“Let me see it!” Kirsten said, running out from behind the bar and signaling Daniel to come down from the dj booth.
Drew flipped through the pages. “Here it is! WE WON!!” He turned the paper for them to see – the page announcing, “The Player’s Club- winner of six Best of the Bay awards” with individual pictures of Brandie, Kirsten, Daniel and Drew at work, a picture of the club, a smaller picture of the other servers and bartenders, and an article.
“HELL YEAH!” Kirsten shrieked, attempting to grab the paper away from him.
Drew held onto the paper, skimming the list of awards, “Best club, best bar, best dance music, best place to see/be seen, best place to hook-up, and best host/hostess, as voted by the residents of Tampa Bay!”
Daniel peered over Drew’s shoulder, trying to get a look at the article. “What’s it say, man?”
“Hold on..” Kirsten finally snatched the paper away, “Let’s go find Brandie before we read it.” She took off towards the VIP room, Drew and Daniel right on her heels. As she suspected, she found Brandie in the booth in the corner, snuggled up closely with Nick, alternately kissing and whispering to each other. The three of them slid into the booth, soliciting a somewhat aggravated look from both Nick and Brandie. “We’ll leave in a second, we just wanted to show you this…”
“What is it?” Brandie asked, sitting up, reluctantly pulling herself somewhat out of Nick’s arms.
Kirsten held up the paper, showing her the page. “Third year in a row!”
“AAAHHHH!!!” Brandie stretched across the table to get a better look.
Kirsten handed the paper over to her. “We got ALL six club awards again… we fuckin’ kick ass!”she giggled.
Brandie was skimming over the article, laughing. “You guys have to hear this….” She folded the paper, and began reading, “Regular patrons of Tampa’s most infamous club will have noticed some changes taking place. Club owner and reigning Supreme Hostess (and former notorious hook-up artist) Brandie Thompson, has been doing her best to let others into her spotlight, since her very public “retirement” from being the Bay Area’s #1 playgirl. Her apparent protégé, Drew Farris, has taken over the stage, making Brandie’s too-hot performances less frequent, but more of a treat. Farris, a newcomer to the Bay area found a place at the club while working with bar-tending goddess Kirsten Elliott, then began moving into and then out of Thompson’s shadow. Daniel Laramar, the club’s mix master and musical genius, keeps the club atmosphere ready for an all-night party no matter the time or the day, while Thompson keeps tabs on everything, now generally from a distance, rather than at the center of the action.” Brandie laughed and handed the paper back to Kirsten to read this rest of the article.
“So we’ve got, the Supreme Hostess and her protégé, the bartending goddess, and the musical genius… no wonder everyone loves us!” Drew exclaimed.
“Maybe you’ll finally be able to get a boyfriend now that you’re famous, Drew.” Kirsten laughed.
Drew’s eyes lit up, “You think?”
“If I was gay, I’d want you Drew.” Daniel laughed.
“I wish you were.” Drew mumbled.
Daniel got a worried look and scooted away from him just a little.
Brandie laughed at them, “Okay, that was cool… now you wanna leave us alone?”
“Yeah… we’re goin’… anti-social, I swear…” she said, pushing the guys out of the booth so she could get out, too. “Behave you two.” She winked, before walking off. She was amazed at how completely Brandie had changed, settling so much into her “new” life. She was obviously happy with Nick- they spent all the time together they possibly could, and Kirsten was glad to see it, that Brandie finally seemed to have found what she’d been missing, even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it, even to herself.
Nick kissed Brandie’s temple, “I’m very proud, oh Supreme Hostess.”
Brandie giggled and moved back to recline against him again. “Thanks.” Upon winning the previous two years, she’d felt the need to celebrate with everyone in the club, which had turned into a mass orgy practically. This time she was perfectly content, to stay right where she was, observing what was going on from where she was now most comfortable- beside Nick.
She’d surprised herself with how easily she’d made the change, knowing Kirsten had been right in all the times she’s said that she wasn’t happy. She hadn’t been content, and now realized just how much she’d been missing. She’d found it almost hard to believe how willing she really was to open herself up, hand her heart over to him. But never once had she regretted it. Nick had continually kept proving himself to her, he really did care for her, wanted to know who she really was, and that she was the girl that he wanted.
Nick slipped his arm back around her, pulling her close to him again. He knew he didn’t have to worry about her going anywhere- literally or figuratively. He knew he had something with her no one else had ever quite managed- and he had no intentions of letting that go. She’d allowed him to learn about her- inside and out, he even knew just when the “game” had begun- and why she’d played it the way she had… a result of the one time she’d let herself fall in love, only to be brushed off for someone else, and had made it her mission to prove to herself that she could have anyone she wanted, whenever she wanted them. After hearing the entire story, Nick had never felt better that he’d been the one to end the game for her. He’d also been more than happy to comply with her wishes- when she’d handed over her black book- telling him to do something with it, he’d throw himself a little victory party, using the black book for bonfire material. He’d won the game, but, more importantly- he’d won her heart, and was going to show her that he could treat it with the utmost care and respect.
~~
Kirsten went back downstairs, retreating behind the bar, smiling when she saw AJ taking a seat at the opposite end. She walked towards him, trying to figure out the look on his face. “What’s up?”
AJ sighed, “We broke up again.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Kirsten said, reaching across the bar to pat his arm.
“It’s okay… it’s over for good now. She’s too busy for me now, and we just.. don’t have what we used to.” He shrugged. “And if I remember correctly… I told you that when she and I were over… you would be the first to know.”
Kirsten smiled, “Yeah, seems like I remember that, too.”
“Maybe we’ll have to do something about that.” AJ said.
“Oh yeah, I see how it is… Brandie isn’t available anymore, so you’ll try me now, huh?”
“You know better than that.” AJ told her. “So, where are the lovebirds tonight?”
“Same place they always are… up there in that booth in the corner, oblivious to the outside world.” Kirsten answered, mixing a drink for herself.
“Eh, it’s good for both of them. He’s happy, she’s happy… let ‘em alone.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely been good for her… you know she doesn’t drink, like, at all anymore? And I swear to god I haven’t seen her look at another guy… I’m just amazed.” Kirsten said.
AJ nodded, “She just needed something to make her realized she didn’t have it as together as she thought she did. It’s kind of … stupid that it took Nick playing her damn game and her practically getting her heart broken in the process, just so she’d wake up, though.” AJ got up, “I’m gonna go bother them, you comin’?”
Kirsten shook her head, “I’ll stay down here, I’ve already risked my life once tonight.”
AJ wandered up to the VIP room, smiling at the visible affection between Nick and Brandie. He knew, from what Nick told him, that things were going incredibly well, as if it wasn’t plain to see. AJ also knew that Nick had found a friend in Brandie like he’d never had before, someone who understood him like no one else quite could. He watched as Brandie managed to slink into the space between Nick and the table, straddling his lap, and decided maybe he shouldn’t interrupt them just then.
He turned and walked back down to the bar, watching Kirsten as she entertained the people sitting along the bar as she mixed their drinks. He should have gotten with her when he first had the chance, instead of lusting after Brandie like every other guy in town, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that, except for taking the opportunity now. He flashed her a grin when she looked his direction again. Yeah, he’d see what could happen this time.
~~
Brandie carefully arranged herself on Nick’s lap, kissing on the very sensitive spot just below his ear. She giggled softly as he moaned, his head tilting slightly to the side, his hands coming around her waist. “Wanna do it here?”
Nick could only groan in response as she began lightly grinding against him. At least this was slightly more private than the last place she’d wanted to do it at the club- on the dance floor. He stopped her though, just as her hand was sliding along his waist, reaching for the button on his pants. “Brandie…”
She looked up, making eye contact with him, “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
The grin spread slowly across her face, “I love you, too.”
to the sequel