“Do they know you’ve come up here to meet a woman?” Caleb asked.
“Yes.”
“Do they know her identity?” Maggie asked, shooting to the heart of the line of questioning.
“No. I told them I met her on the internet.”
“They were okay with that?” Ryan asked. “My parents would have asked a hundred questions, given me a hundred lectures.”
Tyler smiled. “Oh, they asked nosy questions but I told them I didn’t intend to answer any until I knew if things were going to work out.”
“Do you do this sort of thing often?” Connor demanded.
Tyler met his gaze without flinching. “No, I haven’t dated anyone since my wife died.” He’d gone out to town socials and danced with women, but after his wife trampled his feelings, he’d needed time to heal plus he’d had responsibility for Katey. “My concern was for my daughter, not my love life.”
“Why Susan?” Maggie asked.
Tyler scowled. “Why not? She’s beautiful.”
The music changed to a vocal track and the lights dimmed—a signal of some sort because club patrons straightened to attention and the buzz of conversation died. Up on the stage, a spotlight appeared and Julia walked into it, stunning and attention grabbing in her blue gown.
“Good evening,” Julia said, a mike amplifying her voice. “Welcome toMaxwell’s, and thank you for coming out so early on a Friday night.”
Cheers rang out.
“We want Fantasy Girl,” a male voice shouted from the rear.
“Fantasy Girl!” others picked up the chant.
Julia smiled and gestured for silence. “We have a chorus of dancers first out, and Susan is one of the dancers. She’ll be doing a couple of dances, so stick around and enjoy the fun!” She gave a theatrical flourish with her right hand, the music shifted to sultry and flirty and the curtains opened with a swish. The spotlight on Julia faded and whoever was in charge of lighting started off a sequence of illumination that picked out a row of long legs. Fishnet stockings. Sexy.
Expectation pulsed like a live thing, bouncing from the men and women eying the stage. Tyler leaned forward, eager to see this side of Susan. The women wore identical dark wigs and slim black masks. Their lips were painted a sultry red, and they wore sexy maid costumes with panache.
He watched the sequence, mesmerized by the athleticism and the sensual nature of the tease. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but Susan was right to take issue with people calling her a stripper. This dance highlighted sensuality with the slow reveal of long limbs and bare shoulders. Sexy and breathtaking, the dance raced to an end almost too quickly. The music crashed to a climax. The women froze in position. Silence fell. Each of the women straightened, blew a cheeky kiss at the audience, then the curtains closed, breaking the audience’s spell. Applause and cheers rang out along with a few rude suggestions about maids.
“Is the routine new?” Caleb asked. “I don’t remember seeing it before.”
“We’ve been doing it for about a week,” Christina said.
Tyler lifted his beer and took a long sip to temper the heat roaring through his veins. The dance had been…intense. Definitely sexy. But which one was Susan? He had no idea.
The spotlight bloomed again and the crowd quieted. “Since you’re such a great audience, we’re going to change things up tonight,” Julia said. “In ten minutes, we’ll have a fan dance for you.”
“What about Fantasy Girl?” a man shouted from the rear.
A flurry of ribald comments shot at Julia like bullets from a paint gun, each more colorful than the last. Grinning, she raised her hand for silence. “You know this club is about whimsy and imagination. All our dancers fuel fantasy. Yes, Susan is dancing tonight, but I’m not about to point her out. That’s what we have brains for—to fantasize!”
The crowd stomped their feet and pumped their fists in the air. Tyler scanned nearby faces. The men lusted after the dancers and the women aspired to be the dancers.
“Does Julia dance too?” he asked.
Ryan gave a curt nod. “All the dancers wear masks, so most people never know their identities, but I know my wife’s body.”
“Maggie and I dance on occasion,” Christina said. “It’s a real rush. Susan is a natural though. She’s good—almost as talented as Julia.” She placed her hand over his and leaned closer. “You don’t need to feel jealous. Susan hasn’t dated anyone for ages. You’re the first man she’s brought to meet us. She’s not interested in anyone else.”
“Thanks,” Tyler murmured, her words settling the tension roiling in his gut.
The chatter at their table became general, ranging from the rugby game tomorrow to where they were going for dinner after Susan’s next dance to the management ofMaxwell’s. Tyler listened with half an ear and nursed his beer. No way did he intend to drink past his quota. If things proceeded the way he wanted, he’d manage to talk Susan into returning to his hotel. He wanted to explore her—both mind and body—with an intensity he’d never experienced with another woman.
