Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 111610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 558(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
“Thanks, Evan. We tried to get a mix of young adults, but you’re all between the ages of nineteen and twenty-five and attending classes at the university, so we’re not exactly a varied demographic, but hopefully, that’ll help us find some common ground because we only have an hour here. Quick basics on everyone—from the club, we have . . .”
“Lucas—he’s majoring in sports marketing and speaks his mind all the time, whether you want to hear it or not.” I grin at Lucas so he knows I mean it mostly as a compliment, and he nods his head, agreeing with me.
“Stephen. You ever hear the Mr. Rogers saying ‘look for the helpers’? That’s Stephen, so if you need anything at the club today, ladies, he can probably help you, whether it’s the vending machines or the restrooms.”
Stephen nods at the women across the table with a warm smile and tells them, “Jim, our security guard, will be near the restrooms today so you feel safe to use them.”
My heart grows at how they’re listening and learning because having Jim stationed in that area for the guests’ comfort was Anthony’s idea.
“Anthony—he’s our goofball with a good heart.”
Anthony interrupts me, mock-scolding, “Don’t tell ‘em that, Miss R. You’re already messing with my game!”
In response, I tap my forehead and tease, “What game is that, Toro?” He blushes at the reminder of the suction cup circle that lasted for ages, but he’s not really embarrassed. He’s pretty proud of the nickname his antics earned him, and he and I are totally good now. He’s apologized, is thinking in an entirely new way, and he gave me and Jaxx money for the merchandise he and his friends took.
Lucas nudges Anthony’s shoulder with his own. “Man, you ain’t got no game. You just ‘spray and pray’ that charm around, hoping to get some ass. You need to narrow that scope, bruh.”
Anthony laughs at the dig, popping back, “Like you’re out there sniping ‘em one at a time.” They devolve into laughter with fist bumps and copious ‘bros’.
“Guys.” Chance says the single word, and the two of them straighten up, though they’re still grinning and pleased with themselves.
Continuing on, I say, “Enzo—he’s our man with a plan. Valedictorian, summa cum laude, law school with an emphasis on business. Never met a distraction he couldn’t ignore with his laser focus.”
“And last but not least, Tyler. He’s new to the club, so I don’t know him as well, but it felt important to include someone less familiar with the teachings of the Gentlemen’s Club.”
“’Sup?” Tyler says, waving two fingers at the women across from him.
“And over here, I didn’t think it would be fair to include more psychology students, so I tried to expand my pool so we’d get some variety in experiences." I check my notes to make sure I get everyone correct and point as I go down the table. “First, Jaxx—she’s a music major and goes to concerts of every genre as often as possible. Meli—she’s a badass soccer player who hopes to play pro but is also getting a business degree. Apple—she’s a lead reporter for the Campus Community Bulletin, the school newspaper, and plans to go into political journalism. Trixleigh—she’s the entertainment chair of Gamma Lambda Kappa and plans to be a luxury party planner. And Serena—she works at the on-campus bookstore and reads every day, everything from history to fantasy.”
I leave out that I know Jaxx and Trixleigh through Bedroom Heaven because that’s not part of my role here as discussion moderator and their business is, frankly, their business to share or not.
“Chance, Evan, and I will be presenting topics and asking questions mostly, only stepping in to further the conversation if needed. But the plan is for the ten of you to do most of the talking. Questions?”
All ten of them stay silent or shake their heads, and I have a moment of abject terror that this is going to be an hour of us trying to pull words from their zipped lips. I shoot Evan and Chance a look, but they’re doing what appears to be their usual pre-podcast checklist.
Before I know it, the intro music starts.
Showtime.
“Welcome, everyone, to a very special episode of Two Men and a Mic,” Evan says, staring into his camera set up by his computer and introducing things. “I’m Evan White, and tonight we have a special episode we’re calling He Said, She Said. To understand more, here’s my main man, Chance Harrington. Chance?”
“Thanks, Evan, and welcome, everyone. Recently, we added a staff member to our roster at the Gentlemen’s Club. This was an unusual one for us because . . . she’s female. But that’s actually why we hired her, to bring a fresh perspective to our members. And I have to tell you, she’s made amazing progress, bringing insight to things from the other side of the coin. It's gone so well that we thought . . . let’s expand the idea. And now, here we are. May I introduce Samantha Redding?”