There’s a slight breeze in the air but the way the morning sun falls on my skin makes it worth it. I lay back against my seat, taking in the New York atmosphere as people around me engage in idle conversation. To my left, a couple is talking quietly, sipping lattes and nibbling at bagels while exchanging quiet looks of shy complicity.

I always liked the 230 Fifth bar because of this. There’s an inviting atmosphere, and it almost seems like you’re sitting inside a magic bubble while the true grit of New York stays outside. Not to mention the view—the bar sits on the 29th floor, right on the rooftop, and it stands right in front of the Empire State Building. That's why I chose this bar as the place for my ‘date’ with Austin…no, sorry, I meant to say Mr. Python himself. I could've settled for neutral ground, but why do something like that when I can have the home advantage?

If I’m being honest with you, I never thought that my visit to Python would end up with me going out on a date with the owner. And, of course, I never thought that the owner would be someone like Austin…

I half-expected a man in his fifties with the look of an accountant, maybe some man boobs on his chest and some dollar signs flashing in his eyes, but that’s not what I found.

Oh, no, I found something else entirely.

Austin looks good, and that’s just the most simple way of putting it. Even with his clothes on, he outshined the male dancers that were putting on a show on the stage. And they were pretty hot. I mean, you saw them, right?

Why am I even asking. Of course you saw them. Or at least saw what they were doing. You’re probably more interested in those male dancers than lil’ ol’ me.

Why don’t you Google the word ‘python’ and ‘Queens Long Island City’ and see if a place like that really exists?

What was I even talking about?

Oh right. Austin fucking Price. The hottest man I’ve ever met in my life. I mean, the way his white shirt clung to his body, hugging his biceps and hinting at a hard built chest… my panties were getting wet last night and they sure as hell are getting wet just sitting here thinking about him.

I mean, I’m sure I was dripping last night.

It’s not a wonder that he didn’t just sniff and smell my juices.

After I got home, I took out the vibe and really went to town. And that orgasm that I had…that Austin inspired…fuck. I think I must've just passed out.

But, really, what fascinated me more than the way he looked, was the way he moved and spoke.

I mean, it’s hard to explain, but I’m good at reading people. After working for so long in the sex industry you learn to do it pretty easily; if you don’t, you might find yourself in pretty fucked up situations. Didn’t read that casting director right? Well then, all of a sudden you might find a fist up your pussy and you’re the one paying money.

So yeah, I had to learn how to read people.

And the moment my eyes found Austin’s, and when I heard his voice… I knew he was different than other men.

Okay. Fine. You want me to say it, don’t you?

You want me to quit beating around the bush, that’s fair.

Although…if anyone is going to beat around my bush, I want it to be Mr. Python himself.

But yeah, you win. I’ll say it.

Alright, here goes: the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew I had to fuck him. More than that, I knew he had to fuck me.

So here I am now, waiting around for someone I barely know and I'm already imagining him with no clothes on.

Oh, don’t worry, I’m not ashamed of that: I’ve learned long ago that, as a woman, I have to stand on my own two feet. I am what I am, and I want what I want. And I will never, ever, apologize for it. Sure, some people don’t like it when they come across a strong willed woman like me, but what am I going to do? Fuck them. I stopped caring what people thought about me a long time ago.

Remember those two words, ladies?

Fuck off.

Women don’t think it’s proper and don’t like that I’m thinking about sex more than a guy? Well guess what? They can fuck off.

Not some damsel in distress and that gets men angry? Well they can fuck off.

Don’t need a man to rescue me and that makes people insecure? Well they can fuck off.

I love sex. And if you’ve got a problem with my mouth right now, hun, then you haven’t seen what I’m about to put in it because I guarantee you that python belonging to Austin Price is going to be slithering its way down my throat pretty soon.

Something snaps me out of my reverie, and I realize it’s my cellphone vibrating inside of my purse. I reach for it, expecting to see Austin’s name flashing on the screen, but instead it reads Commissioner Vicks. I unlock the phone and put it up against my ear.

“Isn’t it a bit early for you to be calling me?” I ask him, annoyed that it isn’t Austin on the other side of the line. Still, it’s a good sign; if he was the one calling me, it would probably be to call off brunch.

Jesus, why am I this worried about Austin bailing on me? It’s not like I know him, or care for him. Get a grip, girl; if Lester has an interest in Austin, it can only mean that Mr. Python himself must have some dirt on him as well.

“It’s never too early for me to hear your voice, babe,” Lester says with that gruff voice of his. It always gives me the creeps when he treats me like I’m his woman, but what am I going to do? He’s the Commissioner, and when you operate a strip club you need some important people as your friends. You don’t want to be making the wrong people your enemies.

Yeah, sure, I don’t mind having him around when I have an itch to scratch courtesy of Eddie Cleveland, but that doesn’t mean I feel anything for that goddamn loser.

Far from it.

Still, Commissioner Vicks is a lovebird, ladies, and he has fallen hard for me.

“I know you’re not calling me to read poetry, so out with it,” I tell him, growing impatient.

Austin is going to be here any time now, and I don’t want to be on the phone with Lester when that happens. After all, I wasn’t at Python as a customer, but as someone… on a mission?

Well, I wouldn’t be that serious about it, but the fact remains that Austin doesn’t really know the real reason behind me being at Python.

“Well, how did it go at Python?” Lester asks, and I can sense his eagerness in the way he speaks. God, I can almost imagine him bending over his desk, his fingers curled tight around his phone as he smacks his lips, anxiously waiting for my words.

“They have some amazing dancers, let me tell you, Lester,” I tell him with a smile, leaning back against my seat and crossing my legs. “And the bartender knows his stuff. You should try it out. Lots of women there and --”

“Cut it out, Destiny, this is serious,” he cuts me short, and I picture him smacking his lips together and balling his free hand into a fist. “I want to know if you saw something out of the usual. Someone out of the usual, I mean.”

“Someone out of the usual? Well, you’re going to have to be more specific than that. I think that ripped man dancing in his underwear for a crowd of manic women classifies as unusual, so I’m going to need more than that.”

“Look, did you see a woman with blue hair?” he asks, and I feel that we’re getting closer to what this is really all about.

“Blue hair?”

“Yeah, she’s a young woman. Somewhere around your age, slender and beautiful, and she dyes her hair in a bright blue color. She’s hard to miss. Did you see anyone like that?” I think back to my night at Python, but I don’t remember anyone like the person he's describing. Still, between the dark corners, the private booths, and the bright stage, I think that I could've missed that girl pretty easily.

“I don’t think I saw anyone like that there,” I tell him, still frowning as I try to remember the details from last night. “I mean, I could've easily missed her, the place was packed. What’s all this about, Lester? Who is she?”

There’s a few seconds of silence on the other side of the line, and I can’t tell if he’s lost in thought or if he’s looking for the right words. “She’s the girl I’m looking for,” he says curtly, and something in the way he says it makes my skin prickle.

“Why is she this important; she’s just a run-of-the-mill criminal, right?” I ask him and pause, hearing him catch his breath on the other line. “Why do you care this much about some girl sneaking around in a ladies’ club?”

“She’s important, that’s all you need to know, babe,” he answers huskily.

There’s something about the way he called me babe just now that makes my skin crawl.

Somehow, I don’t think he’s telling me the whole story.

The police commissioner doesn’t go around investigating common criminals, so what exactly has Lester pulled me into? I have enough trouble as it is running my club, I don’t need more bullshit to worry about. If he didn’t have the power to shut my club down with a snap of his fingers, I’d tell him to fuck off right now.

“Lester, I don’t like this. I have a business to run and—shit!” Austin strolls inside the bar with that confident grin of his, walking toward me as if he owns the place. He’s wearing dress pants and a crisp white shirt, his smart eyes finding mine as my heart starts to race. “Listen, I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Destiny, don’t you --” I hear him say, but by the time his words reach me I’m already pressing my thumb over the screen, ending the call.

“You’re early,” Austin says as he sits across me. God, he looks even more handsome during the day than he looks under Python’s lights.

“I always like to arrive fashionably late, but I made an exception for you today,” I tell him with a smile, tucking my phone inside my purse as all thoughts of Lester and his schemes vanish from my mind. “Of course, that means you’re paying.”

“Sure. But I always like to get my money’s worth,” he shoots back, that devilish grin making my heart beat faster.

Python, huh?

Game, set, and match. It’s time to dance.

Oh, this is going to be fun.