my mom ushered two cute paramedics into the room. This was a bizarre alternate reality for sure, but she offered me a quick smile and nod before disappearing. Knowing her, she was out there flitting from one table to the next, trying to make sure no one was traumatized by the disturbance. I stepped out of the way, making room for the people who had actual medical training.
“Hey, you okay?” I sagged against the wall when I saw Daddy coming down the hall. This was the first chance I’d had to breathe and process any of what had happened. As much as I’d like to think I would have handled everything as well as William had, I knew there was no way I could have physically restrained someone. Daddy hugged me tight as he kissed the top of my head and told me how proud he was of me. “Jack’s on his way. When you didn’t answer your phone, he called William.”
“Good.” There were bound to be questions, both from the police and from customers, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to come up with any answers. “Things like this don’t happen here. What if I’d been the manager on duty?”
“You would have taken charge the same way you did tonight.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “But I’ll never be able to do what William did.”
“No, but you were calm in a moment of crisis. That’s huge. You took control of the situation, got people where they needed to be, and took care of John, even though we both know the two of you don’t get along. You put your personal feelings aside to keep everyone in the bar safe.” The way he explained it, I did feel a bit more confident. “Before we go back out there, we need to get you cleaned up a bit. Do you have a spare shirt in your office?”
I nodded. When I looked down at my shirt, the edges of my vision grew dark and I felt light-headed. I looked like I’d been in the fight, not just helping someone after. Without another word, Daddy slid a hand around to the small of my back. We stopped by my office and then he took me into the private bathroom.
I was ready for tonight to be over.
We didn’t get home from the club until after midnight. Everyone was more subdued following the incident. I kept waiting for my parents to say they weren’t comfortable with me working there, and I’d formulated a series of rebuttals for the protests that never came.
“You have a great work family,” Mom said as she started a pot of coffee. Yes, it was the middle of the night, but she’d likely be up for a few hours yet, and believed it was never too late for coffee. “It’s easy to see how much they adore you.”
“What’s not to love about Sam?” Theron mused. He kissed the top of my head before pulling a pack of cookies out of the pantry. I scowled at him. We had cookies and he didn’t tell me? He was a big meanie. “They all look out for one another. Believe it or not, I had to get through William before I could ask Sam out on a date.”
Calling how our relationship started a date, might be a bit of a stretch, but I was grateful Theron said it in a way that didn’t cheapen what we’d shared. And the only reason we’d jumped right into playing together was because I’d chickened out when he wanted to take me to lunch. If we’d done things his way, I imagined it would have taken longer to get to where we were because he was a noble man who didn’t want me to feel pressured into anything. I loved him for that, but in this case, my way was definitely better.
“I could see that.” Dad hugged me tight. “I’m glad you have friends who look out for you. It makes it easier to let you live the life you’re building. Are you planning on staying at the club after graduation?”
“I am,” I admitted. It didn’t feel as scary anymore. They knew where I worked and what I was doing. They saw me take charge when I needed to. They had both told me they were proud of how I’d handled myself.
We all made our way into the living room once Mom had her cup of coffee. They sat on the couch and didn’t say a word when I crawled