“You know what it means,” Kayla says, blowing on her wet toenails. “Mr. I-Don’t-Do-Private-Dances suddenly makes an exception for Tall, Dark, and Loaded.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Spill it. How much did he tip you?”
I dump my bag onto an empty chair, buying time. The truth is, Alex didn’t tip me. I fled before he could do anything. But I can’t tell them that without explaining why, and that’s a road I’m not willing to go down.
“Enough,” I say vaguely, moving toward the coffeemaker. The pot is nearly empty, the dregs black as tar. I pour it anyway,needing something to do with my hands.
“Enough to buy a car? A house? A small island?” Kayla persists, twisting to watch me. “Come on, Vince. Spill it.”
“Who are we talking about?” Rina asks.
“The guy who bought a private with Vincent last night,” Caty says, looking up from her phone. “Tall guy, dark hair, cheekbones that could cut glass. Came in with a bunch of frat boys and dropped serious cash.”
Rina’s eyes find mine. “The guy with the freakishly blue eyes and a permanent scowl?”
“Yeah, him,” Kayla grins.
I take a scalding sip of coffee, welcoming the burn. It gives me something to focus on besides the creeping dread climbing up my spine.
“Wait,” Rina says, straightening. “Is that the same guy from the frat party who keeps coming here for Vincent?”
All eyes turn to Rina, but she’s staring at me.
“Yeah, him,” I admit reluctantly, the words falling like stones into the silence.
But Rina is still staring at me, something clicking behind her eyes. “Vince,” she says slowly, “didn’t you tell me he was your stepbrother?”
The room grows quiet, waiting. I consider lying, but what’s the point? They’ll find out eventually, especially if Alex keeps showing up. Better they hear it from me than piece it together from half-truths and rumors.
Mark chokes on his drink. “That guy is yourstepbrother?”
“Holy shit,” Kayla breathes. “The guy you gave a lap dance to is your brother?”
“Stepbrother,” I correct automatically, as if that makes it any better. “We’re not blood-related.”
Caty stares at me as if I’ve grown a second head. “And you didn’t think to mention this when I told you to take him to the Champagne Room?”
My cheeks burn. I set down my coffee, no longer trusting my hands not to shake. “It’s complicated.”
“No shit it’s complicated,” Mark says, running a hand through his hair. “You gave your stepbrother a lap dance!”
“He likes playing mind games. I wasn’t going to back down,” I say, defensiveness creeping into my voice. “Besides, you saw how much money he was throwing around. He came in with half his rich fraternity.” I turn to Caty. “You said yourself that the club needs the money. Was I supposed to say no just because we used to share a bathroom?”
“Yes!” Caty exclaims, throwing up her hands. “That’s exactly what you should’ve said to me. Jesus, Vincent.”
“That’s actually kind of hot,” Kayla muses, earning shocked looks from everyone. She shrugs. “What? It is. The forbidden stepbrother angle? Don’t mind if I do.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I insist, though the memory of Alex’s arousal pressing against me says otherwise. “He wanted to mess with my head. He loves the power, playing games, just like his dad. And I was just doing my job.”
“Your job isn’t to give lap dances to family members,” Caty says, rubbing her temples. “Christ, if I’d known…”
“Well, you didn’t,” I snap, suddenly tired of their judgment. “None of you did. Because none of you know anything about my life before I came here, and I prefer it stay that way.”
The room falls silent. I rarely lose my cool, rarely let them see past the walls I’ve built. This glimpse of raw emotion seems to surprise them as much as my revelation about Alex.
“Hey,” Mark says finally, voice gentle. “We’re not judging.We’re just… surprised.”
“Speak for yourself,” Caty mutters. “I’m judging a little.”
“Look,” I say, taking a deep breath. “It’s a long story. We haven’t seen each other in five years. We didn’t part on good terms. Things between us are… tense.”
