Thanks. Is this what you wanted to talk about?”
Before I look back at him, I hear the emotion has hardened in his voice. “No. The club is celebrating its five year anniversary after the flood, and I need you here at the front bar Friday night. It’s going to be huge, like a packed house huge, so I can’t have you being late.”
Nodding, I turn to face him. “Got it. Friday night. I’ll be here by six for the staff meeting.”
The look of surprise I get for that I deserve. Even when I worked here full-time, I rarely bothered with attending my father’s staff meetings. He loves those things. My mother told me once that he used to run them when he was just the manager of the bar, and since then, he’s held one every night before opening. She thinks it’s a ritual for him. I think it’s his way to show everyone just who the boss is here.
“Great, great! I’ll be happy to see you there.”
“One favor, though, Dad. Put Maya somewhere I’m not. If that means you put me upstairs and she gets the main bar, so be it. I’m fine with that. Whatever you think works. I just don’t want to have to deal with her all night while putting on my good time bartender face.”
“Remind me again why she hates you?” he asks, showing hints of that gossip gene that runs so strong in my family.
I tilt my head back to look at the ceiling as I decide just how much I want to tell my father about why one of his favorite bartenders hates his son. She’s probably whitewashed the whole story by now, but tonight I’m feeling the urge to spread some truth about that.
With a wince, I say, “Well, she hates me because we slept together a few times and then I broke it off. I generally don’t shit where I eat, but she caught me in a moment of weakness. Actually, a few moments last summer after Emma. Once I told her I just wanted to be co-workers, that was it. Now she calls me Stefan Junior whenever she sees me. I personally think you should get rid of her since she’s a bitch on wheels to the customers ninety percent of the time, but you seem to favor her.”
“Hmmm…Stefan Junior. That doesn’t sound complimentary,” he says with a laugh before adding, “To either one of us, in fact.”
“No, it doesn’t. So that’s why Maya hates me and why if you want your big celebration to go smoothly, you’ll keep us separated.”
With a nod, he says, “Fine. You’ll be at the main bar, and I’ll put her at the back bar. To keep her happy, I’ll make sure something big happens back there so she doesn’t think she’s being punished.”
As much as I shouldn’t comment out loud on him keeping her happy, I can’t stop myself. “God forbid she think that being a shit to your only son would get her punished.”
My father ignores that broadside and smiles. “That’s all I wanted to talk to you about. Any chance we’ll get to see your girlfriend Friday night? I’ll be happy to let Tannick at the door know so she and any guests she wants to bring will get V.I.P. passes.”
The very thought of Hailey here at Club X makes the top of my head feel like it’s going to blow off. No. Not in this life or the next one. Not even in a third fucking lifetime would I want her to be here while I have to work.
“She’s got a lot going on, Dad. She’s pretty shy, too. I don’t think this would be her thing.”
The disappointment returns to his face. “Oh, okay. I’d love to meet her, and I thought here at the club would be a nice casual way that could happen. Your cousins Alex and Cash are planning to come, and I think Kane said Liam would. I’m not sure about Wilder, though.”
I stand to leave, already uncomfortable with how much my family is interested in Hailey. “No one is sure about Wilder, Dad. He’s still messed up from everything. If that’s all, I’m going to go back out there and see how the second floor is faring.”
That gets me a huge smile from him, like I’ve just announced I know the way to bring in a million bucks a night. “What’s that face for?”
My father shrugs, still beaming that silly smile. “I didn’t even have to