I’d never had any real interest in the fantasy part of Club X, but now that I stood right in the middle of it all, I couldn’t help but be curious. A few of the girls had talked about wanting to take advantage of this area of the club, but even making the money I did at private parties and here on the fourth floor I couldn’t afford a membership to my workplace or what I imagined a fantasy room cost.
During lulls, my mind traveled back to my first conversation with Stefan that day I’d interviewed for the bartender job and his offer of a membership. Maybe I could take advantage of Kane’s part of the club, but what fantasy would I want to live out?
By the end of the night, I’d set myself to figuring out what my fantasy was and I’d convinced myself I deserved the title of Most Boring Woman On Earth. Over and over, I’d wracked my brain to think of what I could ask for in a fantasy room, and each time I came up with something, it was either incredibly mundane or ridiculous. I doubted Kane and his people could help me secure a position at a good university. Obviously, whatever I thought I was, first I was an academic—a boring academic. God, I was the queen of dull!
Then my mind would swing to an idea so wild that my cheeks would flush with heat. Kane’s offer for me to come see him replayed in my mind, weaving itself into my thoughts on possible fantasies. Did he ever partake of the good times in his part of the club, I wondered. What would he be like alone with me in a room devoted to sexual pleasure? I’d heard rumors from some of the other bartenders that unlike Cassian and Stefan, he had a dark side. I didn’t see it, though. I could imagine him being super Alpha and possessive, maybe even domineering, but he worked too hard to be restrained for me to believe when it came down to it he was a sexual freak.
But then again, maybe that’s why he was so restrained all the time.
“You look a million miles away. Everything okay up here?”
I turned from the spot on the bar that I’d been cleaning as I considered what to do in a fantasy room and there stood Stefan right in front of me. Flustered that he’d caught me daydreaming, I hurriedly threw the rag aside and pressed a smile onto my lips.
“Just lost in doing my job, I guess. What’s up? Why are you up here?”
“I wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay. Members sometimes get a little wild up in this part of the club. Everything good?”
“Oh yeah. Making lots in tips from happy people either dying to get into their rooms or even happier people coming out after their time is up.”
“I meant to come up earlier but things got pretty busy downstairs. Lola said she loved the money up here but prefers the front bar down there.”
The mention of Lola’s name made me bristle with anger, and I shrugged in the hopes that my lack of interest would make him change the subject. “I bet. You’re not up here, so of course she wouldn’t like this bar more. I like it just as well as the front bar, but then again, I don’t need to have the approval of my boss with every damn drink I pour.”
Okay, that came out a little bitchier than I’d intended. I saw by the look on Stefan’s face that my rudeness had surprised him too. He settled his dark gaze on me and in a nicer tone than I think he’d ever used on me, he asked, “Something wrong? Did Lola do something?”
I shook my head and waved him off. “No, it’s nothing. Thanks for asking, but I’m good. I’m just going to get things cleaned up here and head home.”
He nodded and then took a deep breath in, releasing it slowly. I thought for a moment he would reprimand me for not getting along with yet another person I worked with, but instead he leaned over the bar until his face was no more than a few inches away from mine and looked up at me with those deep brown eyes that at that moment nearly made me melt.
“I thought maybe we should talk about the other night.”
“I think firing me because I wouldn’t have sex with you in your office is grounds for a lawsuit, Stefan,” I said half-joking. I knew what night he was referring to.
“Not that night, Shay.”
I looked away, unable to handle that doe-eyed puppy dog look he was using on me. Jesus, he could be sweet when he wanted to be. “I know. I was kidding. Sort of.”
“Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll come back up so we can talk.”
I didn’t want to talk about that night or anything else with Stefan. Something about Lola turning on me made me feel vulnerable. I nodded to let him know I’d stay, but as soon as he walked away, I hurried to finish up my work and get the hell out of there.
Being alone with him to talk about when we had sex wasn’t a good thing when I was so weak.
ONLY LOLA still remained downstairs by the time I got back, and there was no way I wanted to spend any more time talking to her when I had Shay waiting for me on the fourth floor. Before I could slip into my office unseen, though, she followed me in, closing the door behind her.
“What’s up, Lo? I’m in a little bit of a hurry, so if it’s not serious, can we leave this for tomorrow?”
She stared up at me with big blue eyes full of disappointment. “I wanted to know if…maybe if you weren’t busy tonight, we could get together?”
“I can’t tonight. Sorry. I’ve got something to take care of upstairs.”
I knew she remembered Shay had worked the fourth floor bar, and her look hardened as the thought that I was going up to see her settled into her mind. “What? The club’s closed.”
“Kane. He’s got a mess up there he needs my help with.”
“Oh. Would you like my help?” she asked softly but there was a hint of suspicion in her voice. She didn’t believe me.
I walked toward her to escort her out of my office. Opening the door, I shook my head. “No, it’s nothing I’d want you involved in. We got it.”
With my hand on her lower back, I guided her out into the club as she asked if I’d walk her out to her car like I always did. Jesus, this woman was a worse cockblock than Kane.
Just as I was about to tell her I couldn’t, we ran into my half-brother standing there watching as I gave Lola the bum’s rush. Quickly, I devised a plan to push her off on him. “I can’t, but Kane can, right?”
Kane looked at me like I’d just committed some heinous crime, and Lola shook her head, confused. “But I thought you had to help him upstairs with some problem?”
“I do, but while I’m upstairs taking care of things, he can walk you out and then come up to help me.” Turning to look at Kane, I hoped he’d be cool about things like a brother should be. “Sound good?”