He could barely get down the Pop-Tart and coffee because of his nervous stomach. If he decided to decline the job offer, he should let Gabe know. It would be rude to just ghost him and leave him hanging without an answer. But he didn’t knowwhatanswer to give. His savings wouldn’t last forever; he needed a job.
But stripping?Society made it seem like strippers were only a step above prostitutes. Desperate souls with no dignity or self-respect. Bottom of the barrelcareer. But it hadn’t felt that way in the Phoenix Club. Gabe didn’t come across as desperate or lacking self-respect. Quite the opposite, actually. Unless it was all a front, a carefully built facade. But Cole didn’t think so.
Even so, could he see himself as a stripper? Practically pimping himself out to horny men every night? What if some of them wantedprivatedances? Could he do that? Get that up close and personal with strange men who’d just as soonfuckhim as look at him?
You didn’t have a problem getting up close and personal with Gabe.
That was different—wasn’t it?Gabewas the stripper, not some cock-hard customer lacking self-control.
Cole sensed he was talking himself out of the job. Maybe he should consider the “pros” of the job rather than just the “cons.”
He would make good money, probably a lot more than at a regular job.
He would be surrounded by gay men, so he didn’t have to hide his sexuality.
He would get the power trip of turning men on and making them want him.
You get to see Gabe every day.What if that turned out to be moreConthanPro?
Why would it?
He didn’t know. Maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe this would turn out to be his dream job. Maybe the Phoenix Club would become the “home” he’d been searching for all these years.
Anything was possible… even if it wasn’t probable.
Cole picked up his phone.Time to fish or cut bait.
Gabe grabbed the phone on the first ring, checking the caller ID this time.Cole. His heart thudded wildly as he took a deep breath and answered the call. “Hello?” Somehow, his voice was as cool as a cucumber, with no hint he might be seconds from a full-on cardiac arrest. “Cole.”
Dane watched him from the “sidelines”, a teasing smile on his face.
“I’m still not sure about the job,”Cole said, his voice unsteady.“But, uh… maybe we can talk about it.”
“Great,” Gabe said with a grin that he was pretty sure stretched from ear to ear. “Do you want to come down to the club now? It’s pretty mellow now. Things don’t usually start to pick up until early evening.”
A long pause. Cole cleared his throat.“Uh, yeah… I guess I could come down there now. I’ll be there in about half an hour, if that’s okay.”
“Perfect.”
When the call ended, Gabe exhaled heavily, and Dane laughed. “I can’t wait to meet this guy.”
Gabe chuckled. “I may need you to do more than meet him.”
“What do you mean?”
Gabe turned the stool toward Dane and smiled. “I might need your help with the dance lessons.”
“Sure, no problem. But why do you need my help? Looked like you were doing pretty well on your own last night.”
Gabe shook his head, releasing another stiff breath. “I don’t know what it is about this guy, but I may needsupervisionwhen I’m around him. I don’t want to scare him off by being too…”
“You?” Dane grinned.
Gabe nodded. “Exactly.”
CHAPTER 5
“This is Dane.” Gabe was pointing to the good-looking, dark-haired young man sitting at the bar next to Gabe’s now-empty stool. When the man stood up, he fully embodied thetall, dark, and handsomepersona—completely swoon-worthy. “He’s a newbie here at the club, too.”
