Afterwards he’d put Rowan to bed, handed the baby monitor off to Dotty, and then left for the club.
There was a good crowd tonight. Tyler didn’t know what it was about the holidays that brought people to the strip club in droves. Maybe it was the Christmas bonuses or prolonged time around family.
Whatever it was, Tyler couldn’t complain. He already had a nice wad of cash stashed in his locker, and was counting down the final minutes of his shift before he could get the fuck out of there and go home with his boyfriend.
He’d managed to avoid Handsy Dan sitting in the back corner, in the same starched suit he always wore.Fucking asshole. There had been another white rose and envelope of cash at his station when he’d shown up. Tyler dropped the envelope with Tessa at the bar, knowing she’d return it to Handsy Dan, and threw the flower in the trash.
It was easy enough to ignore him. Tyler had enough going on in his life without humoring a deluded man who thought he could wave money at him in exchange for sexual favors.
For now, dancing was working for him. He could handle a day of being exhausted when he earned more in one night at the club than he had delivering groceries. If Dotty and Sandra kept extending their generosity with Rowan, Tyler thought it might all work out.
He was raising Rowan, and supporting them financially. They had found a home that wasperfectfor them, and were making friends with kids, like Layla and Mitch. And Jamie. Tyler still couldn’t believe he had Jamie.
“Troy.”
Tyler stiffened. He hadn’t seen Handsy Dan get up from his seat. Tyler braced his elbows on the sticky wood, and noticed Tessa watching them carefully from her post behind the bar. One of her pierced brows cocked in a question. He shook his head and turned to the man beside him. “Hello.”
“You’ve been neglecting your duties,” Dan slurred, his cheeks and nose ruddy from the rum and cokes he drank. “Last time Ichecked, your job was to work the whole room, boy. That includes me.”
Tyler rolled his eyes. “I’m heading up,” he said, pointing to the back hall that led to the dressing room. Handsy Dan had said shit like this before, and Tyler knew the only thing to do was disengage. “See you around.”
“Hold on, now.” Dan blocked his path, and Tyler ran into his chest, stumbling a bit before regaining his footing.
A few things happened all at once. Tyler heard Tessa’s firm “Hands off,” barked out from behind him. A large, muscular body slid between him and Handsy Dan, sending the older man shuffling back with a muttered curse.
“How about you take a step back?”
Jamie’s voice was low, devoid of any of the warmth Tyler had come to associate with him. Tyler could feel how tightly Jamie held himself, his muscles taut and ready.
“Who the hell are–” Handsy Dan let out a wheezing chuckle. “Oh, this is too good. There he is. Jamie Sullivan, big bad hockey player. Thought I saw you sniffing around here the other day.” Dan craned his neck to the side, sneering at Tyler from around Jamie’s broad shoulders. “So this is the kind of man that’s good enough for you, huh, Troy? A man needs professional athlete money to touch you?”
“Dan, you’re done for the night,” Tessa said loudly. “Jordy and Damien are coming over right now.”
Tyler felt a sliver of relief that their bouncers were going to intervene.
“Don’t look at him,” Jamie went on. “Look at me.”
“It’s his job to be looked at,” Handsy Dan retorted. “Sluts like him love the attention.”
When Dan lunged forward, reaching for Tyler like he wanted to grab him, Jamie reacted, throwing his hands up to shield Tyler from the unwanted touch. Jamie’s broad back blocked Tyler’s view, but he heard a shout, and the next thing he knew, Handsy Dan was falling backwards.
Jordy and Damien ran up, glancing uncertainly from the man on the ground to Jamie, before seemingly coming to the same conclusion. Each grabbed one of Jamie’s shoulders.
“Wait!” Tyler shouted, indignant, trying to pry their hands from Jamie’s body. “He was trying to keep Dan from touching me! He didn’t do anything!”
“Shit,” he heard Tessa mutter behind him. Tyler spun around.
Tessa pointed to where at least five phones were raised, their bright white lights aimed at Jamie. Everyone in the club was watching them.
“Fuck,” Tyler whispered. “It was self defense,” he said to Tessa, his voice taking on a pleading edge. “That’s what the videos will show. If they watch them, they’ll see!”
Tessa nodded, her expression grim. Tyler looked over his shoulder, and saw that their boss, Eddie, had emerged from his office in the back.Fuck. Tyler tried to push his way into the group gathered around Jamie.
“Call the fucking cops, Eddie,” Handsy Dan picked himself up off the ground, wiping a hand over his mouth. Tyler’s stomach dropped when he saw that Dan had somehow split his lip, the blood bright against his pale lips. He pointed a shaking finger at Jamie. “The guy’s a professional athlete, for fuck’s sake!”
Tyler looked at Jamie then, still held by the two bouncers. He didn’t move, his expression carefully neutral with the exception of his eyes, which stared right at Tyler with so much care and anguish and panic that Tyler felt his breath catch in his chest.
Turning to Eddie, Tyler squared his shoulders. “It was self defense,” Tyler said, trying to project his voice over the music that still blared out of the club’s sound system. “Dan tried to grab me, and Jamie was keeping me safe.”
