I knocked on the door to my manager’s office.

“Yeah, come on in.”

Knox Jacobson sat behind his desk, looking as slimy as usual, balding with a bad comb-over. He hit on most of his waitresses, including me. I’d been able to keep him at arm’s length by spouting off some legal jargon that scared the hell out of him. My knowledge hadn’t seemed to help the other girls, though. I still heard stories of what went on in his office behind closed doors.

He looked up. “What is it, Heather?”

“I need to give you my two weeks’ notice, Knox. I’m going to be leaving the diner.”

“May I ask why?”

It was none of his damned business. “I just want to focus more on my writing career. That’s all.”

“Oh? Did you sell?”

Why the hell did everyone ask me that? And what business was it of his anyway? “As a matter of fact, yes, I did sell something.”

“Really? Congratulations. What studio bought one of your scripts?”

Shit. Why had I lied? “I’m not at liberty to say just yet. Contract terms are still being negotiated.” There. That sounded good.

“I see.” He stood and walked around to me, holding out his hand. “I certainly wish you the best of luck.”

As distasteful as it was, I took his sweaty hand. “I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me here, Knox.”

I turned to walk out of the office, when his hand came down on my ass.

I turned back, livid. “What the hell was that?”

“Just a little congratulatory pat. I didn’t mean anything by it, Heather.”

Such a swine! I walked backward to the door this time and left. Two weeks could not go by fast enough.

Susie, with Janet and Lindy in tow, came by at midnight when my shift was over.

“We’re on our way to a party at Zane Michaels’s house,” Lindy said. “And you’re coming with us.”

“I can’t, you guys. I’m dead on my feet.” No truer words. It had been an especially challenging shift. At least I had a pocket full of big tips to show for it.

“Oh, come on, girlfriend,” Lindy said. “Jan says you’re a great partier.”

I looked at Janet, and she smiled a teasing smile.

“The four of us could put on quite a show for Zane. And you know Jett will be there.” She winked.

Another reason I could not go to the party. I couldn’t see Jett again. I especially couldn’t see him showing interest in some other woman. After all, he’d had his fill of me. He’d staged a bomb threat just to be with me so he could get me out of his system.

I ought to be good and out of his system by now. After last night, nothing was left for us to do together.

“I really can’t,” I said again. “I’m exhausted, and I work the noon shift tomorrow.”

“So you didn’t give your notice?” Susie said.

“Oh, no. I did.”

“Then who gives a shit about the noon shift tomorrow? Show up late. Show up drunk. What does it matter?”

“It’s still my job, Suze. I still take it seriously.”

As much as I loved Susie, she had a lot of growing up to do. But as long as she got her jollies partying and fucking rock stars, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

“Sometimes you’re such a downer, Heather. We’ll be sure to tell Jett you said hi.” Susie turned.

“Now wait a minute, Suze,” Janet said. “I think you’re giving up too easily. And so are you, Heather. Let me tell you something. I’ve known Jett Draconis for a long time. Yeah, I’ve fucked him. Lindy has fucked him. Suze, you haven’t, but you haven’t been in this scene as long as we have. I’ve seen him with other women, with two, three, four at a time.”

Was this supposed to make me feel better?

She continued, “But what I saw last night? I’d never seen that before.”

“What do you mean?” Susie asked.

“Jett was possessive,” Janet said. “Possessive like I had never seen him. He damn near threw me off your pussy, girlfriend. And then he didn’t want anything to do with me.”

“So?” I said.

“I just told you. I’ve seen him with two and three and four women at a time. And he always gives equal attention to all of them.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

“I’m saying, Heather, that Jett is feeling something more for you. Something he has never felt for any woman that I’ve seen. Is it love? I have no idea. But it’s something. And if you’re feeling something more for him, you need to go to this party tonight.”

“You’re mistaken,” I said. “I know what Jett is about. He sets his sights on a woman and pursues her until he gets her into bed. Then he’s done. That’s all he did with me. He just had to work a little harder. By staging the bomb threat so he could ‘save’ me.”

“Girl, who told you that?” Lindy said.

“A friend of his. Alicia Hopkins.”

“That bitch?” Janet shook her head. “She’s lying to you. Jett would never stage a fake bomb threat at one of his concerts. That’s not who he is. He adores his fans, and he would never interrupt a concert they paid good money for just to get a woman into bed.”

My heart thundered. “You mean he jumped off the stage because he really thought he was saving me?” A lump formed in my throat and my skin grew warm.

“Of course he did,” Lindy said. “Jett may like to fuck a lot of women and engage in orgies, but one thing anyone who knows him will tell you is that at heart, he’s a good guy. A decent guy.”

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Could Jett really be feeling something more for me? I was head over heels in love with him. Obviously, he wasn’t there yet, but what if he could get there?

What if I could actually have a future with him?

I couldn’t hold back my smile any longer. “Ladies, let’s go to that party.”