The Gentleman's Club

Chapter Five: Send My Love(To Your New Lover)

I was running, you were walking
You couldn't keep up, you were falling down
--Send My Love (To Your New Lover), Adele

"So you've really got the job?" May squealed, her pretty face lit up with excitement. She seemed like she was just about bursting with exhilaration.

"Yeah," I replied, the shock in my voice evident to my own ears.

It was an hour after Giovanni had shockingly given me the job as his personal nurse. The shock of the entire situation still had me reeling.

"Congratulations, Sapphire. You've got the job."

Six words that were said without any emotion whatsoever yet had completely changed my life. I would finally be escaping Manhattan. A city that, as much as I loved it, had brought me nothing but misery. I could finally escape the looks, the whispers and the two faces that were the cause of my current troubles.

"So, what exactly happened? He interviewed you and no one else and yet he chose you?" Lola inquired. "Why?"

"I wish I knew," I breathed, leaning back against the cushions of Lola's plush couch.

Right after I had gotten the job, Stefan had gotten my information. After making sure I had a passport, he'd informed me we were leaving in two days.

"We'll be leaving on Monday," he'd said. "That should give you enough time to inform you work superiors that you'll be unavailable for the next two weeks."

I had nodded my head, unable to speak for fear that all of this was an illusion and it would shatter.

Stefan had smiled gently at me and said, "Come by tomorrow. You can shadow Giovanni and learn the way he operates so you'll know what to expect when we go to Italy. And can I just say, I'm glad my grandson chose you to work with us. In all honesty, Miss. Jenkins, I don't know if I could have survived two weeks with Mr. Smith. He's a little too narcissistic for my tastes."

After Stefan had gotten all my information down, he'd escorted me from the room. All the other candidates had long gone as I made my way to my car. Once I was inside, I wasted no time in pulling my phone out and texting Lola and May, alerting them that I'd gotten the job. Their replies were instantaneous, telling me to meet them at May's place.

Every time we had some life-altering news, we always went to May's. We would all sit, sprawled in May's living room sharing the good, the bad, and the just plain ugly moments in our lives. They were honestly the best friends I could ever hope for.

"Maybe he's in love with you." May giggled.

"Please," I scoffed after rolling my eyes. "He doesn't even know me."

I did, however, wonder why he chose me. He hadn't even interviewed the others and yet, I was the one he gave the job to.

"Well, whatever reason he had for hiring you, I'm glad he did." Lola gave her two cents, stretching out her long legs and leaning back against the armchair she was sitting in. "Going to Italy, getting away, it's going to be really good for you, Phire. I know it. I can feel it."

May said nothing, she simply nodded her head in complete agreement. Her naturally cheerful face completely serious.

Their faith in this trip being good for me and mending my broken heart gave me faith. My friends had never steered me wrong before, I didn't think they would start now. Sometimes they knew what I needed before I did. They were right to push me to apply for this job, getting away would do me a world of good.

When I returned from Italy, I would be different. I would be refreshed. I would be happy. People would no longer look at me and see the weak little nurse who had been cheated on by her on again off again boyfriend of three years. When I returned, they'd see that I was strong, capable. They would see that what happened between Melvin and I wasn't my ending.