“I’m going to change my clothes before I eat,” Kallie told Angie. The other waitress shot her an annoyed look and didn’t respond. Kallie shrugged and carried her backpack into the ladies’ room. She locked the door, and stripped down to her underwear. As she bent over to unzip her backpack for her uniform, her cellphone began ringing. She didn’t recognize the number, so she ignored it.

Then immediately a text came through.

PICK UP THE PHONE. SASHA.

It immediately began ringing again.

Whoops. “Hello?” she answered, her voice quivering.

“Call your landlord and tell him you’re at your place now.”

How’d he know where she lived? Sal. She sighed. She could just imagine what he thought of her while looking inside her meager apartment. She sighed again and turned herself in the full-length mirror.

“Kallie, did you hear me?”

She was staring at her practically naked body with his voice in her ear. Wicked thoughts raced through her mind. His dark blue eyes raking her bare body...his huge hands grabbing her up, fondling her, then spreading her thighs and lowering himself to—

A chuckle echoed over the line, sending a shiver down her back. Imagine if he could see her now, standing almost naked, hand on her breast because she was talking to him? Bloomin’ stroking herself because of his voice? “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice rising slightly.

Kallie blinked her eyes and nearly jumped at his voice. “Yeah. Nothing. Sure,” she replied in a daze, then blinked and shook her head slightly, realizing she sounded like an idiot. “Right away. Thanks, Sasha.” She hung up and dialed her landlord and got his voicemail again. She left the message and waited.

Sure enough, he called right back.

She’d been right: he was screening his calls. “Hey, I’m at my place, if you want to meet me. I took your advice. We can go over the robbery if you’re available. Just you and me.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right there. No cops, right?”

She wasn’t sure if it was safe for Sasha to be there. A thought whipped through her head. What if the landlord had something to do with the robbery? It could make sense: he just robbed her and left her unharmed. Maybe he had other plans. Maybe... “No cops,” she said, realizing she was taking too long to respond.

“Good. Be there shortly.”

She hung up and quickly called Sasha to warn him. “Hey Sasha,” she said as soon as he picked up. “I just spoke to my landlord. He says he’s on his way over. I’m thinking he might’ve been the one who took my apron. He’s pretty concerned that I don’t involve the cops.”

Sasha’s laugh was like a soft rumble. “Ya think?” he asked. “Shhh, I have to go. No more calling. I’ll be back shortly.”

Was this going to happen every time the man spoke to her? Kallie pressed her eyes closed, relishing the effect the simple conversation had on her. The way he teased her and conversed with her, it was just so natural and somehow soothing. It’d been so long since she was reminded she was a woman. Even under the circumstances, being so stirred was a welcome diversion.

She ended the call, then stepped into her uniform and zipped it up at far as she could. She had no problem with it the day before, but now she couldn’t seem to manage. Another swing of bad luck on the pendulum called my life. She was going to have to ask Angie to zip up the last inches.

She dabbed some color on her eyes, played a bit with the rest of her makeup and did her lips, then went back out to the bar to eat her meal. The bar itself was empty except for Angie and her. It made her feel a little uneasy. This place had seemed deceptively safe when she got hired, but yesterday taught her differently. There were guys in the kitchen, but Kallie would feel better if Sasha and Sal were back.

“Hey, Angie?” she asked softly, paranoid to be too loud. “Do you mind...”

She let the sentence trail off as Sasha entered the bar, clutching the ties of her apron like it was a hunting trophy.

“You found it!” she exclaimed.

He handed it to her with a cheeky smile on his face. “As luck would have it.”

Kallie reached into the pockets and counted the money, then shook her head.

“Problem?” he asked with an arch of his brow.

“There’s more money in here than what I earned. In fact, there’s five times the amount,” she scoffed.

“Are you complaining?”

“Well, how did that happen?”

Sasha placed his hand warmly on her back and then stopped her from moving around.

Kallie became fully alert. What was this man’s game? Why did he touch her so much? If he weren’t attracted to her, then maybe it was just the way he interacted with people.

Then his fingers tugged her zipper all the way up. Their eyes met, and he guided her back to the bar and grabbed her a plate of dinner from the kitchen. The shift meal was chicken breast, brown rice, and a vegetable. “Eat,” Sasha teased. “You’ll fill out that cocktail dress better.”

Kallie’s mouth opened as she gawked. Did he feel she needed to put on some weight? Maybe, as she’d lost some since her life took a dive down a few floors.

He gently closed it with the firm touch of his finger. “Your landlord was very surprised to meet us there,” he began.

Sal laughed as he took his place behind the bar. “But it was a good thing we were because he suddenly recalled, after we described your apron and the money you lost, having seen the apron in the apartment of one of the other tenants. He had it in the rental office.”

Kallie was glad to have the cash, but she was worried. She couldn’t go back to her apartment now, not without sleeping with one eye open. The landlord was going to be pissed.

“What’s the matter?” Sasha asked her.

“I appreciate what you guys did for me, I really do,” she began.

“But?” he pressed.

“I don’t feel like it’s a safe place to live now.”

His eyebrows shot upward with amusement. “News flash,” he said. “It wasn’t a safe place to live when you moved in. What’s the story?”

Kallie squirmed on the bar stool. She knew what he was asking and she didn’t feel like talking. Not now. Not in front of Sal or Angie or anyone. She lifted a forkful of chicken to take a bite.

He stopped her. “What’s the story?” he asked again, no hint of amusement in his eyes this time.

“What’s what story?” she repeated, suddenly nervous.

“Here comes the cliché: What’s a girl like you doing in a joint like this? In a joint like that apartment?” he demanded.

“I’m just working and making a living,” she evaded.

He crouched in closer to her. “Want to try that again?”

She sighed. “What’s the big deal?”

“You got a closet filled with Michael Kors and other designer names.” He leaned in closer, his breath warm on her face. “One pair of your shoes is worth half your rent.”

“You looked through my stuff?”

He put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Just having a look around to see if anything didn’t point to your landlord being the thief.”

“Now who isn’t being straight?” she muttered.

“So, you admit you aren’t being straight,” he concluded with a tilt of his head.

“It’s my private life,” she countered boldly. “You had no business looking in my closet.”

“Those dresses were more than expensive,” he paused, giving her an impatient look. “They were skeletons...if I didn’t know better. But I do.”

Kallie didn’t want to think about it. How would she answer his question? That she came to work at the bar and to live in the worst part of town to hide? Then he’d demand from what. Then she would tell him the story and he would see she was more stupid than he’d already thought. Being taken in by a man, letting him take over her business, then having the shame of being seen as either a rube or a woman who ran a call service.

“Did you get divorced?” he asked suddenly? “Or are you running from your husband?”

Something in the tone of his voice gave her warning, like he was doing a specific kind of fishing. Now it wasn’t just curiosity about what a woman with high-end clothes was doing in a rat trap like this. He wanted to know if she had a guy somewhere.

“No, I didn’t get divorced,” Kallie replied, tearing up from the pain of even thinking about the past. “I’ve never been married.” She pressed her lips tight to stop them from trembling. He had no right to ask!

Sasha gently patted her hand. “I’ll let up for now,” he said quietly, and then cleared his throat. “You finish your meal.” He took out his wallet and laid down two one-hundred-dollar bills. “No more going without groceries.”

She looked up in surprise as he turned away and started walking to the kitchen. He paused by the door and glanced back at her. “And by the way, you’re moving.”