“Hey. Settle.”
My shoulders slump and I pull myself together. “Is he gone?”
“Staff have him outside, but if he doesn’t leave, they’ll call the cops.”
An uneasy shiver moves down my spine. “The cops? Is it that bad?”
Specter shrugs. “I don’t know the rules around here. I offered to handle it my way, but they said they’ve got it.”
“And what’s your way?”
“You sure you want to know?” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Fine. You’re not supposed to be back here.”
“We both know I don’t give a fuck.” He reaches out and flutters his fingers across my chin, and I allow it, mostly to ground myself and shake off the confrontation. “I had to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am. Thank you.”
He nods, pulling his hand back. “Why didn’t you run?”
“Because then he would chase. He’s not the first asshole I’ve had to put in his place, you know.”
Specter searches my eyes for a moment. “What you did on the stage was incredible. You’re a true artist.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Inhaling deeply, I stretch my neck back and forth before exhaling slowly. I need to find myself again, and fast. “I need to change.”
“I’ve still got your rain check waiting.”
My instinct to run and hide, especially if cops rain down on this place, is strong, but I remind myself that it’s been a long time and there’s no way to connect me to what happened seven years ago. My job is to entertain the customers, so that’s what I’ll do.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Specter nods, and I feel him watching me walk away before he turns and heads back to his table. I sag into my chair, finally releasing the tension of that moment. Trixie is sitting next to me, and he slides a mirror over with a few lines of coke on it.
“You need some?”
He knows I don’t do drugs. “They might call the cops in, so I’d put that away if I were you.”
“Noted.” He takes the mirror and shoves it and its contents into a small baggy that he tucks into a drawer in the dressing room table. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I blot my damp face with a tissue, then pull my hair back into a bun before managing to get into a fresh, drylacy lingerie set. After peeling off my wet stockings, I put some lotion on my legs, spritz with perfume, reapply my lipstick, then get to my feet, ready to perform again.
I walk out to the club with my head up and my shoulders straight. Nothing is out of the ordinary. All the customers are back to their normal behavior and Specter is at his table, a hard scowl on his face that immediately softens when he sees me.
He waves for Darcy, who hurries over and confirms my drink of choice. “Bring me a shot with it too. Vodka,” I say.
“You got it,” Darcy says before hurrying back to the bar.
“Has that guy done that before?”
I shake my head. “He’s been lingering, watching me, but he’s never charged the stage. Last night he was waiting for me outside, but Gus handled it and he kept his distance. Guess he decided to go for it tonight.”
“You were pretty impressive.”
“Thanks. That happened to one of our dancers a while back, and when he ran, the creep just chased him. I decided then and there that standing my ground is the better option. I always wonder though, what do they think is gonna happen when they finally get us alone? I don’t plan to find out.”
“I can take care of it.” He leans across the table. “I want to. Guys like that don’t have boundaries. He’s clearly obsessed with you.”
