Page 27 of Queen Of Clubs

Jade

“How are you doing?” Roger asks me as I sip my drink. I’ve been sitting here for the past hour, nursing the same glass of rum, while my mind’s been distracted.

Leisha said to take the night off and give myself a chance to deal with the bullshit that is the guys; so here I am, using alcohol as a distraction. Not the best idea, but I don’t do drugs.

“I honestly can’t answer that right now.” I sigh, placing the glass down on the bar top.

“So, that was them, wasn’t it?” he asks me, giving me a knowing look.

“Sadly, yes.” I let out a dry laugh. “Maybe I shouldn’t have been so dead-set on not knowing anything about them or their career. If I knew they were in the city, maybe I could have avoided them.”

“Even if you did, you couldn’t have known that of all the places, they would have come here.”

“True,” I sigh, turning on the stool to face him. “I have no clue what to do about all of this. Plus, knowing them and seeing how they reacted last night, I don’t think they’re just going to leave. Any chance Travis could maybe ban them from coming back? Isn’t there a rule about putting their hands on the staff?”

Roger lets out an annoyed huff. “There is, but they’ve already found a way around that. They called and spoke to Travis. Guess someone they know is a very big client here and vouched for them on their behalf. I don’t know if that means they’re going to be back tonight or not, but I was told to let them in if they do. On the other hand, Travis did say I could kick them out if they caused any more issues, though.”

“Wonderful,” I mutter, my belly twisting with nerves.

After I embarrassingly bawled my eyes out in Leisha’s arms last night, she helped me down to my apartment. I was all cried out and just laid there in bed, staring at the wall.

Seeing them again brought everything back, and I still don’t know how to feel about it. I’ve thought about this from time to time over the years despite trying my best to keep them from my mind.

What would their excuse even be for never coming back for me and leaving me behind?

“If they give you a hard time, you come see me.” He pats me on the shoulder before leaving.

“Are you okay?” Glade asks.

“Nope.” I down the rest of my drink before slamming the glass on the table. “But that’s life.”

I’M DRUNK. OKAY, NOT like drunk-drunk, but I sure am feeling good. I may have brought one of the bottles from the bar down to my apartment and have been drowning my sorrows for the past few hours.

“Stupid boys,” I groan, bringing the bottle to my lips and whining when there’s nothing left. “Stupid bottle.” I toss it to the ground, making it thunk against the plush carpet.

When I sit up, the world feels a little spinny, so I close my eyes and wait for it to stop. “Can’t believe I’m hiding down here. They might not even be here tonight. I’m gonna go upstairs and have some fun. It’s my night off, and fuck them if I’m going to let them turn me into a scared little omega.”

Okay, maybe I am drunk, seeing how I’m having an argument with myself in the mirror.

“Yeah. You're a badass bitch,” I slur to my reflection as I stagger closer to the mirror. “You shouldn’t let anyone make you feel like you need to hide.” I grab my alpha-blocker spray and inhale it before I nod at myself. “I’m going upstairs. I’m gonna hang out with my girls and have a good time. Maybe find me a sexy alpha for the night.” I grin and head toward my door.

The walk up the stairs seems like it’s a lot harder than I remember, but I finally get to the top.

“You got this, Jade,” I encourage myself. “Smile and pretend everything is alright.”

The club is alive, the music is loud, the drinks are flowing, and the alphas are pissing money away just like we love to see.

“Jade, are you okay?” Annika, one of the omegas who works here, asks me as I stumble over to the bar and take a seat on a stool.

“Hey, sweet cheeks.” I grin, and her brows go up. “I’m just peachy.”

“She’s just drunk,” Glade chuckles.

“You look really pretty,” I sigh, reaching up to touch Annika’s beautiful wavy brown hair.

“Thanks.” She laughs. “Should we be worried?” she asks Glade.

“She’s gonna be fine. It’s just boy trouble.”

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