Your Dad's Perfect (Ruby)

I shouldn't be here. I go to leave and Alaric walks through, he smiles at me.

"She's not a maid." A guy looks from Alaric to me. "You also don't hire servers and such, so who is she?" They all look towards me with interest.

Alaric chuckles. "She's going to give me insight into the business from an outsider's perspective. She can tell me how she felt before and after she walked into the place."

I don't even know what his business is. What the hell?

"So you found her at the business and kidnapped her for feedback?" The guy laughs.

"Ignore him." A woman hits the guy slightly. "I'm Jasmine. It's nice to meet you." She smiles at me.

"This is Ruby." Alaric pulls me in and hands me a drink. I sit but don't speak.

"So, what are your first impressions?" Jasmine smiles at me. I don't even know what his business is.

Alaric leans into my ear. Oh, now he's going to tell me. I almost laugh until I hear his words: "Boudoir Bunny." My body stills. That's why he said, kind of, when I asked if he worked there. He owns the club! They are looking at me, waiting.

"I thought it was very welcoming, not just the building and atmosphere but also the people. There were no looks from people that suggested they were wondering why I was there or like they believed I didn't belong." Walking in and seeing people smile at me and then go back to their own things was reassuring. Had people been staring and watching me, I don't think I would have stayed. "Everyone is welcoming." One of the women smiles at me. "How did you find out about it? As you spoke in a way that tells me you hadn't been somewhere like that before." "Honestly? I was just searching and came across it. I read up about it online before deciding to go."

"You went in blind?" One of the guys sits, shocked.

"I did, yes. What I thought I knew about the world was not real." I was completely blind, and they must be able to sense that.

"And Alaric offered you advice." Jasmine laughs.

"He gave me a contract to read through and use as a starting guide for research. It helped." It did, as there was so much in it I had no idea about.

"And even though you had no idea about it, you didn't get scared away?" A guy looks at me.

"No, as I said, it was welcoming."

"Well, I think Ruby's presence here just proved Alaric right. It's welcoming, considering her lack of knowledge. The fact that she didn't run confirms it's fine." Jasmine smiles.

They talk while sitting, and I sometimes join in. I need to ask about this. I had no idea it was his place. From the sounds of it, that isn't the only club he owns. Just how many does he run?

Hell, I had no idea. I knew he had

businesses or assumed based on

his money, but I never even connected the dots. That day, despite that date being the

compulsory day to wear one, he

walked around the building without a

mask.

People nodded at him as he passed, including the guy at the bar. Everything screamed he owned it, and I just didn't see.

Alaric closes the door behind his guests as they leave, I stand and stare at him.

"You own it?" I don't know why I'm questioning him. He does. I know he does. "I do."

"And Jake knows." Of course, he does. Alaric could not have hidden it from him.

"No." He shakes his head and hands me a drink. "Jake knows about some of the businesses I run, the more low-key ones. These ones, however, the main ones, he has no idea about."

I still at his words. "Why wouldn't you tell him?" I don't understand.

"I had decided he wouldn't know

until he was eighteen, then he would know the basics, like the sex shops The rest wouldn't be until he's at least twenty-one. He would be getting told about them in a few months, had he not just fucked

be

around and proved he can d

trusted."

you

All I can do is nod. "As you heard, the clubs are open across the country, not all are under the same name. Along with the clubs, I also own sex shops and online porn sites. On the opposite scale, I run several е

jewellery stores and a business accounting firm. Jake knows of the last two, but he won't learn of anything else until I know he won't

abuse them."

I can understand that, if Jake knew, I have no doubt he would use the clubs as a way to get sex from random women.

"Also, I should make you aware." He points to the room we had been sitting in. "None of that was planned, I hadn't considered who I would say you were. You're not Jake's partner, or friend, and well, I panicked slightly." Laughing, I nod. "It's fine; I wasn't hurt or offended, Alaric."

"Maybe not, but it was wrong of me to put you in that situation. I should have spoken to you, explained what the conversation would be about and told you about my businesses."

He has nothing to apologise for. Although he seems to think he does. "I'm fine, honestly, so don't worry about it." Standing, I grab my bag and carry it back through.

His eyes follow my movements.