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I’m not too worried about him. Stephen has been showing huge strides in his confidence, and that’s the main thing he was lacking. He’s even been acting as a mentor for some of the newer members, and I can understand why, if he’s got something going on, he might prefer to talk to Samantha about it. Especially if it’s info from class or girl-related.
Still, I call after him. “Hey, Stephen!” When he looks back, I smile. “You meantMiss Redding, right?”
He blinks a couple of times before he gets it, then nods, “Yeah, Miss Redding.”
But his voice has gone hollow and when he walks away, his head is down, and I remind myself to ask Samantha about her schedule later.
CHAPTER25
SAMANTHA
I’m kickingass and taking names! The last week has been amazing.
Chance told me his siblings came by and said dinner after we left was even more of a showdown than before, so in a lot of ways, I’ve been wiped from their memories as the instigator of Family Nuclear Meltdown ’23. Plus, he reassured me again that he’s not mad at me for any of it.
Jaxx and I are still selling. In addition to the four—four!—products Wanda bought, I had three other tenants in the building come by to purchase things. Thankfully, they hadn’t heard my loud recommendation of the Mad Hatter, but they did get a glowing referral from Wanda.
I aced my test at school, which was more of a presentation followed by a mock counseling session with my professor. And on the flip side of the student becoming the teacher, my classes at the club have been going well.
The last one, ‘Make Your Own Meet-Cute’, was a big hit. I’d worked with the guys on genuine approaches that don’t feel creepy, ways to be an actual nice guy, not a pseudo-nice guy, and small talk that helps you both decide whether you’re compatible. My favorite part of that class was when I had the guys practice some typical pick-up lines... on each other... while I videoed it. They’d quickly seen how gross it feels when a guy leers at you and tells you that ‘you’d be a lot prettier if you smiled’ and been horrified that their ‘sexy eyes’ were more ‘I’m going to wear your skin like a coat’.
Lucas had nearly jumped Enzo during the latter’s demo, and not in a sexy way. Jim had to come in to stop their arguing, but in the end, every single guy learned a lot and several came up to me afterward to thank me.Swoon!
I’ve also been working with Evan on the podcast they asked me to guest on. Rather than a typical chat session, we’ve decided to do it up big with aHe Said, She Saiddiscussion. I’ve invited several girls from school, and we’ve hand-selected a few guys from the club, all with the intention of putting them in a room, throwing out a topic or question, and seeing what sparks fly.
It has the potential to be fantastic or a complete failure, which is ridiculously exciting. And sitting down in the meeting room we’ve turned into a temporary studio, I can feel the excitement in the air.
“Thank you for agreeing to be part of our discussion today,” Evan says as everyone shifts in their chairs. “I’m Evan White, and before we begin, I’d like to go over a few rules. First, please stay in your chairs. The mics we’ve got aren’t exactly ready for a lot of movement, and I’m not good enough with the tech to do reworks on the fly for ten-plus people.”
Evan continues with the rules, covering language, respect, staying on topic, and more, and though everyone’s listening, they’re mostly eyeing each other, sizing up the verbal competition.
“Okay, since Samantha is the only one who knows all of you, I’m gonna let her do the intros,” he says, turning it over to me.
“Thanks, Evan. We tried to get a mix of young adults, but you’re all between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five and attending classes at the university, so we’re not exactly a varied demographic, but hopefully, that’ll help us find some common ground because we only have an hour here. Quick basics on everyone—from the club, we have...”
“Lucas—he’s majoring in sports marketing and speaks his mind all the time, whether you want to hear it or not.” I grin at Lucas so he knows I mean it mostly as a compliment, and he nods his head, agreeing with me.
“Stephen. You ever hear the Mr. Rogers saying ‘look for the helpers’? That’s Stephen, so if you need anything at the club today, ladies, he can probably help you, whether it’s the vending machines or the restrooms.”
Stephen nods at the women across the table with a warm smile and tells them, “Jim, our security guard, will be near the restrooms today so you feel safe to use them.”
My heart grows at how they’re listening and learning because having Jim stationed in that area for the guests’ comfort was Anthony’s idea.
“Anthony—he’s our goofball with a good heart.”
Anthony interrupts me, mock-scolding, “Don’t tell ‘em that, Miss R. You’re already messing with my game!”
In response, I tap my forehead and tease, “What game is that, Toro?” He blushes at the reminder of the suction cup circle that lasted for ages, but he’s not really embarrassed. He’s pretty proud of the nickname his antics earned him, and he and I are totally good now. He’s apologized, is thinking in an entirely new way, and he gave me and Jaxx money for the merchandise he and his friends took.
Lucas nudges Anthony’s shoulder with his own. “Man, you ain’t got no game. You just ‘spray and pray’ that charm around, hoping to get some ass. You need to narrow that scope, bruh.”
Anthony laughs at the dig, popping back, “Like you’re out there sniping ‘em one at a time.” They devolve into laughter with fist bumps and copious ‘bros’.
“Guys.” Chance says the single word, and the two of them straighten up, though they’re still grinning and pleased with themselves.
Continuing on, I say, “Enzo—he’s our man with a plan. Valedictorian,summa cum laude, law school with an emphasis on business. Never met a distraction he couldn’t ignore with his laser focus.”
“And last but not least, Tyler. He’s new to the club, so I don’t know him as well, but it felt important to include someone less familiar with the teachings of the Gentlemen’s Club.”
