Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 291(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“About six months. It’s fun. I also volunteer at the island’s animal shelter.” The men all look interested, so I add, “I’ve been doing that since high school.”
“Do you have pets?” Dodge asks.
“No, and that’s part of the reason I love volunteering. I wasn’t allowed to have pets growing up, and I’m in an apartment now that has rules against it. Someday, I’ll have a house filled with dogs and cats.”
“That sounds great,” Maddox says with enthusiasm.
Across the table, Diesel finishes the last bite of his croissant. “That was delicious,” he says. “I should have gotten two.”
“I’ll get another one for you,” I offer, as I start to stand.
“No, I’m good. You just enjoy your lunch.”
I’ve been taking bites between our questions and answers, and I’m surprised to see that my lunch is half gone. I’m also surprised at how smoothly the conversation has been flowing. The men seemed so intimidating yesterday when I met them, but they’re actually very easy to talk to.
“Everything is really good here,” I say. “Maddy’s a great baker.” When the men murmur their agreement, I ask, “So the bachelorette party enjoyed the … cookies last night?”
“Sure did,” Chase says, with a twinkle in his eye that rekindles my blush.
“So you’re still not interested in coming to the club?” Maddox asks.
“I don’t know …” They have made it sound interesting, and much more like entertainment than purely a sex show, but, oh my gosh, imagine if my parents ever found out I went to the club …
“If crowds aren’t your thing, we’d be more than happy to give you a private show,” Chase says.
I freeze mid-bite, with a baby carrot between my lips.
“I love making your cheeks turn pink,” Chase says with a grin that must make my flush go from pink to red.
“I need to get back to work soon,” I say as I ignore Chase’s offer — surely it’s a joke? — and start to pack up. As the five of us are gathering our things from the table and standing up, a car I recognize pulls into the lot.
Becca appears moments later, and she nearly stops in her tracks when she spots me with the brothers. “Jade?” she says, sounding as if she’s questioning the entire situation with that one word.
“Hi, Becca. Guys, this is my friend Becca.” I introduce her to the men, naming them one by one, and her brows lift higher as each man greets her. I don’t say anything about where they work or why they’re here, and I can see that she’s nearly bursting with curiosity when the men say goodbye to me.
Before they’re barely off the patio, she grabs my arm. “Who are they, exactly?”
“I told you their names,” I tease, opening the door to go back inside the bakery.
“Were you eating lunch with them?”
“I was.”
“How did you meet them? What’s going on?”
As I stow my bag and bottle back under the counter and tie on my apron, I tell Becca where the men work and how I met them.
“Have you seen their show?” she interrupts.
I shake my head. “No, I just met them yesterday. I was only in the club in the afternoon to make a delivery.”
“So, were they here today to order more bakery?” she asks.
That was my assumption when they arrived, but her question makes me realize that they didn’t place any new orders. Could they have come by just to see me, or did they mean to place an order and got sidetracked?
Before I even answer her question, overflowing with excitement, Becca says, “If you want to go to their club, I’ll go with you.”
“I don’t know … I don’t think so.” Now that I’ve gotten to know them a little better, the idea of seeing them naked, or nearly naked, would be even more uncomfortable. Somehow I’m managing to deny the fact that I’m completely intrigued by the thought of seeing them dance nearly naked.
“Well, it’s an open offer, if you change your mind. Anytime you want to go, just let me know,” she says.
“Won’t your men mind? Somehow, I especially don’t imagine Shane being delighted about you going to a male revue show.” Becca lives with four men, and though I know she has zero interest in anyone else but them, I have seen Shane give murderous looks to men he thought were checking Becca out.
“They’d understand,” she says. “Even Shane. I have to support my friend, after all.” Her grin is quite mischievous, and I imagine she’s amused by the absurd idea of me at a strip club — or male revue, or anywhere that men are taking off their clothes.
Curiosity is starting to torment me, though.
6
Hallucinating
“Are you ready to play, Bradley? It’s your turn. Your friend Betty White is coming out to play too.” I lift the big tabby out of his cubby, while across the room, my fellow volunteer Martin brings Betty, a white shorthair, out for socialization time. While Bradley, Betty, and a few other cats roam loose in the room, Martin and I will clean their enclosures and refill their food. When we’re done, we’ll dangle toys to encourage them to get exercise.