“No.” There’s no other way for me to put it. No niceness I can add in. It’s all so much, and the friendship I thought was blooming before I got here has changed.
Taking a sip of his drink, he steps closer. “I see something in you, Hattie. You’re a good person, and I just want to help. Will you let me help you?”
With his free hand, he tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear. My breath comes hard and fast as our eyes meet. Our gazes lock and hold, and I should look away, the tension building between us feels like a volcano set to erupt, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
To my surprise, Bastion is the first to look away. “If you want to return the favor, you can come with me to an event next month. It’s boring as fuck, but I have to go every year and would love the company of someone I enjoy spending time with.”
Heat races up my neck and settles in my cheeks. I want to ask if it’s a date or just a friend helping a friend. “Okay, you have yourself a deal.”
He nods, and I return it before heading over to one of the cupboards to see if I can find something to drink. This cupboard has a bunch of powders and drink mixes. I tried a watermelonone the other day and thought it was pretty good, so that’s probably what I’ll have again. I peruse for a moment, but I don’t see the watermelon one I was hoping for. Maybe Bastion finished it.
“Here.” He steps up behind me and reaches over my head, grabbing something from the top shelf.
My breath catches when his pelvis brushes against me, and the scent of his cologne wraps around me like a warm hug. The heat from his body radiates into my back, and it’s all so much.
Though I shouldn’t want to, the urge to move back, just a little, is so great that I have to lock my muscles into place so I don’t do anything stupid. I won’t ruin this opportunity for my parents and me.
“I grabbed you some hot chocolate since I know you don’t like coffee.” His warm breath tickles my neck as he sets a canister of hot chocolate mix on the counter in front of me. It’s even the one with marshmallows like I prefer.
I turn around to thank him but draw back from his closeness. The words die on my lips.
There can’t be more than a few inches between us, but Bastion doesn’t step back. I’m already against the counter, so he pretty much has me caged in. Not that I’m complaining.
“Thanks,” I say in a hushed tone.
Once again, the tension between us pulls tighter and tighter, feeling in danger of snapping.
Bastion clears his throat and steps back. “I’m going to retire for the evening, but I was hoping I could steal some of your time this weekend. I’d like to show you around the city.”
“That’s nice of you, thank you. Saturday would work for me.”
“It’s a date then.” He nods, turns, and leaves the kitchen.
I stare after him, knowing he didn’t really mean the word date, but wishing he did.
Stupid, stupid Hattie.
The next day, I wear one of the outfits Bastion bought me to work, and he’s right—I do feel much more comfortable walking through the doors of the club.
There’s nothing super sexy about the white shorts and black blouse I’m wearing, besides the fact that the shorts are about six inches shorter than I’ve ever worn outside of bed, but it does come off as classy and sensual somehow, just like Ivy said.
I notice that some of the dancers I haven’t met yet take the time to introduce themselves when I come across them in the kitchen or the bathroom that day, and they don’t give me the once-over like everyone else did earlier in the week. It feels silly to think it’s because of the clothes—I’ve never really given my wardrobe much thought before—but the outfit does change my attitude and makes me feel more confident than I would feel otherwise.
Feeling braver than normal, I decide to work a little later than I have been. I’m trying to finish up something before the weekend. But I need a little boost, so I go make myself a hot chocolate in the break room and decide that rather than drinking it alone in my office like I have been all week, I’ll take a break in the main part of the club.
Maybe if I spend more time there, I’ll realize it’s not as big a deal as I’m making it in my head. Besides, I gave myself until the end of the week to decide whether I could hack this environment or not, so I have to know what I’m really getting into. I can’t just hide from it and pretend it isn’t happening.
I take my mug and find an empty table near the back of the club where I’m out of the way and hopefully no one will notice me. Destiny is up on stage. I met her earlier. When she told me her name, I didn’t have the guts to ask whether it was her stage name or her real name.
All the men are watching her with rapt attention. There’s even what appears to be a couple here, based on the fact that the man and woman are holding hands as they watch with delight.
Destiny gyrates to the music and slowly pulls off her shirt before dropping it on the stage. Her full breasts sway as she dances and makes her way to a set of stairs she uses to make her way into the crowd.
I sip on my hot chocolate, feeling uncomfortable watching this in a room full of strangers, but I force myself to remain where I am.
Several men holler at Destiny to come their way, holding up cash to make it more enticing. The first few slide the bills into her G-string, and she gives them a sultry smile in return. As I watch her, I can’t help but wonder what it must feel like to be secure enough in yourself to command a room like this while half naked. What must it feel like to have that type of power, to know that all admiring eyes are on you?
Destiny moves to the other side of the room and has a short conversation with a man sitting at a table by himself. There’s anexchange of money, and she lowers herself onto his lap, her back to his front.
