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“Damn, baby, your pulse is racing. You want that too, don’t you?”
I want you to spread for me. Soon, you will.
Please don’t hurt me.
“Stop.”
“That’s right. Beg, baby.”
“Stop. I said stop.” I can’t breathe. “Stop, please stop.”
“Keep begging, baby—”
“Stop!”
The heat of Chad’s body is gone, and a loud howling fills the space.
“What the fuck?” Russell yells.
My robe is thrown over me, and I’m in Tate’s arms. Tears form in my eyes, and I bury my face in his chest.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing! Put her ass back down!”
Tate’s chest rumbles. “She’s leaving. She’s gonna be gone until she’s ready—if she’s ever ready again. You even think about firing her, I’ll come back here and break your fucking nose, then both your legs. You get me?”
“Yeah… yeah…”
Tate shoulder-checks him out of the way. Soft whispers follow us through the hall, then Gretchen’s voice as he takes something out of her hand.
“Please tell her to call me.”
“Will do.”
Brisk air stings against my skin, and I’m placed inside Tate’s SUV. “You okay to slip on your clothes?” he asks. I nod and take my bag from him—what Gretchen handed him. He waits until I’m buckled in, then climbs in and peels out of the parking lot like a bat outta hell.
“I assume I owe you an explanation—” I shift my eyes from the window to his profile.
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“But I do. I didn’t answer you before. I want to answer you now.” He pulls his eyes from the road to peer over at me, his gaze sincere. “Everything you said before is true.”
“Mindy—”
“Let me finish. Please.” He presses his lips together, and I continue. “My mother was an amazing dancer. When she was young, she danced on Broadway. She was breathtaking. I never got to watch her shows in person, but I saw videos. The way she glided across the stage…” I shake my head. “It’s how I grew to love dance. Shortly after, she and my father met, and they got married. Getting pregnant ended her career on Broadway, but she was okay with it. They left New York and moved to a small town in Pennsylvania. She always said she missed the spotlight, but I was better than any Broadway show.”
I take a breath. “When I was about three, she opened her own dance studio. I think she struggled with giving up her passion, so this was her way to keep her love alive. Dad helped her repair an old storefront in town. I remember playing in there while she taught classes. Eventually, I joined them. I would dance with her day and night. Even when my feet were tired, I would dream about it. When I got old enough, I began making my own plans. All the money they made from the studio was put away. They were saving for me to go to college. A dance school like Mom had attended. When I was thirteen, my parents left me home alone to attend a dance performance in the city. I was mature for my age, so they trusted me. I got to prove to them how responsible I was. While they were gone, I cleaned the house, made myself dinner, and only watched the shows I was allowed to. I went to bed when Dad had told me to, and even though I pretended to sleep, I was wide awake, waiting for them to come home.”
I have to take another breath. “It was late when I heard the knock on the door. I knew I wasn’t supposed to answer it for strangers, but I peeked out the window. Blue and red lights lit up the front yard. I worried my parents would be in trouble if they found out I was left home alone, so I stayed quiet and tried to be still. But they wouldn’t go away. Finally, when I opened the door, they told me my parents had been killed in a car accident. A drunk high school kid leaving a party. He was fine, but my parents… they both died before medics arrived.”
“Fuck, Mindy.”
“And that was only the tip of the iceberg. They didn’t have a will, and I was a minor with no living relatives. While everything they owned went to the state, I went into foster care. My foster mom told me they were fighting for access to the money held up in a bank account—the money they’d saved for me for school. Little did I know, they weren’t fighting for me; they were fighting for themselves. I was naive and trusted them. Signed papers I shouldn’t have. They got all the money the second I turned eighteen, and I got thrown out. With nothing left to lose, I came to New York. I hoped it would make me feel closer to my mom. Visit the studios where she auditioned. Where she had her first big performance. I even hoped for a miracle that I’d find a way to follow my mom’s dreams. But the road I traveled was far from hers. I spent the first year completely drifting. It wasn’t until I was at my lowest that I got a break. I found Bev’s. Harry gave me a chance and let me stay on a cot in the back until I made enough money to venture off on my own. But that didn’t happen until I met Russell.”
“Mindy, you don’t have to explain to me. I was an ass for assuming.”
“But you’re right. I do deserve better. I’m capable of so much more. I never gave myself a chance. I got so caught up in what Russell was offering me…it was small-time stuff at first. Innocent. As time passed and the pay increased, I did more. But I want you to know I’ve never had sex. That’s been my one rule.”
“You don’t—”
