Chapter Three
Mackenzie
And now you don't feel the same
I remember you would shiver every time I said your name
You said nothing felt as good as when you gaze into my eyes
Now you don't care I'm alive
How did we let the fire die?
- ‘When It Was Me’ Paula Deanda
Walking into the club, I didn’t realize until that moment that it was a strip club.
The music, the lighting, the way the air was thick with perfume and something faintly smoky—it all hit at once.
I’m not a prude by any means, but I also don’t know how much I’d like to work in a place like this.
My stomach tightens, not in judgment exactly, but in the uncertainty of whether I can picture myself here every night.
The inside is… nice. Nicer than I expected, with that deliberate kind of atmosphere that makes you want to sit down, order a drink, and forget about whatever you walked in with.
I guess that’s the point. The walls are covered with acoustic padding from the ceiling to halfway down, softening the sound and keeping the music from becoming a dull roar.
A wide piece of dark trim separates the padded section from the deep red paint below it, a color that feels both intimate and bold.
Black leather couches line the perimeter of the room, the cushions worn smooth from years of use.
Freestanding leather chairs circle the stage, each paired with a small stainless-steel table gleaming under the lights.
The large stage dominates the center of the room, its reflective floor catching every flicker of light. A silver pole rises from the middle, catching the glow of the colored strips of LED lights that run along the stage edge. The lights give the platform a halo, making it impossible to ignore.
And then…my heart stops.
Because he’s here.
Logan.
Sitting at the bar like he belongs in every inch of this place.
My body goes still, frozen mid-step, and it feels like all the air’s been sucked out of the room.
The pounding music fades into a muted thrum in my ears.
I’m staring without meaning to, without wanting to, and the sight of him sends something sharp and hot through my chest.
I barely notice the man who walks up to me until he’s close enough to block my view.
“You look lost. Can I help you with something?” His voice is calm but carries an edge of authority.
He’s dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans, the fabric stretched across broad shoulders and muscular arms crossed over his chest.
“Um, yes, I…” I clear my throat, trying to find my voice and some shred of composure. “I am here for an interview for the bartending position with Allison.”
“Got it. I’ll let her know you’re here. Name is Hank, by the way.” He gives me a wink before walking off toward the back.
I catch movement from the corner of my eye Logan stopping Hank, leaning in to say something to him before heading in the same direction.
Great. Perfect. I might as well not even bother wondering if this job will work out for me. I can already see the outcome. Logan disappearing into some office and making sure my name is scratched off whatever list Allison might have. Like he hasn’t done enough damage already.
“Kenzie?”
My head snaps toward the sound of my nickname, a word I haven’t heard in years, not from anyone who meant it. Confusion hits hard until I see her, Shaina, waving at me from behind the bar, her smile bright and easy, like no time has passed at all.
“What are you doing here, girl?”
Relief rushes through me at the sight of a friendly face. I walk over, my steps slower now but pulled by the comfort of familiarity. “I actually came to interview for the bartending job.” I slide onto one of the stools, perching at the edge while I wait for Allison.
“That explains it.” Shaina starts laughing, and I blink at her, completely missing what’s funny. “Logan just flew out of here like a bat out of hell,” she grins. “I don’t blame him either, girl you look amazing.”
I smile despite myself. I always liked Shaina.
Back then, she and I were close, really close.
But after everything with Logan, it was too hard.
I’d pick up the phone wanting to call her, only to hang up for fear he might answer.
She tried visiting me once, but the weight of what was left unsaid between us was too heavy.
Losing her friendship was another loss I hadn’t been prepared for, one more thing Logan took without even knowing it.
A woman with light brown hair and a wide smile steps out of the office and heads toward the bar. I stand up, straightening my shoulders and hoping I look more confident than I feel.
“Hi, are you Mackenzie?”
I nod. “Yes, thanks for seeing me.”
She shakes my hand firmly. “No problem. Let’s head into my office where we can talk.”
“Hey, Ali,” Shaina calls, drawing her attention. “She’s a good one. I’ve known her for a while.”
“Thanks, Shay.” Allison starts walking, and I follow her down a hallway lined with framed photographs some of the club, some of performers I don’t recognize. We stop at an oak door with Manager etched on a small plaque.
“Come on in and have a seat.”
I step inside, surprised by the softness of the room compared to the main floor’s deliberate seduction.
A light blue loveseat sits in the corner, angled toward a glass coffee table that holds a vase of mixed flowers, their scent faint but sweet.
Her desk is large and wooden, scattered with paper stacks and anchored by a sleek desktop computer.
The two black leather chairs in front of it look a little too comfortable for a business setting, like they’re meant to disarm whoever’s sitting in them.
I sit, folding my hands in my lap as Allison dives into the usual interview questions including my work experience, how I’d handle certain situations, why I want this kind of job.
“Okay, all of that sounds really good,” she says eventually. Then her tone shifts. “The next question isn’t one I should probably ask, but it’s one I need to know. What is your relationship with Logan?” She leans back, eyes on me, waiting.
“Honestly, we don’t have a relationship and haven’t had one for years. We dated in high school, but he broke it off and that was over eight years ago.” I bite my lip, hating that this is even part of the conversation.
“Okay. For whatever reason, you showing up here really rattled him.” She taps her pen against the desk.
“You’ll learn quickly that I don’t care what most people think of me or what I do.
Logan walked in here and basically forbade me from hiring you, which, if I’m honest, just made me want to hire you more.
Shaina put in a good word for you, and she’s someone whose opinion I actually care about.
As long as you can tell me you’ll keep this place drama-free, then I say you have a job. ”
I smile, caught off guard by how easily this is going. “Thank you so much. I promise I’ll do my best and make sure everything runs smoothly.”
“I have a feeling you’ll do great. Your first shift will be tomorrow, if that works?”
I nod. “Tomorrow works great.”
“Great, get here at three so Shaina can show you around before it starts to get busy.”
I thank her again, standing to leave, and walk out of the office fighting the urge to do a ridiculous happy dance.
“Kenzie!” Shaina calls me over. “So, how did it go?”
“It went really well. I got the job and start tomorrow. Also…” I give her a half-smile. “I go by Mac now.”
“Well, congratulations, girl, and welcome to this crazy family.” She tilts her head toward the door. “If you can keep Logan running out of here as fast as he did today, I think I’ll love you even more than I already do.” Her grin widens. “Want a drink?”
I shake my head, amused. Drinking at the bar I just got hired at feels like tempting fate. “I’ll see you tomorrow, girl.”
I walk out of the club, the cool evening air wrapping around me like a reset. My chest feels lighter with the relief of having a job, but beneath it, a pit of unease settles in. Seeing Logan again, being near him, won’t be easy.
My phone buzzes, and I pull it from my pocket to see a text from Jena, one of my best friends.
Jena: Tell me how you got into town yesterday and I haven’t heard from you yet.
Me: Sorry! I was job hunting!
Jena: Whatever, let’s go out tonight! It’s been too long!
Me: Deal, you pick the place and let me know.
I could definitely use a night out, a chance to let go for a while. Maybe even meet someone new, someone who’ll make ignoring Logan easier.
Jena sends me the name of a bar and tells me she’ll get us an Uber.
I tell her I’ll see her then and head home, already digging through mental images of my packed boxes, hoping I can find something that says confident instead of I just moved back to town and my life is chaos.