Page 3 of The Stallion
“Of course. Even working under a different revue, your father holds a leadership position, and you're his legacy. That alone gives him the clearance to know everything that goes on with you, including your current position in Red Magic.”
My brows knitted together in confusion.Why would he even care? I’m sure he had better things to do with his time than play fly on the wall with Alec.
“And? What did he want to know?”
“It wasn’t what he wanted; it was what I needed.”Okay, Alec, now I’m interested.“As you’re already aware, leadership positions within each of the revues are passed down, and the role doesn’t go to just anyone, only those deserving of the title and the power that comes with it…”
“Yes?…” His dramatic pause made me curious to know more, even though I already had a pretty good idea of where this conversation was going.
“The role itself is treated like a torch, and all existing leadership must agree on who it gets handed to next when an established leader is ready for retirement…”So far, so good.“Your legacy status puts you first in line for my position, and the final thing I needed was Cole’s permission to give it to you.”
Alec needed my father’s permission to give me the one thing that I had been working my ass off for, for the past six years.Holy fucking shit.
“I’m listening…” I spoke as coolly as possible, but I was a volcano ready to fucking explode from the news. Because why the fuck would my father say no? He wanted this for me just as much as I did for myself.
“I have to finish drawing up and signing the paperwork, but as of next week, you’ll be taking over as the new leader of Red Magic. The show will be yours to run and manage as you see fit.”
And just like that, my heart stopped in my chest. It was like my fucking birthday and Christmas all rolled into one.
Red Magic was mine.All fucking mine.
A title as coveted as this wasn’t granted often. Typically, once a member receives their leadership title, they hold the position until their retirement, like Alec, or their death. Whichever came first.
It was common for revue dancers to retire once they reached fifty-one, allowing for a solid thirty years of work if they started at twenty-one, like me. They didn’t have to dance the entire length of their term, but they still had to pay their dues if they wanted to continue collecting paychecks for the rest of their lives.
“You remember the only key requirement of leadership, right?” Alec interrupted my internal reveling, and my stomach bottomed out.
I could feel myself turning pale at his words.
Well shit…
I had almost forgotten the one minor yet crucial detail in becoming a leader—the face of the revue.
“I need to be married…” A heavy sigh fell with my words as my overall excitement crashed to the floor.Fuck... “What’s the timeline again?” I asked, not really wanting to know precisely how longI had left to live the life of Vegas’s most attractive and eligible bachelor.
“The sooner, the better. But with the current understanding that you aren’t seeing anyone on an intimate level, you have a year to figure it out. After that, if you aren’t married, your title will be revoked and your position will default to the next candidate in line.”
Fuck that.
I wasn’t about to blow my one shot at having everything I’d been working for, only to hand it over to someone else.
But how the fuck would I find a woman worthy of being my wife within a year?
Hot, fiery, and fierce women didn’t just fall out of the fucking sky.
Chapter 2
Dallas
Twenty-One Years Old
INITIATION:TESTONE.
For the last three years, my father has been training me for this very moment—my initiation into the Men Under Revue.
The first requirement for membership was employment with any of the three primary male revues, ensuring exclusivity.
Not every dancer who worked in one of the shows was a member, but our black obsidian rings made it easier to quickly identify other members who understood its significance—a ring coveted for what it represented to those who’ve earned it—and soon, I would be receiving mine.
