“Drink this,” Knox hands me a shot, and I pick it up, staring through the tiny shot glass at the amber liquid.
“Whiskey?” I ask, and he gives me a knowing wink.
“It’ll warm your insides. Bottoms up,” we clink glasses, tap them down on the bar and sling back our shots.
He was right. My insides are now on fire. I wave to the bartender and order two more shots. If I’m going to do what I came here to do tonight, I’ll need all of the liquid courage my body can take to get this over with.
“Sadie, this is Candy. Give this beauty whatever she wants tonight.” Sadie’s eyebrows raise, a smile forming on her perfect, pink lips.
“Sure thing, Mr. Knox.” She says his name with sass like sheknows something I don’t. Knox doesn’t seem phased by her attitude, though; his eyes are still glued to me.
“Don’t you have to be at the door?” I ask him, slamming another shot back and tapping the glass down on the bar. He flashes that damn smirk again.
“Shift change. I’m right where I want to be.”
I peer at him from beneath my lashes, my eyelids already feeling heavy from the alcohol hitting my bloodstream. He makes me nervous. Not in a creepy way that has me wanting to run, but in a way where I think he’s just so fucking hot I just know I’m going to say something stupid and make a fool of myself.
“Careful, Candy, you keep looking at me like that, and I might get the wrong idea.”
My breath hitches, and I squirm in my seat. His words send flutters straight to my pussy.Fuck.
Shaking my head, I clear the dirty thoughts of this man's tongue between my legs and refocus.I need to deal with Jason.
“You starting tonight, hon? I haven’t seen you here before.” Sadie asks, and I feel the heat rush to my cheeks.
“Me?” I point to myself. “N-no, I’m not a dancer,” I look back at the woman on stage, twerking her ass while doing a split.
Sadie gives me a once-over and shakes her head,
“That’s Destiny, she’s just showing off. You’d make a killing on that stage, babe. With those tits and that pink hair? These greedy men would be eating out of the palm of your hand.” She winks at me and leaves us with our shots.
Knox sighs, and his gaze seems to have intensified after Sadie’s comment.
“She’s not wrong, you know. Not wrong at all.” He shakes his head and throws back another shot.
I watch Destiny, mesmerized by how she demands attention from the people who watch her. Her movements are like liquid, the way her body rolls and flows to the tempo of the music. For amoment, I visualize myself up there, walking out onto the stage and locking eyes with Jason. It would almost be worth it just to see the dumbfounded expression on his face. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or the adrenaline coursing through my veins, but that idea sounds the most appealing to me.
I hear his obnoxious laugh from across the room. Even through the loud music, the jack ass demands attention. He’s waving bills at a dancer, trying to capture her eye. Standing abruptly, I straighten myself out, not letting a little sway of the room keep me from this confrontation. Knox watches me, but doesn't say a word. He eyes me curiously, like he’s intrigued by what I’m about to do.
“I want to go up there. Can you make that happen?” I nod to the stage. Knox’s brows almost hit his hairline.
He looks into my eyes, searching for any indication that I’m kidding, and when I return his stare with a deadpan expression, he knows I mean business. He looks from me and then to Jason, and a wide grin spreads across his face.
“For you, Candy,anything.”
FOUR
CANDACE
Knox showsme to the back room where the girls get ready to perform. The area feels like a lounge with the walls painted a shade of pink so bright that it matches my hair perfectly. A large mirror lines the far wall, illuminated by vanity mirror lights overhead. Some of the girls sit on barstools doing their hair and makeup while chatting amongst one another. The back of the room houses a row of lockers decorated with stickers, lipstick kisses, and post-it notes.
All eyes turn my way when I walk through the door, Knox in tow. It’s not him they're staring at, though; it’s me.
I turn to face Knox, my nerves starting to slip after walking into a room where I feel like an imposter. Taking a deep breath, I stand there unmoving, completely frozen in place. I’m unsure of what my next step should be.
Knox takes two slow strides, closing the distance between us. He brings his hand to my chin, lifting it with his finger, locking my eyes onto his.
“If you feel the need to run, the need to hide, look for me. I’ll be your anchor while you show him what he’s missing.”
