Stay For Me - Megan Smith Page 0,6
ones. I lean down and kiss Fallon’s forehead.
“Love you, Layla.”
“Love you, Fallon.”
I turn the light out on my way out to the kitchen. The sink is full of dishes, the trash is spilling over and there are clothes all over the small living room. Taking a deep breath I blow it out and start with tackling the trash. Once everything is done I’m exhausted and don’t even have the energy to do my own homework. I’ll just have to wake up early and finish it after I take Fallon to school.
I take a quick shower since there is barely any hot water left after the little we used for Fallon’s bath and doing the dishes. I change into shorts and a t-shirt and climb into the bed across from my sister. We share the little bedroom that is big enough for two twin-size beds and a dresser. Mom has the bigger bedroom of the two which I really wish she would give to us since my clothes are in the closet in the hallway because there is no room in here.
Fallon calls in a groggy voice. “Layla,”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry I’m sad.”
My eyes close as the pain from her words take over. She has nothing in the world to be sorry for. She didn’t ask for this mess of a life just like I didn’t. “Don’t be sorry, kiddo. It’s okay to be sad sometimes.”
“Are you sad?”
“Sometimes.”
She’s quiet for a few minutes and I think she’s gone to sleep. “Layla?”
I chuckle. “Yeah?”
“Can I sleep with you?”
I scoot over and lift my covers for her. “Come on.”
She jumps from her bed to mine and burrows herself in my blankets that are thread bare. I run my fingers through her damp hair and hum Lullabye to her. Her body relaxes and she’s snoring softly in no time.
“I’m going to get us out of this shithole, squirt. I just need a little more time.” I promise to her before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep myself.
Eli
It’s Saturday, the grand opening for Fierce. Cooper and I have hired a full staff and everyone is on hand tonight. Cooper was able to line us up with a great DJ, too. I’ve been working on a few advertising campaigns and I even hired a few college kids to pass out flyers around campus to draw in a crowd for tonight.
Cooper and I agreed to meet up at the club at five to make sure everything is set up and ready to go for tonight. The staff just arrived at seven dressed in uniform, black pants for the winter with electric blue tops. They are running over the list of things we asked them to do to get ready for the crowd. The bouncers, dressed in black pants with coordinating black polos with the word ‘Bouncer’ emblazoned in electric blue across the back, are walking around getting familiar with all the exits and going over the plans if anything were to go down.
While everyone is doing what needs to be done, and with only a few minutes before we open the doors, I decide to go and check in with Cooper. I knock on his office door before opening it. “You ready for this?”
He smiles. “Let’s do it.”
We walk down the hall towards Eric, the DJ, who is up in his booth. I clap Eric on his shoulder and he removes his headphones. “You ready?”
Eric tips his head. “Hell yeah!”
“Start it up then.” Cooper hollers.
Eric put his headphones back on and the music fills the once silent club. The bartenders and waitresses start cheering. The energy is through the roof.
I spot Layla talking to another one of the bartenders. When she notices me she smiles and waves. I wink back and follow Cooper over to the bouncers. Layla and the other bartenders came in for a few hours Thursday and Friday for some training on how we would like things run around here. I think the girls we hired are going to work out well.
Right at nine we give the bouncers the okay to open the doors. They check IDs as they let each customer in to the club. Tonight is an “eighteen to party, twenty-one to drink” night. Not all the nights will be like this but we wanted to draw in a big crowd for the grand opening. Cooper and I welcome everyone as they walk in. Before we know it, people are wandering upstairs and Cooper goes to walk around up there, while I