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He pulls me into a warm hug, and I practically sneer at the hostess. When he pulls away, he holds my shoulders and stares at me as if I’ve just come back from the dead or something.
Then his eyes drift down and over my dress.
“Wow…you’ve really grown up,” he says with a hint of uncomfortable reluctance. “When I saw you, I assumed you weren’t even old enough to be in here. How old are you now?”
“Twenty-three,” I answer.
“Wow,” he replies. “Are you here to see Garrett? He must have called you after our meeting today.”
“Umm…yeah,” I lie, because I’m not sure I’ll get past that black curtain if I don’t make it seem like I’m one hundred percent wanted here. If Garrett was okay with me being in his club, he wouldn’t have kept it a secret. Because it’s definitely not a dance club, although I’m still not entirely sure what lies beyond that curtain.
“Awesome. Come on, I’ll take you to the office.”
“Thanks,” I reply, sending the girl a big fake smile before Hunter guides me through the black curtain.
The main room we walk into is huge, with tall warehouse high ceilings and a second-floor balcony around the perimeter. There’s a giant bar off to the left and a stage with a DJ booth in the middle. The music is more sultry than the kind of club music people would dance to; in fact, there are no people dancing at all.
There are, however, two giant cages on either side of the stage with topless women moving to the music. But it’s not like any strip club I imagined where men would sit around them, stuffing bills into their G-strings.
There are tables scattered around the room with people filling most of the seats, some couples, and other small groups. Hunter leads me through the main room so fast, I barely get a chance to take it all in, but it’s certainly not at all what I expected. It’s like some super discreet, exclusive strip club…but where are the strippers?
There are a lot of doors along the two floors, so maybe they’re in there?
Suddenly, Hunter is ushering me through a staff-only door that leads to a hallway that runs the length of the main room. We walk together down the long corridor, making small talk as we go.
“I’m glad he called you,” he says. “He was against it at first, but I know you can bring something awesome to the club.”
I’m striding next to him, trying to absorb what he’s saying, but I can’t seem to keep up.Called me for what? What would Hunter think Garrett would need me for?
I don’t want to let him see my confusion, so I answer noncommittally. “Yep. Me too.”
“You know how he stresses,” Hunter says. “Maybe you can help keep him calm about the whole thing.”
“Sure,” I say. Because I do know how stressed Garrett can get. And whatever it is, I do want to help him, and I don’t want to blow my cover before I can. So, I quickly change the subject. “How’s Isabel?”
“She’s good. Owns her own yoga studio now.”
“Nice. Good for her. Tell her hi for me.”
“I will,” he responds, as we reach a door at the intersection of two hallways. It opens to a huge office space that looks like all the owners share. Next to this door is one labeledSecurity, but it’s closed. There are various other doors down here, which look like supply closets and electrical equipment rooms. I don’t peep around too much, but I do scan the empty office for Garrett, who doesn’t seem to be around.
“Well, he was in here,” Hunter says as he pokes his head around the corner. “Why don’t you sit tight in here, and I’ll go hunt him down.”
“Sounds good,” I reply sweetly as he leaves me sitting in a foreign office in a strange club with a whole lot of uncertainty.
But I’m really not the kind of girl who sits around and waits.
So as soon as Hunter disappears down the long hallway, I poke my head out of the office. Some of the doors are labeled, but some are not. And I can tell by the sound of the music that some of these doors will lead back into the main room.
I am too damn curious to sit here and wait for him. And I have a feeling when Garrett does find me, he will quickly usher me out without any answers. Fuck that.
Quietly, I turn the knob on the first black door. It opens to a dark hallway—much darker than the main room. Quieter too. Taking a peek inside, I see people standing in random places, staring at something I can’t quite make out. And it’s giving me museum vibes, but it feels too intimate, so I quickly back out and escape to the staff hallway.
Wandering farther down the hall, I find a door that leads to a brightly lit and silent stairwell. I quickly close myself in. It’s only one flight, and when I reach the second floor, I find another ominous door. It’s unmarked, but I hear music playing on the other side, so I ease it open and step into a dark foyer that leads to yet another door, probably meant to filter out the light from the stairwell.
I almost turn back before going through the second door, because it’s slightly quieter up here, but then I hear something—a high-pitched yelp that sounds distant, and a hell of a lot like someone is fucking on the other side of this door. Maybe that would be a good sign to leave, but I can’t help myself. I’m too fucking curious to walk away now, so I carefully peel the door all the way open and slide the black curtain aside to sneak in.
I’m standing speechless on the perimeter of a room in the midst of…an orgy. I don’t really know how else to put it, but my eyes don’t even need to focus for me to see what’s happening here.
