“This is…” I stumbled over what to call him. Calling him my guardian sounded childish and…not the right way to describe him. “Corbin Black. And just a friend.”
“Nice to meet you.”
I envied her relaxed demeanor. She stood tall but leaned against the bar with the comfort of owning it. She probably didn’t need to spend years building a wall of impenetrable confidence. She probably didn’t need to wear a certain outfit to feel more powerful. The black chiffon, long sleeve top over her black bra was probably one of many that she carelessly threw on, knowing it didn’t matter what she wore.
When I pictured the manager of the club, I hadn’t expected her. When my gut told me something was wrong under the surface, I imagined it had to do with the manager, but standing here now, nothing about her pricked at my intuition.
“So, you’re the manager?” I asked.
“The floor manager,” she corrected.
I hummed to myself in understanding but leveled a questioning look at Audra. I hadn’t asked for the floor manager, and she knew it. She at least had the courtesy to notably swallow her discomfort. “I figured Camille would be a good person to help you with anything you needed.”
Camille—not Charlie, who was listed on the paperwork.
“I didn’t ask for what you figured. I asked for the club manager.”
Audra swallowed again, looking back to Corbin for the first time as if he could help her reasons with the bitchy woman. I stepped to the side, blocking her line of sight, forcing her to look at me.
“Now, please.”
Audra looked to Camille, having a silent conversation that set me on edge. My irritation reached peak levels until I thought I’d stomp my foot and demand some action.
Thankfully, I was saved from my immature outburst when Camille shrugged. “Fuck it. Take her to see Charlie.” She stood upright and nodded to me. “Nice meeting you, Rose. If you need anything, just let me know.” With that, she went back to tending to customers while we were left to follow Audra.
She led us down a hall, past the bathrooms, and around the corner to a closed door. Rather than knock, she stepped back and gestured for us to take the lead. I looked back to Corbin, who shrugged before reaching past me to knock hard against the door. It took two seconds to accomplish, but the world slowed when the action brought his chest against my back, and his spicy scent enveloped my senses.
“Fuck off, I’m busy,” a voice snapped from the other side.
I shot a wide-eyed look to Audra, hoping for an explanation but only got a wince. With zero help from her, I pulled my shoulders back and stood tall. No one told me to fuck off—let alone in my own building.
Just as I went to open the door, Corbin’s strong fingers gripped my arm, stopping me.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Do you want me to go in first?”
Yes, I almost blurted.
I hadn’t spent much time imagining what I’d encounter when I went to take over the club. Instead, focusing on what I’d do once I was in charge, but an angry man yelling at me to fuck off never would have made the list.
Start as you plan to finish.
“No.”
He hesitated to release me, holding me hostage under his stare. Whatever he saw in my eyes caused his grip to loosen and his eyes to spark with respect. It was that respect that had me shoving all doubt aside and flinging open the door.
Where my jaw proceeded to drop.
“Yeah. Show me you want to work here. If you can get me into your throat, maybe I’ll raise your pay.”
A woman knelt with her back to me, her head bobbing over the crotch of the man clutching her head to his hips while he leaned against the desk my dad built himself.
“What the fuck?” I shouted.
The woman jerked back so hard she fell to her bottom on the floor, leaving the man’s tiny cock hanging free of his slacks. He looked up with wide eyes quickly narrowing to slits as he fumbled to cover himself. “Who the fuck are you?” he shouted, his sun-aged face growing red under the sparse facial hair he struggled to grow. “We’re conducting a fucking interview here.”
The woman righted her top, standing up with hunched shoulders and keeping her eyes glued to the floor while Charlie looked ready to do battle. Everything about the situation set the blood in my veins on fire. Heat flooded my cheeks, and I clenched my jaw shut when all I wanted to do was release a warrior cry and nut punch his balls into his throat. As a woman wanting to step into a man’s world of business, I knew the disadvantages and pricks who used them. I met plenty of them in college.