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Chapter 1 - Sebastien
As I flipped through the legal documents for the new branch of Club Lunaire, a series of frantic knocks echoed through my office. Tonight, I was working at the office of Club Lunaire, the first club I opened, my baby, the one that helped me make my mark in the industry.
“Come in,” I called out.
Kevin, the club manager, nervously stepped inside. At twenty-eight, he had been a great employee, detail-oriented and great with patrons, until he got promoted a few weeks ago.
Triple-booking the VIP lounge and understaffing shifts were just a couple of the nuisances I’d dealt with since his promotion; with the number of times he knocked on my door or called me during his shift if I wasn't around, I wondered why I hadn't fired him yet. From the wide-eyed expression on his face, it was clear that he had fucked up, again.
His voice shook as he spoke. “Mr. Quantum. There was a fire in the storage room.”
Warning signals went off in my head. My jaw clenched as I leaned back in my chair, my green eyes locking with Kevin’s terrified brown ones.
“Was? So that means the fire is out?” My voice came out eerily calm.
Freaking out now, since the fire appeared to be under control, wasn’t going to help anyone.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know how it started?”
“No, sir. I went to get something from the stock for the bar and saw the fire. I acted quickly and used the fire extinguisher before the fire got out of hand.”
At least Kevin was able to do one thing right! But something nagged at the crevices of my brain. The storage room was a floor below the club and could only be accessed by staff.
“Do the patrons know what happened?”
“No, sir. But we’ve never had a fire before, and I was unsure how to handle it. Should we close the club?” The words tumbled out of Kevin’s mouth as he shifted from one foot to the next.
I lifted an eyebrow. “Was it an electrical fire?”
“No, sir. It started in the corner of the room, away from anything electrical.”
“Good. Then the club stays open. No staff member is allowed to leave until I give the ok. Any staff member who disobeys will be held for attempted arson. I’ll be down soon.”
Kevin nodded slightly and turned to leave.
“And Kevin…”
Kevin turned back to look at me, and my gaze darkened.
“If word of this gets out to the public, every member of staff in this club will be fired. Do you understand?”
Kevin nodded again before he hurried away.
I tugged my burgundy blazer off the back of my chair and slipped it over my short-sleeved black linen shirt, covering the tattoos that ran along my arms. I hated suits, usually wearing a short-sleeved shirt and keeping a blazer on hand in case of important meetings.
At thirty-six, as the CEO of Quantum Enterprises, the umbrella company for my nine soon-to-be ten Club Lunaire locations and eight Moonlit Bar and Lounges across the state, I was proud of my success, and business had been thriving perfectly, up until about a year ago.
Business had been rough. It started with minor issues like an increase in employee resignations, suppliers missing deadlines, and terminated contracts with vendors. It was stressful, yes, but manageable. But now, with Eso’s boys breathing down my neck for their protection fee and this fire, things were definitely escalating. And I didn’t like it.
I picked up my phone off my desk and dialed Tony, my head bouncer and the head of my security team, who answered immediately.
“Boss.”
“Tony, meet me with two men in the storage room. Now.” I cut the call and exited the office.
I strode briskly down the stairs, my braided, long blonde hair brushing my back as I entered the dance floor. It was a Saturday night, and the club was packed. The flashing lights of the club bounced off the walls as patrons danced, synced with the lively music. I weaved through the crowd, and it wasn’t long before I stood in front of a door that read “Employees Only.”