Page 23 of Loved By You

Later? Will he be at the club?A flutter of excitement bursts in my stomach.God, I hope so.

Scrolling down, I see there is also a message from Anne.

Anne

Good morning, my darling. The girls slept great and they are out walking Nugget with Grandpa, and this afternoon we are taking them to the park that has the sandbox. Lexi has plans to build a Barbie dream sand castle. Call anytime, but we are fine and you make sure you get some rest. I hope your first shift went well. We are so proud of you, love you, Anne x

Tears prick in my eyes at her words and my mind drifts to thoughts of my own mom, who I haven't heard from once since leaving Alex. She hasn't checked in or told me she’s proud.I’d give anything to hear those words from her.

I sip my coffee and fire a text back, telling her my shift went great and I will FaceTime before I start my shift.

“So how was work?” Gabby asks as she sits crossed legend at the end of the bed.

“You'll never guess who my new bosses are…” She stares at me blankly, shrugging her shoulders and sipping her coffee. “Brad, Harry, and Jack.”

She lowers her mug and her mouth falls open. “Shut the fuck up. I need all the details.” She yells at the top of her voice, “Ali, get in here. Ria has gossip.”

Once Ali has come in and made herself comfy on the bed as well, I tell everything, including how his hand on my back made me feel.

“I don’t know what this thing is between us—if it’s even a thing—but he makes me feel good, you know, like I'm worth looking at. He makes me laugh and I like how I feel when I'm around him”

“Ri, you’re beaming… look at you,” Gabby squeals, reaching and squeezing my hand.

“But is it too soon to be enjoying another man's attention?” I question, picking at the light pink nail polish on my thumbnail.

“Ri, there is no set time after a breakup, and he’s not some random guy you met online. It’s Jack. He’s a good one,” Ali reassures me.

“I know, but I'm not ready for any of that yet. I don't want a relationship. I just… I don't know. It feels good to have fun.”

“It’s your life, babe. You get to control what happens, what you do and who you let in. You wanna walk up the aisle with Jacktomorrow? We’ll support you and if you just wanna ride him like a rodeo pony, then we’ll support you too.”

She scoots over and nudges my arm with her elbow and I rest my head on her shoulder.

“And we’re gonna need all the details because if that man fucks as good as he looks, holy hell, Ri. Do not deprive yourself, you’ve gone far too long without some quality meat,” she says, laughing.

I laugh so hard with her that tears roll down my cheeks and my sides ache. It’s the laugh I didn’t know I needed. I know I overthink, over analyze and question everything, but the idea and the reality of letting myself let go and moving on are two very different things.

Night two is just as busy. The club is heaving, so we’ve had to re-stock the bar twice. The rich sure can drink. To my surprise, Jack is here again. I didn't think he would be around so much, but I'd be lying if a small part of me isn't hoping he is here to see me.

I’m pouring a whiskey on the rocks in the VIP area when I feel eyes on me. I glance up and see Jack standing next to another man who is talking to him, but Jack’s not paying him any attention as he’s looking at me. I give him a small smile, and the one he gives back makes me feel giddy.

Get a grip, Ria. You’re twenty-nine, not nineteen.

Jack’s wearing his usual black suit pants with a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His light brown hair has that messed up look but like it was intentional. His jawline looks like it has been hand-crafted by the people who built the pyramids.He hasn't shaved today and honestly, it only adds to his sex appeal. I imagine how good it would feel to run my tongue along his jawline. He looks edible.

I am snapped away from my daydream by one of the girls shouting my name over the thumping music.

“Ria, babes, we are running low on vodka and tequila. Can you go to the stockroom and grab a couple of bottles?”

“Sure thing,” I shout back as she throws the key card in my direction and I catch it.

“Take the radio too, just in case we need anything else, I'll buzz ya.” She points to the radio next to the cash register.

I escape the loud VIP area of the club and head down the back stairs to the stockroom, swiping the key card and opening the door.

It’s a lot quieter down here and a bit chilly. Rubbing my hands over the tops of my arms to warm myself up, I scan the room for what I need. The music from the main room faintly plays through a small speaker in the corner. I hum along as I search the shelves of liquor. I spot the bottle of vodka I need and lean up to reach it, stretching on my tiptoes, my fingers only just touching it.

The sound of the door opening and slamming closed again makes me jump, the force of my movement, knocking the bottle off the shelf. It falls to the floor, shattering against the concrete.

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