A soft touch to my back kept me from lingering too long, and I looked to Corbin, expecting to find a reprimand in his gaze to stay focused. Instead, there was understanding softening the blue depths. Somehow, he knew exactly what I was doing. Hell, maybe he was doing it, too.
Somehow in all of this, I forgot he also lost my father and, in that moment, for the first time since he died, I didn’t feel quite so alone.
It rocked my core and crumbled a piece of the foundation I built myself on, only to be replaced with something else, something like a hand reaching out to help me. It wasn’t bad, but right then, it was too much. So, I repositioned myself on my platform and returned his soft smile and nod, turning back to the front.
A glossed black stand reflected bits of lights from the chandeliers above. Behind it stood a woman who appeared more formidable than any bouncer at a club. She smiled politely as I approached, but her eyes warned me that getting in wouldn’t be as easy as paying a cover charge.
“Hello,” she greeted as soft as the curves under her dress. “Welcome to The Berkshire. How can I help you?”
I gave an equally polite smile that warned I wasn’t here to play and cut straight to the point. Another tip from my father. Start as you plan to finish, and I planned to make sure everyone knew who was in charge by the time I left. “I’m Rose Berkshire. I need you to show me where I can find the manager. Please,” I added. I was the boss, not a bitchy heathen.
I had to give her credit for her minimal reaction. She remained composed, only allowing her dark brows to barely raise half an inch.
“Miss Berkshire,” she said slowly, tapping on her tablet behind the desk. “Do you have a membership here?”
“I fucking own it,” I clarified. I wasn’t there to laugh over the confusion and make small talk. “Your manager,” I stated again.
She hesitated for only a moment, the smallest twitch of her blood-red lips the only hint to her discomfort. I liked her. I liked her even more because not once did she look back at Corbin, assuming he was the one truly in charge.
“Of course. Follow me.”
As if a practiced dance, as soon as we stepped away, a tall man in all black took her place behind the desk. At least, as far as I could tell, the club still had efficient protocols I knew my father set in place. From the minimal information I was able to get Phillip to send to me, everything looked okay, but my gut kept pushing me to dig deeper as if something lingered under the surface.
The curvaceous brunette led us around the corner and through a heavy set of wooden doors into an open lounge with the same dark brown, black, and gold accents as the lobby.
A set of stairs leading to the main area sat just beyond the entrance, and I stood at the top like a queen overlooking her domain. The low hum of conversation, clinking glasses, and jazz band on the stage off to the side welcomed me. I remembered twirling across the stage as I waited for my father. I remembered laying on the floor, staring up, fascinated by the large crystal chandelier. I hadn’t been here much, but the memories with my father lingered, and something about it being there clicked a piece in place I hadn’t known to look for.
No one paid us any attention as we walked down the steps and past curved booths filled with laughing patrons. Just walking down the middle, my heels striking the floor beneath me infused me with more strength. I kept my chin high and focused on the high wall behind the bar ahead. Liquors lined the glass shelves, shining like the finest gold with the amber lights illuminating behind them.
Through it all, I never forgot the man behind me. His own strength surrounding me allowed me to focus on my goal.
“C,” the brunette called once we reached the sleek bar top.
A stunning woman with a mane of springy coils looked over from drying a glass, coming over when our greeter gestured. “What’s up, Audra?”
“This is Miss Berkshire, the owner,” the curvy brunette—Audra—explained.
C—if that was her name—turned eyes like translucent ice on me. Their surreal color all the more intense among her luxurious locks. Although, she didn’t have quite the composure that Audra did. Her brows shot high as her eyes bounce between me and behind me. “As in The Berkshire-Berkshire?”
“As in Rose Berkshire. Alec was my dad.”
She studied me and nodded. “I never knew him, but I heard he was a good man.”
“Who’s your boyfriend,” she asked, jerking her chin to Corbin.