We giggled.
“Know this chick,” Paris said into our giggles, grabbing upa handful of the cashews that Ashlynn brought, which, as far as I wasconcerned, seriously classed up a birthday party in a stripper dressing room.Then again, cashews classed up anything.“Her name is Dawn.She’s so goodspreadin’ her bitch around, think she’sgoin’for the world record ofbitchdom.”
Then she threw back the cashews.
“Dawn?”China sidled up, pulling out her own Fat Tire andreaching for the opener.“I think I know her.She went after my girl Bethany’sman.He ishot.”Her face got distracted.“Though I think she’s just abooty call.His name is Hawk.And that night when that Dawn chick made her movewas the only time he’s been seen with her in public and that’s only because hewaspickin’ her up from this party so he could havehis booty call.”
“This dude’s name is Hawk?”Chardonnay asked.
China nodded.
“Who’s called Hawk?”Chardonnay went on.
“I’d call him whatever he wanted me to call him, he’s justthathot,” China replied.
“Now, sugar,” I began to advise, “this guy could be hot butshe’sgivin’ him some and he’s been seen with her inpublic once?”
I left it at that but shook my head slowly.
“Daisy, serious,” China said.“I was at that party.I sawhim.And Bethany has talked about him.A lot.So even if half the shitshe said is true, just getting a load of him, I’d not only call him whatever hewanted me to call him, I wouldn’t care if we saw the light of day, just as longas he kept the lights on when he wasdoin’ me.Because, I’ll repeat, he’s justthat hot.”
“Well then,” I murmured on a grin, “there you go.”
There was a knock on the door and Wynter called out,“Decent.”
Smithie swung in with the door, just his torso, his handstill on the knob, his scowl already set.
“Any a’ you bitches feel likedoin’somethin’ other thansittin’aroundthrowin’ back a few beers, like, I don’t know,dancing?”
“Is it time?”Chardonnay asked.
Smithie’s gaze cut to the big clock on the wall that saidyes, the day girls were done, the night girls were on seven minutes ago.
He didn’t use those words.He just returned his scowl to theroom.
The day girls didn’t leave the stage until the night girlsscooted out.
So it was definitely time for them to hit it.
“Right, we better go,” Ashlynn said, setting her beer aside.
“Thanks for the cake.I can’t wait to try some during yourfirst set,” Wynter added, shooting me a smile.
I gave her a smile back.
“Knock ’emdead, sugars!”I calledafter them.
Smithie didn’t move, glowering at them as they filed out infront of him.
After China, the last of them, cleared the room, his eyescame to me.
“Sloan’s booth is empty and the place is already packed.Ineed the space if heain’tgonnashow.Hecomin’ tonight?”
I nodded, feeling my heart squeeze and not in a good way.
I’d been back at work for over five weeks.
If I was working, most nights, at some point during thenight, Marcus slid into the semi-circular booth at the very end on the northside of the club.A booth that had become his.No one sat at it because, first,it was Marcus Sloan’s and second, Smithie put a red velvet rope in front of ituntil he showed.
