching around the corner to flick on the lights.
“Can you get the alarm? It’s by the rear exit,” Max told Jeremy, who took off at a jog, leaving Max to look around and take it all in.
“Wow,” Jeremy said when he reappeared from the back. “It looks just like the LA setup.”
“Yeah,” Max agreed. The interior decor in LA made sense. It was based on a Hollywood Regency design. But that had been carried over to the new bar, too.
“I guess it’s a point of difference. Plus, I couldn’t see Evangeline changing something that works so well.”
Max walked farther into the club, looking over the two bars set across from each other and the large space in the middle for tables and chairs. At the top of the large room was the DJ box and dance floor.
“What time is the staff getting here?” Jeremy asked.
“I told them to get here at ten thirty.”
“Hello?” somebody called from the door. A young blonde woman was standing there, dark glasses on her face.
“You here for induction?” Max called.
“Are you Max?” she asked in response. He ground his molars.
“And you are…?”
“Jen Jacobs.” She walked into the room, pulling the glasses from her face. “I’m one of your waitresses—probably your best waitress.”
Max noticed Jeremy’s mouth drop open a little bit when he got a good look at Jen. She eyed him just as appreciatively.
“Sit down. You’re early,” Max said, going behind one of the bars to check out how well-stocked it was. He found about two dozen full boxes and half a dozen empty fridges. He’d get one of the staff to get on that today.
“She’s gorgeous,” Jeremy said under his breath as he sidled up to the bar.
Max looked at him. “We’re here to get this bar running smoothly, not fuck the waitresses, Jeremy.”
There was a warning in Max’s voice that he hoped the guy didn’t miss. By the gleam of pure lust in Jeremy’s eyes, Max surmised that he hadn’t heard a damn word he’d said.
The next time he looked up, there were nearly thirty people seated in the same area as Jen. It looked like things were about to get interesting. Wheeling the stroller somewhere where it would be out of the way, Max put on his game face and approached the group of people who would be following his orders and asking ‘how high’ when he said ‘jump.’
Without any preamble, he gave them all a hard look. “You’re all here because you were found to be the best of the best. We had over one thousand applicants across the board for the positions you all hold now. Remember that when you’re working here. If you fuck up once, you’ll get a warning. Fuck up again and I’ll show you the door and hire one of those other thousand. And I can guarantee they’ll work harder for me than you ever will.” Max took in their stunned expressions. “Any questions? No? Then let’s get started.” He turned to Jere
my, who had a smirk on his face. “Take the bartenders. I’ll take the waitresses.”
“Lucky bastard,” the guy muttered under his breath as he turned around.
They split into two groups and got to work. Max put every single woman through the ringer, making sure they were up to scratch. He was surprised by how good they all were; not one of them had dropped a drink or tripped up when he asked them detailed questions about the club and how it worked.
Two hours later, Erin started to fuss, causing Max to give everyone a break.
“It’s all right, baby girl,” he cooed softly as he unstrapped her from her stroller. She’d slept through the morning, but she would be awake for a few hours now. He rocked her gently as he walked backwards and forwards near the bar. He was so absorbed in the task that he didn’t even notice someone had approached him.
“She’s beautiful.”
He turned his attention from Erin to Jen. “What do you want?” he barked back.
Jen crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, apparently unfazed by his fuck-off attitude. “Is her mom at work? Is that why you brought her with you today?”
Max’s jaw tensed. He waited a minute before answering; he had to make sure the growl was gone from his voice. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
She ignored him. “Let me know if you ever need a sitter. My roommate is looking for a job.”
*
An hour after their lunch break, Max got everyone together to give them one last pep talk.
“Well done today. I’m impressed and believe me when I say that’s a hard thing to do. The club’s grand opening is tomorrow night. Everyone who is rostered to work, I want in at four o’clock. There are still things to do, and everything has to be running smoothly. Now, I’m not expecting there to be zero problems, because there will be some. What I am expecting is for all of you to be professional and report any problems that do crop up, either to myself or to Jeremy.”
He made sure he looked every single one of them in the eye to drive his next point home. “If I find out that any of you were aware of an issue and did not report it, I’ll have your head.”