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“Good?” Selena asks.
I nod. “So good.” I drop my fork, grabbing my mug. “So, tell me about this date?”
She blushes. She holds up a finger, silently asking me to wait for her answer while she finishes chewing. Swallowing, she takes a sip of her coffee before speaking. “Eric is great,” she sighs dreamily. “He is in finance, stocks to be exact. He is tall, dark, and so gorgeous.” She chews her bottom lip in contemplation, before whispering out. “I think he might be out of my league.”
My eyes bug out of my head. Out of her league? Has she seen herself? “No. No way. You are stunning, Selena.” And I mean every single word of it. With her olive skin, hazel eyes, and chocolate hair, she is beautiful. “No one is out of your league.”
“Yeah but…” she trails off, blowing out a breath. “No. You’re right. I’m just being silly.” She picks up her fork, running it through her food but never picking it up. I can tell she has more to say, so I wait patiently for when she is ready to talk. It doesn’t take long. “It's just, don’t you ever feel…I don’t know, like we are less because we take our clothes off for a living?” Her eyes dart to me, wide with a look of shock, as if she can’t believe she just said those words.
I chuckle, shaking my head. I get where she is coming from. I mean, taking your clothes off can be demeaning, but it can also be empowering. It all comes down to perspective and I will not be made to feel less just because of my job. “No. I don’t. Especially not at The Executive Club. I guess there are seedy places around that would make me feel gross but not there. We are protected and we make good money. There is nothing wrong with what we are doing.” I assure her.
She nods, a thoughtful look on her face. “I haven’t told Eric that I’m a dancer.” She blurts out. I glance around to see if any of the other girls are listening to our conversation, but they are all too engrossed in their own to worry about what we are talking about. “Well, he knows that I am a dancer, but he doesn’t know where I dance or that I take my clothes off,” she rushes out before sucking in a breath.
Reaching over, I take her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. “Be honest with him. If he doesn’t like that you do what you have to do, to keep a roof over your head and food in your belly, then he isn’t the man for you.”
***
“Ocean?” My name being called has my hand pausing, just as I am about to coat my lashes with mascara. Lifting my head, I meet Leo’s gaze in the mirror. I frown. He doesn’t usually disturb any of the dancers, unless it’s for something important, like paperwork or shift changes.
Anxiety swirls in my stomach as I stare at him through the mirror. He looks tired. Weary. What does he want? Is he going to take me to that office again? Leave me to sit in that room and be interrogated by that intimidating man.Nico. Equal parts gorgeous and terrifying. It’s a lethal combination and one I should stay the hell away from. I don’t want to go to his office again, but if that’s what Leo is here for then I have no choice.
Forcing a smile, I speak. “What’s up, Leo?”
He eyes me, stepping closer. I suck in a breath, my body tensing. From the look on his face, this isn’t good news. Rubbing a hand through his hair, he blows out a breath. My pulse kicks up, waiting for whatever he is going to tell me. Then increases when a big grin curves his lips as he pulls something out of his pocket. “This is for you. One of our best clients left it with Sykes last night.” He shoves the envelope into my free hand, startling me. A nervous laugh bursts from me, my shoulders sagging in what can only be described as relief.
“Jesus, Leo. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going to take me to the office again. Or worst, fire me.” With one hand clutching the envelope, I rub my chest with my free one as if it can alleviate some of my stress.
His eyes narrow, but I see the humor in them. “Now why would I do that? You’re my best girl right now.” He drawls with a wink.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Well, next time you have something like this for me, maybe don’t act so damn serious. And wait until my shift is over.” I add.
He barks out a laugh, saluting me. “Whatever you want darlin'.” He winks, laughing as he spins and saunters out of the changing room like he didn’t just cause me a coronary.
Laughing, I shake my head only to freeze when I feel eyes on me. Glancing around the room, I watch as some of the girls scowl and shoot daggers at me. I sigh. I shouldn’t be surprised. When women feel threatened, they go to their default mode.
Bitch.
Ignoring them, I peel the seal open, my eyes widening in shock when I see a stack of dollar bills wedged inside. Pulling them out, my mouth drops open. I thumb through the one-hundred-dollar bills, my heart rate picking up when I finish counting and find ten thousand dollars inside.
What the fuck?
Clenching them in my fist, I briefly wonder which of the men from last night would leave me this sort of money and why. I don’t know and I’m not about to analyze or question it right now. For some reason, he thought that my dancing was worth thousands of dollars to him. Shaking my head, I shove the money into my backpack before finishing off my make-up and pulling on my outfit. Standing, I grab my belongings, shove them in my locker, and make my way out to the stage.
Chapter 5
Nico
Though I told myself I wouldn’t come to The Executive Club unless absolutely necessary, I once again find myself standing at the privacy window, watching Ocean as she moves her body on the stage. Frustration slithers through my veins, and I grit my teeth. I don’t know why, but she seems to have some weird hold on me. A hold that is completely out of my control and making me do irrational shit. Like fucking stalking her like some obsessive creep.
My eyes follow the roll of her lithe body, tracking every little move she makes. She is so fucking sensual; hypnotic, that her dancing like this in public should be illegal. The way she moves her perfect body to the music is an art and adds to her beauty... well, let’s just say it’s a lethal combination. One look at her, she pulls you in, keeping you there and making you beg for more. I would never admit it, but I for one, am caught up in her, enthralled by her. I can’t seem to tear my gaze from her. And it’s not just me. Every pair of eyes in my club are on her right now. As if she has bewitched everyone in the whole place with some twisted magic until she is all that you see.
Fuck.
Forcing my eyes away from the spell she is casting down below, it takes every bit of self-control I have in my body to move away from the window and toward my desk. Dropping down in my chair, I shake my head in disgust at myself. I am acting like a fucking teenager who just discovered his first crush. It’s infuriating and inconvenient that I seem to have developed this… interest in her. She is a distraction.
Groaning, I run a hand down my face. Christ. What the fuck is wrong with me? My life was fine before she came along. I was cool, calm, and rational. Right now, I feel anything but those things. I should just have Leo fire her ass, then maybe I could get back to my normal self and concentrate on business. I snort. Somehow, I know that’s a lie. Whether Ocean works here or not, something tells me that my obsessive thoughts about her won’t stop. Not now I have met her. Not now I know that she exists. I frown, wondering why out of all the women I have ever met, she seems to be the one bringing out this side of me. Hmm. Maybe she really is a sorceress with magical powers, casting spells over everyone she encounters. At this point, it seems like the only explanation. I don’t get like this over pussy.Ever.
So again. Why her?
