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Jake continues, “This is the first attempt of drugging her of the night. She doesn’t finish this drink and he continues to buy and spike her drink two more times, each time she is smart enough to not drink it, but rather put it down to dance or go to the bathroom - which is where I think she called Molly from.”
Molly. Just the sound of her name has my body on edge. My head is thumping and my body twitches, I want to see her again. I need to be near her. No, I am craving to be near her.
“What an asshole,” Scarlett growls, making the four of us men look at her, none of us have heard her sound so venomous in a long time.
Shaun rubs her back. “Let’s keep calm, princess, no stress for the baby, remember.”
Scarlett gives Shaun the evil eyes, and I am glad that I am not on the receiving end of her glare. Her hormones are all over the place lately, and I am happy not to be in her crossfire today. Shaun is one brave man at the moment.
“If this gets out, the reputation of the club is really on the line. It would probably impact not only the revenue but could get us shut down,” Marco says, more for my benefit than anyone else's. He knows that if I lost the clubs, that I would hit rock bottom.
Marco has been a constant in my life since my dad died. He is my best friend and confidant, and we are also practically family since his brother married my cousin. Matched in height and build, we even look related, both of us attracting the affections of many women and both of us having great business sense and success.
Marco’s expertise is in people, whether that is in human resources and workplace culture or public relations and publicity, both of which he manages at Marshal & Co, the business he owns with Shaun. He is what people describe as a charmer, and most inaccurately assume he is a player, but he is genuine in everything he does. He just likes to do it all with a smile, and he has a lot of well-mannered charm which gets him places. All he has to do is flash his big, bright watermelon smile and things happen. Business deals get done, women drop their pants; it is a winning formula for him.
As usual, Marco is right, if the clubs close then there would be a big impact. I would be without a plan for the future. The clubs are my only future. I know that John will not want this to go public given his position, so I know that he won't be the one to go to the press or cause any issues.
But I have ethics and a deep desire to do the right thing. I am just starting to get New York off the ground, and the new rooftop bar will really lift my brand and make it the place to be in NYC. To think that it could all go under before I even have a chance of reaching my full potential is disheartening. It is like my past repeating. An old disgusting man, wanting what he can’t have, causing heartache and pain to those around him, and leaving me without a business, a job, or a family… broken. A shell of my former self with nothing but a constant thumping in my head. My mind is whirling. With everything spinning in my head, the only positive thought I have is of Molly.
She is the only thing that brings me calm. God, I want her. Here with me. Now.
“I have already given a full file of evidence to Molly, earlier today,” I say to everyone, and they all look at me surprised.
“Good,” Scarlett states. “How is Molly doing?” She asks, sniffing for evidence of a relationship between Molly and I again.
“She is good, she just has a lot on her plate right now.”
“Do you think that was the right thing to do? I mean, can’t she use that to shut the clubs?” Marco, always the cautious one states.
“It is the right thing to do. We have always done things that are not easy and are painful to us, but they have always been the right things. Jasmine could have been physically and mentally hurt by this jerk off because we were not keeping a close enough eye on our patrons. We will do the right thing by her, and even though it could mean the end for me, at least I go down doing the right thing. Just like last time.”
I look at Scarlett and she gives me a weak smile and a nod. Shaun slaps me on the shoulder, probably already planning on where in his business he can put me next. Marco and Jake look at me with admiration and concern, both wondering, like me, if this is really our only option, but deep down, I know that it is. It may hurt me again, but if it protects young innocent girls then it is important for us to do our part to assist.
Best case scenario, it may not impact my clubs, and that is what I am hoping for. But as soon as the media gets wind of the story, which they will, then we will lose patrons and revenue; just how much it will impact us in the end is the question.
“I have a friend in the Feds, let me call him, perhaps he can help, maybe offer some advice for dealing with high profile people like John?” Jake offers and I nod, happy for him to take charge at this moment.
We talk for a few more hours on our game plan moving forward, on how we can mitigate our risks as much as possible. While it is not their head on the chopping block, I am grateful for their ongoing and unwavering support, both when everything happened a few years ago and now. It is nice to have people in your corner when you need them.
With Jake tasked with securing the club and locking down any future risks, Marco is in charge of briefing HR and PR teams, and Shaun and Scarlett are looking at finances to see what expenses we can remove in case things go south quickly. I concentrate on pausing the NYC expansion and any assistance I can offer Jasmine and Molly.
My dream of running a successful business is on thin ice and I am again reminded of there being such a thin line between success and failure. At any moment you can fall from one side to the other.
Once everyone leaves, it is late and I am exhausted. Jake is going to manage the club tonight, while we investigate who jumped me and so I can get an extra night of rest. I sit on the sofa and look out the windows, gathering my thoughts from the day. I grab my phone out of my pocket and dial Molly, having already saved her details from her business card.
She picks up in two rings, “Hello, this is Molly.”
At the sound of her voice, my body calms, like a weight has been lifted. I immediately soften, and my body relaxes.
“Hey, it’s Stephen,” I say, and I hear her breath hitch.
“Hi. How are you?” she asks in a voice so calm and tender it is like a warm bath to my body.
“I’m okay, still resting up, but I'm home. How are you doing? How is your gran?”
I hear her stifle a yawn before she answers, “Sorry, I am okay, and gran is still in the hospital. I’m here with her now actually.”
“Do you need anything? Is there anything I can bring you?”
