Chapter 164: Vague

Tom got back to the house still carrying the disappointment from Stephen’s call.

He did not go straight upstairs to collapse. He paced around the living room and called Bree first. Thankfully, Sienna had left the house and it was only his breakfast on the table that remained in the dinning.

Bree answered quickly. "I already heard from Stephen."

"How much do you know?" Tom asked.

"Not enough," Bree said. "I’ve started digging for the real reason, but nobody useful is saying anything clear yet. It’s all vague language and closed doors."

Tom rubbed his forehead and exhaled deeply. Then he said; "Keep trying. I need to know why."

"I will."

He ended the call and stood there for a moment longer. Annoyance sat heavy in his chest. Exhaustion followed right behind it. He had put real work into that path. Mentally, he had already started treating the modeling route like something solid. To have it shaken overnight left a bitter taste in his mouth. He kept seeing the runway again in fragments... the lights, the sponsors smiling at him, James’s approval and the fact that all of it could be shut down by a decision made above his head only made the anger sharper.

He went up to his room, dropped into the chair by the table, and rested his head against his forearm. For a long moment, he did not move.

The frustration kept circling. The unanswered call to James. Stephen’s warning. The feeling of being pushed out of a place he had only just begun to enter. It disturbed him more than he wanted to admit. For a while he even let himself sit inside that irritation properly, instead of pretending it did not touch him.

Then he forced his thoughts into order.

There was no sense drowning in a problem that currently had no open door. He still had things with direction. The club was one of them. If the modeling path could be salvaged, he would return to it with a clearer head. Until then, he needed to move before the anger turned useless.

On that note, he called Bree again.

"Let’s meet at the club," he said.

"Okay." There was a note of approval in her voice, as if she was pleased he had not let the L×L issue flatten him completely.

~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Tom arrived at the club property, work was already in motion.

The bodyguard, John Warren stayed near the entrance area, moving his eyes over the space with quiet professionalism, making sure the place remained secure while people came in and out. Tom gave him a brief glance and left him to it.

Inside, the interior team was deep in progress. Materials were stacked neatly against one side. Everywhere smelled of new things. One section already showed the direction of the design Bree had pushed for earlier. It was still incomplete, but it no longer looked like an empty promise. That alone made Tom’s shoulders loosen a little.

At least, something was going on well.

Then, Tom spoke with the man in charge.

"Can this be completed in two days?" he asked.

The man shook his head almost immediately. "Only if we rush it. And rushed work will affect how well it holds long-term."

Tom studied the unfinished spaces then later asked;. "How many days for proper completion?"

"Five," the man answered. "If we do it the right way."

Tom hummed lowly as he calculated in his head. He knew the deadline would still be met even with that five days. So he nodded.

"Then do it the right way. I don’t want a finished place that starts falling apart after opening." he said.

"Yes, sir." The man said then returned to his team.

Bree came up beside Tom with her tablet already open. "About staff recruitment. I’ve been working through the applications. Interviews are scheduled for the people who look usable."

Tom glanced at the screen. Names, short notes, and time slots filled the display. "Good."

"Do you want to sit in on them?" Bree asked.

"I can’t say yet. If my time allows it, yes. If not, handle the first filter and keep only the ones worth a second look." Tom replied.

Bree nodded. "Understood."

Tom looked around the property again. Progress was visible. Not finished, but no longer just talk and empty structure. In the middle of the L×L mess, that mattered more than he expected.

Then he took out his phone and dialed Josie. The line rang once and she picked up. That surprised Tom, wasn’t she busy?

"I was expecting your call," she said and her response surprised Tom again.

Tom’s brows lifted slightly. "I sent a message earlier. You didn’t reply."

"I’m not a message person," Josie answered. "I prefer hearing the voice of whoever I’m talking to."

Tom let out a short chuckle. "Wow."

"So?" Josie said. "What were you saying?"

He repeated the content of the morning message, keeping his tone very soft. That he had woken with her on his mind. That he had wanted to reach out.

Josie did not rush. She asked gently; "And?"

There was a clear teasing edge under the composure. Tom caught it.

"And I want to see you. Do you have time for me?" he asked.

"What did you plan?" Josie asked. "Or is there a reason you want to see me?"

Tom blinked. Truthfully, he had not locked down a full plan before placing the call. He recovered without sounding scattered.

"I was concerned you might be drowning in work. So I have something in motion that should help you destress." he said.

Josie was quiet for a second. Then she replied; "Okay."

"I’ll get back to you once the plan is properly set." Tom said.

"Okay." Josie’s short response came through again.

The call ended with that.

Almost immediately, the bracelet link fed him feedback, betraying Josie’s short responses.

Josie’s arousal had risen.

Tom looked at the reading, then nodded to himself and muttered; "Good."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and stood there for a moment longer, his eyes moving across the unfinished club without really seeing it now.

The next problem was...

How exactly was he going to help Josie destress?