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I had lost every home I had ever known, and now I would lose him too.
I didn’t realize I was crying until my vision started to blur. I needed space, needed somewhere to breathe. I couldn’t go back to Requited, and if I went to Oliver’s he would know something was wrong.
I needed to escape, to hide from the shadows. Otherwise, I was afraid I would disappear.
Chapter Nine
I had stopped frequenting nightclubs and bars after Oliver and Ben got together. At first, it had been a nice distraction, but after a while it had become exhausting. For as long as I had known Oliver I had suspected he had feelings for Ben, so the nights out had turned into excuses to encourage exploration of his sexuality. It had worked better than I could have expected for them, but the clubs lost their allure.
So, it had been a long time since I had stood before the doors to Mirror House. Working at Requited had its perks, and the Byrne had given me a permanent spot on Mirror House’s list.
It was the middle of the day, but there was always a guard outside. He recognized me and let me in, calling ahead to let the Byrnes know I was coming.
There was something indescribable about a nightclub during the day. It was quiet and empty. Peaceful. But it was all a facade. It was just sleeping, waiting for the sun to go down so it could wake in its full, loud glory. I could feel it at Requited too, but it was more palpable at Mirror House. It was like I had entered somewhere I wasn’t allowed to be, seeing something I shouldn’t.
I hadn’t been up to the top floor before, but that was where I was heading. There was a lingering sense I was being watched as I moved through the club, but I attributed it to the mirrored ceilings. They had truly taken the name and rolled with it.
With the slightest upward tilt of my head, I could watch my progress as I ascended the back stairs. The second floor only extended halfway over the dance floor and was filled with tables and a second bar area. I kept going, up to the third and final floor.
Though I had heard the Byrnes talk about their plans, the reality was more than I could have imagined. In my mind, they still had a ways to go before the space was complete, but it looked finished to me.
I walked into the main room, a wide open space in an art deco style that would have Jay Gatsby salivating. It was a wash of reds and greens and golds with plush couches and ottomans sitting atop black and white checkered tiles. True to form, inch-long diamond-cut mirrors crisscrossed the walls in delicate geometric designs.
“Logan.” Camila appeared beside me, wrapping herself around my arm. “We were hoping you’d come by, but I’m still surprised to see you.”
My throat was tight and I wasn’t confident I could speak, even if I wanted to. I didn’t know exactly what to say, or how to explain why I had come.
She looked up at me for a few seconds then tapped her hand gently against my arm. “Why don’t we sit?” Her head nodded towards the back of the room. “Sean will be out shortly, he’s on a call.”
I didn’t resist as she led me over to a couch and sat us down. Her arm never left mine, and a warm, heady scent swam into my nose.
“Is there something you wanted to discuss?”
I cleared my throat. There was no use in playing coy. “The other day you said you might want me to work here.” Just the thought was enough to make my mind recoil, but I pushed through it.
Her brow shot into a sharp V. “I did. I do. But I didn’t think my chances were very high.”
A few days ago, her chances were less than zero. Now I wasn’t so sure.
There were a few things I knew about the Byrnes:
1) They were ambitious
2) They were rich
3) They were on their way to dominating Manhattan’s nightlife
I loved Reese, and I loved Requited. It had become a home I had never expected. But it served a relatively small clientele, and even though he owned the building, expenses were high. Too high.
Even if he was able to scrounge up something to help pay for Jeanie’s medical bills, it would be hard for him. I already felt like a leech living in his house for free but helping me cover my debts was too far. He couldn’t afford to pay me more than he already was, and I didn’t want to push him any further.
But the Byrnes had money to spare. If I worked with them they could pay me more, and I could stand on my own. I didn’t know what that meant for me and Reese, if there even was an ‘us,’ but I couldn’t survive in this limbo anymore. I couldn’t look him in the eye knowing that I loved him, that I wanted him more than anything, while constantly being afraid of where I stood with him.
“I haven’t made a decision yet,” I said. I needed to, but the prospect was almost unbearable. “But I might be interested.”
A door closed somewhere near us, and Sean’s heavy tread alerted us to his presence. He strolled over to us, his hands in his pockets. “Logan, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
Camila ran her hand over my shoulders, leaning into me as she answered him. “Logan is interested in coming to work with us.”
