“Okay, top shelf okay?”
“How much is the top shelf?”
“I don’t know the prices until I put them in the computer. Do you want it or not?”
He copped an attitude with me.
“Yeah, whatever. That’s fine,” I told him, knowing this would be my only drink for the night.
I liked the way the club had a dark ambience where you really couldn’t see who was in front of you, but you could see just enough. All the bartenders were wearing red vests. Some had on Christmas hats, others wore crowns, for whatever theme they had here.
When he finally gave me my drink, I cashed out, because this would be my only drink for tonight. That shit was seventy-five fucking dollars, so it better at least have me slightly tipsy.
As I sat there listening to the music, I sipped my drink with my back facing the dance floor. I didn’t care to look and see what the girls were doing in the president’s box because it was none of my business. I wasn’t sure if Tania would go behind me and fuck with Nina’s man or not, but maybe Nina would come and hook something up and pay her too. I was sure she was somewhere around, and who’s to say I’m the first person to get paid to sleep with them. They may do this kind of thing every night, and I was just one of many bitches invited into their bedrooms with contract agreements.
When I looked down at my phone, I saw the clock had hit twelve o’clock, and that meant we were one day closer to the big wedding. I couldn’t lie; I was excited about it. Weddings always gave me this feeling inside where I just wanted to cry, but not the sad kind. The happy kind. The kind you do when you’re genuinely happy for someone you love. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Josiah, but I was a big fan of love. Christmas movies have always been my favorite because they all have happy endings. Something that someone like me isn’t very familiar with in real life.
“Excuse me,” I heard someone say behind me, and I thought it was someone trying to take my seat until I turned around and saw Nina’s man standing right behind me.
“Oh, sorry. Do you need this seat?” I hurried up from my chair.
He shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
“No, I don’t need a seat. If I wanted something to drink behind the bar, I would go back there and grab a bottle myself.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you had it like that here?” I spoke to him without looking him in the eye.
“I own this place.”
“You own it?” I stared at him. I knew he had money, and I knew he owned the pool at the hotel, but owning the nightclub, too, was crazy. It was nice as hell in here.
“You have a drinking problem? This is the second time I’ve seen you today standing at the bar.”
“No. This is my first and last drink. I wouldn’t call that a problem.”
I turned around, trying not to look him in the eyes.
“Well, why didn’t you come over with your friends? I invited y’all over.”
“I just didn’t think it was a good idea,” I said.
“Why not? You’re not trying to avoid me, are you?”
“Why would I try to avoid you?”
He looked me up and down and flashed that diamonded out smile before he continued the conversation.
“Look, you don’t have to hang out at the bar. Come over here with us. Have a good time with your friends because I wasn’t trying to separate y’all. And after all, when I invited y’all over, I wanted you to come specifically.”
“Why so?” I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders calmly.
“I don’t know. It’s just something about you.”
“Something about me like what? Do you not have a girl?”
“She’s not here, so she doesn’t matter. My focus is on getting you over here in my section tonight.”
