"Welcome to the club, ladies." Patsy gestured for everyone to follow her. "This is day one of your three-day orientation."
The blonde who had been staring at me spoke up. "When do we meet the men?"
"If you're talking about the heads of security, you'll be meeting them today." Patsy's voice was dry, and I wondered if this was some sort of strip club. It would make sense. Maybe it was a strip club for the rich, famous, and powerful. Maybe this was the sort of club that had no rules. I shuddered at the thought of being expected to have sex with men for money.
“Are they paying customers?” the blonde said and Patsy gave her a chilling stare.
“I’m not sure what you mean by that comment. This isn’t a Girls Gone Wild video.” Patsy looked at the rest of us. “Any other impertinent questions?”
We were all silent, and I cheered inside at the jab the blonde had received. I was already feeling like the redheaded stepchild, and it was nice to see negative attention directed at someone else. I stared at the other girls again and frowned to myself. I really didn’t understand why I had been chosen to move forward in the probation period. I sure didn’t feel like I fit the type they were going for.
“Shall we introduce ourselves?” Patsy stopped by a beautiful water fountain, and I looked around the garden again. It reminded me of some ancient Greek setting, with its tall white columns and large expanses of grass and marble. It was grand—really grand. I felt like I was in some rich man’s mansion and not in what was possibly a strip club. But I suppose I’ve never seen a high-class strip club, only the seedy ones on TV. Being in this setting would make everything seem classier, even selling your body for money.
I shivered as I thought about sleeping with someone for money. There was no way in hell I was going to do that. I’d leave before that happened. I wanted to find out what was going on, but not that badly.
“I’m Elizabeth,” the blonde said confidently. “I’m nineteen, from Connecticut. I’m a freshman at Dartmouth, but I’m taking a year off.” She smiled. “I applied for a job here because I wanted to make some money and explore the world.”
I stared at her beautiful smile in confusion. In many ways, she reminded me of myself at eighteen, only I hadn’t been as confident and I certainly wouldn’t have dropped out of school.
My brain tuned out as the other girls started talking. An overwhelming feeling of sadness encompassed me as I stood there. I felt like a loser. How had I ended up here? What was I doing? Had I lost my mind? I was a lawyer, for heaven’s sake. I had a degree from an Ivy League university. I had an apartment in Manhattan. I was responsible, smart, in charge of my own life.
But you’re bored, a voice whispered in my head. Where has your perfectly lived life gotten you?
I thought about Katie and the drama in her life when it came to Brandon. She loved hard and got hurt hard, but still she was living her life and trying again. She was going for it. I didn’t want to be the woman who got to be eighty years old and never had a real love or heartbreak.
“Oh, Mr. Twining.” Patsy’s voice sounded reverent and the garden grew instantly still as I froze. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.” She cleared her throat, and I looked up to see Patsy blushing. I looked to her right and there stood Greyson. He was dressed properly now in a navy suit, and I could see all the girls staring at him in admiration. I looked at Nancy’s face quickly to see her expression, but it was blank. She wasn’t giving anything away.
“Good morning, Patsy. Good morning, girls.” He nodded and gave us all a welcoming smile. “My name is Greyson Twining. I’m one of the owners of the club.”
“Hi, Greyson,” Elizabeth called out and gave a little wave. Greyson gave her a huge smile back and I felt like screaming. “I’m Elizabeth.”
“Nice to meet you, Elizabeth.”
“I’m in the Rainbow Room if you want to stop by tonight,” she continued, and the two girls next to her giggled nervously.
“That’s enough.” Patsy’s voice was loud and angry. “I’m sorry, Mr. Twining. This is day one. They don’t know all the rules yet.”
“No worries.” He nodded, and I felt his eyes on me. I looked up and he gave me a small smile. I didn’t smile back, even though my insides were heating up. “I actually came to see how everyone was getting on before I went to a meeting.”
Elizabeth spoke up again. “Will we get to meet the other owner?” I frowned.
“No.” Greyson’s expression changed and he was no longer smiling. Patsy was glaring at the girl, and I could tell that the mention of the other owner was something they didn’t like being mentioned.
“Oh that’s a pity. I’d quite like to meet Mr. Hastings,” Elizabeth continued, and I stared at Greyson. He looked at me quickly and his eyes bored into mine with a challenge.
“That’s enough, Elizabeth,” Patsy said. Then she turned around and whispered something to Greyson. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded. All the while, his eyes never left mine.
“What do you think, Meg?” He spoke quietly, but I could still hear an acerbic hint in his tone.
“What do I think of what?”
“Of us contacting Mr. Hastings?”
“I didn’t know he was involved with the club.”
“There are many things it seems you don’t know.”
“But I’d love to find out.” I smiled at him and raised an eyebrow.
“It was nice meeting you girls.” He nodded and turned to Patsy. “I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks for coming out, Mr. Twining. I know you are busy,” Patsy beamed at him, and we all watched as he went back into the building.
“I’d f**k him in a heartbeat,” Elizabeth proclaimed and her friends giggled. “He wouldn’t even have to pay me.”
“That’s why he’s the boss,” another girl whispered and they all nodded.
"Girls, I'll be right back," Patsy suddenly exclaimed and walked out of the garden. I turned to Nancy.
"That was weird, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." Her eyes were buzzing with something. "I wonder if we'll get to see Greyson again."
"Do you know him?" I asked her softly, not wanting her to know how important her answer was to me.
"No, of course not." She shook her head. "That girl, Elizabeth, looks like she is going to be a bitch."