Was that what I was supposed to say? I had no idea.
“This is a fun place to work. It may seem a little weird. I know I was weirded out the first time I was approached. But it’s harmless. I swear. The people are great and the money is unbelievable.”
‘That’s what I heard,” I said, nodding. I watched another girl putting on a pair of thigh-high stockings and my belly twisted. Would I really be able to do this? I didn’t even change in front of people at the gym at school. I was always that girl with a towel twisted around my body as I snaked my underwear up my legs and fastened my bra over the terrycloth before unwrapping it.
“You look like your head’s about to explode,” Liv said, grinning. “You doing okay?”
I nodded. “Sorry. I’m just not sure I can wear one of those in front of people.” I pointed at the thigh-high wearing woman with the bustier as she gave a quick wave.
“It’s like wearing a bikini on the beach,” Tammi offered.
“The girl grew up in Ohio. I doubt she spent much time on the beach,” Liv laughed.
I felt marginally bad as she repeated my lie and smiled. “True. Not many beach bums in Ohio.”
“At the lakes, I bet…” Tammi began.
“Nope. I was more of the stay indoors and read kind of girl.”
Which was another complete lie. I loved being outdoors back home. I signed up for any chore to get me outside.
“You don’t have to wear that. In fact, you don’t have to wear anything revealing. A lot of the girls when they first start don’t go over the top. The only requirement is bedroom attire. Most of us who work here realized that our tips magically went up on the days we wore a little less. But you could probably show up in flannel pajamas and they’d be fine with it.”
That was a theory I’d be more than happy to try out.
“I gotta get changed. All the girls here are more than willing to answer any questions you might have. And if it’s something you’re interested in, I’ll introduce you to one of the owners. The second one isn’t here, but he rarely is.”
“Okay,” I nodded, frozen in position. A prickle of fear went up my spine as I thought about the man who was arrested this afternoon. I didn’t have the luxury to wait around and find some other job. I needed this one now so that I could get enough money to get out of here. They’d already found me, and as I’d feared, their motives weren’t only to bring me back home.
Tammi motioned for me to follow her to the back of the dressing area. “This is where the members’ bios are.” She picked up a book and opened it, revealing photos and brief descriptions of each of the members.
“Are there any female members?” I asked.
“Actually, yes. Some of the wives are members and then there are some single females that like to just come and hang out. The guy who thought this place up was genius. He tapped right into the notion of exclusivity that so many people around here crave. It’s a weird thing.” She continued turning the pages and my eyes ran down the pages. There were bankers, lawyers, accountants, engineers, and executives. The list of occupations went on and on.
“And all you do is serve drinks and food to them?” I questioned.
“And conversation.”
“How so?”
“A lot of the men just want to have someone to talk to.”
“Why not their wives?” I glanced at Tammi who shrugged.
“Beats me. I know you’re thinking this is too good to be true. But it’s not. Nothing illegal goes down. And if the owners even get a hint that something might be going on that’s not legal, they fire the server and terminate the membership.”
I nodded, feeling only somewhat better about the situation. Besides, it didn’t matter how I felt. I needed the job. I also needed an outfit to wear and had no money, so unless Starbucks started selling lingerie, I was in trouble.
“You think you might be interested?” Tammi asked, sensing my confusion.
“Definitely.” I nodded.
Tammi gave a quick hop and placed the book back on the shelf. “Let’s go tell Liv.”
The door opened slightly and a male’s voice echoed through the air.
“Everyone decent?” he asked.
The girls shouted yes in unison, and I scanned the room for Liv, who had already changed into her slinky, black slip. It was edged in lace and actually covered more than I would’ve thought. Maybe, I would be able to do this without feeling completely out of my element.
A guy walked into the room, wearing a black suit and silver tie. His brown hair was brushed back and his blue eyes combed the room, landing on me. “So you’re the blond that Liv told me about. I’m Sean.”
“One of the tough decision makers,” Liv teased, and I wondered if there was a connection between the two.
My hands were immediately clammy, and my throat almost closed as his eyes worked their way along my body, and I was fully clothed.
“You are a knockout.” He glanced over at Liv. “She’d be the first blond, but maybe it’s time to branch out.”
“She’s a natural blond,” Liv offered.
The man turned back to look at me, smiling. “Have the girls explained everything to you?”
“I think so,” I replied, looking him in his eyes. I needed this job and wasn’t going to do anything to blow it. “It sounds like a fun place to work.”
He nodded, pressing his lips together as he thought about something. “Would you be willing to start tomorrow?”
My heart skipped a beat. “Absolutely.”
“Perfect. Liv, will you show her to the office and have Emily give her all the paperwork to fill out.”
Liv nodded, beaming.
And that was it. He walked out, leaving all the girls to finish getting ready for the night. I found a chair and sat as my mind wandered to the money I might actually get to make while working here. And if it took a membership to get in maybe it would be safer than most places to have a job. I needed safety. A shiver ran through me as I thought about running into Donald Jamison and his intentions. If he didn’t want me dead, what would he do to me while I was alive?
“You ready?” Liv asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“Yep.” I hopped up and followed her out of the dressing room, back down the hall to another door I hadn’t noticed on the way in.
“This is the office. Emily takes care of everything business related. Paychecks, medical, 401k.”
“You have medical and a 401k working here?” I was blown away.
“Pretty sweet, isn’t it?” She smiled, pushing the door open.
“How much does the membership cost?” I whispered, trying to tabulate everything.
“More than I’d ever spend,” she laughed. “It actually varies, depending on the client.”
There was a small seating area with an office behind. The door was closed and Liv gently tapped on it.
“Come in,” a woman’s voice called back. Her voice sounded young and perky.
Liv opened the door and the woman sitting behind the large oak desk matched her voice perfectly. She had beautiful blue eyes that were dancing with amusement as she flashed me a big smile. “You must be Hannah.”
“I am,” I said. “Hannah Walker.”
“I’m Emily,” she said, extending her hand.
I quickly shook her hand and took a seat as Liv said her goodbyes and left Emily and me alone in the office. I glanced at her desk that was filled with knickknacks and stacks of paper. It felt like she was the glue that held the place together.
“You don’t strike me as being the kind of person who’d want to work here,” she stated, her brow arched.
That took me off-guard and felt like a trick question. Any answer I could give would either sound like I was putting Buttons or myself down so I just smiled and shrugged, which made her laugh.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. You’ve got the job.” She opened a drawer and pulled out a file. “So how’d you meet Liv?”
“At a Star
bucks. She found out I was new to town and looking for work.”
She nodded and took a packet out of the folder, sliding it over to me. “Makes sense.”
Emily’s eyes were kind as her gaze met mine, but I could see there was something more she wanted to say but didn’t.
“So if you could fill these out tonight and drop them off before your shift tomorrow, that’d be great. The dress requirements, code of conduct, all of it is in there. Payday is every week on Friday. We do it old-fashioned around here with actual paychecks. If you aren’t scheduled to work, we can mail them.”
“I’ll be sure to pick it up. I’m kind of in the process of finding somewhere new to live.”
“Oh?” she asked.
“Really bad neighborhood and the roommates are a bit…”
She laughed. “I know how roommates go. Enough said. Where are you looking?”
“I’m pretty open. Now that I have a job, maybe around here?”
She nodded. “I have a friend who’s looking for a roommate. She hates living alone. Actually, she’s the sister of one of the owners here. That’s how I got the job. I bet she’d love you. So far the people who’ve turned up to look at the place have freaked her out,” Emily replied, laughing. “That’s what she gets for placing an ad on Craigslist. I can see if she’s still looking.”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
“My card is stapled to the top there so if you have any questions between now and tomorrow, feel free to give me a buzz. Actually, do you mind giving me your cell now, and I can just call you if I can get a hold of my friend?”
“Sure.” I scribbled my new cell number and tamped down the little bit of hope that started to swell. After all, wherever I was going to go and whatever I was about to do was only temporary.
“Thanks again, and I’ll see ya tomorrow,” I said, standing up.
I found my way back through the club and waved at the bartender, who was organizing bottles. I reached the front door and swung it open. The warm air wrapped around me as I quickly glanced in all directions, ensuring there weren’t any surprise visitors before I made it to Rikki’s car. Climbing in, I shoved my purse on the passenger seat and looked at my cell and saw a voicemail. Pushing the speakerphone on, I listened to the detective as he solemnly updated me about the man who was temporarily behind bars. They weren’t able to find enough to hold him past twenty-four hours.
My heart sank with the news, but I hadn’t really thought it would turn out any different. They were always one step ahead of the authorities, which was why I didn’t bother involving them anymore. I tossed my phone on the seat just as it rang.
“Hello?” I asked, as I pressed the speakerphone on.
“Hey, it’s Emily. Have you left yet?” she asked.
“No. Just got in my car.”
“Sweet. My friend’s home and would love to meet you. I’ll be right out.”
And before I had a chance to respond she’d hung up.
The front door exploded open, and Emily looked around the parking lot, trying to find me. I jumped out of the car and waved. She waved back at me and glanced at the car as she walked over. I knew it looked like hell. Actually, it looked like whoever owned it was a horrible driver. Not exactly the appearance I wanted to give.
“I’m borrowing it,” I offered. “My truck’s on the fritz.”
“So I don’t have to panic at your lack of defensive driving skills?” she laughed.
“Nope. I promise.”
“Well, let’s take mine anyway. She’s just a few blocks away, but we might as well drive.”
Things were really starting to look up. I might actually be able to make it to my job if I couldn’t fix my truck.
I locked the car door and followed Emily to hers, which was an adorable, white Mini Cooper.
“I can see why you wanted to drive,” I said, grinning.
“Nothing personal,” she laughed, opening her door.
I climbed in as she adjusted the volume on her radio. “Sorry. I love blaring my music.”
I smelled the new car scent and closed my door, buckling in tight.
“You could probably even walk to work, until you get your truck fixed.” She pulled out of the parking lot and made a left toward the water when it occurred to me that I probably couldn’t afford wherever it was we were heading.
“I can’t believe I didn’t ask this, but what’s the rent?”
“You’ll be fine,” she said, tapping my leg. “I don’t actually know what she’s charging, but it’s not for the money. She just hates being alone in the overly large place her brother bought her.”
“Must be a nice brother,” I laughed.
“He is extremely generous to his sister, but she’s all he’s got. And vice versa. But nice? I’m not sure I’d say that about him. He’s a hard one to figure out. He owns a piece of the club and rarely sets foot in it. Whenever I’ve tried to say hello, he’d barely even grunt let alone smile. His sister said he hates the place so I’m not sure why he has any money invested, but he’s hot as hell.” She grinned.
Emily turned down a street that brought the beach into view, and the homes peppered along the way were gorgeous and enormous. There was absolutely no way I’d be able to afford a closet, let alone an entire bedroom here. She pulled in front of a grey, three level home that sat on the corner with decks wrapped around each level.
“There’s Mia,” Emily said, pointing to the top deck where I spotted a woman hopping up and down waving at us. “She’s adorable.”
Emily opened the car door as Mia ran off the deck and out of sight. I got out and followed Emily up the stairs to the front door. There were flowers everywhere I looked. Roses in every color imaginable lined the staircase and tiny trimmed boxwood framed the steps. Hanging baskets filled with red geraniums and white petunias hung by the door.
“Mia must really have a green thumb,” I laughed as we reached the top stair.
“I think her gardener has the green thumb.”
Of course! What was I thinking?
The front door flew open and Mia gave Emily a big hug, her eyes closing before she let go. Her green eyes landed on me and her smile grew. “You must be Hannah. Come in, guys. Let me show you around. It’s far too big for me, and I really just spend my time on the decks. It’s actually an embarrassment, really. But whatever. I have stopped trying to convince my brother of anything. Emily told you this place wasn’t my idea, right?” she laughed, closing the doors as we stepped into the foyer.
The windows surrounding the entire space let an amazing amount of light in, which made Mia’s eyes even greener. She had her dark hair in two braids, and she wore a pair of slouchy jean shorts and a pink camisole that was splattered with paint.
She caught me looking at her shirt and laughed, clapping her hands. “I paint oils, or at least, I attempt to paint oils.”
There was something familiar about Mia, which I knew was impossible, but her energy was infectious. It was exactly what I needed no matter how temporary my stay would be.
“You don’t attempt to paint oils. You’re brilliant at it,” Emily said, rolling her eyes. “Not every twenty-six year old is able to open a show with every single painting selling out in the first night.”
“It was a fluke,” Mia assured me.
I couldn’t help but smile as she ushered us through the large foyer. “That’s the living room, which I rarely set foot into. Actually, I never really hang out on this floor at all so consider it yours.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford the rent…”
“You’re working at Buttons, right?” Her brow quirked.
“Starting tomorrow.”
“Believe me. You’ll be able to afford it. I’m only renting you a bedroom, remember?” Her smile was kind as she glanced at Emily and then back at me.
I laughed and shook my head. Doubtful.
“I had it on Craigslist for seven-fifty, but I like you. How about seven?” She crossed her ar
ms in front of her. “And you don’t have to pay me the first month until you get your first paycheck at Buttons.”
My mouth dropped open. Seven? I had planned on getting a hole-in-the-wall somewhere for seven hundred.
“It’s month-to-month so if you decide you want your own place, you can always move out.”
I nodded. “This is amazing.”
“So is that a yes?” Mia asked.
“It’s a big yes,” I laughed as Mia grabbed my hand and hauled me up the stairs.
Luke
The thought of Hannah slipping into other men’s fantasies killed me, and that was precisely what Buttons offered. I’d seen the way men at Buttons devoured the waitresses with their eyes, and it was unsettling, and one of the many reasons I never showed up. I despised the fact that I had anything to do with the club, but I owed my friend, Sean, a favor and I wasn’t about to let him down. He helped me when I first started the security firm and it was something I could do in return. We’d met one another in a past life, but I never expected it to bite me in the ass like this.
I stretched my legs in front of me in the airplane seat and took a sip of the red wine the flight attendant had just brought over. What in God’s name was Hannah doing at Buttons? Maybe she was passing by and that’s how the phone triangulated. That had to be it. There was no legitimate reason why she’d be there. She didn’t even fit the profile. Sean had a thing for brunettes and a real distaste for blondes. And Hannah was definitely blonde. No doubt about it. A beautiful blonde at that. Her being a blond was the one thing I could hold onto until I could access wireless at the cruising altitude.
Damn! She was hard to shake.
I took another sip of the wine as I thought about why I was so fascinated by a woman I barely knew. The guy next to me snorted, signaling he’d already fallen asleep, which was good since I hated spectators while researching. I grabbed the newspaper out of my bag and opened it to the second page, but I had no interest in reading. My mind kept wandering to Hannah. My guys were on her so she’d be safe until I got there, but it didn’t calm my fears at all. I knew too little about her and what problems were following her. There had to be a way to get her to trust me and tell me what was going on. That would be the quickest solution.
Hidden Sins Page 8
