Page 9 of King of Clubs

And it was these values which led to the few people I held close, enjoying nothing more than riling up a little chaos in an attempt to make me squirm. Frustratingly, it often worked too.

Heading to my office on the deck above the dance floor I noted the club was as pristine as I expected from my night staff and cleaning crew. It was a non-negotiable that any establishment under my ownership would never be anything less than perfect. I liked things a certain way and if my staff weren't on board, they were provided their final pay-check and told to move on.

Answering emails, placing orders and making sure everything was good to go before tonight saw the morning bleed into the afternoon. I spent at least thirty minutes on the phone to Evangeline listening to her rant about how Mum nagged her to do her tax return only to question everything she did. I spent another thirty minutes pacing my office, the phone glued to my ear while I did my best to remind her to just focus on finishing her final year of her degree, assuring her we would manage the rest later. I’m fairly certain from her constant sighing that something else was pestering her, but like me, she was pretty guarded. Us Micallefs weren’t known for being conversationalists unless we trusted those we were with and even then, we were cautious about what we shared. But with each other, this didn’t apply. Which was why I bore the brunt of many of her ailments, trying to validate and offer advice, often about topics I had no idea about.

Contrastingly though, where I continued enjoying the silence which often encased our childhood, she seemed to thrive on the noise and bustle of life – but, like me, always from the sidelines. Enjoying the party lifestyle as an observer rather than a participant. It was partially why I knew she would love living in the city once she finished her studies. There were far more job prospects in the business district anyway and having her closer would be a comfort. But for now, staying home with Mum allowed her to keep saving and selfishly meant I didn’t need to head back as often.

Reaching for my phone, I noted the day was almost over and soon this place would be pumping with the best that Sydney had to offer for those looking to let off some steam. My secluded office provided me prime real estate to ensure everything ran smoothly throughout the night. And for the outside and areas I couldn’t see well, monitors lined the far side of my office with a view of every crevice and corner of the place. An omniscient insight into the actions and decisions of each of the revellers who would fill the currently void spaces. Call me voyeuristic, but privacy mattered to me, and while I spent most of my time in the office while the doors were open, greeting and mingling downstairs only as required, my social battery was quick to drain and slow to recharge. I preferred being able to observe with minimal interaction unless I was needed behind the bar.

Although the boys often told me how crazy I was not to make the most of the multitude of women who came through the doors each week. Only the other night Jack and Cooper were nagging me about finding myself afriendclaiming it wouldmake me less of a douchebag. As if either of them could fucking talk.

While the calibre of women around here definitely wasn’t lacking, it had been a long time since anyone made me look twice and settling down just wasn’t high on the priority list. I’d made it this far on my own, why would I need someone else who would only encroach on what I'd built?

My phone pinging brought me out of my head and to a new message from Andy. I’d known him, or the elusiveAndrew Gloss, since we were kids and despite our work keeping us on our toes, we stayed in touch.

Andy

Look at what I just bought with your money.

He forwarded me a picture of a new watch with its own fair share of diamonds. Judging by the size, a gift for his fiancé.

Sebastian

Enjoy it. Next time I’m taking the Outback Aces pot.

I shook my head inwardly scoffing at the title Andy’s mum had fashioned our poker nights. The stupidity of the name gave it credence making it our unofficial yet official title now. Andy’s fiancé wanted to have shirts made for us but that was not going to be happening – I had to draw the line somewhere.

Andy

Never too busy to kick your arse, bro.

Arns and her friend, Marlee are coming in tonight. Can you keep a close eye on them for me? Add everything to my tab.

Marlee.

The one with the sad eyes who slogged me right in the gut. I nearly laughed when I dumbfoundedly looked up and saw the way her neck flushed all the way up to her cheeks. Then she’d gone and tenderly rubbed my stomach and my heart pounded just a little quicker. Everything else in the room became blurry, those striking eyes holding me captive, until she disappeared as quickly as she had come. Leaving my skin far warmer and my world slightly off kilter.

Sebastian

Sure thing. I’ll have one of the boys keep watch, VIP lounge.

Andy

My man. Cheers. Will come by when we’re back in town.

Maybe tonight would be a little different to normal, I thought unsettlingly. Maybe someonewouldmake me look twice and maybe she would be the same person who had crossed my mind a fair few times in the last week. The same woman who had haunted my dreams on no less than three occasions since we met.

The floor staff started to arrive, and the tinkering of bottles and stools being moved battled with the soft conversations as they prepared for service. While I enjoyed solitude, their movements below were melodic and soothing. It brought with it the anticipation of what was to come on a busy weekend and the pride which bloomed when I saw my regulars arriving for a repeat of the night before, or the staff returning to work because they enjoyed being here. I could argue that I didn’t care what people thought of me, but I did care if they felt appreciated and respected and it was clear in their smiles and the ambience that filled the air, even when the club was at capacity, that they did.

A light knock on the door had me looking at Wayne who was signalling his arrival with a wave. The door was open but I hadn’t heard him approach, the stealthy bastard that he was, and I nodded in greeting to my head of security. He’d been with me since I first opened Nexus and he was one of a small number of people I trusted with my life. His brother Heath sold me the place and at that time, my life was anything but easy. I was working behind various bars to establish myself in the scene and Wayne was one of the few who gave me both the time and space to find my feet while discreetly guiding me. I used to joke that I would never need his opinions, but more and more I found myself leaning towards him like the father figure I unknowingly missed. He was reliable, honest and pragmatic and that was exactly what I needed personally, and later more importantly in my right-hand man. While I wouldn’t be telling him anytime soon, the old bloke was wise and often provided the voice of reason to cool my irrational brain.

“All checks have been done, boss. Anything I need to know before we open?” He was a force, built on solid muscle and anger and I was confident nothing would happen with him on the ground. He ran his security team like a well-oiled machine and most of the time even just a look from him was enough to ensure the rowdiness of any riff-raff ceased.

“Hopefully a chill one tonight. How are Alyce and the girls?” I asked. Alexis and Zoë were something else and since I first met them, held a piece of my heart. When Wayne brought them in here it was difficult not to let my guard down as they ran circles around both their dad and I. Most people avoided me, finding my reticence uncomfortable, but not the twins. They took it as their opportunity to fill the silence with stories of their own and the innocence of it all was humbling. They, along with their mother Alyce, were the only people I’d ever seen give Wayne any shit without any form of repercussion. He often tried to be stern, but the girls took no stead and it was something I definitely enjoyed more than I should. Although, it wasn’t ideal when they discovered how to use the soda gun and decided it was here they would drink copious amounts of sugar and coat the floors with lemonade while Wayne and I were busy.

His face softened at the mention of his family. “They’re good, man. Driving me crazy like always,” he smiled.

“As it should be. Actually Andy’s woman and her friend will be in tonight. Reserve them the VIP area and ensure they are good the entire time, please? I need to know when they arrive, how much they drink and when they plan on leaving.”

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