Chapter 13

Colton

I stood around outside the theater’s back entrance, waiting for Addison to appear. My shifts at the restaurant had kept me busy, so I hadn’t had a chance to catch her performance, but that didn’t stop me from trying to find her afterwards.

But the last few nights had been a bust. Addison was nowhere to be found. I was frustrated, on the verge of angry, because she hadn’t sought me out after our night together. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about my change in luck, about the fact that I wasn’t stripping on the side any longer.

That night was colder than normal and I stood shivering, waiting to catch a glimpse of my dark-haired angel. Instead the stage door opened and out tumbled the two bitches who’d been plotting revenge against Addison.

“Oh look,” Katherine said, pointing in my direction. “It’s the stripper Addison’s in love with.”

I knew they were making a snide comment, but nonetheless the words sent a jolt through me. The thought of Addison actually being in love with me made my chest start to ache in the weirdest way.

“What are you doing here?” asked Lacie. “Ready to finally swing your dick in our direction?”

I shook my head. “I’m waiting for Addison.”

Katherine laughed. “That’s going to be a long wait.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

Lacie looked at Katherine with disbelief in her eyes. “Oh my God, he doesn’t know.”

“Know what?”

Katherine’s grin was feral. “Addison’s been fired. You’re looking at the new Sugar Plum Fairy,” she said, gesturing to the shorter girl at her side.

Lacie did a little pirouette, then laughed. “So what do you say, stripper man? How about you dump that loser and come have fun with us.”

“Still not interested,” I said, turning to walk away. I couldn’t believe the news. Addison had lost her part. She must be devastated. I knew that I had to find her, to bring her some kind of comfort. Her job had been her whole life and now it was gone.

The problem was, I didn’t have her phone number. I knew the street she lived on, but I wasn’t sure which of the two dozen identical brownstones was her building. The cab had always left before she’d approached one. I wracked my brain as I caught the F train home, trying to think of a way to find her short of trying every building on the street.

I remembered then that her friend had mentioned designing the costumes for the upcoming Christmas parade. That at least gave me a lead to go on. I started doing research on my phone on the train ride home, then continued when I reached my apartment.

Finally, I found a picture of the woman who’d been at the bistro with Addison that day. Her name was Kayla McConnell, and she was indeed a costume designer. I found the number to her business and called it, expecting to leave a message.

Instead she answered on the third ring. “Kayla McConnell.”

“Hi,” I said, putting on a bright tone. “You might not remember me, but I’m Colton. A friend of Addison’s?”

She laughed. “I don’t know how you think I could have forgotten you. Hey Colton, how’s tricks?”

I smiled. Kayla had good energy. “Tricks are a little complicated at the moment. You see, I’ve been trying to reach Addison and haven’t had any luck. I was hoping you’d give me her address so I can go and see her.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end as Kayla debated. I couldn’t blame her. I’m not sure I’d give a guy my best friend’s address. I crossed my fingers and held my breath, waiting for her reply.

“You know,” she said after the pause, “I really shouldn’t do this, but for some reason I trust you. I think you’re just what Addison needs. So I’ll give you the address.”

I pumped my fist in the air, then scrambled for a pen and paper. I wrote down the address, happy to see that her place wasn’t too terribly far from my own.

“Now go cheer the girl up,” Kayla said. “She’s had an absolutely awful week.”

“I heard,” I replied. “You can count on me.”

“I hope so. Good luck.” I was just about to disconnect the call when I heard her voice again. “Oh, and Colton, you better treat her right because I only give people one chance. Hurt my friend, and I’ll kick you in the balls so hard, you’ll need two banana hammocks to hold them afterwards.

I would have laughed at the image if it weren’t so threatening. But there was nothing to worry about. Hurting Addison was the last thing I wanted to do.

It was getting late, but I couldn’t keep myself from seeing her. I jogged back to the station and grabbed the next train.

Before long, I was heading up the steps to her brownstone. I rang the bell for her door and the intercom crackled to life. “Yes?”

Just hearing her voice after the past few days had my pulse rate speeding up. “Addison, it’s Colton. Can I come up?”

There was a long pause, and I thought maybe she’d decided to walk away from the intercom. Finally, after an eternity, the door lock buzzed. I pulled it open and walked inside to the lobby. There was an elevator there, but I was used to stairs so I took them two at a time until I reached her door.

I knocked, and soon she answered. Addison was as beautiful as ever, her dark hair like a cloud around her shoulders, her feline eyes glittering. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you,” I said. “Can I come in?”

She stared at me, hard, and a wave of doubt came over me. Would she tell me no? Reject me here, and leave me out in the cold?

At long last she stepped aside, allowing me entry. I headed down the hallway and into the living room. Everything was neat and tidy. Modern furniture, minimalist décor. It was almost like an apartment out of a movie. Like she barely lived here at all.

“What are you doing here?” she asked me again.

“I heard about the Nutcracker. About you losing the part.”

Addison frowned, then took a seat on the sofa. “Is that so?”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. Your boss is an idiot, giving that part to someone else.”
“I won’t argue with that,” Addison said, “although I’d be apt to call him several more names, harsher ones.”

I gave her a half-smile, sitting down beside her. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“What’s there to tell?” she said with a defeated shrug. I didn’t like how hopeless she looked. “Drew fired me. I caught Lacie giving him a blowjob in my dressing room and he basically said that if I didn’t whore myself out to him like she did, I was out of a job.”

My mouth fell open. “That dirty sonofabitch,” I growled, my hands balling into fists unconsciously as I fantasized about kicking his crooked teeth in.

“If I would have just followed his rules from the start, maybe he wouldn’t have decided to take things farther, maybe he wouldn’t—”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” I said, grabbing her hands. “That asshole fired you because he wanted to fuck you from the beginning and you never let him. He’s more worried about getting his dick sucked than about having the best performer in his show, and that means you’re better off without him.”

“Better off without him?” she cried, and I could see unshed tears start to fill her eyes. “No other company will have me, now that he’s poisoned the well. I got fired the week before Christmas, and rent’s due at the end of the month. I won’t get the bonus I was counting on for completing the show. I’m broke. I’m unemployed. How in the fuck does that constitute being better off?”

“You still have your integrity,” I said, pulling her close and resting her head on my shoulder. “You’re better than that guy. Fuck him. You’ll find something else soon, I promise you.”

I held her, waiting until I could feel her breathing start to slow and some of the tension leave her body. Then I pulled back, putting a finger under her chin and lifting her gaze to mine. “Addison, you’re the most talented woman I’ve ever seen. I know you’re going through a rough patch right now, but trust me, things will change soon and you’ll soar higher than you already have.”

Her face broke into a watery smile and I wiped a tear from her eye. She looked at me in a way that had my heart pounding hard in my chest. Slowly, she inched her way forward, and after what felt like forever, she pressed her lips against mine.