Chapter 13
Fiona
After the pissing contest between Bash and Edge was over, the night continued in a blur of introductions and names I would never remember. I stayed close to the people I knew. We had been there for a few hours, and the place was packed to the gills. The townies and club girls had come out to play.
It was fascinating to watch, and despite my run-in with Trish, I was enjoying the entire experience. Caged against the table in the safety of Bash’s arms, I turned my head to find him looking down at me with a serious expression on his face before a lascivious smile transformed it.
“Just thinking about the way you handled yourself out there. You have no idea how sexy it is when you get all riled up. I guess it’s true what they say about redheads and their tempers.” I wanted to say something witty, but honestly, with Bash looking down at me, those blue eyes lit up with excitement and interest, any clever retort I might have prepared flew out of my mind.
I opened and closed my mouth a few times in an attempt to reply, only to shut it with a frustrated growl. Bash tipped his head back, laughing at my expression before twisting me so I was facing him in his arms. Yanking me tightly against his body, he bent down and kissed me. I was frozen for a minute, hyperaware of the audience surrounding us.
That only lasted a moment, though, before Bash invaded all of my senses, making the world around us disappear. I reached my arms up around his neck, pushing up to my toes so I could get closer to him. A loud wolf whistle rang out from next to us, and Bash broke the kiss off while I buried my embarrassed face in his chest.
“Really, old man?” Bash’s voice was gruff, heavy with need. I was both pleased and slightly flustered that I caused it, so I decided to stay hidden against his chest, taking a moment to center myself in the safety of his arms.
“Sorry, son. Prez needs you. Think you can pull yourself away from Fee for just a couple of minutes?” Guard’s familiar voice rang out from beside us. I felt my cheeks flaming at the restrained laughter clear in his voice.
“Dad…” Bash started, but I looked up, and he quickly stopped speaking.
“It’s fine. I’m good.” He looked from me to Guard, his expression still wary. I gave him a slight nudge, breaking away from his embrace and pushing him toward his dad.
“Do whatever you need to do. I’m good, I promise,” I said, smiling up at him.
“See? She can handle herself. I promise, it will only take a minute. Let’s just get it over with now so you can get back to your girl,” Guard said, a hand on Bash’s shoulder. I stepped back toward him, giving him a quick kiss before ushering him away.
“Go. I’ll see you when you’re done. Now you’re just wasting time.”
“Alright, fine,” Bash said before he pressed a quick kiss to my forehead, promising he would be back shortly.
Even though I was new to all of it, I appreciated the fact that both Match and Bull, in some sort of silent agreement, moved their seats so they were next to me, making sure I had a stool to sit on between them. With Bash gone, the conversation resumedquickly. Several members stopped by to introduce themselves, their eyes grazing Charlie or me with appreciation.
As the night progressed, things really started to get interesting. From the corner of my eye, I saw a naked club girl between two of the members. I couldn’t turn away, my cheeks turning bright red at the live porn show happening a few feet away. Charlie burst out laughing once she saw what I was looking at, and all I could do was roll my eyes and hope the dark lighting hid the blush covering me head to toe.
Scanning the room for a safer spot to observe, I noticed Star and Roxie, the two club girls I had worked with most of the morning, standing near the pool table. I waved at them, and they both looked surprised.
Earlier in the day, Roxie had been the first to introduce herself. I felt like the name suited her, with her nose ring and brightly tattooed skin. Roxie was brash and direct, and I envied her confidence.
Star was almost the perfect counterpoint to Roxie. Blonde hair and blue eyes made her look like the girl next door. She was naturally pretty and wholesome-looking. With a high-pitched voice, she seemed like a doll come to life.
“So you’re dating Bash?” Roxie had asked shortly after she introduced herself. I was mildly surprised, but knew I had to get used to that line of questioning.
“Yes, we’re dating,” I replied, unsure what more she wanted from me.
“So, you’re not interested in Match then?” Roxie replied, and I couldn’t help the grimace that crossed my face. Match was very handsome, but I thought of him like a brother. Imagining him in a romantic or sexual way didn’t sit right with me. Star giggled, and I looked over to her.
“Sorry! I’m not laughing at you. You just made a silly face,” she apologized nervously, seeming tense, which confused me.
“You can laugh at me. Is there something going on? You’re kind of acting afraid of me, and it’s freaking me out. I’m used to being the nervous one,” I spoke in a rush, not giving myself any time to censor my thoughts.
“We make you nervous?” Star asked, wide-eyed.
“Um, yes? I’ve been here once. I only know a few people, and for far less time than you guys have. I’m trying to follow your lead here, but it feels like you’re tiptoeing around me, which makes no sense. Is it because of what happened with Dolly the other day?”
“That was fucking awesome,” Roxie said, Star nodding behind her.
“We just…Most people—well, women—don’t love the idea of club girls. You seem cool, and I guess we’re trying too hard not to make you uncomfortable and have done the complete opposite, it seems,” Star finished.
The ice was finally broken after that, and the three of us managed to finish our chores without any more awkwardness. I learned more about both girls, and highly suspected Roxie had a thing for Match. More importantly, though, I finally got insight into the workings within the club girls.
