“Can I check out early today?” I stood by her desk, hoping she wouldn’t ask why.
“Something wrong?”
“I just uh…I have a work thing.”
She lifted her nose off the manuscript she was reading and touched the side of her glasses at her temple. “At Poles?”
I wished I could have said so. I’d felt extremely happy when every day after work, as I went up to her apartment with her, carrying her heavy purse, making sure Fletcher fuck wasn’t lurking by her door or something, she’d subtly ask me whether after leaving here I was going to Poles for my shift or going somewhere else. The little smile and expression of relief on her face every time she knew I was just dancing somewhere and not fucking someone else sent my heart fluttering like a little girl having her first crush.
But tonight I wasn’t dancing.
“Oh. She fixed her glasses again, her scowl bad. “What about… What about Fletcher?”
“Fletcher?”
“He could be snooping, you know? To have evidence about what you do for a living and expose it at the party. In fact, yourdatefor tonight could be a setup.”
“Like he paid a woman to hire me?”
“Yes. Exactly. As far as I know, she might even be filming the two of you, too. Do you want that scandal?”
“I check for these things, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I still believe it’d be better if you…” She dropped the paper stack on the desk and sighed. “Can you cancel?”Please, her eyes added.
Fuck. She looked hurt. Pretending to be a dick to tease her was something but hurting her was never my intention. “Gabi, please try to understand. To be able to work for you, I promised Jared three days of dancing and two days ofdating. Today and tomorrow I’m available on the website. I’ll lose my job if I cancel.”
She swallowed. “I’ll pay you. I’ll compensate for the loss.”
I leaned in and tucked her hair behind her ear. Then I took her hand and kissed inside her palm. “It’s not just about the money. If I cancel a few hours before the date, she’ll leave a bad review for me and Poles. Not only will we lose her as a client forever but also she might give us a bad word of mouth to her friends. I can’t do that to Jared. I owe him a lot.”
He was the only guy that agreed to hire me when I ran back to New York after Priscilla’s death. The pain was just too much, and I couldn’t stay in Chicago anymore. I couldn’t look my baby in the eye when I couldn’t protect her mother.
But no one in here would hire me after what I did to Daniel Larvin. Everybody was scared of his father. Jared took me in, though, and I made my uncle settle the old score his way to spare Jared the heat, paying for the favor in good money, of course.
“How about every time I had one of those dates, before I go I eat you real good to make it up to you?” I wiggled my eyebrows at her.
“Thanks for the completely inappropriate offer, but that won’t solve the problem.”
“I really wish I could cancel, but women talk and our business works on reputation and credibility.”
She pushed herself in the chair away from me, yanking her hand out of my grip. “So is mine. I don’t want to make Fletcher’s job to ruin me any easier. There’s a good chance he might only know about the stripping if you’re being careful.”
“What difference does it make? Vivian was a street whore.”
“But she wasn’t screwing other people when she was with Edward.”
“Edward was screwing Vivian.”
She blinked. “And we’re back to that. Well, I’m not a man. I can’t just screw a guy because he’s a whore.”
I couldn’t explain the stabbing pain and anger bubbling up in me right now. She said nothing but the truth. I was a whore. But hearing her calling me a whore hurt. The first time she said it, it was out of spite. To hurt me like I hurt her. But now, she was stating a fact.
Her eyes squeezed. “Shit. Fabio, I’m sorry.”
“I’m gonna go.”
“Please don’t.”
