Over the past week Oak has been coming to Fantasy and staying for the hour before I get off my shift. He’ll take place at the end of the bar and sit there, scorching me with his gaze, making my body hum with anticipation, and intimidate any of the men who come too close.
“I’m sure he will,” I tell her, my smile becoming ridiculously wider as the butterflies he evokes flutter in my stomach.
“Grace?” She says my name tentatively and as I look at her I can see that she’s nervous.
“Yeah?”
She leans across the bar and clasps both of my hands in hers. With her eyes boring into mine she says, “I was wrong about Oak and I want to say that I’m sorry.”
It takes me a moment before I remember what she’s apologizing about. All those weeks ago when Oak came in with Snake and she warned me of his black heart.
I shake it off. “Your intentions weren’t out of malice, Sasha. You were only trying to protect me.”
“I know,” she says on a breath. “But you were the one who was right about him and I’m sorry I judged him so harshly. He doesn’t have a black heart. He just needed someone to remind him how to love again.”
My own heart starts beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. Neither of us have said I love you to one another yet, but that doesn’t mean we both don’t feel it.
“He’s the best man that I know, Sasha.” My voice is choked with emotion and tears burn behind my eyes.
“You’re in love,” she comments on a dreamy sigh.
I nod my head, my face turning five shades of bashful red. “He’s the one, Sasha. I can’t imagine my life without him.”
“As long as he keeps you happy then he will never have a problem with me.” She winks. Releasing my hands she then points at me with her eyes narrowed. “But if he ever causes you pain I will gladly break his face.”
“Sasha,” I warn but the smile remains on my face.
“No one fucks with my best girl. The minute he changes your red to blue, cupcake, is the minute he’ll no longer have his dick.”
“You know I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she says warmly.
She then saunters away, naturally swaying her hips as she does.
Soon after she leaves the lights go off on the main stage and the music playlist that Sasha dances to begins. The lights hit thestage in a soft red glow and you can see the silhouette of her body move sensually on time to the music.
The men in the club automatically stop paying attention to the floor waitresses and give all of it to Sasha.
Catcalls and whistles echo throughout the strip club and as Sasha provocatively crawls towards the edge of the stage the men begin to throw their money at her.
The chime of the door opening causes me to look at the entrance with eager anticipation. I glance behind me at the clock and notice I still have about two hours left of work. Oak’s probably coming in earlier tonight and the thought causes my heart to race.
Bouncing on the ball of my feet, unable to contain my excitement, I wait patiently for him to enter.
But who enters through the door has my feet coming to a halt and the excitement leaving my body only to be replaced with mild curiosity.
A woman and a man walk in and they look like they absolutely do not belong here. Both of them are wearing suits and the female has her dark hair up in a tight sleek ponytail. The man has a short cropped cut, nice and tidy by the ears, and not much to mess up with your fingers.
They both study their surroundings before both of their eyes land on me.
And a sense of foreboding fills me as they stalk towards me with purposeful strides.
Mustering up a smile I don’t quite feel I greet them on the opposite side of the bar. “What can I get for the both of you tonight?”
The woman ignores me, intentionally, I can tell. She keeps her eyes unnervingly on mine and I stare right back at her. If we’re going to be kids and do a fucking staring contest I’m not only joining in on her childish game, but I’ll also win.
The man next to her clears his throat but my eyes don’t break from hers.
