Marilyn flaps her hands in the air, though wiping away my apology, before leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms with a huff.
“The sandwich was never the point. And the server who got fired. Did she have long red hair, by any chance? Brilliant green eyes?” Julius swallows audibly, then he drops his head into his hands with a groan, which is as good as an admission of guilt.
“Wait, so you know her?” I ask, wanting to be looped in. “Then there’s still a chance to make this right. You can help us!”
At my words, Julius’s head jerks up, dark hair flopping in front of his face. His lemon scent brightens, and the hope on his face is heartbreaking.
There you are, brother.
Marilyn lets out a long, frustrated sigh before lifting a pen and clicking it repeatedly. The cogs in her head turn, and we wait with bated breath for her to speak, knowing that this single decision could be our damnation or savior.
“Oh hell, I hope my instincts aren’t off on this one,” she mutters and then grabs a pad from her desk. The room is silentexcept for the scratching of her pen across the paper. “This is the address of the Junior Scorpions practice arena. You guys need to go there and talk to Coach Ray about offering mentoring services. The team is holding an exhibition in a few weeks. Go lend a hand, and see what happens.”
Confused, Julius and I look at each other.
“How will helping some brats learn to skate make amends for losing that omega her job?” Julius runs a hand over his stubbly beard.
Omega?! Wait… omega?It seems we have even more to discuss than I thought.
“I wasn’t even planning on sending you to this one.” Marilyn shuffles papers on her desk, muttering to herself, and I have never been more bewildered.
“Sorry, but I think I’m missing something?” I say, hoping someone will take pity on me.
“Every team is getting a PR assignment. This will be yours. And if you do a good job, there’s a chance it will help you start to fix the mess Julius created. But there are no promises. Go in without any expectations—just help those kids. Can you do that?”
She holds out the scrap of paper, but when I reach for it, Marilyn doesn’t let go. I raise my eyes until they meet hers.
“Do not let him go alone,” she demands, and I nod my understanding.
“Hey, I don’t need a babysitter,” Julius protests, but my frown silences him.
Steel-faced, Marilyn keeps her hand on the paper for another beat before reluctantly letting go.
Carrying what feels like our lifeline, I hustle Julius out of her office like our asses are on fire.
What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?
Chapter Seven
Nixie
“Do it. Just do it.” The computer casts a blue light on my face as I consider my options while the arrow hovers over the private room setting on my NightNudes account.
You’re a filthy whore, Phoenix. A dirty, used-up skank. Being a breeder is all you’re good for.
Ghostly whispers, the memory of my mother’s words, float up to me from the abyss of my mind. They threaten to swallow me whole, pulling me back to that day twelve years ago when two little pink lines appeared and changed my life forever.
“It was a good thing,” I mutter to myself.
Yes, my baby was the best thing that ever happened to me. Had I wanted to become a mother at eighteen? No. But I can’t imagine a minute without Asher, much less an entire lifetime. While his conception wasn’t ideal, fleeing my mother’s house saved me.
Pregnancy. Quitting school. Living on the streets.
It all led me here—to an apartment with my best friend and the most important job of all, being Asher’s mom. Without that harpy looming over my shoulder, I’ve created a happy space forus to live.To thrive.And if selling my body is the only way I can think of to keep a roof over our heads, so be it.
New determination surges through me, and I finally click the private room option and enter a $250 price tag next to the per-hour rate. It seems astronomical, but after scouring the site, I know it’s actually on the lower end of private room rates. I can increase it once I have more of a following. So far, my subscription service only has three sign-ups, but hopefully, more options will entice them.
Now that I don’t have a daytime job, I need to pour more effort into this. More subscribers. More options. More money coming in.
