Page 11 of The Bloke

“You’d be right with that assumption, mate. Don’t give me a reason to kill you now.” Nick laughed before moving to his locker and pulling his suit out. “Now, let’s get ready for your big night. I heard the other two potential new members passed, too, so it’ll be a full house at the mansion.”

I didn’t know where I would be without Nick right now, but I sure as fuck knew it wouldn’t be at that mansion about to receive the paycheck of a lifetime.

Nick pulled up tothe front of the mansion, parking at the end of the circular driveway behind the long line of luxury vehicles of every make and model that had arrived before us. At least twenty other cars were parked and empty, with another five that had followed us through the gates.

Nick wasn’t kidding when he said this would be a full house tonight; honestly, that was an understatement at this rate.

This time, the fountain in the center of the drive was lit up, glowing a soft red. When Nick brought me here the first time, all the fountains were unlit; tonight, they were on full display, including the ones that lined the driveway up to the main gate.

Getting out of Nick’s Lamborghini, I turned to admire the enormous mansion and the overwhelming sea of black suits filing in through the main front doors.

“You ready?” Nick walked up beside me as I continued to stare in awe of it all.

“Do I have a choice?” I sighed heavily, taking it all in and chewing on my cheek.

“Not anymore, mate. Come on, let’s get you inside so I can show off our newest member.” He laughed, shoving me forward.

I stumbled slightly at the push but found my footing and followed him up to the doors, keeping my head down from wandering eyes. My hands started sweating, and I slid them into my slacks as we stepped into the entryway.

I’ve never been the center of attention; being raised in a large family in a small town, there was no spotlight to shine in. Even right now, with my position in the show, I was in a supporting role in the background, not dancing a center stage set like Nick, Jaxon, Darren, and Tate—another thing I would have to get used to.

Everyone here was dressed to the nines. It wasn’t hard to see just how wealthy the Men Under Revue were, in contrast to their role on the Strip. Our show at Neon Palms was the smallest of the three and more exclusive, considering our requirement of Australian Citizenship, so there were only eleven of us here tonight, while the other two revues had upwards of twenty.

“Levi!” Nick called out over the overwhelming sea of members.

“Nick! Where have you been?”

“Where the fuck do you think I’ve been?” Nick gave him a sarcastic laugh, bringing the man named Levi in for a hug and patting him on the back.

“Not on tour, so it seems. They still haven’t promoted you?” Levi gaped at him in shock, as if Nick should have been on tour this entire time.

“Nah, and I doubt they will anytime soon.” He shrugged in disappointment.

“Shame, you’d fit in well with the rest of us.” Levi frowned. “And who’s this handsome fellow you brought with you? I don’t recall seeing him at the last ceremony.” He held his hand out to me with a smile. “Levi Castiel.”

“Colby Bryce.” I returned the smile, shaking his hand.

“Colby here is my protégé; he passed all three of his tests with flying colors and will be sworn in tonight with the other two newbies.” Nick chimed in.

“Pleasure to meet you, Colby.” Levi nodded.

“Levi runs Temptations at the opposite end of the strip. The equivalent of Jaxon, with the benefit of touring. The Temptations group focuses more on the touring aspect than their residency shows.”

“Isn’t that the truth? We just got back from our European tour, and the women…” Levi blew out a low whistle before another gentleman caught his attention.

“Don’t let Levi suck you into touring; it’s easier when the women come to you.” The man approached us with a lively chuckle and extended his hand to me. “Dallas Ryan, I run Red Magic halfway up the Strip from you in Stardust.”

“—and Dallas is just jealous that his show has never been selected for touring.” Levi jumped back as Dallas moved to take a playful swing at his arm.

“Like I said, it’s easier when they come to you. We don’t need to tour.” Dallas smirked, shaking my hand and looking over the crowd as a chime rang across the main foyer where we were gathered. “Sounds like they’re starting. I’ll see you boys in there. Good luck, Colby.” He winked before leaving us to join his group.

“Come on, let’s find Jaxon and the others.” Nick gripped my arm and dragged me to the other side of the crowd as everyone began filing down the stairs where the expansive ballroom resided.

The ballroom was setup like a standard showroom, with a stage at the front and seating lined up in three separatesections. Each revue was grouped and seated in its own designated area.

Following Nick, we were both seated at the end of our section so we could quickly exit into the aisle when we were prompted to approach the stage. He briefed me before we descended into the basement, ensuring I understood the ceremony process.

“When the time comes, after Dustin has finished his introduction, we—the sponsors—will be called up to present our protégés. This is where you will follow me and stand to my left on the stage. Once I’ve presented you to Dustin, he will congratulate you on passing your tests and present you with your membership ring.” His eyes narrowed on mine.

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