Page 14 of Dirty Little Secret
And when the hell did I get so caught up with my age?
It wasn’t as if I was some dinosaur, after all.
“Yeah,” he admitted. “I mean, I knew you’d been a waitress in Chicago, but I had no idea that you’d been such a good one.” He jerked his head at the big glass jar under the bar, which was filled with cash. “Those body-shots earned us a heap of tips. We’ll be splitting them at the end of the night too, like always.”
Dollar signs flashed in my head, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Hell, Saturday nights alone seem to be helping me meet my bills. The rest of the week will be gravy for me.”
Finishing the drinks, he placed them on a tray. “And you’ll get Sunday and Monday to recoup for next week’s fun. Have you made any plans for your days off yet?”
“Nah. I’m gonna just play it by ear.” I picked up the tray and headed off to make the girls happy.
The night just kept getting wilder and wilder with the tips coming at me left and right. Taylor came over to me as I walked up to the bar with a bunch of empties in my arms. “Hell, this is one hot night, don’t you think?”
“I’ve made enough money to do more than pay my bills, Taylor,” I said, leaning in so no one else would hear. “Thanks for calling me and asking me to come work here. This is a godsend.”
“I know, right?” she asked with a huge smile. “I knew you would clean up here.”
Laughing, I felt like I was on some kind of a high, knowing that the change I had made was definitely worth it. “I see a brand-new car in my future.”
With an exchange of high-fives, Taylor and I parted ways to tend to the club’s guests and see how much more cash we could attain.
On my third trip to the locker room to put away more cash, I passed Rob’s office again. His door wasn’t all the way open, just a bit ajar, but I tiptoed across anyway, hoping he wouldn’t hear the sound of my heels clicking against the tile floor. Unfortunately, my attempt to go unnoticed was in vain.
“Hey, Chicago, come here, will ya?” he called out to me.
A loud sigh escaped me. As I pushed the door open, I made sure I didn’t go fully into the room. Leaning on the door frame, I asked, “Yeah, boss?”
“Making bank, I see.” His feet were propped up on his messy desk, his hands linked behind his head as he rested it on them. He seemed to be relaxing after doing very little at all.
Back in Chicago, when the club was busy, everyone was busy, including the managers. But Rob didn’t work that way. It seemed he liked to sit back and watch other people work.
“I’m doing well.” Looking over my shoulder, I went on, “And I should get back to it. It’s busy as hell out there.”
“Yes, it is.” He sat up, taking a more managerial position. “You can take a half-hour break now. There’s a little café around the corner if you’re hungry.”
“I never eat when I’m working. It slows me down too much. I always eat after work.” Turning to leave, I added, “Thanks, but I don’t need a break, boss.”
“Take one anyway. I don’t want people thinking I overwork my staff. Catch some fresh air for a little while.” He chuckled. “That’s an order, Chicago. Take thirty and take it now. It’s eleven-thirty, and we always get another surge of people at midnight.”
“’K, boss.” I wasn’t about to argue with him.
After putting my money away and making sure it was locked up tight in my locker, I walked to the front to go outside and take in some cold night air.
Rounding a corner to go through the entrance hall, I stopped short when my eyes caught sight of a man I hadn’t seen in years.
Dark blond hair, longer on top than on the sides, caught my eye. Green eyes sparkled as the large chandelier’s light danced in his eyes. His tall, muscular frame moved with cat-like grace.
I faded into the wall, hiding behind several of the bouncers as I watched him walk through the hallway and into the interior of the club.
My breath caught in my throat as I whispered to myself, “Kane Price …”
