The Nightclub(Part 2)

Travis whipped his head around, looking highly amused along with Lollipop. Behind us stood Jasper and Mike, both of whom didn't look very happy.

"Looks like you're all having fun," Mike commented, his tone neutral but his eyes sharp.

They were both in their police academy sweats but still managed to really stand out, immediately drawing attention to our table. Jasper looked like a clear aggressor, the way he was staring Jared down. I feared he might cause a scene.

"Don't make a scene now, Jasper," I stepped in front of him, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Why would he bring you here?" Jasper asked, his voice low and controlled.

"He didn't—" I started, but Jared cut me off.

"So what if I brought him here?" Jared snapped back.

"The fuck are you talking about, Jared? Stand down!" I shot Jared a warning look. What the hell was he thinking? Why was he lying about this at all?

"You've got a lot of guts to try and mess with my people," Jasper said, his voice cold as he effortlessly moved me aside to confront Jared.

"When did Alex become one of your people?" Jared rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed.

"You think I don't know about the nasty stuff that you go around doing? If you touch a single hair on his head, I'll take your fucking life!" Jasper's voice was ice, and the tension in the air was growing.

"You think too highly of yourself! Alex isn't your toy!" Jared shot back.

Jasper reached out for Jared, but Mike quickly stepped in to stop him. "Calm down, bro. Hi, Travis."

"Hiiiiiii Michael!" Travis waved flirtatiously, trying to lighten the mood.

"You're being way too comfortable here. Do you not see everyone here leering at you?" Jasper suddenly turned his attention to me. "I hate him! I hate this! You're not even taking me seriously anymore!"

What the hell? Why did Jasper look so hurt? "How come it's that?" I asked, confused and a bit disoriented by the tension.

"Think about it yourself. A few days ago, you left and slept in a hotel, and now you're running off to bars and not saying a thing about it. You're out of control," Jasper's voice wavered with emotion. "Am I not giving you enough attention at home that you have to come to this place?"

I had to hold back my laughter as the image of a scorned wife appeared in my head with Jasper's face. It might be the liquor, but he's really hot when he's angry and dramatic. "I even felt guilty for—"

"Okay, Jasper, I'm sorry. I'll pay attention to that in the future. I really just came to drink with Travis and Lollipop," I pointed at Travis, who was now engaged in a close, obviously flirty conversation with Mike.

"You gave in so quickly that there's no sense of accomplishment," Jasper sighed, his anger dissipating.

"What do I do then?" I asked, feeling a bit lost.

"Call me baby, one time," he smiled mischievously.

"You profiteer! How much have you been learning?" I felt my face heating up. He had easily cornered me into a deal like he's been watching me do. I felt a weird sense of pride from that. "Ugh, fine. I'm sorry, baby."

"Do you actually like Alex?" Lollipop asked Jared, cutting into our conversation.

"Of course I like Alex. Alex has been an inspiration!" Jared defended himself. "That's why I'm in the fan club."

"Fan club?" Lollipop asked, intrigued.

"Yes, it's Alex's fan club. He's been an inspiration to a lot of people. He's everyone's husband in the chat. Some of the wait staff at Lombardi's is also in the group chat," Jared bragged. "Of course Jasper knows all about it."

"Clocked, spill the tea!" Travis squealed.

"I don't know what he's talking about," Jasper looked away from me.

"You should. After all, you investigated every single member and abused your authority as a cop," Jared accused Jasper. It sounded like something he would do, but he allowed them to exist so he must not see them as much of a threat.

"You got proof?" Jasper sat down, facing Jared directly.

"No, you confiscated it!" Jared snapped.

"Scandalous," Lollipop gasped.

"Well, who's going to believe you over a cop?" Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Jasper, calm down," Mike said. "What if this guy makes a complaint?"

"I won't. The club's top priority is ensuring Alex's happiness," Jared said.

"What the fuck? Just what is the point of this fan club?" I got straight to the point.

"We all admire and try to be like you. It's actually a community of like-minded business individuals in a group chat. It started out as just a few secretaries and new hires discussing the things you say to them and how you treat people. For a lot of them, it's their first time having a boss who clearly cares about them. For the more affluent ones in the group, they need a powerful modern example to follow during their succession," Jared explained.

"What do you think about this, Alex?" Lollipop asked.

"I don't care as long as no company secrets are being leaked," I turned to Jasper. "They're not, right?"

"Surprisingly, they're not, it's completely harmless." Jasper took a drink for himself.

"Everyone in the group chat knows how much you value loyalty. That's why it's so exclusive and the rules are so strict," Jared explained proudly. "No threats will get to the company because we'll sabotage them all if we can."

"Then I was right to help you out that time," we clinked glasses and drank in solidarity. A fan club that takes down threats for me was okay, I guess that's why I hadn't seen any internal problems since Mr. Thompson came up at all. They were very efficient, but every fan base had their overzealous members, regardless of how business-minded they were. I'd have to start having Jasper do background checks on everyone I meet soon.

"That's unexpected," Travis said.

"I can't control my employees outside of work." I defended my choice. Ultimately, having them around took a lot of unimportant shit off my plate. As long as they knew their place, I saw no harm in letting them live.

I wouldn't deny a part of me enjoyed the celebrity of it all. Recognition based on merit is awesome.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Jasper's voice broke through my thoughts, bringing me back to the present.

The weight of Jasper's gaze made my heart race, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. "What do you mean, Jasper?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Do you think it's a good idea to let these people have such access to your life and your company? They could turn on you at any moment," Jasper said, his voice low but filled with concern.

"Jasper, they're loyal. They haven't done anything to betray my trust so far," I replied, trying to reassure him.

"That doesn't mean they won't," Jasper insisted. "People change, circumstances change. You need to be careful."

"I know, but for now, they've been more helpful than harmful. I'll keep an eye on them," I promised.

Jasper sighed, clearly still uneasy but willing to let it go for now. "Just be careful, Alex. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I will," I said, smiling at him. "Thanks for looking out for me, baby."

Jasper's expression softened, and he gave me a small smile in return. "Always."

Jared poured a drink from the bottle at the table. "Here, have a drink."

"Funny, Alex bought the bottle himself and you're offering him his own drink?" Jasper criticized, his tone dripping with disdain.

"You're so serious, Jasper. I'm just pouring a drink for my boss. No need to make such a fuss," Jared shot back, his eyes narrowing in challenge.

"It makes you look fake elegant. Drink mine instead, Sugar," Jasper pushed his half-empty glass into my hand, his gaze never leaving Jared's.

Travis, Mike, Lollipop, and I watched, amused, as Jasper refused to take his proverbial foot off Jared's neck.

"Just what are you privy to about elegance? Why are you trying to drink so much if Alex bought it?" Jared asked, his voice rising with irritation.

"Alex knew it was my favorite drink, that's why he ordered it!" Jasper retorted, his jaw clenched.

"'He knows my heart, so he just understood me.' You sound delusional," Jared sneered.

They both reached for the bottle of whiskey at the same time, visibly upset. "This is mine," they said in unison, their hands colliding.

"Stop acting like starving refugees!" I snapped at them, unable to hide my frustration.

"I know what your goal is, Jameson," Jasper snapped, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I know yours too, but you'll never crush my fan club!" Jared declared, his voice defiant. "From now on I won't be nice to you just because you're Alex's husband!"

"Idiot!" I muttered under my breath, shaking my head at their childish behavior.

Jasper's face darkened. "You think you're so clever, don't you? You don't understand the first thing about loyalty."

"And you think you own Alex? He's not your property, Jasper. He's his own person," Jared shot back, his voice rising.

"Enough!" I slammed my hand on the table, silencing both of them. "This is ridiculous. Jared, Jasper, you're both acting like children. We're here to have a good time, not to start a war."

Jasper's eyes softened as he looked at me. "I'm just trying to protect you, Alex."

"I don't need protection from Jared. He's harmless," I said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Harmless? He's obsessed with you!" Jasper exclaimed.

Jared smirked. "Obsessed? I'm just a fan. A very devoted fan."

"That's enough, both of you," I said firmly. "We're all friends here. Let's just enjoy the night."

Jasper grumbled but relented, taking a sip from his drink. Jared, too, backed down, though he still glared at Jasper.

Travis leaned over to me, whispering, "This is more entertaining than reality TV."

"Tell me about it," I replied, rolling my eyes.

We spent the rest of the evening trying to steer the conversation away from the earlier confrontation. Despite their bickering, Jasper and Jared eventually managed to coexist without further incident. The drinks flowed, the music played, and for a while, we were able to forget about the tensions and just enjoy each other's company.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over. Jasper's protectiveness, Jared's fan club, and the unexpected rivalry between them—it all felt like the calm before the storm. And as the night wore on, I couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of a much larger conflict.