Page 6 of An Improper Deal (Elliot & Annabelle 1)
Chapter T
hree
Annabelle
Two days later—on Friday, when I’m supposed to sub for Caroline—I get a call from Chuck at two p.m. I’m tempted to ignore it, but maybe he’s calling to say he owes me some money. I did dance at his club after all.
“Hello?” I say, settling down in my couch.
“Can you get your ass down here tomorrow night?”
My eyebrows shoot up. “I thought you fired me.”
“Yeah, well. One of the regulars asked for you yesterday.”
“You gotta be kidding.”
“Nope.”
“You said I sucked.”
“Hey, what can I say? You did. But he wants to see you anyway.”
I grind my teeth. “What is this? Some kind of pity porn? Let’s see that chick suck on the stage so we can all have a laugh?”
“What’s with the negativity? He’s one of our best clients. Even gave you some money for the robot moves, right?”
Humiliation sears my face. I start to fan myself so I don’t pass out. That asshole. He told me to my face I was bad even as he gave me the money. So why the hell is he asking for me again?
“Tell him no.” I don’t care what Mr. Grayson wants me to do. I’m not going back on that stage just because that man wants me to, not even for another two-hundred-dollar tip. Then another thing occurs to me. “And you better not give him my name or contact info or I’m going to sue you for breach of privacy and everything else I can think of.”
“Hey, what am I? A pimp?” Chuck actually sounds offended. “You got nothing to worry about. I take care of my girls.”
“Good.” I lean back against the couch. “And Chuck?”
“Yeah?”
“Tell the guy life is full of disappointments.”
“Great. A stripper with philosophy.” Chuck snorts. “You even know who you’re dealing with?”
“Should I?”
“Yeah, you should. This guy, even if I don’t tell him, he wants to find out, he’s gonna find out.”
“How? I was only there for a day, and the other girls don’t know me. If you’re looking for a way to sell me out, forget it. I really mean it about suing you and your club.”
“He’s Elliot Reed.”
Chuck says the name like I should know it. “And…?”
“He’s a billionaire. Some kind of computer genius or something. And he’s Ryder Reed’s half-brother.”
My mouth forms a small O. Ryder Reed is maybe the hottest actor in Hollywood. But this Elliot guy doesn’t really look like him. “Genius or not, he still won’t find out who I am unless you tell him.”
“You got a lot to learn. People in this city, they’ll sell their own mother for an introduction to Ryder Reed. Elliot’s got leverage.”
“Well, that still doesn’t—”
