He grinned, a rare sight from him, his confidence in me a tangible thing. “I know you will. And you’ll have the entire atrium upstairs at your disposal. I can’t wait to see what you do with the space.”
The challenge was set, and I was ready to rise to it. This event wasn’t just an opportunity to showcase my event-planning skills. It was a chance to carve out a new role for myself within the Prism Society, one that could potentially shape my future. The thought filled me with a mix of nerves and anticipation, but I was determined to succeed. After all, with the support of Dom, Max, and the rest of the team, how could I fail?
I smiled at Dom, a bit of nostalgia filling my head. Seven years didn’t seem like a huge age gap for siblings, but when it meant you moved out of the house before your younger sibling could even drive, it felt like a gaping timeline. I was so ready to leave the city that I didn’t even think twice before hopping on the plane. I’m not sure if I even said bye to Dominic before I’d left.
And since I’d been gone he’d grown into a whole ass adult. Well, as much as a twenty-eight-year-old man can really be. But I was proud of him. He’d had an idea for something and made it come to life, no questions asked.
“Hey, I haven’t seen Liam yet. Does he ever come around?” I asked. I’d met Liam only once before and it was via Facetime. I’d called Dominic when I’d made the decision to move back home and had practically begged him for a job or at least a reference for one. He and Liam had been in the club when I called, and Dom had offered me a spot at the Prism Society with zero hesitation.
“Yeah, he’s here somewhere, probably trying to sneak away to a room with Emma,” Dominic said.
I had heard Dom mention Emma a few times before; he seemed to have a fun little friend group that all helped bring the club to life in some way. Emma had designed this place and so, even though I hadn’t met her, I knew she would love me—my taste was impeccable.
“You talking shit about me?” I turned to see Liam and a stunning brunette at his side. Liam clapped Dom on the back and smiled at me. “We finally meet in the flesh.”
“Liam! Hi, thank you so much for letting me be a part of this.” I leaned in to hug Liam, his broad shoulders tight under my grasp.
“Of course, we’ll do whatever for the family. Iz, this is Emma, the mastermind behind all of this,” Liam said with a huge smile on his face, his arms fanned out wide.
Emma smiled softly, leaning in to hug me. “It’s so great to meet you. Dom’s told us all about you.”
My eyes flicked over to Dom. “Oh, there’s not a lot to tell, just an old haggard sister with nothing going on in my life.”
Dom gave me a curious look but said nothing. Because there was no arguing with that sentiment. I was standing in front of, what felt like, babies, who had way more direction and progress in life than I did.
“Well, we’re really happy you’re here,” Emma said, breaking my inner pity party, “and Dom told me about the event upstairs. Let me know if you need any help with the setup or design, I’m here if you need me.”
I smiled at Emma. I knew I would love her. “Thank you, I’ll let you know for sure.” I waved goodbye to the group as I checked in with a few tables I felt were ready to slip me some more cash and watched as my brother and his friends made their way through the lounge greeting members.
They were like the Fantastic Four of the sex club scene, and as wild as that sounded, it was even crazier that I was envious of it. My girlfriends were busy picking out the best country club location for their bridal showers and adding dishes to their registry list while I was brainstorming ideas for orthopedic high heels.
* * *
“Sorry, but you’re gonna have to deal with my stinky feet,” I said as I finally had the chance to take off my heels once the front doors of the club clicked shut and Max turned the lock.
Dominic and Liam had come to make their rounds, chat up VIP members, and check on the staff, but they had left hours ago. Maureen and Jules had closed down their stations and said good night as the last member was leaving. Now, it was just Max and me.
I put one hand on Max’s shoulder and reached down to slide off a heel. I winced and audibly groaned as my foot became free from the leather confines, red lines marking up the sides of my arch. I stood on one foot for a while, my barefoot suspended in the air, flexing my toes. I was anxious to place my foot on the carpet, afraid of how putting my weight back on it would feel.
Max looked down at me in question, holding me up with his body weight. I sighed and started to lower my foot to the ground, squinting my eyes in anticipation of the pain. If years of stumbling around cobblestone streets in five-inch heels hadn’t taken a toll on my feet, the broken ankle from a cliff dive in Belize sure sealed the deal.
But, tonight, my foot never touched the ground.
Instead, it swung up in the air, my shoe clattering to the floor as Max scooped me up. A yelp escaped my mouth as Max carried me through the velvet curtains and into the lounge. His arms felt strong beneath me, and I felt his hands curl around my waist and under my knees. His chest was so warm, and he smelled like whiskey smoke and oranges.
He walked me through the lounge like I weighed nothing. I brought my arms up around his neck to steady myself even though something told me there was no chance of me falling.
Max sat me down gently in one of the cushioned lounge chairs and I immediately missed his warmth. He scooted another over so I could use it as a footrest, lifted my legs, and placed them on the second chair, sliding off my other shoe for me. I winced slightly at the relief of pressure.
“Thank you,” I said. “I’ll wear better shoes next time, Boss.”
“That sounds like a good plan. I’m sure your feet will thank you,” Max said. “By the way,” he said, glancing down at my feet, “your feet don’t smell.”
I chuckled and reached down to rub the balls of my feet.
“What’s funny?” Max asked.
“Oh, nothing, just remembering about this guy I met in Prague. He . . . had a foot fetish.” I shivered at the memory. It had really creeped me out. “We worked together at this little café, and I went back to his apartment one night after working a shift wearing Chuck Taylors all night.”
