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“We’ve already gone over this. Genevieve is phenomenal. She reminds me a lot of you. She’s talented, smart, and witty as hell. She will do great.”
“Thank you though, for staying on in the meantime to ensure the transition goes seemlessly. Of course, I'm only a phone call away and will be able to oversee more once the club is up and running.”
“No need to thank me. I want the legacy of AOS to continue, even after we’re long gone.”
“Ugh, you’re literally the best. I don’t know how I'm going to survive without you by my side. Please tell me you’ll visit?”
I'm serious when I say this. I feel like Blossom holds all my loose ends together, making sure no strings slip away. She’s played a huge role in our transition plans for AOS, to ensure the blog continues to run smoothly. To say I was disappointed when Blossom turned down my offer would be an understatement. Since she’s done so much for the company, I assumed it was something she wanted for herself. But I know deep down she wants more for herself, and I don’t blame her. Being a dreamer myself, I know what it’s like to feel the need for something new and exciting. Something to latch on to and make you own.
“Did you already forget? I told you I’ll come to N.Y. for that student design showcase in December. You promised you’d take me to Rockefeller Center to see the tree.”
“Oh shit, yes, now I remember… We were going to scope out possible designers for the employee’s uniforms.” I smile at her tipsily.
She just shakes her head and takes a sip from her glass.See, I'm lost without her.
“Pssh, why even bother with a uniform? Just stick some pasties on and call it a day.” Quinn laughs into her drink.
“They need clothes Quinnie.”
“But do they really?” she says with one eyebrow raised and a devious smirk on her face. I can't with this one. I better keep an eye on her. She really will have my club shut down within days with all the scenarios her crazy ass has cooked up.
We all burst out laughing and clink our glasses together, finishing them in one go. Just in time for the next round to be delivered.
Tonight is going to be a long night.
* * *
Finishingup my walk through with Ava has me grinning from ear to ear. She nailed everything my crazy mind threw at her with her vision boards and design sketches. From the overall color scheme to the fabric swatches for the velvet drapes and seating areas. Thankfully, no structural changes are needed, and the cosmetic changes shouldn’t take too long to complete. Ava said we’re looking at around five weeks, which means we could potentially open by the end of January.I can't fricken wait!
This was my first time walking through the space since I signed on the dotted line. I’ve been back in New York for over two weeks now but had to wait for Kelly to finalize everything with her staff before I could get in here. The club is now temporarily closed and will re-open when all my changes are complete. Once I was one hundred percent certain I was going with the masquerade theme for the club, we drew up new paperwork and guidelines for the employees and current clients to review. We gave every current employee the opportunity to stay onboard once the renovations were complete, but some were unable to wait.
Ava and I are currently sitting at the bar sipping a bottle of champagne she brought to celebrate.
“Honestly, I'm so damn proud of you. This place is going to be amazing,” she beams at me.
“I still can’t believe I'm doing this, but I'm so fricken excited.”
Her phone chimes with a notification. “Ugh, gotta go. I didn’t realize the time. I have a date.” She smiles devilishly at me.
“Oh really? Care to share with who?” I ask, being the nosey body I am.
“I’m not telling yet. Let’s just see how the first few dates go,” she says, grabbing her bag and standing.
“Ooh, first dates. I love it. Can’t wait to hear all about it.” I stand and kiss her cheek. She gives me a hug, then puts on her coat and heads toward the door.
“Have fun, babe. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” I yell out after her as she walks away.
She throws her head back in laughter. “That’s a short list, my love.”
Knowing I should probably get going myself, I grab my coat and things off the bar top and shut the lights off. As I exit the front doors, I see a familiar black Audi parked across the street, and the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on, leaning against its side.
Twenty-One
Wes struts his sexy ass across the street and right up the stairs to where I'm standing. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulls me in for a kiss. I'm instantly lost under his touch, gripping the back of his head to deepen our connection.
I pull back when I realize my leg was slowly lifting to wrap around his waist.See, no self-control around this man.
“Wes, what are you doing here?” I say in between my heavy breathing.
