My heart races inside my chest as I try to catch my breath.
“That’s an insane amount of money, Aaron.”
“I know,” he says. “And I know it’s last minute because we leave tomorrow and—”
“Tomorrow?” I can’t hide the way my voice pitches in surprise. Tomorrow? And he’s asking me today? Barely before seven o clock? He is insane. Clearly. I knew he had to have a flaw, he’s too perfect. Clearly, this is it. He’s cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs if he thinks I can just dropeverythingfor forty grand. At the last minute.
“Yes.”
“I can’t even reschedule my dates that soon. I—”
I suck in a breath, knowing I’m going to regret this, but there’s no way that’s even possible. And I’m not going to up and quit Foxy’s just to do thisprivate offer, because when it ends—and it will end, the charade has to at some point—what will I have to fall back on?
Foxy’s might not be a hotel chain or a big company, but it’s my job, and it’s one I’m very good at. It pays my damn bills and it’s a hell of a lot easier than dancing or stripping.
“Please, Jacob,” he pleads. “I wouldn’t ask if I had another option.”
His words piss me off.
“Oh, so you wouldn’t have even entertained the idea of asking me if youhadanother option,” I bite.
His eyebrows raise.
“No, I—” He growls in frustration. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant I wouldn’t ask this of you if there was another way to make it work. Because I know what I’m asking of you, and I know I don’t have a right to, but—”
Something in his voice makes my heart ache. I hear the pain, the desperation. The last shred of hope.
“This is all I’ve ever wanted,” he says softly. “I just want the chance to prove to my father that I’m not the fuck up he thinks I am.”
His words settle on me, and I know I should say no, but…
My own father barely acknowledges me outside of holidays and birthdays. I would say it’s because he’s busy with his new wife and a baby on the way, but in truth, he stopped talking me years ago when he found out I was dancing. Sure, it hurt, but his pushback only pushed me further into what I was doing. The more he didn’t agree, the more I wanted to do it to prove a point. So in some weird way, I get it. I understand that this reallyisimportant to Aaron, and it might be his chance to shine and actually prove his point.
“Can I think about it?” I ask. He lets out a heavy sigh.
“I don’t have a lot of time, but… I guess I could buy a day.”
I lick my lips. “I need to sit down and figure out if I can somehow reschedule—”
“Thank you,” he says, and I hear the genuine appreciation in his voice.
“I didn’t say yes,” I remind him.
But I didn’t say no, either.
“I know.” He glances at his watch. “It’s quarter til, you should head out so you won’t be late for your date.”
Damnit.
I nod, getting up and he does, too.
“I’ll talk to you soon?” he asks, and I hear the hope in his voice, pure and tempting. So fucking tempting.
“Mhmm.”
And with that, I turn heel and head for my car, my heart still beating a mile a minute.
The whole way home, not even Taylor can pull me out of this adrenaline rush.
