“I meant from the menu,” I leveled him with a withering stare as I waited not so patiently for an actual answer.
“What time do you finish?”
“That’s not on the menu either, try again.”
“Answer me and I’ll answer you.”
“I’m not begging to take your order you know, I came over here out of the kindness of my heart. But to shut you up, I’ve got another two hours.”
“I’ll take a coke and a basket of fries.
“That was all I wanted,” I muttered, turning to walk away but his hand caught my forearm and pulled me to a halt. I turned back to see what he needed to see that he was at the edge of the seat. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against my ear then whispering.
“Thank you.” He pulled back with a smirk on his face, which made me smile.
Back at the bar, I passed his order over to Sasha before heading back into my office. Break time was over. Only another two hours until I saw him again and I was pretty sure that he had more on his brain than just catching a glimpse of me.
That thought kept me going through the rest of the night.
I’d only stepped away for a moment. I gripped the edge of the sink in the ladies' room as the tap ran cold. All night I’d been weighed down by the heaviness of his stare. It was different tonight. I knew it, he knew it. There was no doubt in my mind that tonight was the night…
My hands cupped the water and splashed it onto my face, a last-ditch effort to cool my skin.
The thoughts running around my mind had only fuelled the fire beneath my skin. More than one of my staff had asked if I was feeling okay. But what was I supposed to say? ‘No, I’m incredibly, embarrassingly horny for my ‘nighttime stalker’.
They would’ve thought I was nuts!
The door opened behind me. Something in the air changed, making me drop my hands and peer through the mirror.
I pursed my lips as I took in the sight of him under the bright bathroom lighting. Not letting myself linger too long I turned to grab paper towels from the dispenser.
“This is the ladies' room,” I said pointedly, but also pointlessly. He obviously knew that. I focused entirely too hard on drying my hands as his footsteps grew closer.
The bathroom was empty but that didn’t mean that we were safe. We were far from it. Someone could’ve walked in at any moment, and as the owner that could’ve meant big trouble for me.
“Melody,” his breath grazed the skin of my neck - his voice doing things to me that I’d never have admitted out loud.
I felt a familiar all-consuming power taking hold of my body. I’d felt this before... the last time. It was the feeling of not being in control, mixed with this insane curiousness. It was him. I was Alice and he was my white rabbit. Just like the fairytale, I would follow him blindly. I’d let him lead me anywhere just by the fact that he’d be there too.
At that moment, Zara burst through the ladies' room door crying her eyes out. I gasped in surprise and pushed past Callum. Our moment was completely forgotten as I wrapped her in my arms.
My eyes connected with Callum's over the top of her head, I gestured for him to give me a minute. I fully intended to continue on the path we had been going down after I’d dealt with Zara.
He graciously left the bathroom as I turned my full attention back to the girl crying into my shirt. I gave her a few moments to let it out, rubbing soothing circles on her back.
“Zara?” She’d stopped sobbing but started to shake with violent hiccups.
Ugh, I hated that. Those hiccups just seemed to make you feel even worse.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” I asked after she’d pulled back to furiously swipe at her eyes.
“It’s nothing.”
“Honey, if it’s upset you this much, it’s obviously something. Talk to me.”
She sighed heavily and I could feel her pain. I was glad that I’d been here for her. I made it a point to be there for all of my staff but especially my Diamonds. I knew how hard being a stripper, or ‘exotic dancer’, was. It drove friends and family away, it brought all sorts of assumptions and harassment, the hours were crappy, and I’d known a lot of girls that had turned to alcoholism, drugs, or even prostitution. Everyone came with their own story, atWith the Melodywe didn’t judge and I’d done my best to try and create a supportive family styled unit amongst my employees.
“I’m just having a few problems with my ex.”
