chapter 40
Scarlett
I HAVEN’T SAID ANYTHING TO Jaxon, but the conversation I had with Demon still plays in my mind. I know it’s not fair, especially since I haven’t brought it up with him, but the whole “his wanting to save me because of what happened to his sister” thing makes me wonder what would have happened if I didn’t tell him about Darren. Would he have walked away from me, from my case? I don’t know. I don’t even know why I’m letting it get to me, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, it’s always on the back of my mind. On an upside, my boss said I can have time off to go away with Jaxon, so I won’t have any issues with work. For one month it’ll just be us, traveling Europe and exploring together. I’m browsing through a travel book when Gwen walks into the library, and my mood instantly brightens. Her black skirt swirls around her legs with each step.
“I did something bad,” she blurts out, before I can even say hello. She glances around to make sure no one else can hear her. “At least I’m about to. Tonight. And I need to talk about it, or I’m going to explode.”
“If you haven’t done the bad thing yet, can’t you just . . . not do it?” I ask her, brow furrowing.
“You’d think so,” she murmurs, shifting on her feet. “But you see. I need some extra money this week, so I kind of maybe told my boss I’d get on the pole tonight.”
My eyes widen. “Gwen, cancel it. If you need money, I’ll give it to you. You don’t even have to worry about it.”
“No,” she says, waving her hand in the air. “I don’t want you or anyone else to give me anything. I’m a strong, independent woman, and I can make it on my own.” She pauses. “Even if it means flashing a little titty to get by.”
“Gwen—”
“No.”
“But—”
“No. Money is not what I need from you, Scarlett,” she says, taking a deep breath and threading her fingers together in front of her.
“What do you need from me then? Tell me, and it’s yours,” I tell her.
“I want you to be there while I dance,” she says, looking nervous already. “And throw money on the stage if no one else does.” She tilts her head to the side, thinking. “Oh, and do you happen to know how to dance on a pole?”
I open my mouth, and then close it again. “Let me get this straight. You needed extra money, so you agreed to strip onstage tonight, except you don’t know how to dance on a pole? And you want me to come and throw money at you just in case no one else does so you’re not embarrassed?”
She sighs, and nods once. “Yeah, I think that sums it up.”
“Okay, I’ve got this. But for the record, I have no problem giving you the money, Gwen. You don’t have to do this,” I tell her. I don’t want her to feel like she’s a charity case or something, because she’s not, but I have money in the bank and there’s no reason for her to strip.
Apparently she’s stubborn though, because all she says is, “I appreciate that. But I’m doing this. Can I count on you to be there?”
I nod. “Of course, Gwen. As for the pole-dancing moves, I don’t know any, but we could watch some videos online and see what we can come up with?” I point to one of the computers. “Start researching. We can hide in the back and see what you can pull off.”
“I love you,” she says, throwing her arms around me.
“I love you too.” I laugh, watching as she all but runs to the computer.
I send Jaxon a quick message.
We’re going to Toxic tonight. Will explain later.
I think about it, and then send the same message to Demon, Yvonne, Kat, and Tristan. The more the merrier, right? We can all cheer Gwen on and make her feel like the best and hottest stripper in the world.
I don’t know how you’re going to explain that, but okay, is his reply.
I smirk.
He didn’t even object. Then again, I don’t think many men would object to going to strip club. He’s probably celebrating at the news.
Kat replies with an Okay. What time?
And Yvonne replies with an Sure, why not.
I love my friends.
When I get Demon’s message, I can’t help but laugh out loud.
I was going to go there anyway. I’ll save us a VIP booth. You’re so much more fun than Jaxon. I like a woman who can appreciate some good boobs.
He’s such an idiot.
I head over to see how Gwen’s getting on, giggling at the video she’s watching of some girl doing fancy pole moves, twerking, and even doing the splits.
“Can you do the splits?” I ask her, wondering how flexible she is.
“Most definitely not,” she replies in a dry tone.
“I think we need to lower our standards a little,” I say, clicking on a beginner video. We watch her dance for a few minutes. “See, even if you can’t actually climb up the pole or anything, you can just use it as a prop to dance and grind against. Can you do any of those moves?”
“Yeah, those I can do,” she states, tapping her fingers on the desk. “I just can’t lift myself up on the pole or anything, I have no upper-body strength.”
I point to the screen. “Then this is definitely your goal.”
There’s a lot of bending over and ass shaking in it, and I don’t know how she’s going to do all of that in front of an audience. She won’t let me give her any money, but maybe I can make it so tonight she makes enough money that she won’t have to do this again, at least for some time. If I have anything to say about it, she’s going to make thousands tonight. I try once more for her to let me help her without my having to make up a scheme, but she declines.
Crap.
She’s so stubborn.
I’m going to be the best customer Toxic has ever seen.
“SO WE’RE GOING TO a strip club to support your friend, the one who you denied was a stripper?” Jaxon asks, looking a mixture of extremely confused, amused, and resigned.
“Yeah,” I say, shrugging. “How was I meant to know she’d decide to actually strip?”
“Because she works in a strip club?” he points out, glancing at his watch. “And you invited Demon and the girls. Jesus, all of this on a work night. I don’t remember my weeks ever being this eventful before you came into my life, Scarlett.”
“You’re welcome,” I tell him.
“Hunter wanted to come too, so he’s going to meet us there,” he says, turning to me. “Are you sure your friend wants everyone you know to come see her naked? Isn’t that weird? I don’t think I want to see her naked, if I’m being honest. Not because she’s not attractive, but because she’s your friend and I’m going to have to see her and talk to her like I’ve never seen her boobs before.”
“You’re overthinking this,” I tell him, pointing to the building in front of us. “Is that it? Whoa, it’s pretty big.”
“Yeah, that’s it,” he replies, sounding like he can’t believe he’s coming here with me.
“Do men not come here with their girlfriends?” I ask, wondering why he’s being so weird about it. “Surely people do this all of the time.”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should ask one of the strippers.”
I grin as I get out the car, and send everyone a quick message saying we’re here. Demon quickly comes out front and walks over to us. “I have to say, this is not a place I ever thought I’d be meeting the two of you.”
I take Jaxon’s hand and smile at him. “Makes it more fun, don’t you think?”
Jaxon glances down at me and shakes his head, lips kicking up at the corners. “You are something else, Scarlett. You sure you want to do this?”
“Yeah, of course. It’s a group event,” I reply, nodding to the entrance. “Lead the way.”
When we walk through without having IDs checked or having to pay, I look to Demon in question.
“Didn’t you know?” he asks me, raising a brow. “The Wind Dragons own this club.”
I look at Jaxon, who shrugs. “I had no idea either, although I’m not surprised.”
Demon wasn’t joking about the VIP booth.
Tristan, Kat, and Yvonne arrive together.
“Thanks for coming out guys,” I tell them, giving them a hug in turn.
“You crazy? I’ve always wanted to come here,” Kat says, glancing up at the empty stage. “I once had a dream that I had booked the place for the night just so I could get up there and give Tristan a private dance.”
My eyes widen. “That’s . . . hot.”
“Really fucking hot,” Tristan adds, kissing her quickly.
“I know,” she says, sitting down in between Tristan and Yvonne.
Yvonne looks between Demon and Tristan. “Need to make sure I can see your hands at all times, boys.”
Kat starts laughing at that. “That’s so wrong.”
I eye Jaxon. “This is going to be an interesting experience, isn’t it?”
He wraps his arm around me and places a soft kiss on the side of my neck. “You brought me here, babe. Otherwise we’d be in bed fucking right now. So this one is on you.”
A shiver goes up my spine at his words. “And when we go home after this, all wound up, we can do just that.”
He smiles at me with his eyes. “You gonna get turned on by this?”
“Watching my friend? No,” I say, brow furrowing. “That’s just messed-up.”
“Lots of other women here, Scarlett, not just Gwen,” he says, glancing around at all the different podiums at different elevated heights. “You never know.”
He’d like that, I’m sure.
I really didn’t think this one out. No wonder Yvonne made that hand comment. A woman is introduced over the microphone as Lemon and comes onstage to dance. We all watch, and I find myself kind of enthralled by her seductive moves. In fact, I can’t seem to look away. There are a few more dancers who come on before Gwen does, but when she does, she’s introduced as Temptress.
And I can see why.
She looks absolutely amazing. She’s wearing a black bodysuit, with glittery diamante fishnet stockings and bright red lips. She has her hair down and curly—bed hair—and she looks phenomenal.
“Wow,” I say out loud, then look to Jaxon. “How amazing does she look?”
“Lip Service” by Machel Montano plays, and I absolutely love this song.
I open my purse and pull out all the ten-dollar bills I changed earlier, and hand a heap of them to Jaxon. “Let’s do this.”
“Let’s make it rain,” Kat says, throwing money onstage. Random men do the same from other sides of the podium, clearly loving her. When she dances it’s hypnotic, she might not be able to do any fancy pole work, but the woman clearly has a sensual quality to her that makes her the perfect candidate to be up there. She sways her hips, then bends over with the pole behind her, and does some ass shaking.
We all cheer.
Everyone throws money onto the stage, more than any of the other women got, and I can’t help but feel excited for her. When her time is up, we all applaud when she exits the stage.
“She was so good,” Kat says, clapping. “How hot is she?”
“Encore!” Yvonne yells out, laughing when Demon stands up to give Gwen a standing ovation.
Hunter arrives just as Gwen is walking off and curses loudly. “Fuck, I missed her!”
He sits down next to Jaxon and stares up at the stage longingly. “How did she do?”
“She was . . .” I trail off and smile widely. “I had no idea she could move like that. She was amazing. I’m so proud of her.”
Never thought I’d be saying that, but I am. She did what she needed, and wanted to do, and she nailed it. She was flawless. I’m so impressed by her.
We all get up to leave, and I go to meet Gwen out the back.
“How did I do?” she asks, me shaking with nerves. “Oh my god, I’ve never been so scared in my life. I couldn’t even look anyone in the eye.”
“You were incredible Gwen. Absolutely unbelievable. Do you have any idea how stunning you look? You nailed it,” I say, hugging her tightly.
“Thank you for being here,” she says, taking a deep breath. “And turning it into something it probably isn’t.”
“It’s whatever we make it,” I say, winking at her. “Do you want us to give you a ride home?”
She nods, and pulls out the stack of money she got. “There’s at least two thousand here,” she says in disbelief. “I know I have you to thank for that.”
“Me? The men were loving you,” I say, leading her to the door. “You made this, Gwen. You deserve every cent of it.”
Jaxon is waiting at the door, and flashes Gwen a smile. “You did great, Gwen.”
She smiles and ducks her head. “Yeah, let’s just pretend that never happened.”
Jaxon nods once, looking relieved. “Deal.”
We get into the car and drop Gwen off before heading home ourselves.
What a night.