All right, sugar pop. We are going to start you off working the front door. At least until you turn twenty-one. No jail bait working the floor under my watch. I don’t care who you are related to. Rules are rules, and you can’t waitress until you’re old enough to drink booze. I’m not going to risk Spiked Roses being shut down because of you,” Tennessee Charles said as he handed me a red lace dress. “You’ll wear red as your uniform. I usually put the blondes with pale skin in black, but I’m going to have to make an exception with you. I don’t think your uncle would be too thrilled with me dressing you in a black leather leotard and chained collar. We’ll save the kinky side of the club for another day.”

I was prepared to do anything Tennessee wanted me to do. This was my first job ever, and I knew I had a lot to prove. I also knew the only reason I got hired was because of my Uncle Alec vouching for me. Especially since I was only twenty years old and had absolutely no experience. But I was determined to show Tennessee and all the managing members that I was an asset to Spiked Roses regardless of my age and inexperience in just about everything.

I took the folded dress from Tennessee’s outstretched arms. “Thank you. I understand why I can’t work the floor, and I don’t mind at all. I’m just happy to have a job.”

Tennessee tilted his head and crossed his arms against his chest as he studied me. “It’s none of my business, but I’m a catty bitch who loves to gossip. So dish it, girlfriend. What’s your story? I was told that your daddy used to be Alec’s business partner. Which means you come from money. A shitload of money. So why are you working here? Did Daddy cut off the sugar?”

“No,” I answered softly. “I could still have the sugar if I want. But it was time for me to get out from under his thumb and start my own life, you know?”

God, if Tennessee only knew just how much I truly needed to get away from my father’s suffocating control. Or just how badly I needed to breathe freely for the first time.

“And your daddy was okay with you working at Spiked Roses? Does he even know what this club is and what goes on here? The Tastings?” Tennessee shook his head and walked over to a shelf of black high heels. “I can’t imagine any daddy being okay with his baby girl signing a contract to engage in sexual acts with anyone.” Tennessee held up two pairs of shoes and said, “It looks like you are a size seven or eight. Which one?”

“Eight,” I answered. “And no, my father forbid The Tasting Room. That was one of his rules, and one of the rules I’m sure Uncle Alec will make sure I follow.” When Tennessee walked over and handed me the shoes, I added, “But even though I can’t do The Tastings, I promise you I won’t expect any special treatment. I plan to work harder than everyone else. And if you need me to cover shifts during The Tastings or anything, I will be completely free to do whatever you ask.”

“You don’t have to do a Tasting to work here. So don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours. That’s just where all the money is. The girls who work The Tastings make bank. Major bank. Hell, I would work them if I could.”

I hated the fact that my father placed limitations on me working here, but I was so desperate to have his blessing to move out and move to New Orleans, that I would have promised my soul to the Devil to make that happen. I didn’t want to stand out from the other women who worked the club, but I also knew that word most likely would spread fast that one of the managing members was my Uncle Alec. And as for The Tastings, I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to act in those. I had the same sexual experience as the Virgin Mary. Me going into a room that revolved around taboo, fetishes, and kinks would have been comical. I would have been laughed right out of there. I couldn’t fake my way through that. Even I knew I had limitations.

I looked toward the bathroom door, and then I looked at the dress in my hands. Tennessee must have read my thoughts.

“Go on in there and change. But trust me, missy, there ain’t nothing of yours I haven’t seen, nor do I want any part of. Titties and coochies just aren’t my thing.” He motioned for me to head over to the bathroom across the room. “Hurry up. I need to get your training started. I don’t have all night.”

Walking over to the bathroom as quickly as I could, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I couldn’t tell if Tennessee liked me or not. Living in my small little bubble in my father’s mansion made it hard for me to read people. I didn’t have social skills. I knew this. And it sucked that my anxiety was at an all-time high because I had no idea if I was starting off on the wrong or right foot with my direct supervisor.

Shutting the door behind me, I removed my clothing and got dressed in my new uniform as fast as I could. The dress—if you could call it that since it was mostly see-through red lace—was harder to put on than I’d expected. The back had a tiny zipper that got snagged on the fabric. No matter how much I tugged, I couldn’t pull it up all the way. Remembering Tennessee’s words about me not having anything he hadn’t seen, I decided that it was better to walk out to the staff room and have him assist me with the zipper rather than keeping him waiting while I fumbled around unsuccessfully.

“Tennessee?” I called as I walked out barefoot in a dress that barely covered my ass. “I can’t get this zipper up. Do you mind helping me?”

“Yeah that happens sometimes,” he said as he met me halfway. “Lower the top half so I have some slack to work with,” he directed as he walked up behind me.

I did as he asked and lowered the dress to my waist, exposing my upper half completely. There was no one in the room, and even if there were, I knew that working here would require for me to get over my bashfulness. It wasn’t like the red dress covered all that much of me to begin with. I knew for a fact that Daddy had never stepped foot into Spiked Roses. He knew all about the place, but had he actually seen what my uniform would consist of, he would have had second thoughts about allowing me to work here—Uncle Alec watching over me or not.

“These damn threads get tangled in the zipper and—”

The door of the staff room opening interrupted Tennessee. We both turned our heads to see who entered, and I gasped when I saw my uncle walk in. I instantly tried to cover my breasts with my arms, but it was too late. He had seen. I saw where his eyes were focused, and it wasn’t on my face.

“Uncle Alec…” I said with an awkward smile.

Regardless of the fact that I hid my breasts behind nothing but my arms, I was happy to see him and wanted to run and give him a big hug. It had been years since I had seen him last, but he still was the man I remembered. His brown hair now was speckled with gray along his temples, and his rich brown eyes had lines of laughter around them, but he was still the Uncle Alec of my childhood. The years had been good to him.

I also didn’t want to move because Tennessee was still tugging on the zipper, and I didn’t want to wreck any progress he had made.

Uncle Alec cleared his throat and diverted his eyes and stared off at nothing. “I need to speak with you.”

“Me?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes. Can you get dressed please?”

“Hold on,” Tennessee said, who still worked at freeing the zipper. “Just a second and this dress will be fixed.”

“Actually, I want you to get back into regular clothes,” Alec said as he once again glanced at my chest.

“But my shift just started,” I said. “Tennessee was just about to start training me on how to be a hostess.”

“I’m not asking,” he retorted with enough bite that it felt as if he had slapped me across the face. “Now.”

Talk about a warm welcome.