Page 111 of The Good Girl Effect
As we approach Julian and the couple, he gives me a quick wink before glaring at Jack, who holds me close to his side.
“Well, there’s the man we’ve been looking for.” An older man with graying hair and a handsome smile puts a hand on Jack’s shoulder.
“Emerson,” Jack says as he greets him. “I’m so honored that you came.”
The woman puts her hands out to hug Jack. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She’s a stunning woman, I would guess in her midforties, with long, thick brown hair and a kind smile. Something about her looks down-to-earth and relatable, like she might feel as out of her element here as I do.
After the hug, Jack turns toward me. “Camille, this is Emerson and Charlotte Grant. They own the greatest kink club in the United States.”
My jaw drops. I’ve listened to Jack talk about them and their famous club for weeks. While I don’t know much about what they’ve done, I do know the impact they’ve had on him. This is the man Jack looks up to. The one he has tried to emulate.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say to both of them.
I can’t take my eyes off the man. He has an air of confidence about him that makes it hard to look away. And the woman stands at his side, looking up at him with adoration.
Immediately, I wonder if Jack and I will look like that someday. Is it silly to want that already? Probably, but I can’t help it. I want to watch him age, growing more handsome with time like I assume this man has.
“Your mother sends her love,” Emerson says to Jack.
“She didn’t want to intrude on your big day,” Charlotte adds with a soft smile.
“No one wants their mom at their sex club,” Julian jokes as he takes a sip of wine.
I laugh, but Jack doesn’t. He only glares sideways at his business partner.
“I’m glad you two are here,” he says to the couple. “Truly, I’m honored. It means the world that you came all this way.”
I can see how much he admires them and how nervous he is. I wish I could make him see how perfect this place is and how proud he should be.
“You two have done a phenomenal job here,” Emerson says to Jack and Julian. “But your work has just begun. You took a hard year and you learned from it, but the learning curve isn’t over yet. If you both decide to fully commit to this club, you’ll learn a lot more over the years. Remember, you’ll have to do more listening than talking. To each other and to your team.Owning a club isn’t about sex. It never was. It’s about people. Don’t ever forget that.”
“Thank you,” Julian and Jack reply humbly, one after the other.
It’s obvious how much they both look up to this man. Hell, even I’m feeling inspired, and I don’t own a club at all.
After they say their goodbyes, Emerson and Charlotte leave our small group. I’m alone with Jack and Julian, and I can feel the tension between them like a thick fog.
“Phoenix wants us to make a speech,” Jack says.
“You lead,” Julian replies gruffly.
“It’s up to both of us, Jules.”
The other man glances up at Jack as if the use of his nickname triggered some emotional reaction. “Okay. I’ll round everyone up then.” With that, he leaves, weaving through the crowd.
Alone with Jack, I stroke a hand down his arm. His eyes meet mine, but I don’t say anything to him. I don’t have to. With just my eyes, I can convey enough, offering him comfort so at least he doesn’t feel alone. And when I see the flicker of a smile on his lips, I know he can feel it.
As the rest of the owners are wrangled up to the front of the club, they take the stage together. I hang back and watch Jack so he can find me in the crowd when he needs me. Even before it starts, he does. It makes me feel useful, knowing I mean something to him. Knowing he feels what I feel, even when he’s surrounded by hundreds of people.
Once everyone is quiet, Jack starts.
“We’d like to thank you all for coming to our grand reopening,” he says proudly. Before continuing, he glances down at the other people standing on stage with him: Julian, Amelia, Phoenix, Weston, and Elizabeth. “I fear that when the six of us first opened this club, we did so by trying to recreate somethingthat was already perfect. We tried to emulate something our parents created.”
Julian’s head turns, staring at Jack with something like affinity in his eyes.
“The club we created was great,” Jack says, this time looking at the man beside him. “But it wasn’t ours, not really.” This time, as he looks at the crowd, he clears his throat. “And it’s made me realize that maybe something can be perfect but not right. Maybe by trying to recreate something perfect for someone else, we made something wrong for us.”
The people on stage with him nod, wearing expressions of confidence.
