My boyfriend is dirty. And I like it. As much as I’d like to say I only like it behind closed doors, I don’t. I guess if I’m being pedantic, I did also like it behind the closed doors of the library. But the alley… watching him with that guy… that was public, very public, too public for me to participate, but I did get a thrill from observing. Maybe I’m a little dirty too?
Just a little.
Maybe.
Cheeks heating, I look her dead in the face.
She shrugs and rolls her eyes at me. “And…?”
I wave my hands. “And it’s a strip club. I’m a girl, Victoria. In case you hadn’t noticed.”
Another eye roll, and I’m starting to feel like I’ve lived an incredibly sheltered life. Sighing, she leans forward, resting her forearms close to me on the table. “Plenty of girls go to strip clubs. And I don’t mean to strip.”
They do? “Have you been to one?”
“Not only have I been to strip clubs, I’ve seen Ares dance in the flesh at Protocol. So, that reason is dumb. And in fact, it serves as a reason youshouldgo and see him dance. Then you can tick that off your bucket list. Everyone should go to a strip club at least once in their life.”
I’m not sure I believe any of that, but the idea of seeing him on stage, half naked, bending and twisting his body to music might be a little enticing.
“Reason number two?” She leans back in her seat and picks up her drink. It’s getting close to dinner time so I’m going to have to think about what to eat before Tori gets hangry. Maybe I’ll make some pasta.
I shrug. “I don’t even know that he’d want me to go watch him dance.” I’m not looking at her, but the weight of her stare on my face makes my cheeks get hotter.
When she doesn’t say anything, and I eventually give in and look over at her, she’s holding out my phone. “How about you message him and ask?”
The idea makes my stomach swoop. He’d probably think it’s a great idea, and that wouldn’t help my argument with Victoria one little bit.
“Exactly.” She wiggles the phone at me. “Point two is also moot, because you know he’d love for you to go see him. In fact, he’d probably give you a special lap dance. And if you could put in a good word for me, I wouldn’t be mad if he gave me one, either.” She shrugs, smirk firmly in place on her face.
I’d much rather my boyfriend gave my best friend a lap dance at the strip club. The idea of him grinding against my lap in front of people makes my heart race in the wrong way.
“And number three?”
“My dad would be mad.”
“Your dad would be mad about what?” Dad comes into the kitchen, giant pizza box from Zoey’s in Marion in hand. It’s my favorite pizza place, it was Mom’s favorite pizza place, and it’s the only pizza place Dad ever gets pizza from anymore. It’s endearing really.
My mouth waters as soon as those delicious cheesy smells hit my nose. I can’t tell him what Tori wants me to do, what I might be planning. He warned me away from Ares once already, and I really don’t want to fight, especially not right here and now in front of Tori. So, I do what I didn’t want to do, and lie.
“If I had a party here.”
Tori’s brows twitch, but like the good best friend she is, she doesn’t rat me out to Dad. Instead, she doubles down on my lie.
“Hi, Mr. Downing. My birthday’s coming up, and we’re spit-balling ideas for where to go.” She tosses me a wicked grin. “I was thinking of going to the strip club, for fun.”
It’s Dad’s turn to raise his eyebrows. To his credit, he doesn’t say anything off the top of his head. Thankfully. He has this really great skill of speaking before engaging his brain. He learned his lesson, eventually. Mom used to thwap his arm when he’d blurt out something before pausing for a beat to process. He places the pizza box on the table while we move our books out of the way, then grabs himself a beer from the fridge.
I wasn’t expecting him home tonight, unless I got my days wrong, or his schedule changed, so I hope everything’s okay but don’t want to pry in front of Tori in case it isn’t.
“I suppose it would be okay to have a party here.”
Wait, what?
I stare at him a moment. Who is this man talking to my friend and me? Is it possible he’s starting to relax a little? Has he been abducted? Visited by the ghost of Christmas past? Or Mom?
“Depending on who was invited, of course.” He pins me with a hard stare that tells me exactly who he’s referring to. “And I’d advise you both to stay away from either of the strip clubs in town. They’re no place for young girls like yourselves.”
Girls. I’ll always be a little girl to him. I fight a sigh.
