I’ve seen the samples she’s sent in. I know her worth. And they’d be complete morons not to hire her.
I mean, we did. We hired her before she could get away. In fact, she’s the type of girl you grab onto for fear of losing her.
And that fear is fucking real.
On Tuesday, Shayne and I head into work, and she takes her spot at the bar, working on her laptop tonight instead of tending the bar. She doesn’t know I’m watching her when I see her response to an email.
The elation on her face is unmistakable. She’s happy she’s got the job, and in this split second I know I have to let her go.
Her happiness is replaced by a look of sadness, and I know she’s feeling that same heavy weight on her chest I have.
It sucks.
Her eyes meet mine from across the club and I swear, it’s like the music falls away.
Ben steps up close to me. “She get the job?”
My focus is still on Shayne. “Yeah, I think so.”
Ben’s look says it all. He knows she means a lot to me. Hell, everyone knows how much she means to me. “I’m sorry, man. Think you’ll move with her?”
“I can’t do that.” Can I? I mean, the club’s a success, and I could technically move, but no. I can’t leave this place that I worked so hard for.
I step away from Ben, crossing the club floor to meet Shayne. “Get the job?”
She sucks in a deep breath before letting it out. “Yeah, I did.”
We should be celebrating her on her success. We should be ordering champagne and toasting to a job well done. But instead, we’re both silent, staring at the floor because we both feel our time’s coming to an end.
No, fuck that. I won’t let it go down this way. We will celebrate her landing this amazing job. “I’m so proud of you.” I grab her around the waist, pulling her closer to me and kiss the ever-loving fuck out of my girl.
“I don’t think I’m going to take it.” Her eyes well with tears.
I smile. “Yes you are.”
She doesn’t say anything back, and she doesn’t have to.
We close down the club, and after we all head back to my house to celebrate Shayne getting her new job.
“I’m so proud of you,” Emma says, toasting Shayne with a flute of bubbly.
“We all are,” Axel adds. “We all knew you were really good.”
Shayne blushes. “You all are too nice to me.” She smiles, and then kisses my cheek. “I’ll be right back.” Shayne heads off into the back bedroom.
“Tell us how you really feel about her leaving,” Clara asks, giving me a look of sadness and pity.
And I can’t say I want her pity. “It fucking sucks,” I say, not sugarcoating anything. “But, what can I do.”
“You could move with her.”
I laugh. “No, I can’t do that. The club needs me.” I’ve worked too long and hard on this club to just move away.
“Hear me out,” Ben says, looking at Axel for a second before his eyes land back on me. “Everything you do for the club can be done remotely. You could come into town two or three times a month. We don’t need you.”
I laugh. “Yes, you do.” Do they not know how hard I work? Like seriously? “I’ve slaved for this club. Shayne and I will just have to make a long distance relationship work.”
Clara places a hand on my knee, giving it a little squeeze. “You love her. It’s so obvious.”
I don’t let Clara know she’s hit the nail right on the head. “It’s fine,” I say, not having much time to elaborate because Shayne comes back into the room.
“What did I miss?” she asks, her eyes a little swollen.
I know she rushed off to the bathroom so no one could see her cry, and I hate it. I hate that this is happening.
Why can’t she find that same dream job here in Vegas? Is that too hard to ask?
Everyone notices, and takes that as a cue to get going. I have to say I’m thankful my family is so intuitive.
After we say our goodbyes, I wrap my arms around Shayne’s waist. “I can’t do this,” I tell her.
“Do what?” she asks.
“Let you go. How am I supposed to let you go?”
Tears fill her eyes. “I’m thinking the exact same thing.”
“I love you, Shayne,” I say. And it doesn’t feel weird to say it to her. I never thought I’d be the type of man to fall in love, but here I am...doing it.
“I love you so much, Damien.”
I kiss her, stepping her back to the couch. “I need to be inside you,” I tell her, craving her in the most primal way. “I need to make love to you, baby.”
“I need that too.”