Chapter 95 - A New Horizon

Chapter 95 - A New Horizon
"Five, six, seven, and eight." Jeff snapped his fingers to the beat of the music to mark the choreography. With a quick signal, he cut the sound and looked at the dancers with a lack of patience. "How do you expect to convince anyone that you love this if you're walking around looking like a bunch of failures?"
The girls sighed. They were emotionally exhausted, and the final week of rehearsals had been difficult following the visit of a real estate agent bearing a purchase offer for the club.
Obviously, he had been chased off, but a bad feeling hung in the air. They could lose the place they called home.
Cassie wasn't handling the idea of spending months away very well, only to watch everything go up in smoke right after returning to the stage. She was restless, her mind working a mile a minute.
"Sorry, Jeff," she said. Her shoulders dropped in discouragement, and she walked down the side steps to take one of the chairs in the hall.
The man walked over to her and sat down beside her. He understood the girls' frustration; he considered Burlesque his life too. He had been there forever, supporting his friend Chay's craziness.
He designed costumes, put together choreographies—he lived for the show.
"I can't believe they're going to build a skyscraper right out front. We're in one of the most valued neighborhoods in the area, and we could lose everything because of a damn mortgage," Michelle said, leaning against the edge of a table.
The fishnet tights and red heels were an unusual combination for the gloomy mood.
Cassie frowned.
"A building?"
Right across from the bar was a small convenience store where she usually bought chocolates and instant ramen; she truly hadn't noticed that the place was gone.
Whenever Yohan and Mason brought her to Los Angeles, they took different routes, and the brunette had learned to distract herself without paying attention to the surrounding landscape.
"Yes, that construction right out front is going to be a 28-story building with 'the best view in the city.'" She rolled her eyes. "This is an old neighborhood, full of life, local commerce, art... and they want to turn it into a rich-people sanctuary. An apartment is going to cost millions of dollars."
Cassie's eyes widened; that was a lot of money.
"Millions..." she whispered to herself. "How much do we owe on the mortgage?"
Jeff arched an eyebrow, resting his chin on his hand.
"A lot. The property value skyrocketed since the mortgage, and the interest rates are not in our favor."
How could they make that much money in such a short time? Cassie heard a familiar clearing of the throat and turned to see Mason with his arms crossed, leaning against the bar.
"Is practice over yet? Yohan wants to eat before we head home," he said from where he stood. His deep voice drew sighs from the dancers crowding around Jeff.
"Hm, yeah. Give me a few minutes? I'll meet you outside." The brunette smiled.
When he left again, the girls fanned themselves dramatically, and Jeff wore a mischievous look.
"I still haven't gotten over the fact that you vanished for months only to come back with these two hot bodyguards," Joanne said, and Cassie laughed.
"Please, tell me which one you're hooking up with and which one is available? They are difficult," Michelle complained.
The brunette's expression hardened instantly, her face settling into a scowl.
"What? You hit on them?"
"Don't blame a girl for trying." She shrugged.
Cassie took a deep breath and repeated to herself that it was fine, that nothing had actually happened. The entire pack showed devotion to her in so many ways that they deserved a vote of confidence.
"Okay, I'm heading out. Tomorrow at seven?" she asked, already standing up and fishing her purse out from a corner of the room.
Jeff waved as the other dancers watched her leave the club.
"Pizza, girls?" Joanne proposed.
"And not a single butt will fit in the costume." Another laughed. "Pizza and beer, please."
Yohan chose a restaurant right next to a bakery. He knew Cassie was sad about the club's situation and wanted to cheer her up; since he didn't know how to solve the problem, he offered comfort food.
The place was small, cozy, filled with yellowish lights and tables sitting a little too close to one another. The smell of baking bread and fresh tomato sauce brought an unexpected sense of tranquility to Cassie.
For a few seconds, she just took a deep breath, trying to slow down a mind that wouldn't stop calculating impossible numbers.
Mason pulled out a chair for her to sit and took the seat opposite, while Yohan settled in beside her, already analyzing the menu with the attention of someone who genuinely intended to order half of it.
"You're quiet," Mason remarked.
Cassie rested her chin on her hand.
"I'm thinking."
"That's never a good sign," Yohan replied without looking up. "Usually means someone is about to get involved in a crazy plan."
She let out a short laugh.
"Maybe."
The waiter approached, took Yohan's generous order, and walked away. Silence returned for a few moments—comfortable enough not to demand conversation, but heavy enough to hide the worry still lingering over her.
"How much is left to pay off the mortgage?" Mason asked directly.
Cassie sighed.
"A lot. Enough that any normal person would just give up."
"You aren't exactly 'any normal person,'" Yohan said.
"Nor do I have access to secret vaults or mysterious inheritances," she replied.
Mason tilted his head.
"The pack would help."
She shook her head immediately.
"No. This is a club problem. Mine. Chay's. I don't want you carrying this."
Yohan finally put the menu down.
"You're part of the pack. Your problems are our problems."
"And you already do a lot," Cassie countered gently. "Just bringing me here already requires an enormous security effort. I'm not asking for money, too."
The two of them exchanged a silent look, as if discussing something she couldn't hear.
Cassie stared back at the table, her thoughts racing faster than she could keep up. If the property value had increased so much because of the new development, it meant the entire neighborhood was increasing in value. That could be a threat, or an opportunity.
"What if..." she began, stopping mid-sentence.
"It always starts with 'what if,'" Yohan muttered.
"What if we use this to our advantage?" she continued. "The neighborhood is going to get new people, rich people, curious tourists, people looking for different experiences. The club could become an even more exclusive spot. Special shows, private events, premium tickets..."
Mason watched in silence, attentive.
"That still doesn't pay a massive debt," he said.
"Not by itself," Cassie replied. "But it's a start. We can record performances, sell online content, create workshops, dance classes, experience packages... Jeff has always wanted to do something like that."
Excitement began to creep into her voice, slowly replacing the heavy weight she had carried all day.
"You're putting together a business plan," Yohan noted.
"I'm trying to save a place that saved a lot of people," she answered.
The food arrived, momentarily interrupting the conversation. Cassie realized how hungry she was only when she started eating. The first bite brought an almost physical sense of returning to her own body, as if she had spent the entire day living solely inside her head.
While Mason ate in silence and Yohan was already planning dessert before even finishing his main course, Cassie opened her phone and began typing out ideas.
She paused for an instant, looking at the screen. Maybe it wasn't enough yet, but it was a start. A plan was always better than despair.
"You came back different," Mason said suddenly.
Cassie raised her eyes.
"Different how?"
"More... grounded."
She thought for a few seconds before answering.
"I think I found something that made me realize I can have more than one life at the same time. I don't have to choose just one place to belong."
Yohan smiled sideways.
"That explains why you're trying to save two worlds at once."
"Maybe," she said, laughing softly.
When they finished dinner, they crossed the street to the bakery. Yohan insisted on ordering a whole box of sweets "to go," claiming Hendrick would probably complain if they didn't bring anything back.
Cassie watched the street traffic while they waited. People walked in a hurry, cars passed without pausing, and lights blinked on all sides. It was noisy, chaotic, alive, and for the first time, she didn't feel like she had to choose between that and the tranquility of the forest.
She could exist in both places.
She could build bridges instead of walls.
"What are you thinking about now?" Mason asked, handing the box of sweets for Yohan to carry.
"That maybe this isn't just about paying off a debt," she replied. "Maybe it's about turning the club into something bigger than it ever was."
"Bigger usually means more dangerous," Yohan commented.
"It also means stronger," Cassie said.
They walked to the agreed spot where the road grew emptier. The night was already late, and the city was slowly beginning to slow down. Cassie took a deep breath, feeling that familiar mixture of farewell and return.
Before leaving, she sent a quick text to Chay:
“Tomorrow I want to talk about some ideas. I think we can save the club.”
She put her phone away and smiled, feeling for the first time since she had returned that there might actually be a real path forward.
"Ready?" Mason asked.
"Always."
Minutes later, they were already crossing the road at high speed, leaving the city lights behind as the welcoming darkness of the forest surrounded them once more. Cassie closed her eyes for a moment, holding on tight as the wind whipped against her face.
There was so much to do.
But ever since the conversation about the mortgage, she no longer felt just fear. She felt movement. Ideas. Possibilities.