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Liar!
“Then why won’t you take the job? What if I talk to Trey, get your start date moved, and you can give notice at the bar. I can ask him right now.”
Shit!
“I appreciate the opportunity, Sloane, but uh…” Dahlia bit her lip, glancing around her half-barren house. “I think I’m going to stick with The Moon Bar. I really like it.” Dahlia rolled her eyes. Even she wasn’t buying the bullshit she was trying to sell Sloane.
“Are you sure?” Sloane groaned. “You can take a day to think about it. How about we do that? Sleep on it and call me in the morning.”
Dahlia wouldn’t be getting any type of sleep. Her shift was slated from seven to four the next morning. They were horrible hours, and the worst type of customers, but even sleep deprivation wouldn’t change the circumstances.
“I don’t need another day, Sloane.”
The line was silent, but knowing Sloane, she wasn’t finished.
“Can I just say one more thing?”
Dahlia smiled, nodding. It was silly since Sloane couldn’t see her. “Yes.”
“I know starting a new job is super stressful, and Trey and some of the others are incredibly intimidating.” Sloane snorted. “If you’d met Rogue, you probably wouldn’t even answer this call. Just kidding.” Sloane chuckled nervously, then whispered, “Kind of.”
Dahlia had heard whispers about Rogue but hadn’t met him or even seen him. There’d been stories shared through the grapevine. Brash, abrasive, rude, and unpredictable. And the standout: dangerous. However, working for Trey and Rogue at the Bowery didn’t connect them in any way. They were merely bosses, as Sloane explained, and Dahlia’s interaction with management was limited to Sloane. That was obviously untrue, considering it was Trey who’d handled her interview.
“You’d be such an asset to the Bowery, Dahl. And you’ve waited patiently for so long, and now you have the job. I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t take it. If it’s the money, I’ll go back to Trey and try to get you more.”
Oh God, no.
“The Moon Bar is a better fit for me.”
“No, it’s not!” Sloane snapped, and Dahlia heard a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I just mean you’re a great fit for the Bowery, Dahlia.”
I hear you, Sloane. Her friend was telling her exactly what she needed to hear, even if it didn’t change her mind. Sloane’s words were loud and clear. You are good enough, Dahlia.
Was she, though? It was her own demons she was fighting. Insecurity was the devil. It made her rethink everything, including her worth. It was the ultimate Catch-22. Dahlia could be as confident as the next person and go head-to-head with anyone she deemed an equal. But Trey wasn’t an equal, at least not in her mind. Self-doubt had a way of wiggling inside her, making her question who she was, and ultimately prevailing.
I’m working on it. Dahlia sucked in a deep breath, the truth playing out before her eyes. I’m just not there yet.
“I appreciate everything, Sloane, but I’m…” Dahlia ground her teeth, forcing out the lie. “I’m happy where I am.”
Sloane wouldn’t understand, nor would she buy Dahlia’s bullshit, but she wouldn’t call her out on it.
Thank you, Sloane.
****
10:37 p.m.
Goddammit, Rogue.
Trey tossed his phone on his desk and raked his hands over his hair. Years in the business should have equated to a little reprieve in managing Rogue’s whereabouts. No. Rogue was the same person he’d met at the ripe age of nine. Self-centered, narcissistic, and always late.
Two people couldn’t be more different. Yet somehow, they’d been paired up and never parted. A brother. Some used it as a flippant term, but not them. There were only three people in this world Trey truly and wholeheartedly trusted, and Rogue was one of them.
“Trey?”
He glanced up to find Jared in the doorway.
“Rogue’s on his way. He’s about fifteen minutes out.”
