Chapter 44 - MAEVYN
“So, what do you think?” Claire leans her elbows on the counter, looking up at me with her bright, golden eyes.
All I can seem to manage is a sputtering of nonsense, completely speechless that Claire just asked me if I wanted to partner with her on the expansion of Parlour Tricks.
The business next door to us is relocating, leaving both the bottom and top floors of the building vacant.
There’s a tech firm above the salon, but they don’t need the extra space.
Tenley Callahan, the billionaire heiress Claire rents this place from, asked if Parlour Tricks wanted the space, instead of bringing a brand new business in.
“I know it’s a big financial commitment.” Claire shrugs. “But Tenley is interested in investing in the expansion if I turn it into more of a day spa. And I can rework my business loan—we can figure something out—if it’s what you want.”
She shifts beside me, waking up the computer to show a mood board of ideas. “But this is what I’m thinking.”
There are hand-drawn sketches of a floor plan, pictures of a gold spiral staircase, sleek white and gold fittings, big floral wallpaper, similar to what Parlour Tricks looks like now, plus photos of a pole studio.
“We use the bottom floor to add some fancy treatment and massage rooms, and then upstairs, we turn it into a pole studio. You could teach classes or host girls’ nights—oh my god, what if we added a little bar?!” Claire’s eyes light up the more her mind homes in on her vision.
It’s been almost two weeks since Royal showed up with my mum and everything changed. Aurora was particularly clingy for the first week, asking me to lie in bed with her every night until she fell asleep, asking for stories from my childhood and what the years were like for us when we first left.
Claire let me have a few days off while I kept Aurora home from school, so we could reconnect and come to terms with everything that was revealed, but it feels like it’s only made our bond stronger.
And through it all, there was Westley. The man I never expected, and now can’t imagine what it would be like to be without.
He usually leaves the house for work before Aurora and I wake up, but when he comes home he makes us dinner, does the laundry, and the grocery shopping.
He looks after me, so I can focus on looking after Aurora.
He’s trying not to hover when he knows Aurora needs me, but we both need him, too. His quiet strength. His boundless love.
“It sounds amazing. But you don’t need me,” I say, fiddling with my bangles. “It sounds like you and Tenley could make it happen.”
Claire tips her head from side to side in thought.
“True, but I only want to do the pole studio if you want to be a part of it. I can do the massage rooms on their own, but I feel like it would be the perfect thing to expand this place. You can take some time to think about it. And I won’t be hurt either way. ”
“Think about what?” We look up to find Westley and Lee approaching the reception desk, takeaway coffees in hand, and hearts in their eyes.
“Hey, you. This is a nice surprise.” I smile as I step around the desk, immediately pressing myself into West’s warm chest as he leans down for a kiss.
“We were quoting a job nearby and thought we’d stop for coffee.
” West hands me an iced mocha. He’s wearing a tight white T-shirt that makes his chest and shoulders look so big and strong, and his usual Connors Construction baseball cap, like the first day I met him.
The only thing he’s missing is the green checkered flannel that pretty much lives in my wardrobe now.
“Thank you.” I wrap my lips around the straw, looking up at him suggestively. He arches an eyebrow at me before wrapping his now free hand around my back, pulling me in even further to him.
“What were you ladies talking about when we came in?” he asks.
I look over to Claire, finding her unsurprisingly wrapped up in Lee’s arms as he whispers something in her ear that has her grinning.
“Claire is expanding Parlour Tricks to the building next door,” I say.
“That’s great.” West shifts his attention to Claire. “Congrats, Claire.”
She laughs, pushing at Lee’s chest, but he immediately dives back into nuzzling her neck.
“Thank you. Now tell him the other part,” she says.
I take another sip of my drink, licking the coffee flavour from my lips before I speak. “Claire wants to turn the top floor into a pole studio.” I pause to take a deep breath. “And she wanted to know if I would partner up with her for it.”
Westley gasps, his eyes popping from his head as he looks excitedly between us. “And?”
I chew on my lip before glancing behind me at Claire and Lee.
“Hey, Lover Boy.” Claire turns into her boyfriend, gliding her hands up over his chest. “I think I noticed a missing screw on one of the treatment tables. Can you come take a look?”
“A missing screw?” Lee huffs, unconvinced. “Bombshell… I’m a professional. There’s no missing screw.”
“Oh my god, you’re the missing screw,” Claire says, leading a still confused Lee into one of the back rooms. “Read between the lines, baby.”
I chuckle nervously, looking back up at Westley. “What if it does shit and Claire loses money?”
“But you can’t hold yourself back from even trying.
” West places his coffee on the bench behind us so he can bring his hand to cup my jaw, brushing his thumb along my cheek.
“I understand being scared and putting yourself on the line for failure, but you’re also holding yourself back from potential success.
If you care enough to dream it, go ahead and reach for those stars, baby.
As long as I’m here, anytime you’re scared, when things don’t work out, and you have to start again or change the course, you’ll never have to do it alone.
Don’t forget everything you’ve already got yourself through to get to where you are.
And, if you need money, I can help. I just want you to be happy. ”
“Actually. I might be okay with the money.” I chuckle, thinking back to all the cash I’ve hidden away over years of dancing. I’d been saving it so we were ready to leave and start over again. We’re not leaving, but in a way, we are starting over. “It would mean leaving the club, too.”
West tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “Is that something you want to do?”
I love to dance. I love the women I’ve met. The confidence I’ve gained. It’s been a part of my journey that I’m truly grateful for. But I see the look on West’s face every time I leave for a shift. I know he’d never ask me to stop doing what I love, but he struggles with the idea of sharing me.
“I think teaching women would make me happier than dancing for men.” I squeeze him tighter. “Especially when you’re the only man I ever want to dance for.”
“Really?” He smiles, and I can tell this one comes straight from his heart.
“Really.”
“I fucking love you so much.” His arms wrap around me, lifting my feet from the ground, and he holds me tight.
“Am I interrupting?” Royal’s monotonous grumble shatters that dream for the moment.
Westley puts me back on my feet, keeping an arm around my lower back as we turn to face Royal.
“How’d everything go?” I ask, leaning into West’s side as I smile at my former guardian.
Royal holds up a manila folder. “Helene’s signed her part. With the help of my contacts, it’s all been pushed through quietly, but legally. Aurora is officially yours.” He places the folder on the bench. Adoption papers. “If you ever need anything, you can always call me.”
“Thanks, Royal. For everything. I know you went above and beyond your normal job to make sure Aurora and I were safe all these years.”
“It was my honour.”
Westley rubs a hand up my back, just as Liv rushes into the salon.
“Hey, everyone! Just came to give you these. You left them on the counter.” Liv holds up a blue pastry box, handing it to Westley.
“Ohh, my beignets.” Westley happily accepts the box.
As usual, she’s got flour dusted on her cheeks, a piece of pastry glued to the same strand of hair.
“Olivia?” The air in the room seems to drop as Royal stares down at Liv as if he’s seen a ghost.
Liv blinks up at Royal. “Hi. Do I know you?”
“Olivia Bennett?” he says slowly, his chest heaving as his eyes search hers.
“I used to be. It’s Liv Adler now.” Liv scans Royal’s face. “Are you from Queens Coast? That’s the only place anyone would know me by that name.”
“You’re alive.”
Liv looks around at each of us, eyes shifting as her mouth hooks up in awkward confusion. “Ahh, yes?”
“Royal, do you know Liv?” I ask. He’s still staring at her, wide-eyed, full of hope and disbelief.
“It’s Xander.” He speaks so softly as he reaches forward, taking her hand in his.
Westley taps my hip, stealing my attention. When I look up at him, he’s staring at where Liv and Royal’s hands are locked.
The daisy inked on the inside of Liv’s wrist, and the flowers on Royal’s forearm that wrap tightly around the barrel of a gun. I didn’t notice the first time I saw them. The flowers. They’re daisies.
“I’m so sorry. I was in an accident a few years ago, and I have retrograde amnesia.” Liv continues to study Royal’s haunted face. “Have we met?”
“I-I—” Royal’s chest heaves as he staggers back. “I have to go.”
We all stand frozen as we watch him run out of the salon, looking over his shoulder every few seconds.
“Did that look to you what it looked like to me?” West whispers in my ear.
“That my former handler is Liv’s baby daddy, who she doesn’t remember, and who thought she was dead?”
“Yep.”
“Then, yes. That’s exactly what it looked like,” I say, looking up at him. “Looks like our friends might need our support.”
West turns into me, smiling as his arms lock around my back.
“Good thing I like doing stuff with you.” He smiles.
“That is good.” I take off his hat, spin it backwards, then set it back on his head. “Because I love doing life with you.”