Reservations

“Most do, but not all.”

Levi let his gaze roam. Everyone from the bartenders, to the waitstaff, to a guy stepping into the DJ booth all wore about the same thing. Something skimpy.

“So what’re you thinking?” Julian asked.

“I’d like to make three hundred dollars in a night, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for this.” He let his gaze slide back to Julian as he contemplated his options. “What if the waiters get hit on?”

“My official response is that they don’t engage. Since it’s you, my unofficial response is that a lot of them will eventually take the men up on their offers. Sometimes it’s just a quick hookup, sometimes there’s money involved, but that’s between them. We don’t get involved,” he explained as if he were talking about any other business matter.

“Really? You never truly get involved?” Levi asked, still on the fence about the whole thing.

“Nope. I don’t want to know. Why are you asking? You thinking about making a little side money?” Julian said, waggling his brows.

“I’m not interested in that,” Levi shot back immediately.

“You keep saying that, but if that changes, no one here’s gonna judge you. We’ve all had a casual hookup, right? For a lot of the men, it’s a one-time thing. You’ll find some of these guys just want company, and then there are some that are looking for something more exclusive and long term. They find that too.” Julian stopped at a nearby highboy table, resting an arm on the edge.

“New guy, Julian?” a waiter asked, dropping two cocktail napkins on the table in front of them.

“Possibly.”

“Nice! I’m Quinn.” The waiter stuck his hand over the table and Levi clasped it. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”

“Nah, not right now. Thanks anyway,” Julian said, pushing away from the table. “Let’s go back upstairs and finish.”

Neither one spoke, and the silence was kind of nice as Levi followed Julian back up the stairs. It gave him some time to sort things out in his head. He had relaxed some. The bar was so fun, but also very classy. Seeing that it wasn’t all whips and chains, and sexual debauchery, eased some of his stress about taking the job. After stepping through the door of the office, Levi shrugged off the coat and handed it to Julian.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Levi took in all the details of Julian’s office that he’d missed when he’d first arrived. For some reason, this was exactly what he would have pictured for Julian. A shell-gray leather sectional with mismatched pillows of black, metallic pewter, and off-white fur commanded attention in the center of the room. The walls were painted a deep charcoal,which made the white trim and crown molding stand out against such a stark color. Two oversized wingback chairs with matching bold black and cream patterns sat to the left part of the room on eitherside of a mirrored end table. A plush rug anchored the pieces and colors together. Everything looked expensive, but not pretentious.

Fitting.

In the opposite corner of the room, a heavy black desk took up most of the angled wall. Levi’s eyes were drawn to the unusual piece of art made of glass and mirrors that sat behind Julian’s desk and made the wall shimmer. He figured that piece must have cost a fortune. Hell, the furniture in this office alone probably cost more than his house. It was the nicest he’d ever seen, like he’d stepped into a designer décor magazine shoot. But the most impressive detail in the office was the large glass panels stretched from floor to ceiling along the entire wall.

Out of curiosity, Levi walked across the highly-polished wood floor to the wall of windows and looked down over the club. The place looked glamorous and inviting, even from this view. The dancers in the cages reminded him of a flock of exotic birds captured in flight. They moved like one, each mirroring the other in a graceful dance. Their bodies glowed brightly from the neon paint; their hypnotic sways held his attention captive.

“Thane’s a really good guy. I’m…blessed, for lack of a better word. It takes a lot to run a place like this, but he’s not trying to turn a huge profit or at least I don’t feel like that’s the only reason he started Reservations.”

Levi turned to look back at Julian, surprised at the sincerity and deep appreciation he heard in the words.

“So, tell me about your brothers?”

“My oldest brother’s seventeen now. He’s a junior, or I guess a senior, in high school. He’s graduating early. My youngest brother’s fifteen and struggling.” Levi shook his head, thinking of Luke and the trip to the principal’s office.

“I’m not sure you’ve ever mentioned your mother?” Julian asked as he poured himself a drink then lifted the bottle and offered it to Levi. He shook his head no and answered Julian’s question.