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I kept up the energy with a lot of tried and true classics, which was what the midweek crowd seemed to prefer over trendier music. Around ten p.m., a go-go boy who was also a part-time DJ took over, so I could take a break. “Thanks, Dave. Be back soon,” I said, as I handed him my headphones and slipped past him.
I went to the bar for a bottle of water and was immediately surrounded by half a dozen guys who wanted to strike up conversations. Three of them were regulars, and one had taken me home with him a few weeks ago. Even though I wasn’t interested, I still smiled and chatted with them. Schmoozing was part of the job.
Then I noticed a familiar figure with dark hair making his way to the exit, so I excused myself and wove through the crowd. Wes had already left the building by the time I got to the door, so I ran outside and looked in both directions, but he was nowhere to be seen.
I had to go back inside to get to my phone, so a few minutes passed before I was able to send him a text. It said: Hey! I saw you at the club. Why’d you leave without saying hello?
He replied with: You looked busy.
I wrote: I wasn’t. In fact, I’m still on break, so why don’t you come back and I’ll buy you a drink?
A minute clicked by before he responded: Thanks, but I’m already in a cab. I’ll talk to you soon.
That wouldn’t have seemed like a big deal, if it wasn’t for what happened next.
Chapter 7
On Saturday morning, I wheeled a huge suitcase into the living room, then looked through my backpack to make sure I had my passport and wallet. There was a knot in my stomach, not just because I hated flying, but because I felt so uncertain about the week ahead.
Wes had been avoiding me for the last two days, and I didn’t know why. The last time we were together, which had been during his lunch break on Wednesday, he’d told me he wanted to see me again during the week. But when I’d invited him to dinner on Thursday, then again on Friday, he’d responded with flimsy excuses.
We would have only had a couple of hours between when he finished work and I had to be at the club, but I’d been looking forward to it. Now I didn’t know what was going on, and I was worried it was going to be awkward when I saw him.
I couldn’t help but wonder if seeing me at the club had changed his impression of me. Before that, he’d only seen a toned down version of who I was and how I lived my life, but there’d been nothing subtle about Wednesday night.
I really didn’t think he’d judge me for working at a club called Thrust while wearing next to nothing. He just wasn’t the type of person who’d hold something like that against me. But maybe it had shown him just how different we were. It also might have reminded him I was in no way boyfriend material…not that he needed reminding.
There was nothing else I could think of that would have made him pull back so abruptly. Before Wednesday night, he’d seemed eager to see me again. But since then, all I’d gotten were one-sentence replies to my texts, so clearly something had changed.
Jasper came into the living room carrying two mugs of tea and said, “You seem tense. I know you hate flying, but why do I get the feeling there’s more to it than that?”
“You know me so well.”
“Come talk to me. You still have a few minutes before your ride gets here to take you to the airport.”
I joined him on the couch and told him what was on my mind. I took a sip of tea before adding, “I wish I knew why Wes suddenly decided to pull back like that.”
Jasper said, “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but if the last two days were about reestablishing some boundaries, then he did the right thing. Spending all that time together had probably started to blur the lines for both of you, and you’re about to spend over a week together, which could have been pretty intense. Now that he’s made an effort to reel it in a little, hopefully it’ll be easier for you to walk away when the job’s done.”
“No matter what, it’s pretty inevitable that I’ll end up crushed when this is over.”
Jasper grasped my hand and said, “I’m so sorry, Ash.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because this is my fault. I never expected you to get attached to this guy, since he didn’t even sort of seem like your type. I just thought you could use the money and would probably enjoy a luxurious trip to the South Pacific. If I’d even suspected you’d end up getting hurt, I never would have suggested you take this job.”
