Total pages in book: 7
Estimated words: 6137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 31(@200wpm)___ 25(@250wpm)___ 20(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 6137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 31(@200wpm)___ 25(@250wpm)___ 20(@300wpm)
Today my luck has finally run out. My car shut off in the middle of the road and it won’t turn back on. I had a good run with Betty. The 1994 Camry has seen better days, but now I am stuck in this town until I figure something else out. I’m barely out of the car when two teenagers run toward me after getting out of the truck stopped behind me.
“You alright, miss?” One of them asks.
“Yeah, my car just broke down.”
“Alright. You steer and we’ll push you out of the road into the parking lot over there,” The driver says, pointing to the closet parking lot from here.
“Thank you so much,” I say.
“No problem. We wouldn’t want you to get hit out here.”
I nod and get back into the car, pop it into neutral and steer while they push me into a parking space. Putting it in park, I get out and thank them again. They just wave, jog over to their truck and drive away. I wonder if everyone in this town is as nice as those boys.
Turning around, I let out a little giggle when I see just where I’ve broken down. Sin & Lust Exotic Dancers. It would be just my luck to break down here. I notice the now hiring dancer sign immediately and think that I could totally do that. Squaring my shoulders, I walk toward the building and pull the door open. It’s way darker inside than it is outside, and I have to blink several times to get my eyes to adjust to the darkness. I walk over to a podium where a large man is sitting. Even in the near darkness, I can see he’s hot as hell and I can say with a certainty that I’ve noticed a man before. I’ve avoided them for all the wrong reasons, I’m sure. Well, I was sure of that. Until now.
“Hi. I’m inquiring about the dancer position. Can you point me in the right the direction?” I ask, after swallowing thickly. The giant of a man doesn’t say anything. He just stares at me with his mouth open a little bit. “Sir?”
He clears his throat and stands up. Instinctively, I take a step back from him. He doesn’t come any closer.
“Are you new around here?” he asks. His voice is thick and gravelly. It goes straight to my core, causing me to shiver.
“Ah, yes. Just now actually. I’m Celeste,” I say, extending my hand to him. I don’t know why I felt compelled to give him my real name, but I did. It’s out there now, and I don’t hate it. “Are you the manager?”
“No, Lil’ Bit, I’m not. I’m Xavier, but my friends call me Patriot.” Lil bit? Who does this guy think he is?
“Nice to meet you, Patriot.” I give him my best smile.
“It definitely is,” he replies but doesn’t say anything else.
“So… the manager?” I ask, trying to look around his big body, but it’s no use.
“No.”
“No?”
“You can’t be a dancer here.” His firm response takes me by surprise.
“Why not?” I ask, on the verge of tears. I need a job to be able to pay for the car repairs.
I start to panic. My breathing becomes labored and constricted.
And then nothing.
CHAPTER 3
PATRIOT
“Shit,” I growl as I catch her before she hits the floor. I carry her to the nearest couch, praying it’s not covered in some skivvy guys jizz. I lie her down and call for a glass of water, which Becca rushes over. I drop down to my knees in front of her and brush her hair away from her face. At my touch she jerks awake, her big blue staring up at me. Then she tries to scramble away from me. “Hold on, girl. Drink this,” I say handing her the glass of water Becca brought me.
“How do I know that you didn’t put something in it?” she asks.
“Smart girl,” I say, taking a huge gulp of the cold water. After that she sits up and drinks the water.
“Thank you. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Are you alright now?”
“Yes, but I need the dancer job. Can you please point me in the right direction.”
“Do you have any experience?” I ask, suddenly needing to know if she’s bared herself to others before.
“No.” Good, I think letting about a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding in.
“What do you have experience with?”
“I can waitress.”
“You’re hired,” I say, not even a hundred percent sure I have the authority to do that. I smooth it over with the boss though.
“I am?”
“To be clear, that job is for a fully clothed waitress. You got that?”
“Yes. Thank you so much,” she says, clearly grateful.
“You said you just arrived. Where are you staying?”
“Nowhere yet. I literally just got here.”
“I know the owner over at the Sunset Motel. She’ll fix you up,” I tell her. It’s probably way too soon to take her to my place and never let her leave. Probably.