the diamond club

As much as Daphne was in love with Vaughn, she knew they couldn't continue their relationship this way. It wasn’t healthy, and it was taking a toll on her mental health. When he didn’t respond to her last text message, she was sure he was wallowing in self-pity. She, however, did not expect him to show up at the club. Vaughn hated the place. There he was, though. Daphne hopped off the bar stool she’d been occupying and walked his way. It’d been busier than expected, and she successfully pushed herself through the crowd. Daphne grabbed the arm of his jacket and pulled him towards the door.

Once outside, she let go of him and crossed her arms over her chest. “You shouldn’t have come here,” she finally broke their silence after staring at each other. He’d been crying. His eyes were puffy and more bloodshot than average. Daphne’s heart broke, and it was the exact reason why she needed to stay away. She wasn’t strong enough to stand her ground in person.

“I love you,” Daphne said, trying to hold back her tears. “I want you to realize you’re not a fucking twenty-something man-child anymore. You’re in your thirties, and I want you to act like it.” His text messages were what sent her over the edge and what made her want the break. It’s not what she really wanted.

After a few patrons came and went, she gently pushed him back, “Go that way.” Daphne wanted to get out of the way. No one needed to hear their business. Once around the corner, she tried to explain her messages. “I was just being an asshole because I felt like you didn’t care,” Daphne began. “I didn’t mean what I said.” She broke eye contact for a moment before looking back at him, “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.”

The possibility of losing Daphne hit him like a freight truck. Their relationship had always been like this - hot one moment, cold the next - but they always made it work. Lately though, they'd been having more cold moments than hot ones and he was worried "space" and "break" were code for her leaving him forever. Vaughn couldn't bare that thought, so he ran out the door as soon as he read the text and headed to the one place that he hated more than his parent's house, The Diamond Club.

Thankful that she tugged him outside before he stupidly made things worse than they already were, Vaughn ran his hand through his hair as he waited for her to say something. "You're right," he muttered as he looked down at the ground and bit at the inside of his bottom lip, trying his best not to cry any more. He didn't care about her seeing him cry but he didn't really want her work having security footage of it. "I love you too. Sooo much."

Remaining silent but nodding in acknowledgement to what she said, Vaughn did as he was told and moved around to the side of the building so they could have a bit more privacy. "No. Stop that. You shouldn't be the one apologizing right now. It's me. I'm the asshole, I'm the idiot, I'm the one who keeps fucking up! You don't deserve that. I'm sorry for making you feel like I don't care. I care about you more than I care about anyone else on this whole fucking planet!" He felt like a piece of shit. She was his goddess, his queen, and he'd failed her. Vaughn hadn't been treating her the way he should have because he'd felt too safe and comfortable.

"I can't promise you that I'm not going to make mistakes or have to apologize again, but I can promise you this." He placed his hand under chin and lifted her head slightly to meet his gaze more. "I'm never going to stop trying. Trying to be better, to be the man you deserve. And I'm always, always, going to do everything within my power to make things right."

For the first time, it seemed like Vaughn wasn’t just listening but also comprehending what she was saying. She sighed in relief, knowing their relationship wasn’t as damaged as she thought. As long as they loved each other and wanted to make this work, it was repairable and worth it all. She just needed some reassurance once in a while.

“How about we both take the blame for this one?” Daphne suggested since this wasn’t all Vaughn’s fault, even if he felt like it was. “You’re my asshole, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she assured him, taking a few steps toward him.

Her stomach did a few somersaults when he grabbed her chin and told her he would never stop trying. It caught her a bit off guard, but it was music to her ears. “I know you’re not perfect. I’ve never wanted or expected you to be,” she explained. “I didn’t want you to take me for granted anymore, and I wanted to know you still cared about me,” she continued, looking up at him.

Daphne wasn’t sure what was going on with her lately. She wasn’t usually this insecure about their relationship or her emotions. She always had a good head on her shoulders. Without hesitation, she leaned into him and pressed a kiss against his lips. Only breaking their kiss, she stayed close and hugged him around his torso. “Don’t worry, you’re stuck with me,” Daphne said before burying her face into his chest, finally feeling secure.

Surprisingly, things completely turned around for Daphne and Vaughn after finding out that she was pregnant. Instead of being at each other throats like they had been, they were trying to focus on creating a healthier environment to bring their child into. Despite two very different upbringings, Daphne and Vaughn came from neglectful families. She raised herself while Vaughn’s parents threw money at him and favored his younger brother, Julian. After a lengthy discussion and deciding to keep the baby, they agreed that their child would never feel the emptiness and loneliness they did growing up. But that didn’t make Daphne any less terrified about becoming a mother.

Daphne was much further along in her pregnancy than she would have thought. Because of all the stress she’d been under fighting with Vaughn and the club, Daphne assumed that was why she hadn’t gotten a period. It wasn’t until her moods shifted, the fatigue set in, and her frequent trips to the bathroom that she decided to take a pregnancy test. And sure enough, it came back positive. At first, Daphne didn’t want to keep the baby, mainly because she didn’t think she or Vaughn could adequately care for a child. But Vaughn has surprised her over the last few months, and she was beginning to think maybe they could raise a child and not royally fuck them up like they were.

It was her night off, but because one of the bartenders called out, Daphne agreed to come in just in case they needed an extra hand. It was the middle of the week, so it should be a relatively chill night if everyone chose to behave and not drink too much. Daphne was doing her makeup in the backroom when she noticed Carmen enter the room while looking in the mirror. “Hey!” She exclaimed, excited to see her. “I thought you were off on Wednesday?” Daphne asked. “Also, can I just say I love that I can wear casual clothes now? Can you tell I’m with child?” She teased, placing her hands over her bump and posing for her friend. Nor cake my face with makeup or put in my stupid hair extensions.

Daphne knew Carmen already had an older sister, and she didn’t need Daphne looking out for her, but they bonded and got to know each other the last few months. Daphne felt protective over Carmen while she was working because she was still so young. “How’d it go with Shawn?” Daphne knew Carmen was hesitant about telling her boyfriend that she was stripping. Despite the fallout it may cause, Daphne knew it’d be for the best. “Did you tell him?”

She'd only had one shift since telling Shawn but working here had become slightly more difficult now that he knew about. It wasn't as if her was going to show up and cause scenes, in fact he did the opposite. He wanted nothing to do with the place at all. He didn't want to hear about it, he didn't want to see it, he wanted to pretend it didn't exist. Carmen was young and dumb once and sent nudes to boys she shouldn't have, only difference was now she was getting paid for guys seeing her naked body. They got to look but never touch, that was strictly for Shawn. Still, she used to get up on the stage and get lost in her persona, Jade. Now she knew how he felt, from his own lips, and she couldn't help but think about how much he hated it. She was torn; she still loved dancing and feeling powerful, but it was harder to ignore the guilt she felt.

Strolling into the backroom, she spotted Daphne and smiled. The way Carmen saw it, she had two older sisters now and having one of them here made her feel better instantly. "Hey! Yeah, I need Friday off, so I switched with Sera." Carmen stopped and stood next to her once she started posing. "You lucky," Carmen placed her hands on Daphne's stomach as if she could protect the child from hearing what she whispered next, "puta." She laughed and pulled her hands back. "Nope, you look as gorgeous and flawless as ever! Muy bonita. What about you though? I thought you were off today too?" Carmen removed her jacket and stashed it in her cubby along with her purse before grabbing her makeup bag and making her way back over to the mirror.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Clipping her bangs out of her way, she began digging in her bag before continuing. "No, I told him and he was pissed but he didn't dump me so that's a win. It's just... I don't know but now that I know for a fact that he hates it, it's hard to ignore." Pulling out a brush and some eye shadow, she went to work on adding to the more natural look that she'd put on for school. "I mean, it's honestly kind of hot when he gets jealous but at the same time, now I kind of feel like I'm not the girl he can take home to his parents and be proud of, ya know? Everyone always looks down on us for what we do but they don't care that it's their favorite celebrities or politicians, sneaking in here to watch us. Or what about the guys who have wives and kids at home, but here they are like clockwork, every night fulfilling their sick fantasies! I just want to dance and feel like I'm sexy, is that so wrong? The lying was wrong, I get that, but... mierda." Carmen paused in doing her makeup and looked over at Daphne in the mirror. "Sorry, you already know all this. This is all stuff I should be saying to Shawn but that's the thing, he wants absolutely nothing to do with it. If it has to do with the club, he doesn't want to know. But I don't want to really quit either. It all just feels messier and more complicated now."

“Get knocked up, and you’ll get to do the same,” she stuck her tongue out. Despite Carmen trying to cover her growing baby’s ears, Daphne playfully gasped and pushed Carmen away jokingly, “Language!” She exclaimed with a laugh. Daphne looked down at her belly, rubbing her baby bump protectively, “It’s okay; Auntie Carmen didn’t mean it.” Daphne walked back over to the mirror and finished off the last bit of her makeup as she told Carmen why she was there on a night when she should be home in her pajamas and slippers. “Dorothea called out, and I just came in for the extra help if the bar needs it. I doubt they will, so I’ll probably be in the office most of the night trying to get that under control. Don’s not very organized, and it’s driving me crazy. I can’t find anything in that damn office.”

“That bad, huh?” Daphne looked over at her friend apologetically and frowned. “Look, they’re always mad when you first tell them, but they do eventually get over it,” she was trying to stay optimistic for Carmen. She chuckled and nodded, “Oh yeah, they’re always hot when they’re jealous or angry,” Daphne said, smiling and thinking of Vaughn. “At least Shawn hasn’t almost cost you your job yet. Sometimes not wanting to know is really for the best. After five years, Vaughn is mostly unbothered, but he still has his moments,” Daphne said, pulling up a barstool next to Carmen and sitting on top. “But I think a lot of his insecurities come from the fact that he was a customer before we started dating.

Daphne agreed with everything that Carmen had to say about others looking down on them. She frowned at her friend when she mentioned no longer feeling like the girl her boyfriend could take home and be proud of. “Regardless of what others think, this job doesn’t define you, and you shouldn’t let what they say or think impact you. You know who you are, and that’s all that matters.” Daphne knew it was easier said than done, but she hoped Carmen would hold on to her words and remember them when it mattered. “You know, Vaughn’s a trust fund, baby, or was? I don’t know anymore. He doesn’t talk to his family much. But he comes from a prominent family like Shawn. The only difference is he was born the black sheep of the family, so there was already tension way before I came along.” It’s always been easy to connect with Carmen because they have many similarities. “I just added the fuel,” she joked and chuckled. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that woman call me names, and yes, it stings, I’ve cried a few times, but I don’t let those words affect me anymore because I’m not looking for her approval,” Daphne told Carmen. “I’m not dating her. I’m dating Vaughn.” Daphne moved behind Carmen as she stood in front of the mirror and took out her friend’s ponytail. She gently ran her finds through Carmen’s hair to separate her curls. “Look, you deserve all the love and respect in the world, and if Shawn can’t look past you doing something for you, then he’s not the one for you. He’s still processing what you told him, though, but I think he will eventually get over it and come around. It may not be tomorrow or next month, but eventually,” Daphne tried to assure her.