Page 29 of Room Six

I want to go to him and throw my arms around him and thank him for being the friend I didn’t know I needed in my life, but I keep my feet glued to the floor.

“Do you think you can find me someone on your team who would be qualified for taking manager status at Club Sin New Orleans?”

“Oh?” The change of topic is welcome.

“Yes,” he draws out casually.

“The last one resigned because she got pregnant. Which isn’t anything, really, but the daddies are members and well you know the rules. Which isn’t the worst of it. Now they want nothing to do with the poor woman.”

I nearly choke on my tongue trying not to gasp and trip over something to say that isn’t me confessing three members are currently trying to breed me. I settle on a nonchalant, “Oh, damn that is harsh.” My brows climb high as I fake my surprise at first and then pain for the woman. That had to hurt and given the time of year it must feel twice as bad. Some fuckers need dumped in a fresh batch of cement.

Listen to the words running through my head. Lord save me. I’m starting to think like Rune.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s a pain, but it happens. You wouldn't be interested would you?” There is hope in his tone.

I would hop on the chance to head south if my men wanted to leave the city life behind for a more laid back southern approach. New Orleans is a city unlike any other, and it has aspects that remind me of my hometown. I’ll never go back to Savannah, but New Orleans would be a close second on my wish list.

Giving him false hope isn’t fair to him or myself. “New Orleans is mighty tempting, but Mr. A. might have something to say about you stealing me away.”

Raja’s grin is devilish as is his rumbled, “I know.”

“You will have to torture your friend some other way. I’ll have a few names for you by the end of the week. Will that work?”

“Make it after the new year. No rush, sweetheart. I’ll be taking over for a bit. It will keep my mind off the holidays. Mid-January sound okay?”

“Perfect and Raja?”

“Magnolia.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I would have liked…”

“Never apologize, sweetheart. Live your life knowing you have a friend who loves you deeply.”

There is an odd tone to his voice when he leaves my office. Like his own demons are the real reason he never sought a connection with me. His retreating back has my heart breaking for my friend. A part of me wants to wonder what a romance with him would have been like. Maybe in another life.

The rest of the night drags on and it’s not until nearly four in the morning that I can finally sign off for the night and take the elevator down. Working at a sex club that operates after hours means I work a version of the graveyard shift. Another aspect none of my men enjoy all too much.

On the bottom floor, I wait in my usual spot where they pick me up, but the space where I find them by the front door is bare of anyone. In fact, the entire lobby of the highrise is empty.

Trickles of cold run up the length of my spine. I tighten my coat around me and pull out my phone. It feels like I have eyes on me so I look around for the source, but I can’t even find the security guard.

I’m being paranoid because it’s dark, cold and I’m not surrounded by fifty people at once.

“Get a grip, Magnolia.”

I check for messages I might have missed, but there’s nothing since this morning. Fifteen minutes pass and my eyes grow heavy. I shoot off a message to our group chat and grab a taxi. They can come find me at home when they finish. I need to water my plants and I haven’t slept in my bed for weeks. All that open space sounds nice, come to think about it.

It’s only a few blocks to my apartment building in the same district, but I can barely keep my eyes open, much less walk in this cold.

The doorman recognizes me, and I head up to my apartment without seeing another soul. Twenty floors up it’s dead silent as I step out of the elevator.

I don’t see it at first but when I approach my door, there is a single soft pink magnolia bloom settled on the floor in front of my door.

“That is odd.” No one is allowed in here without getting by the doorman and then the security guard. It’s all part of the Club Sin set up to protect management for those who chose the package. I get less pay but a secured, up-scale place to live rent free.

I pick up the flower and go inside. Shoes come off, then the hair comes down. My jacket is next and then I take my phone out. The flower has to be from them. Danika’s name comes up first so I tap and shoot off another text message.

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