“Not yet, but I want to talk to you about that.” He looks over at me, looking slightly more relaxed than a few minutes ago. “Braydon made me an offer last night that I’m thinking about taking. His partner is looking to sell his stake in the club and Braydon wants me to buy in.”
It probably makes me a hypocrite, but I’m not thrilled with the idea of Xavier being involved in the daily operations at Artemis. Braydon treated me well for the two years that I worked for him, but being around the women day in and day out means I know exactly how skanky they can be. Most of them think the best way to move up to the VIP Room is to offer sexual favors to management. And seeing as I know Braydon has never taken any of them up on their propositions, they would likely see Xavier as the better target. Artemis might be an upscale club, but it’s still a business where sex and skin are the preferred currency.
“Okay?” I say, not knowing what he expects from me. We’re only an hour into being a couple again, so it’s a bit premature for me to risk coming across as the jealous girlfriend.
“Melanie, if I do this, I need to know that you’re okay with it. If we’re together, I’m not going to make a decision this important without talking to you first.” The weight of his words settle on my chest, vanquishing the last remnants of the high I’ve been riding since our kiss.
Chapter 17
It’s still a little chilly with the wind blowing across the lake, but the sun is shining down as we pull into the parking area. Melanie hasn’t said much since I brought up working with Braydon and I’m beginning to worry that she’s already pulling away from me. I don’t want her freaking out, thinking that I’m already hearing wedding bells with her because I’m definitely not, but if she’s not comfortable with me being involved in the club, I’ll tell Braydon no. There are plenty of other opportunities out there for me, this just happens to be one that would give me the most freedom to be there for Jacob and build something of my own instead of working for others.
I reach for Melanie’s hand, threading our fingers together as we start to make our way up the rocky trail. This was always our preferred route because of the scenic outlook at the top of the bluff. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to stop along the way and talk without having to worry about too many other hikers passing by. “Talk to me,” I say, hoping she can’t hear the desperation in my voice. Until she tells me what she’s thinking, I’m going to sit here jumping to conclusions.
“I think you need to do whatever you feel is best for you and Jacob,” she responds. “Even if things were different, it would still be your decision.”
We’ve barely started the first steep ascent, but I pull Melanie to a rock outcropping, motioning for her to sit. At this rate, we’ll be lucky to make it to the top but I can’t wait another forty-five minutes to have this discussion with her. “That’s the thing, Melanie. It’s not just me and Jacob. I’m not going to do this and have you get pissed off at me about it. I’m done telling myself that there’s some unwritten rule about how long I have to wait to be with you. I’m through with keeping you at a safe distance. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it. There are some things we’ll take our time with, but this is a long term decision for me, meaning I want your input.”
She shifts further back on the large boulder, making room for me to sit next to her. Once I settle into place, she leans against my side. I take her nearness as a sign that she’s at least willing to hear what I have to say, but I need her to respond. With every passing second, I can feel her body relaxing, but she has yet to say anything. Instead, she reaches down to pick at her shoe laces, then bits of debris on the surface of the rock. She’s mulling over my words, so I force myself to be patient.
Melanie looks up to the sky, pursing her lips. My heart starts racing, still wondering how she’s going to react. “Okay, if you want my honest opinion, I’m not thrilled with the idea,” she says, finally turning to look at me. I press my lips to her forehead, as she continues to speak. “If you do buy in, you need to tell Braydon that you have to be on the business side that you can’t be there until bar time. Jacob needs you home with him at night.”
“Right, and we already talked a bit about that,” I inform her. Even though she’s still framing this to sound like her reservations are all related to Jacob and my ability to be there for bedtime for him, the crease in her brow tells me that’s not all that’s going on. I sit for a moment, rubbing my hand up and down the length of her bare arm, debating how hard to push her for the rest of her issues. “Braydon told me that the way they have it set up now, he handles most of the front-of-house management and Garrett handles the books. But there will be one or two nights each week when we both have to be on the floor.”