That question was at least manageable. Though, the reaction to her answer might not be. It had produced stares before, especially in this scene.
“Tap water.”
Maya paused. Then nodded. “Got it. On the rocks?”
Though she tried, Harper couldn’t help but grin. “Yes. And with a twist.”
She watched as Maya went through the steps of making her drink. Swift and elegant steps, as it turned out, though the flair she used was wasted on this place. The regulars here considered it a luxury if their beers were served cold.
When she was done, Maya placed the water on the bar, the glass filled with ice cubes and with a curly strip of lemon peel fixed on the edge. She even topped it off with a straw and a tiny pink umbrella.
“There you are. A smart drink for a smart woman.”
Harper’s smile stiffened. The description didn’t fit, either for the drink or for her. The water was a necessity, and her GPA proved the inaccuracy of calling her clever.
“So. What are you in for?” she said, taking a sip through the straw. Maya cocked her head.
“What does that mean?”
“You only end up at the Lucky Penny if you don’t have anywhere else to go. It’s a halfway house for the desperate and the lonely. I’m curious which category you fall into.”
“Well, now you’re makingmecurious. Where do you see yourself on that scale?”
“You aren’t of the opinion that all strippers are desperate? You’re already better than the last bartender.”
“By your tone, I don’t think that’s a compliment.”
“It isn’t, really. Ryan was only good at one thing, and that was drinking on the job.” Harper gave a shrug. “But in my case, desperate actually fits pretty well. I needed work, and this is the only place that would take me.”
Maya glanced at the room, eyes catching on half-broken furniture and scuffed wall panels.
“My condolences.”
Harper scoffed, taking another sip of her drink. There was nothing to offer condolences for; not when Harper herself was to blame.
When they first got to St. Louis, the three of them had gotten into a great club across town. Clean, professional, and with bouncers who did more than look confused when conflicts broke out. And then she’d ruined it.
One night, the owner had pulled her into his office and made those comments she was more than familiar with. Demands masked as flirtation, and which she’d responded to first with snappy retorts and then with a knee between the legs when he thought grabbing her ass would be a winning argument.
She should never have been alone with him. But she’d assumed he was one of the decent ones, since the club he owned had been just that. A dumb mistake.
She’d gotten fired the following day. Had walked away with no work lined up and a shiny new reputation. Not for putting up a fight, but one born from exaggerated rumors of her poaching other people’s regulars, bullying girls into quitting, and then the completely fabricated story of her stealing money from the manager.
Most places wouldn’t hire her after that, and the few who would—like the Penny—had the other girls treating her like a pariah before she even introduced herself. And worst of all, when Nell and Patricia heard what happened, they’d joined her sinking ship instead of saving themselves from drowning.
There were a lot of assholes in this industry. They had run into a bunch of them over the past year.
“You know my category.” Harper shot Maya a smile, relieved when it settled without much of a struggle. “Which one fits you? Desperate or lonely?”
Maya shrugged. “If those are my options, I have to choose lonely. I just got to town and needed something fast. This place liked that.”
“You’re a newcomer, then. What brought you to St. Louis?”
Maya gave Harper a long look up and down.
“The sights.”
Harper sputtered out a laugh. “Wow. Smooth.”
