The look on his face as I left made me feel almost guilty about leaving and not giving him an explanation, but I don’t stop running until I reach Rick’s office.
He’s sat behind his desk on the phone but the moment his eyes find me, he hangs up. “Sugar, you alright?”
“I can’t work here anymore. I’m sorry… I- I quit.”
“I had a feeling you would.” He nods in understanding. “If that’s how you feel, I won’t stop you.”
“Thank you.”
“You know, when you first stepped into this office, I thought there was no way you’d cut it as a stripper. I thought you’d last a night and crack, but you proved me wrong. Not many people do.” He smiles.
“I didn’t think I’d make it either. I guess I surprised the both of us.”
“If you’re ever stuck for a job in the future, know you have one here, just maybe wait until you’re legal first, yeah?”
He knows I’m younger than twenty-one. “How…?”
“You think I was born yesterday? Fuck no. I shouldn’t have hired you, but I saw a fire in your eyes… a determination. You reminded me of someone I used to know, a girl who was special to me back in the day.” He stares off, presumably recalling a fond memory of the girl he knew before his eyes snap back to mine. “Now get your ass out of here, Sugar.”
A laugh slips free. “Okay. Thank you, Rick,” I say before heading back towards the door. I glance over my shoulder and smile at him one last time before pulling the door closed.
∞∞∞
“I quit the club,” I announce, Dwight’s head snapping down to me where we’re sat on my couch.
“You did?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t do it anymore, but now… now I don’t know what to do.”
“What do you mean?”
I sit up straighter in my seat. “When I took the job, I was already at risk of being evicted for not paying the rent. After saving up everything I earned from the club, between rent, bills, food and college, I have enough money saved to last me for a few more months, but…”
Dwight angles his body to face me. “Quinn, let me help you. If it’s money you need-”
“No, that’s not why I told you. I won’t take money from you, oranyone. I never even took money off my parents, and I’m not about to start now.”
“I’m offering you a way out, I want to help.”
“Like I said, I won’t take money from you. I’ll figure something out. Besides, I’m not your responsibility.”
“But that’s just it, you are. We’re in this together from here on out, you understand me?”
I nod. “I’m still not taking your money.”
Dwight blows out a long breath, trying to hide a smile. “You’re so fucking stubborn.”
“Yep,” I agree, making him laugh.
Chapter 28
Quinn
For the next couple of weeks, Dwight and I fall into a routine. We avoid drawing any unwanted attention to ourselves in public, so at college, I’m just another student to him and he’s just my professor, though we still manage to steal kisses in darkened corners of the lecture hall or in his office when no one’s looking.
I know it’s wrong and beyond dangerous, but I can't deny the rush I get, knowing that anyone could walk in and catch us, the danger of the forbidden making it all the more exciting. But I have to remember that Dwight has a lot more at stake than I do, and I can’t stand the thought of him losing his job because of me. I’d sooner walk away from him before I ever let that happen. I care about him too much to have his life, his career ripped away from him.
Right now, we’re just enjoying our time together, both of us finally experiencing happiness for the first time in a long time, and it’s fair to say that in what little time we see each other, we don’t waste a second of it.
