Page 49 of The Good Girl Effect

I let out a sigh. “We only have six more weeks left of this,” I reply.

“Then what, Jack?” she asks as she drops into a chair. “I can’t run this place by myself. Julian isn’t going to change his ways. None of the others even care anymore. What if…” Her voice trails as she stares down at the table, quietly tapping her finger against the wood. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she lets the sentence die.

“What if…what?” I ask.

“What if Ronan was wrong about us?” she says, finally looking up at me.

“What do you mean?”

“Our parents created something great, but they were best friends before they started Salacious. Half of us can’t even get along, let alone run a business together. He wants us to find our family, but let’s face it. Your sister won’t talk to you. Mine is with Liam, and God only knows where they are. My brother is a mess. Your godbrother hates you. We arenofamily. And maybe we never will be.”

Leaning my elbows on the table, I stare at my best friend as I let those words sink in. She’s right. We are no family.

"Nix..." I say carefully. "Was that...why you agreed to this? For family?"

She has always been the smart one—the only true business owner here besides myself. I had always assumed her motives were economically driven. So this…is news to me.

She slumps back in her seat. “I don’t know,” she confesses. “Maybe. That letter he sent us was inspiring.”

I scrutinize her. This isn’t what I expected to hear, and knowing this changes things for me. This whole time, I assumedmy best friend would be fine on her own once I left, but now…I’m a little worried.

“Listen,” she says, sitting up. “I can find another job. I can make a business work just about anywhere. But this, the idea that we could bring together our oldest friends and somehow outdo what our parents created, was the first time a business venture sounded like more to me. And I was excited about that.”

I let out a huff. “Outdo Salacious? Nix, we can barely turn a profit.”

In the nearly thirty years since Emerson Grant and the rest of his team opened the doors of the club in Briar Point, California, they have turned the sex club industry on its head. Phoenix’s parents alone helped branch out the brand into six more clubs across America and set a precedent that was revered for its integrity and inclusivity. They created far more than a legacy, and the mere idea that we thought we could follow that is embarrassing.

“But maybe it’s not about profit, Jack,” she argues. “Maybe it’s about creating something special.”

For some reason, my mind instantly goes to Camille when she says that. I would love to bring her here. It’s a thought that’s crossed my mind more than once. If she genuinely wants to learn more about this lifestyle, then she deserves a safe and inspiring place to do that.

But she deserves better. Everyone does.

“What are you thinking?” Phoenix asks, noticing me deep in thought.

“I’m thinking you’re right. But we only have six weeks left. What do we do?”

“We shut down and start over. And we do it right this time,” she replies.

“Julian will never go for that.”

“Fuck Julian,” she argues.

My brows jump upward at that. I’m normally the one cursing his name.

Before I can respond, Phoenix continues. “We can have vetted membership this time, exclusivity, and standards. Drink minimums andrealworkshops for those who want to learn.”

I know she’s right. Hell, Phoenix always is. But I still feel as if I’m lacking the motivation it takes to pull this off.

“You want me to call them all back in?” I ask.

She scoffs. “They won’t listen. Let’s give it the rest of the weekend, and then we convince them.”

"If we leave Julian to his own devices, he'll get the club shut down on his own. What if we get out of the way and just let it happen?"

“That’s maniacal, Jack,” she replies with a nervous laugh.

“I don’t care. He wants to pull in a crowd, then let him. He’ll overcrowd this place, make a mess of the whole club, and Matis will have no choice but to step in and shut it down.”