Page 7 of Find Me

“What was that ungodly noise, Evi?” Rhett mumbles from the bed, groaning as he rolls over. “Come back to bed, babe; I’ve got something you can do if you’re awake.”

“Sorry, I have work, remember? Breakfast shift today.” I yawn, willing myself to stay awake as I stretch, steadying myself on the cold floor.

“I’m adding this to my list of reasons why you need a new job.” He grunts, sitting up and looking a little worse for wear after only a couple of hours of sleep.

“As if it was my idea to stay up and spend all night…” I trail off, blushing.

Rhett raises his eyebrows as he stretches out on my bed. “Did I fuck you so well last night that I actually left you speechless?” he jokes, reaching for his phone.

I ignore the bait, a part of me refusing to stroke his ego, and change the topic instead. “I forgot to tell you, I actually have a job interview after my shift today. Sam got it for me… it’s at some bar called Poison Ivy.”

Rhett looks up from his phone, his mouth hanging open as shock flashes across his face.

“Did you say Poison Ivy?” he asks, putting his phone down.

“Yeah, that’s the name of it. She said the bar has a pretty cool vibe, and they’re totally understaffed, so she applied without telling me.”

He shakes his head. “You know what Poison Ivy is, right?” he asks, and I shift uncomfortably at the patronizing tone in his voice before walking across my room.

“I haven’t had a chance to look it up yet, but I know it’s a bar, and they must pay better than the diner…” I trail off as I reach for my uniform hanging on the back of my door.

He laughs. “It’s a strip club, babe.”

I whip my head towards him. “It’s a what?” I blurt out.

“A strip club.” He laughs. “I mean, technically, there’s a bar there, but that’s not the main focus.” He coughs suggestively.

“You’ve been there before? Why wouldn’t Sam tell me this?” I stammer, shocked by the words I’m hearing.

“She probably figured you’d respond just like this and didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it. But yes, I’ve been there before and it’s… nice.” A smile creeps across his face. “Sam wasn’t wrong about the vibe.” He laughs.

“What should I do?” I look at Rhett for advice. “I mean, I’ve never even been to a strip club before, let alone worked at one.”

“Well, babe, to play devil’s advocate, you already have a pretty shit job, so I mean, is there really a difference?”

“Yes!” I practically shriek. “I mean, isn’t there?”

“Is there?” He pushes. “How much are you making at the diner? Surely not enough to keep affording this place for much longer?”

I look away, embarrassed by the measly server’s wage I am earning. I take a breath. “I get a few bucks an hour, and then tips, so not much at all most days unless people are feeling generous.”

“Poison Ivy might be a strip club, but it’s an upscale one at least. The boys and I can easily drop a few thousand when we go, so I’m sure the tips are better than a diner with a seven-dollar breakfast special.” He snickers.

“I’ll think about it during my shift, but if I don’t get going now, I’m going to be late.”

He gets out of bed and the sheets fall off him, giving me an unobstructed view of everything. He is certainly easy on the eyes, and I could get used to seeing him in my room every morning.

He walks over to his wallet and pulls out a hundred-dollar bill.

“Here,” he says as he hands it to me, “if you decide to go for the interview, at least take a cab.”

I take the money reluctantly, muttering my thanks as he kisses me, the heat of his body pressing up against me as his hand grabs onto my ass.

“You can show me your thanks later, but for now, I have to get into the office. Tanner just texted me. Some big case just came in and they need me on it.” I ignore the air of superiority in his voice, and I can’t help but be happy for him and how well he’s doing at the law firm.

I make my way to the bathroom to get ready for my shift as Rhett searches the bedroom for his clothes.

Just before I leave, I pack a spare outfit in my bag, just in case I decide to go to the interview.

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