Chapter 1
Julia had graduated with a business degree earlier that summer without having a clue what she wanted to do with her life. She knew she had to start thinking about it, but at the moment she was content with her life exactly as it was. She shared a small apartment with her roommate and best friend Sarah, and they both worked at the nearby Club Regalia seven nights a week. They were bartenders, and it earned Julia more money than an entry level management position would while allowing her to meet some of the hottest guys in town.
Not that she was looking for a guy, but she was not opposed to having a little bit of fun. She knew she was far from what most men considered beautiful at 5 foot 3, with a big figure, round butt and average sized breasts. If anything she could be considered the girl next door, while Sarah was the prom queen, but Julia found that she really didn’t mind. She got plenty of attention and she wasn’t looking to settle down, so she wasn’t worried about any of it.
“What do you think is going to happen?” Sarah asked as she joined Julia in the bathroom to start putting on make-up. “There has to be a reason we have to come in early.”
“I have no idea. John hasn’t said anything, and he’s the general manager so he would know. I have noticed that he hasn’t been at the club as much as he used to be, so something is definitely going on. I suppose we’ll find out when we get there,” Julia said unconcerned. She knew there was no point in sweating over what it could be, as she wasn’t going to be able to change the outcome anyway. That was a philosophy she had adopted years ago, after several setbacks in her life had almost overwhelmed her.
Less than an hour later Julia and Sarah found themselves sitting on barstools along with the rest of their co-workers, waiting for the meeting to start. John was nowhere to be found, and considering he had called the meeting, they knew they simply had to wait. Julia hated waiting and she hated when someone was late to a meeting they scheduled, which was also very unusual for John who was more punctual than anyone she knew. When John walked in ten minutes later, Julia almost fell off the chair when she saw who he was with.
That was Mike Allaster. The richest bachelor in town and what most women would call a total hunk. He was tall at 6’3”, with tanned skin and a muscular build. His bright blue eyes could pierce your soul, as it did in many of the pictures she had seen of him, but they could also be incredibly gentle and kind. He was the picture of what you’d call an Alpha male, and he radiated power and dominance. Julia had never met the man, and that was what she had always thought from the videos and pictures she’d seen of him, but seeing him here in person she knew she had only scratched on the surface of the man that was Mike Allaster. When she realized Mike was staring straight at her, she couldn’t quite contain her blush and focused on John as he started the meeting.
“Thank you all for coming in a bit early. I have an announcement to make, and it’s not easy for me to tell you this so I’m just going to come straight out and say it. I have sold Club Regalia. Due to some family commitments out west I have to move back to my hometown, and I didn’t want to close the club which was my only other option. As you have probably guessed, I have sold the club to Mike. Mike has promised to observe the club before making any changes, to see what he likes and what he doesn’t like, and I know you will all make him feel welcome. Please treat him the way you treat me and I don’t see any problems. Mike is the official owner as of an hour ago, but I will remain the manager here for another week to help with the transition. I know everyone has duties to fulfil before we can open in thirty minutes, so I’ll let you all get to it, but if you have any questions you all know where to find me. Mike, do you have anything to add?”
“Thank you John. I do not at this moment, but know that I will be observing. John has given me a list of each of your job duties so that I have an idea of who does what, but I will also be speaking to each of you individually. Please don’t hesitate to come to me with any questions or concerns. Club Regalia is the most popular club in town, and I intend to keep it that way. Considering you all have helped make the club what it is, and you understand your customers, I will always listen to your feedback. Let’s have a good night everyone.”
As soon as they were dismissed Julia turned to Sarah. “That was unexpected.”
Sarah nodded, and she appeared to be in complete shock. “I wasn’t expecting that at all; John loves Club Regalia. Come on, let’s go get the bar ready for tonight. It’s Friday and we’ll be busy. I need time to process this.”
Julia and Sarah moved behind the bar, opening liquor bottles and removing caps while making sure everything was within easy reach. They helped move several cases of beer to just behind the bar so that they would be within easy reach to go in the coolers, as the worst thing that could happen was for them to run out of cold beer, and replenished the ice buckets. Finally they added ice scoops and filled the little bowls on the bar with peanuts before switching their comfortable shoes to heels, taking off their jackets and smiling. Two minutes before opening, and they were ready for whatever the night would bring.