By the time she finished applying all that makeup, my face had been transformed from bruised and spotty to nearly flawless. Only a tiny hint of Aaron’s handiwork could be seen on my cheek, and for the first time since Gemma had mentioned the chance at a job with her at Club X, I honestly believed it could happen.
She turned me around to study her creation and smiled. “You look gorgeous! Now show them the you I know and you’ll be a shoo-in. Once you get the job, I’ll ask Kane if he’d be willing to schedule us together for a while so we can drive to work together.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, the pain in my ribs stabbing at me. “Okay, sounds good. What time is it?”
“Nearly quarter after six. Let’s get going so we’re not late.”
“Okay. I just have to brush my teeth and I’ll be ready to roll.”
“Great! See you outside!”
Gemma closed the bathroom door, and as I began to brush my teeth, I really looked at the woman staring back at me. Twenty-two years old, I needed to get my life together. No more boyfriends who took more than they gave. No more making excuses for the mess my life had become. If Gemma could put in a good word for me with the owners of Club X, the least I could do was be someone who deserved that effort.
That woman in the mirror could be more than just some man’s punching bag.
Gemma squeezed my hand as she opened the door to Club X and moved up to fuss with the hair around my face. “Just remember how terrific you are, okay?”
I plastered a smile on my face. “Got it. Terrific.”
“Now let’s go in and get you a job!”
Following her into the club, I looked around at the huge space that was Club X. She’d described the upper floors but not the nightclub itself. Even empty, the bar looked impressive. I wouldn’t be working in this area, but I was still impressed with the size of the place and the huge glass bar.
“Cassian’s office is in the back, so that’s where you’ll have your interview. I can’t go in, but I’ll be right out here when you get done. Just walk straight back and look for the door on the left.”
Gemma squeezed my hand again, and I walked away to meet the three owners of Club X. She’d given me all the ins and outs of each man, so I knew what to expect. Cassian was the businessman. Stefan was the bar manager and still a flirt, despite being with someone now. And Kane was the one I had to impress, even if at first he scared the hell out of me.
Oh, and they were all drop dead gorgeous.
The door to the room I suspected was Cassian’s office was open a crack, so I knocked gently. A male voice told me to come in, so I pushed the door open to see three large men staring at me. The one behind the desk waved me in, and as he introduced all of them, I saw Gemma had been right on the money with her descriptions of the Club X owners. Cassian wore a dark grey suit and definitely looked all business, even if he was knockout good looking in a cool way with his dark hair and stunning blue eyes. Stefan stood next to him in jeans and a T-shirt that showed off the tattoos covering his muscular arms. He had a real good time vibe in his deep brown eyes, tussled light brown hair, and friendly smile.
Kane stood off to the side of them, much larger than both the other men and staring at me almost angrily with his striking blue eyes. Dressed in black pants and a dark red long sleeved T-shirt, he had an intimidating look to him, but the tattoos peeking out from under his sleeves across his wrists and the top of his hands made me think there was more to him than the menacing man in front of me now. One thing was certain. He may have looked like Cassian, but one glance told me the two of them couldn’t have been more different.
“Please take a seat, Abbi,” Cassian said as I gingerly sat down in the leather chair in front of his desk, pain shooting through my left hip. “I do all the general managing of Club X and Stefan handles the bar, so we’ll only be involved in the first part of the interview. Kane will take over the second part because you’re interested in being a dancer.”
I nodded and smiled nervously. I’d never had an interview like this before. Waitressing jobs didn’t really require getting dressed up or answering a whole lot of questions.
“Tell us about yourself, Abbi.”
Oh, God. I couldn’t do this. Nothing about me would make anyone want to hire me. If I was lucky, they’d want me in spite of the fact that everything about me was a mess. My legs began to shake, and I stammered out in a soft voice, “Wha…what would you like to know?”
Cassian smiled, instantly calming my nerves. “Tell us how you heard about Club X.”
I swallowed hard. “My friend Gemma works here as a dancer. She told me how much she likes working here, so when she said she’d try to help me get a job here too, I said yes.”
Cassian seemed to like my answer, if his warm smile was any indication, and Stefan flashed me a smile too as I finished my answer. But Kane only grimaced as he had from the moment I walked into the room.
Thankfully, he wasn’t conducting the interview or I’d have been sent home after the first time I opened my mouth. Instead, Cassian continued to ask me questions, and with each answer, I knew I was winning him and Stefan over.
Two out of three wasn’t bad, but Gemma had warned me I had to win Kane over most. I smiled at him, hoping he’d warm up to me, but all I got in return was the same gruff expression and angry glare.
“Abbi, do you have any experience dancing in a club?” Cassian asked after looking at a sheet of paper that sat in front of him.
“No, but I was a Tampa Storm cheerleader and I know how to dance.”
My answer seemed to please the two men I’d already impressed, but once again Kane simply frowned. Why did he dislike me so much even though we’d just met?
After a few more questions about me and my background, Cassian said, “Okay, Abbi. Give us a few minutes and Kane will be out to join you when we’re done.”
I stood from my seat and extended my hand to shake Cassian’s and Stefan’s hands. Both men thanked me for coming in, but when I turned to shake Kane’s hand, it was like he dreaded touching me. Reluctantly, he took my hand in his and I noticed how large his was compared to his brothers’. Rougher too, it felt hard against my skin. For the briefest moment, he shook mine before turning away to speak to his brothers.
No thank you. No nothing. Just more grimacing.
Gemma came toward me all smiles as I entered the bar. “So how did it go? Aren’t they as nice as I said?”