Off Limits

by Vivian Ward

  She holds up her arms and flexes her biceps. Sapphire has great muscle tone, but she’s not bulky at all. She’s slender and firm.

  “So, you said something about working at a diner? What were you doing there and how come you left?”

  I sigh. “Money. I’m in a lot of trouble and my house is on the line. Right now I’m trying to work with the bank to keep it.”

  “Do you have kids or a husband or anything?” she asks.

  “A little boy, and I’m divorced. He was an ass.”

  We both laugh and nod in agreement.

  “If your house is on the line, why are you waiting tables? All of the money is made in dancing. You should try it, and you wouldn’t have to work so many hours.”

  “Dancing? Me?” I laugh. “No, I can’t do that.” Curiosity kills the cat and I have to know how much more money is at stake, because you know, it’s only money and it is my house that I could lose. “How much money are we talking?”

  She grins even though I’ve got a tight hold on her face. “It depends. If you work the weekends, you could easily leave here with anywhere from $750 to $1,000 per night. Weekdays don’t fare as well, and you’d probably earn around $200 to $300 per night.”

  My jaw drops and I have to close my mouth before I look like an idiot. With that kind of money, I could work a few nights a week, pay my bills, and get my mortgage back on track. It would totally save my house.

  “I don’t know if I could do that,” I say. “I mean, how would I even know if the guys like me or if I’m any good at it?”

  “Amateur night. We have them every couple of weeks. Put together a routine, buy a sexy outfit, and try it out.” She turns in her chair and looks at me. “I could help you—if you want. You could use one of my old routines and they’re pretty easy to learn.”

  I pull out a stick of pencil liner and begin tracing her lips because I want her to stop talking. I don’t want her talking me into it, but the more I think about the cash, the more I want to give it a try.

  “Okay,” I say, finishing up with her lips. “All done. What do you think?”

  She opens her eyes and looks in the mirror, stunned by my makeover.

  “This looks amazing! Are you sure you didn’t finish school?”

  We both laugh, and I look up at the clock. “Oh shit! I was supposed to be back five minutes ago. I’ve got to get going,” I say, making my way toward the door.

  “Think about what I said,” she calls after me. “There’s a lot more money in it and there’s plenty to go around.”

  Chapter 14

  Chase

  Wiping down the bar, I watch Melanie scurry out of the dressing room and run over to Ginger.

  Ginger hands her a tray and points to a table before heading outside, taking her cigarettes out of her bra, to go grab a smoke.

  “What was that about?” I ask her as she comes behind the counter and starts making drinks for the table she’s waiting on.

  “What?” She asks, reaching for a bottle of vodka.

  “I thought we were having a conversation, then you disappeared for almost twenty minutes, and then you came bolting out of the dressing room.”

  She laughs. “Oh, yeah, sorry. After I used the ladies room, I stopped in the dressing room to check my phone. Sapphire was in there and we started talking.”

  I’m really impressed how all of the girls kind of adopted her. We’re usually close knit with everyone, but they’ve really taken a liking to Melanie. I can’t say that I blame them because so have I. She’s so sweet and friendly, she gets along with everyone, she’s drop dead gorgeous, and I would consider myself lucky to have a chance to be with her—and I’ve never said that before.

  But I can’t because she’s off limits. My sister would have my balls served to me on a silver platter.

  “Anything interesting?” I ask.

  “Nothing that would interest you. She had me give her a quick makeover.”

  “Yeah? You keep doing these makeovers and these girls will brand you their official makeup artist, and you’ll never be able to get out of it.”

  Tossing her head back, a bubbly laugh comes out of her throat as she shakes her head. “Hey, that’s fine with me,” she says. “I like doing it, and they like me doing it so it’s a win-win situation.”

  Setting the drinks on top of the tray, she takes off to serve the table where a couple of gentlemen are enjoying the entertainment. They look like respectable business men, dressed in slacks and ties; they’re the kind that almost never sit directly in front of the stage. They like to admire from afar.

  Melanie comes back to the register to swipe their credit card to start a tab for them, and returns it to their table before coming back behind the bar.

  “So, this Ann? She’s your babysitter?”

  She crinkles her nose at me. “Yes, she’s been watching Cam for a long time—not long after Garrett and I separated. She’s really good to him, and she lives right by me.”

  I love watching her face light up when she talks about her son, it’s catchy because I always find myself smiling right along with her.

  “Are the two of you good friends?” I ask.

  She nods her head as she wipes the counter. “Yeah,” she grins at me. “We’re besties. We even hang out on my days off. She’s really cool.”

  “Sounds like it, and Cam sounds pretty cool, too. I’d love to meet him. Actually, I’d like to meet both of them.”

  I know it’s crossing the line by asking her to meet her son and babysitter, but there’s no policy that says I can’t be friends with any of the girls.

  Friends.

  Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself, but I want so much more with her. She’s so gorgeous, smart, and sexy. I love how she’s down to earth, and everyone else seems to love her, too. I almost regret hiring her, but I know that she needs the job and we need the help. My only hope is that she doesn’t work here long so that I can finally ask her out on a date.

  “You would, huh?” she cocks her hip against the counter. “And why would you want to do that?” She says, pouring a tray of shots.

  Shrugging, I try to play it off. “Because I want to get to know you better, that’s all.”

  “Maybe,” she says. “I’ll think about it.”

  She takes the shot tray and makes her rounds through the bar and I can’t help but stare at her.

  “What are you looking at?” I hear a voice.

  Turning around, I see Sapphire standing behind me. “Oh, hey,” I say to her. “Nothing, just watching over the place like I always do.”

  She smirks at me, narrowing her eyes. “Ha! I know what—or, rather who—you were looking at. You like her don’t you?”

  “Stop, Sapphire. You know the policy.”

  She laughs, “Yeah, and I know you. You can’t deny that you like her. It’s written all over your face. You hang on to her every word, you ask her about her personal life, and you stare at her while she works. Should I go on?”

  I’m speechless. “What? How do you know what we talk about?” I ask.

  “I was in the kitchen, grabbing some cheddar bites, and heard the two of you talking.”

  “You were spying on us?” I cock my eyebrow at her. “That’s not nice, you know.”

  “But it’s so much fun,” she says, walking over to a particular gentleman who was interested in her while she was dancing earlier.

  I’ve got a problem. A big problem. Not only did my sister overhear us on the phone—and now we’re on her radar—but Sapphire knows that I’ve got a thing for Melanie. I just hope that it doesn’t get back to my sister that it’s Mel because she will flip.

  A pang of jealousy overcomes me when I see Melanie grab a seat at the table with the guys that she’s waiting on. As they’re talking and when she laughs, she tilts her head back, letting her long smooth locks cascade down her back just like she did when we were talking.

  I know it’s part of the business—a little flirting for extra tips—but I can�
��t help but want to go knock those guys right out of their chair. They don’t deserve her, not like I do.

  Chapter 15

  Melanie

  The past week working at the club has been great as far as making tips. Chase was completely right when he said I wouldn’t need my job at the diner anymore. I’ve made almost triple what I’d make at the diner, but I’ve been thinking about what Sapphire told me.

  I’m strongly considering trying out amateur night tonight. If I could make the kind of money she’s talking about, it would blow my cocktail waitress tips out of the water and I could finally begin to breathe. The only thing that worries me is what if I’m not good enough or what if the guys don’t like me?

  There’s also one other problem, which I haven’t told anyone because I’m afraid they’ll say that I should quit. Somehow, Garrett must’ve found out that I’m working here because he sent me a few text messages. I almost deleted his number after the divorce, but I figured I’d better keep it in case he ever wanted to ask about Cam.

  The first message that he sent said, “I hope the rumors I’ve been hearing about you aren’t true, but I don’t think that’s the case.”

  I ignored that message because it’s none of his business what I’m doing or where I’m working. His only concern should be about his son, and he doesn’t care enough to ask to see him or to send a penny for child support, so I’m not going to dignify his message with a response.

  About a day and a half later, he sent another text message to me, this one a little more intense. It said, “The rumors must be true, and I advise you to leave that job ASAP!”

  Like I said, I’m not going to acknowledge his messages unless he wants to talk about our son, so his second message was ignored, too. But then he sent me a third one that rattled my cage a bit. The third message said, “I’d hate to come up to your ‘job’ and cause a scene. You better leave that job.”

  Whatever. We’re not married anymore and he doesn’t control me, and he has no influence on my bank account. Even if he did pay child support, it still wouldn’t matter. I left his controlling grip a long time ago and will not be sucked back into it.

  I’ve been at work all night thinking about it, contemplating if I want to try it out when the DJ announces that it’s time to bring on the amateurs. Every time I watch guys stuff the girl’s panties with bills, it makes me wish I was one of them. I’ve even talked to Amber about it, and she thinks that I should go for it.

  The only person that I’ve not talked to about stripping is Ann, and that’s because I’m worried about what she’ll say or think. As my best friend, I value her opinion, but she’s also not the one who’s about to lose her house. I’d hate for her to disapprove and talk me out of something that could be really good for Cam and me.

  “Are you going to give it a try tonight?” Amber asks. “You’ve only got about an hour to decide.”

  Biting my lip, I glance over at the stage which is surrounded by men who are eager to give the dancers money. It’s such a tough decision and even though I’ve had a while to think about it, I’m not sure what to do. Money’s tight, but I’m not sure this is a good idea. How good of an idea can it be if I’m too afraid to tell my best friend about it?

  “I know, it’s just that I’m not sure.”

  “Have you practiced any of the routines that Sapphire gave you?” she asks.

  My mouth pops open. “How did you know that she was going to give me a routine?”

  Amber laughs at me. “Girl, we don’t have secrets around here. We tell each other everything. Besides, we’re all rooting for you. You could make so much money, and you’d be so much better off.”

  I grab a stained towel from the sudsy water in the sink and wipe down the area behind the bar. It gets so sticky back here where we pour drinks.

  “I know, but what if I look stupid or something?” I say to her.

  “Look stupid doing what?” Chase asks.

  “Where did you come from?” I ask, surprised to see him. He’s been in his office most of the night doing paperwork.

  “I finished up with all of my work so I came out here to help and keep an eye on things,” he explains. “So what are you afraid of looking stupid about?”

  Amber grins at me and pats me on the butt, “I’ll let you explain this one.”

  I roll my eyes at her and wish she wouldn’t have said anything. She quickly trots away, leaving me to explain our conversation to Chase all by myself. He’s standing in front of me like a protective father with his arms crossed as he impatiently taps his foot.

  “I, uh, I was going to give amateur night a try,” I say, my voice small.

  His jaw drops, but he quickly closes his mouth. Rubbing the sexy stubble on his chin, he thinks about what he’s going to say before he says it. I can already see his wheels turning.

  “You know,” he wraps his hand around the back of his neck. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  I blink, twice, to make sure that I heard him right. Everyone’s been telling me how great this would be for me, so why would he say it’s not a good idea.

  “Why?” I ask.

  “Because, it’s not. Have you ever danced before? I mean, on a stage? Have you thought about what’s going through the mind of those men who are watching you take your clothes off? Have you thought about the things they try with some of the girls here? Or what they proposition them for?”

  Of course, I’ve thought about all those things. That’s what terrifies me the most, but it’s the money that I need the most. How bad can it really be? Sapphire has been here almost two years, and Amber has been here almost a year. Surely, things can’t be that bad or they would’ve left.

  Then there’s the fact that I have a child, but so do some of the other girls. Stripping doesn’t make you a bad mom, or any less of a mom. It’s a job. I don’t look down on the other dancers who work here and have kids. In fact, I admire them.

  They’ve had kids, got their bodies back into shape and had the courage to come out and earn a damn good living for their family. That takes guts, bravery, and skill.

  “I’ve thought a lot about it, Chase. The thing is, the money is so much better, and that’s what I need most. There’s not much of a difference between working here as a cocktail waitress or working here as a dancer. The guys tend to grab my ass way more than they do the girls on stage because I’m closer to them. I’m within an arm’s reach, so they go ahead and help themselves. At least as a dancer, I’d have about five feet of stage to distance myself from them and I’d make a hell of a lot more without all of the gropy hands.”

  “Melanie, remember when you first came here? I didn’t even think you were going to accept the job as the cocktail waitress, and now you want to strip? I don’t think it’s a good idea. You shouldn’t get on that stage.”

  I don’t know why he’s being so resistant, but he really doesn’t want me to strip. He’s also not the one with everything on the line. I think it makes him jealous, it’s the only thing that makes sense.

  And I’m not going to lie—I kind of like it. It’s fun watching him try not to blow a gasket. The more he protests it, the more I want to do it.

  “I’ll never know unless I try,” I say before spinning on my heel and heading into the dressing room. I know it’s the one place that Chase would never follow me in to.

  My heart is pounding as I try to decide whether or not I want to get changed into a dance outfit that Sapphire told me I could borrow, or if I want to be forever stuck serving beer to guys who grab my ass for lower wages.

  “Hey girl,” Amber says when I shut the door. “Are you going to give it a try? You’ve got plenty of time to do your hair and makeup. Here, you can use my stuff,” she slides of out her chair in front of her makeup vanity.

  “I don’t know. Chase told me that I shouldn’t do it,” I say.

  She snorts and laughs. “And do you know why that is? It’s because he likes you, and he hates the thought of other men coming
onto you and drooling over you.” She waves her hand in the air, “I say go for it. He’s not paying your bills.”

  “You really think that’s why?” I ask, hopeful that she’ll say yes. I know we have the no-dating policy at work, but I like that he likes me because the feeling is mutual; though, that’s nothing new since I always thought he was hot.

  “Absolutely! I say get your ass on stage and see what you can do. You’ll never know if you don’t try. Besides, there are more good things that can come from it than bad.”

  I shrug. She’s right. With the no-dating policy at work, it’s not like Chase and I could even be together anyway. So why not try out amateur night and see where it leads?

  Deciding to go for it, I begin changing into the outfit that Sapphire hung in her locker for me before I plop back into Amber’s chair to begin doing my hair and makeup.

  Chapter 16

  Chase

  I can’t believe that Mel is seriously considering stripping.

  I’m so conflicted. Part of me wants to see her up on that stage taking her clothes off and dancing. I’d love to watch her, there’s no doubt about that.

  The problem is that the other guys would also love that, and I’d want to kill them for looking at her. She’s not “just another dancer,” not to me anyway.

  It’s killing me not to ask her out. I’d love to take her out, become a couple, and make it official but that’s not how things work. There are too many rules, and it’s too complicated.

  One thing that’s for sure is that I’m jealous of the other guys looking at her. She’s not theirs to look at; not that she’s mine either, but I’ve known her for a long time. I didn’t offer her a job stripping because that’s not what I wanted her to do, but if she’s hell bent on doing it, I can’t stop her. She’s a grown woman, and it’s not my place to tell her—or anyone else—what to do.