My Weakness Read online

  “I love you, Skyler, and I would like to make you my wife. Why would I want one of them to run it and not my wife? I have no doubt you can handle it. Everyone at the club loves you, and they all know you can hold your own, so you won’t have an issue earning respect. And to be perfectly honest, making you manager instead of one of the other guys frees you to help me from time to time with the new one.”

  I nod thinking it over. “It would be a cool project for the two of us to work on. Why did you think I would be leery?”

  “I’m thinking about making it a…strip club.” I laugh because I don’t know how else to respond. “Why are you laughing?”

  “Sorry, sweetie, it’s because I didn’t see that coming and it threw me off.”

  “So you're not opposed to it?”

  I shrug. “We are in LA. It isn’t like it would be the first strip club around.”

  “That’s the thing; a lot of the strip clubs around here are cheesy and slimy. I want a sexy, classy, nice strip club where we could bring in everyday clients but also have expensive VIP sections for anyone who wants to be discreet.”

  “I actually like the idea. I want to be in charge of the dancers though.”

  “That’s fine. I want to have a choreographer work with them. I don’t like the idea of them coming up with their own routine.”

  “This is so good! I agree. It has to flow, and you need a good DJ too, someone who’s good with music and a mic.”

  “For sure. Okay, when we get back from vacation, we start looking for locations. Do you want to keep singing or do you want to get more involved in the clubs with me?”

  “I’m not sure. I mean, I came out here to sing, but I love being in the club life with you. I’m fine if I only do a random gig here and there. Maybe I can fill in if Mikey needs someone once in a while.”

  “Whatever you want, love. I want you to be happy, and if that means working the clubs with me, fine. If it means singing, I’m fine with that too.”

  “I enjoy singing, but I don’t have the outgoing personality for it. I’m way more comfortable behind the bar and in the club. I’ve come to realize I was really chasing happiness, and I think I’ve found it.”

  “Good, because we’ve got to get cleaned up and head to work.”

  I laugh at his abrupt halt to our conversation. “I love you, Logan Michaels.” I kiss him and put my dish in the sink then run upstairs to get my shoes.

  ***

  Logan

  We’re the first ones in the club, which is good because I want to go over inventory with Skyler. I get my clipboard and head to the back room to look over what we have on hand and create a list of what we will need. I talk with her about what we go through most of and how much I usually order. I also talk about how long it takes for stuff to come in, so I don’t wait until we are too low on certain items.

  “Wine is selling but mainly on singles night when everyone is here to hook up and wants to look classy. We sell a lot of Pinot, Chardonnay, Moscato, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir, so I’ll lighten up on ordering the others and order more of those.”

  “What are you going to do with the others if we don’t sell them?”

  “They are higher end wines so I’m hoping to move them to the new club and sell them there. If not I’ll remove them from inventory and you and I can try them.”

  “That is a lot of wine. I guess we could serve it at our Monday night dinners. Kind of like a wine tasting, or maybe we host a wine tasting event on Sunday evening?”

  “That’s not a bad idea, my love.” I lean in to kiss Skyler on her luscious lips. “Let me show you how to place the order before we get carried away in here.”

  We head back to my office to sit down at the computer. I show her how I place the order for all the liquor and how to check on what’s arriving.

  “If you order it today, it will usually be here by next Wednesday or Thursday, so you should have it before the next busy weekend.”

  “Got it.”

  “I usually check the inventory on Friday or Saturday, depending on how busy I am around the club, but you should place the order by Saturday.”

  I finish placing the order. “If there is ever a question about over ordering, I would rather you order too much than us run out of something. Staff should be arriving to make sure the bars are stocked and the fruit trays are full. You already know this part so it’ll be easy, and Shane is kick ass at making sure the bars run smoothly, so check in on them but let him do his job.”

  “I like Shane, and I’m glad that if I’m going to help you run this place I have him on my team.”

  I glance at the camera and see Shane walking in; I pick up my phone and shoot him a text.

  Logan: Can you come to my office?

  Shane: On my way.

  A moment later there is a knock on my door.

  “Come in.”

  “Hey, boss, what’s up? Hey, Sky!”

  “Hi, Shane,” Skyler replies.

  “Hey, Shane. Have a seat.” He looks nervous. “Relax,” I say, “you’re not in trouble or anything. As the assistant manager I need to inform you of some small changes.”

  “Okay.”

  “Skyler and I have been talking, and once we get back from our vacation we plan on opening another club. I would like you to help her manage this one while I get the other one running. She’ll be bouncing back and forth because she’s going to manage the dancers at the other club. She’ll be doing all the ordering for this club, and the two of you can work out any issues or come to me with any problems you’re not sure how to solve.”

  “Cool!”

  “Now, of course that means a pay raise, because I’m not going to leave you two to run the club without giving you more money. I would like to make you a salaried employee and pay you $40,000.00 per year to start. Depending on what happens with the second club, you may eventually get promoted to manager and I’ll pay you more. Is that cool?”

  “Hell yeah!” Shane jumps up and shakes Skyler’s hand. “We’ll make a great team,” he says enthusiastically.

  “Good,” Skyler says with a grin, “because I told Logan if there was anyone I wanted helping me, it was you.”

  “Thanks, Sky. Thanks, Logan.” He fist bumps me and walks out of my office to get to work.

  There’s one more knock on the door and it is Tony and Jake wondering what their positions are tonight. I inform them that Sky is on bar two, and one of them should be close by while the other is wandering.

  Sky says, “I’m going to go start setting up my bar for tonight. I’ll see you in a little bit.” She gives me a kiss and walks out of my office with her security team.

  The music is playing and patrons are filing in, hoping to have a good time tonight. Within an hour my club is packed and there’s a line down the street of people waiting to get in. I have some VIP sections booked tonight with Shawna managing them well. I make my rounds to visit my VIPs and introduce myself, making sure they are happy with the service they’re receiving from Shawna and my other staff. Once I’m sure everyone is pleased, I head down to the bar to check on my bar staff. They’re good, and I knew they would be because Shane is running tonight.

  Then I hear Jonah in my ear wig. “Logan, Troy just tried to enter the club.”

  I respond right away. “Did you stop him?”

  “Yeah, but he’s pissed. Said he’s going to sue you for not allowing him in.”

  I laugh. “Fuck him. It’s private property. I can refuse entrance to whomever I want.”

  He laughs back. “Just a heads up.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that, man. Let me know if anything else suspicious comes up.”

  “I’m heading around the club now to scope things out and make sure everything looks good. I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

  I head back to my office to shoot off an email to my agent, letting her know we want another property and that I would like a list of places available in the next two weeks. I’m also sure to inform her that w
e have decided to go strip club instead of dance club.

  I’m hoping Sky and I can come up with a name while we’re relaxing on vacation somewhere. It’s kind of driving me crazy that she won’t tell me where she wants to go until tonight. I’ve been asking her for about two weeks and she keeps saying she has to think about it. When she finally chose a location, she said she had a fun way to surprise me. I can’t wait to get her home tonight and see what she has in mind so we can book the vacation tomorrow.

  I get a call that one of the bars needs help, so I head back out to see what’s going on. Shane is behind the second bar with Kelly and Skyler, and bar one is way overloaded. They tell me they need liquor and a hand behind the bar. This place is jumping tonight. I run to the back to grab what they need and hurry back to jump in and help out. I don’t usually like being behind the bar, but tonight it’s a welcome distraction.

  When we’re finally wrapping up last call, I leave the first bar and head over to the second to check on them. Shane tells me they’re good, that he’s running to stock them on liquor while they start cleaning up. I make one more round through my VIP section to see who’s left up there, and most of them have cleared out. There’s a large drunk crowd up here that Shawna probably should have cut off a long time ago.

  “Jonah,” I call over the mic, “VIP 3 is filled with a drunken bachelor party and I need them to be cleared out. Get them all cabs or whatever, but I want them gone.”

  “I’m on it.”

  In minutes I see him appearing with one of my other bouncers to get these guys out of here.

  People slowly make their way out of the club and the crowd is dwindling. The DJ has already started gradually lowering the music volume, letting people know the night is coming to an end. That usually helps to empty the place as well.

  Jonah comes over a short while later to let me know they are making final rounds but he thinks the club is empty.

  “I’m going to check the ladies room!” Skyler calls and walks off in that direction. When Tony gets up to follow her, she says, “I’m good. There’s no one here.”

  He nods and takes his place back at the bar. My staff is cleaning up and I don’t see any patrons, so unless anyone is in the bathroom or passed out in a corner—which has happened—we’re good to lock the doors.

  I press the button on my ear wig to give Jonah the okay to lock up, and as he’s about to lock the door we hear a loud bang, and a fire breaks out behind the bar where Kelly and Skyler were working.

  I scream for everyone to get out of the club before the fire spreads. With all the open alcohol behind there, this place can go up quick. The staff quickly makes their way to the door. I’m watching to see where the fire goes when I realize Skyler hasn’t come out yet.

  “Jonah!” I shout. “Skyler is in the bathroom!”

  I can already hear the fire trucks because Shane called as I was clearing the place. Jonah and I run toward the ladies room, but bottles of liquor are exploding and glass is flying all over the place. The smoke is getting thick, and the only way to get to her is through the back door. Jonah tries to pull me from the club, but I’m fighting him.

  “Logan, the fire department is pulling up! We’ll show them how to get to her!”

  I’m totally freaking out because my love is stuck in a burning building and I’m afraid I’ll never see her again. Jonah runs up to the fire chief and frantically explains that we have someone still inside. He tells him that she’s in the ladies room and takes them to the back door, informing them this is the safest way to get to her.

  My two security guys stop me from running after them. “They’ll get her!” Tony shouts as the firemen run in the back entrance. All I keep thinking in my head is, Please be okay, please be okay.

  “What the fuck is taking them so long!” I scream to no one in particular.

  Shane is by my side with Jonah. “Give them a minute. I know it feels like an eternity, but they’ve only been in there a few minutes.” Shane squeezes my shoulder, trying to comfort me, but it isn’t working. An ambulance pulls up, and I’m hoping it’s because they called for it and they have found her.

  The doors burst open and a firefighter comes out with Sky over his shoulder. She’s unconscious. He lays her down on the stretcher that meets him halfway, and they start working on her.

  “Go with her,” Shane says. “We’ll meet you at the hospital as soon as this place is under control.”

  I run after the EMT, jump in the back, and explain that I’m her boyfriend, that she has no other family, and they let me ride with them. It’s only then I’m informed that I have some cuts on my hands and face I’ll need to have cleaned and dressed when we get to the hospital. I explain about the shards of flying glass from the alcohol bottles.

  I’m pacing the waiting room waiting for some update on Skyler when my entire team comes rushing through the doors of the hospital. They can sense the stress and panic as soon as they see me.

  “I don’t know anything yet,” I mournfully inform them.

  We all sit in painful silence, praying she makes it. I look around at this group, and it’s in this moment that I realize how awesome our friends are.

  Chapter 16

  Skyler

  There are multiple voices around me, but I can only make out a few because there’s too much noise. I hear Logan talking to someone and I think it’s Jonah. Though I want to open my eyes to see where I am and who’s around me, I just can’t manage it. I’m scared. Why can’t I open my eyes? Why do I hurt?

  I drift back into a darkness I don’t even understand why I’m in.

  I try to groan, so I can get someone’s attention. I feel someone on the side of me. It hurts to open my eyes, so I’m not even sure who is here until I hear his voice. It’s Logan, and he sounds like he’s been crying. I want to tell him it’s okay, but I can’t manage the words.

  “You're going to be okay, my love,” he whispers. “Rest. I’m here for you and I love you.” I feel him kiss my hand before I drift off again.

  I wake to more voices.

  “Doc, she started to grumble before but didn’t really say anything. When do you think she’ll wake up?”

  “It’s hard to say. From the x-rays we took, it appears she was hit over the head pretty hard before she was placed in the bathroom. Give her a little more time. She’ll wake when she’s ready. She’s lucky you have a good sprinkler system and the fire department got there when they did.”

  I will myself to wake up. I have questions because I don’t remember any fire or being hit on the head. I can’t open my eyes. I squeeze my hand the best I can to let Logan know I hear him and I’m not giving up.

  Sadie is crying, asking Logan how someone could do this to me. She takes my hand. “Skyler, please wake up! So many people love you and want to hear your beautiful voice again.”

  “I’m sure my voice is not sounding so beautiful right now,” I manage in a low, gravelly tone.

  “Oh thank God, you’re awake!” Sadie cries, squeezing my hand.

  “You’re making my hand soggy.”

  “I’m sorry.” She giggles with excitement. “Be right back.” I hear her run to the hall and call, “Logan, she’s awake.”

  He comes running in with Sadie. “Sky?” he questions, and I can hear panic in his voice.

  “I’m here, sweetie,” I whisper.

  “Oh thank God.”

  “Welcome back to us, Miss Jones,” the doctor says. “Do you know where you are?”

  “Hospital.”

  “Good. Do you know why you’re in the hospital?”

  I shake my head and instantly regret it. “Oh, that hurts.”

  “I’m sure it does. Miss Jones, do you remember anything from the other night?”

  “Other night?” I ask in panic. “How long have I been here?”

  “Miss Jones, I need you to calm down. If you don’t remember, that’s okay, but if you get worked up I may have to sedate you, and I would rather not do that.”

>   I take a few deep breaths. “Fine. How long have I been here?”

  “You’ve been here a few days now, and once you stay awake and we’re sure you have recovered from your concussion, I can send you home.”

  “Okay. Can someone tell me what happened?”

  “As long as you promise to remain calm. If your monitors start to beep, I’m kicking everyone out.” I nod and he tells me he’ll be back in a bit.

  ***

  Logan

  “I’m so glad you’re back, Sky. How does your head feel?”

  “My head and chest hurt a bit, but that’s it. Will you tell me what happened?”

  “We were closing the bar the other night,” I say quietly. “Somehow Billy got through security. Troy had tried but Jonah caught him and told him to hit the road.”

  “Who let Billy in?”

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s been fired. Anyway, he planted a small bomb behind the bar you were working. We assume he was figuring once it went off, the entire club would go up.”

  I pause, watching her take a few deep breaths. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, keep going.”

  “Before he set it off, he hit you on the back of the head and dragged you off to the ladies room, probably figuring we wouldn't notice you missing until it was too late. He wasn’t accounting for you telling me you were heading that way.”

  Sky takes a few more deep breaths. She’s having a hard time listening to this, so I wait until I see she's composed before I continue.

  “The police found his truck up the street from the club with all the equipment he used to make the bomb in the back of it. He’s been arrested and will be fully charged with arson and attempted murder. You’ll never have to worry about him again. They think Troy is also involved but don’t have the proof they need just yet to arrest him, though they’re pretty sure Billy will flip once they start talking to him.”

  “Hawaii,” Sky says.

  I look at her in confusion. “What do you mean Hawaii?”