Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
We continued to play the game together, giving the crowd what they wanted, but I was pretty sure it was what we wanted too. When the song ended, I was disappointed.
Dane jumped down, and for a moment I thought he was going to walk away. I think maybe he did too, but then he held his hand out for me and helped me down.
“Such a gentleman,” I said and winked.
“We need to talk tonight.”
“Fuck? You want to fuck me tonight?”
He rolled his eyes, and then he really did walk away.
It was nonstop the rest of the evening. Our second dance went similarly to the first. Before I knew it, the bar was closing and we were all cleaning up.
I got changed, part nervous, part excited for my chat with Dane. I found him by the Bottom, and he nodded toward the door.
“Have fun, you two!” Sky waved, and I rolled my eyes.
“What’s up, Captain Scowly Pants?” I asked as we walked out.
“I thought I was Cranky Pants?”
“That too.”
He opened the door for me. He really was sweet.
He didn’t tell me where we were going, and I didn’t ask. I followed him, and he ended up going around back to where his car was. The parking lot was lit well. He was parked under a light and leaned against his car, crossing his arms. “What happened last week was a one-off. We can’t do that again.”
Because of course he was going to be weird about this. “Actually, we can. It would be quite easy.”
“I know this is a game to you, but it’s not to me. I need this job, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize it.”
Jesus, this guy. I couldn’t believe him sometimes. “First, how would fucking me cause you issues at your job? Half the people who work here have fucked each other, so unless you’re planning on falling in love with me, which I’m not looking for, we’re fine. And second, what makes you think I don’t need this job too?”
“I’m not planning on falling in love with you, and I don’t care what other people are doing.”
I noticed he didn’t have a response to the second part.
“Look, Jesse. I don’t want to fight with you. It was fun. We got it out of our systems. Can we just…let this go?”
I didn’t know what it was about how he said it, but I realized how conflicted Dane was. He wanted me, but it really wasn’t a game to him, and he definitely didn’t want to want me. Had he been hurt before? I was really curious what made this man tick, but I didn’t know why I wanted to know so badly. “Yeah, sure. Fine. Whatever. It was just a little sex. Plenty more boys on the playground—get it? The bar is called the Playground?”
He rolled his eyes, but I thought maybe he was trying to hold back a small smile.
“So really no more sex? It was good sex for someone wound up as tight as you are.”
“No more sex.”
“I hate you,” I teased.
“I hate you too,” he replied.
Okay, so I was maybe a little disappointed there would be no more sex, but you know, consent and all. If he really didn’t want to fuck me, I didn’t want him to fuck me. “Have fun being miserable!” I began to walk away.
“Have fun being obnoxious!” he called after me and then added, “Jesse.”
I stopped, turned around and looked at him.
“You really don’t have a car?”
“I wrecked the Mercedes,” I lied, and he frowned.
“Do you, um…want a ride home?”
“Nope. I’m good. You go home and enjoy your hand.” I did well with not depending on others, and I wasn’t going to start now.
Dane didn’t reply, but I knew he was standing there, watching me go.
14
Dane
I’d spent part of my day dealing with my car. I’d gotten a flat, and had already used the spare, which was another bald tire. Once I got it towed, which wasn’t exactly cheap, I needed a lift from Craig. Mark had given me the name of his mechanic friend, who promised he could replace all four of my tires for a fair price.
“Bet Jesse doesn’t have to deal with real-life shit like this,” I grumbled to myself as I slid into an Uber so I wouldn’t be late for work.
He doesn’t even own a car, remember?
Probably the right idea, after pumping way too much into keeping my clunker running. I told myself I’d go used-car-shopping this fall. But that meant car payments again, and I’d just paid this one off. Piece of junk.
I was working in the Underground tonight, and Jesse would be making his debut at the microphone. My stomach felt uneasy because I didn’t know what to expect—or maybe I was feeling nervous for him, which didn’t make a ton of sense. But Chet must’ve seen something in Jesse if he’d hired him to belt out a string of classics from decades past. And it wasn’t only a song or two—it was two whole sets. He had to be the entertainment for a portion of the evening before the piano player filled in the rest. And though Jesse did that very well by shaking that hot ass in the upstairs bar, downstairs was a whole different ball game.