Page 10 of King of Clubs

He rubbed his hand over his bald head and cracked his neck. “Sure thing. Should be smooth.”

“Speaking of smooth, Coop’s new scotch arrived. We’ll have a glass tonight at close.” Turning away, I opened one of the cupboards discreetly located next to the small wet bar and grabbed my watch. The same one my Mum gifted me for my 21st birthday which she would’ve had to save for years to buy. I could have replaced it one thousand times over, but I never would, the sentiment as important as anything else. I fastened it to my left wrist before changing into one of the crisp white business shirts I kept onsite, pulling the collar down firmly. Tucking the bottom into my pants, I rolled my sleeves and tightened my belt to the fourth notch. The routine was subconscious and precise as was everything I did.

Glancing down to ensure everything was as it should be, I admired the intricate detail in the ink that donned most of the skin on my right forearm. Each piece was either a meaningful reminder of something I cherished or a reason to work harder.

I tapped the panther which encased the skin peeking from beneath the rolled sleeve before moving to complete my final checks ready for the doors to open for business.

It didn’t take long for the dance floor to fill and every seat in the place to be covered with someone looking to lose themselves in the music. Opening the doors to Nexusonly three years prior, I still felt the same exhilaration when the place was full.

Although, recently, I’d been spending more and more time staring at the strobing lights, the cocktails and shots pumping over the bar and the sticky floors that were inevitable in a nightclub, and wondering what it would look like if I gutted the place and transitioned the space into a whiskey bar.

Light jazz music, a stark contrast to the deep base of J-Kwon pumping through the speakers now. Subtle low-hung lighting bouncing off brown leather lounges, a direct binary to the fluorescents currently encasing the floor. The clientele would also change and the need for a security team of twenty people would no longer be necessary. I could work the bar some nights purely because I wanted to and I could take more of a hands-on approach in the day-to-day running. Additionally, it would mean a calmer and more serene environment which at thirty-two, became more and more favourable.

Failure wasn’t something I could or would tolerate though, so I wouldn’t do anything until I had it all ironed out. And no one was going to help me so I needed to plan it all myself if I wanted to see that goal achieved. Growing up as themanof the house from such a young age showed me how you fought for yourself, clapped for yourself and didn’t compare yourself to others if you wanted to maintain a steady success and reach those targets. This was no different.

Observing another large group of people arrive, a nice mixture of men and women, maintaining a balance that wasn’t always easy to achieve, I smiled.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins, the same way it always did when the place was popping like tonight. Sometimes I wished I could see the club through their eyes, noting if anything could be improved or enhanced. My gaze found Wayne, easy to spot in his plain black t-shirt ready to pop at the seams with the sheer size of him. He had a presence and people moved for him as if he were Moses parting the Red Sea.

He stepped aside and Andy’s fiancé, Arna, came into view in a wave of blonde hair looking happy and sophisticated in a pair of jeans and a black top. She gestured for her companion to follow before the crowd swallowed them both.

Forest eyes flashed in my mind and I followed Wayne and his mountainous biceps as he moved through to the VIP area. He was at least a foot taller than anyone else making him easy to track despite the crowd.

Messaging Andy to let him know Arna had arrived, I paused as I got my first glimpse of Marlee from behind, my glass suspended in midair as I greedily mapped her body. One which when I saw her only a week ago, was hidden under baggy clothing.

Long, perfectly toned legs peeking out from a deep purple dress, hugging her body in all the right places. Thick, chestnut hair barrelled down her back, pointing to a backside that should have come with a warning sign. She was all hips and arse and I sucked my teeth, the instant attraction I felt when I first met her, hurtling back and slapping me in the face like a bucket of water.

It didn’t take a professional to identify there were definite issues with control in my world and preferring not to share my spaces with anyone was in part due to the chaos which could ensue if someone or something entered my circle. But a man had needs.

Needs which didn’t always find the same satisfaction when met with my own hand. Maybe a night with some company was needed after all.

Although, even if I wanted to lose myself in someone else for a night, I wouldn’t be finding that with her. I didn’t mix my worlds, especially when it came to pleasure – that sounded like a fucking recipe for disaster and consequently, a mess which had the potential to give me a headache at the very least or at worst launch an irate Arna on my tail. Neither of which I wanted.

But when that purple dress came into full view I could have easily stood cemented to that very spot and watched that body all night jerking my dick like a man possessed.

Mentally kicking my own arse I headed towards the cameras. I didn’t care about the women in my club. None of them required me taking a second look, let alone this obsession. Despite my resolution I hastily tracked the screens until I found the right one. The one that had a direct view to the VIP lounge for another peek at the brunette in violet.

Her head was thrown back, laughing at something Arna was saying in her ear and I was lost for words for the first time in as long as I could remember. The innocence in those flushed cheeks, green eyes so striking I could see them clearly through the lens and her arms shifting shadows across her face as she swayed to the music.

Holy shit.

Why had I only just met this woman?

If she was close with Arna, surely she would have been at her engagement party and I would never have forgotten a face or body like that. With plenty of questions forming in my head, I shot another text off to Andy and decided now was the perfect time to do my first walk through of the night – knowing exactly where I would start.

Marlee

Chapter Four

In the midst of growing up, I’d somehow forgotten just how much fun it was to come to a nightclub. Nexus was an amazing idea and after someslightlyaggressive encouragement from Arna, for the first time in a long time I put effort into how I looked, had a couple of drinks and allowed my inhibitions to take a hike for the night. And low and behold, I was genuinely enjoying myself, which felt more important than anything else, really. Confidence wasn’t something I ever lacked, nor did I tend to care what people thought, but tonight I felt good and that was an exhilarating feeling.

A tray of vodka with passion fruit came to the table and we both reached for one, admiring the impressive presentation. The remnants of violet filtered through the top half of the glass matching my dress before cascading down to a clear liquid and I squealed as I lifted my phone to snap a quick selfie. I became enamoured with the way my freshly painted nails only added to howput togetherI felt before locking my phone.

“TheThunderstormhas taste apparently, this looks delicious,” pushing the soft flower to the edge of the glass, I watched as the slice of fresh fruit rippled across the top of the drink. There was effort in this cocktail and I wondered if we were receiving special treatment because of Andy’s connections. It wouldn’t have been the first time and I wasn’t even remotely mad when this is what we got.

“Thunderstorm?”

“Sebastian. Good to look at but could probably destroy me,” I joked and Arna shook with laughter before raising her drink.

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