“How did you get into debt?” he asks.
“My sister got into debt and couldn’t pay it. So it’s not really my debt, but…”
“Wait, what? Why can’t your sister pay for it?” he asks, practically growling.
“I don’t know. We aren’t even close, but I’m older than her, and I didn’t want anything to happen to her. The guy she owed the money to was threatening her. At the end of the day, we are still blood. I told him I’d get him the money. He said I could pay it off. I think he felt sorry for me cleaning up London’s messes.”
“I can’t believe this shit,” Grayson snaps.
“What?”
“What do you mean what? Your sister is obviously taking advantage of you and making you deal with her problems. You should tell her to pay it her damn self,” he says, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
I shrug. “It is what it is. I couldn’t let her get beaten up, or worse.”
“That’s why you were stripping? To pay for her debt?” he asks, seething.
I nod. His fists clench. “Little bitch,” he mutters.
“Hey, that’s my sister you’re talking about.”
He looks up at the ceiling. “And you’re still protecting her. Un-fucking-believable.”
“Yeah, well, she’s the only sister I have. And at least she talks to me now and again.”
Unlike my brother.
“This is the first time you’ve even spoken about your sister,” he says, massaging my shoulders.
“Yeah, nothing much to say.” I suddenly remember that I have work tonight, and I sit up. “Shit, I have work at six, can you take me home?”
“Work?” he asks, mouth hanging open.
I roll my eyes. “Not at Toxic. I got a new job at a bar called Ivy Lounge. It’s close by.”
He nods. “I know that place. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Come on, I’ll take you home. Do you need a lift to work?” he asks, lifting my hand to his mouth and kissing it.
“No, it’s okay. It’s only a ten minute walk, and if I’m there late, I’ll just catch a cab home.”
“Why are you so stubborn?” he says, shaking his head.
“I don’t like to be an inconvenience.”
He gapes. “Are you serious? I’d sit there your whole shift, watching you, if you wanted me to. And I wouldn’t complain one bit, because I wouldn’t mind.”
A smile forms on my lips. “You wouldn’t mind, but I would.”
“I know,” he grumbles. “Come on, let’s get you home then.”
We walk to his bike hand in hand.
Chapter Eighteen
“So where did you work before here?” Aiden innocently asks, causing me to almost choke on my drink.
“Oh, you know,” I say, trying to wave off his question.
“No, I don’t know, but now I’m certainly intrigued,” he says, brows rising.
“Maybe we should wait until I’m hired for sure,” I say, inciting a laugh from him. He may laugh, but I’m being dead serious.
“Come on, I won’t judge you on it. I swear,” he says, crossing his heart with his finger.
Backed into a corner, I either have to tell the truth or lie. As I’ve recently learnt, truth is always the best option. “I used to work at Toxic.”
His mouth drops. “The strip club?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, the strip club.”
He eyes my body. “I guess I could see that.”
I gasp. “You pig!”
He laughs. “I’m just messing around. Well, you’re hot. No judgement though, I swear.”
I narrow my eyes on his. “We’ll see about that.”
He laughs harder. “I’m not going to ask you to give me a show or anything if that’s what you’re waiting for.”
I blink. “Are you always this annoying?”
“Yes,” he says. “Actually, I get worse than this.”
My eyes widen. “Is this why you needed to hire someone? Everyone quit after they worked with you, didn’t they?”
He shakes his head at me. “Oh, please. Everyone loves me.”
“You’re the boss. I’m sure they pretend to,” I add, smirking.
“But not you, huh?” he replies, laughing some more. A group of customers walk toward the bar.
“Time to see what you’re made of,” he says, waving his hand toward the people.
“Trust me, this is nothing,” I brag.
He follows behind me. “Let’s see then.”
I serve two customers as he serves the others. I check the drink chart for one of the drinks, the other’s simple—a vodka orange. I use the register as Aiden had shown me, and give the correct change.
“Easy peasy,” I say when the customers leave.
He nods. “You did well.”
“So? Do I have the job?” I ask eagerly.
He grins. “We will see at the end of the night.”
Challenge accepted.
"How was your first day at work?” Grayson asks as he sits on the grass next to me.
“It was good actually. It was a trial shift, to see how I did, but he told me at the end of the night I was hired,” I say, popping a grape in my mouth.
“I bet he did,” Grayson mutters.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, my hackles rising.
“Nothing,” he says, sliding closer to me.
I put my hands up. “Say it. Don’t be a pussy,” I demand.
His mouth opens in shock at my comment. Then he bursts out laughing. “I can’t believe that just came out of your little mouth.”
“Hmmph.”
“I just meant that you’re a sexy, beautiful girl…”
“Yeah, not because I’m a hard worker or anything, right?” I say, pursing my lips.
“Of course you’re a hard worker. And you’re smart. I’m not denying that,” he says, giving me a crooked smile. “Just ignore me. I’m jealous as an idiot.”
“Jealous? Seriously?”
He lifts his arm and wraps it around my shoulder. I lean my head on his chest, welcoming his comfort. “I just feel off-kilter, you know? I don’t like this space we have between us now.”
I stay silent, just breathing in his scent and enjoying being back in his arms.
“Can I take you out tonight?” he asks. “Maybe you can stay over?”
I look up at him, at his hopeful expression. “Okay.”
His shoulders relax. “Good. My sister wants to spend some time with you as well.”
“Yeah, she said she would message me.”
“I think she’s planning on asking you to go out with her this weekend,” he says, pushing my hair off my neck and to the side.
“Is Dylan going to be there?” I ask, hating to admit that I would rather not see her face.
“Don’t worry about her, okay. She doesn’t have me; she never did. I’m all yours. I’ll tell Leah to make sure Dylan isn’t around.”
I sigh. “Yeah, okay.”
He chuckles. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“I do want to. Maybe I’ll bring Anaya along with me,” I say, nodding my head.
“You do know that I’m coming, right,” he says into my ear. Goosebumps appear all over my skin.
“How can you come? I haven’t even touched you yet,” I reply, grinning at my response.
He shakes his head at me. “Me. You. Tonight.”
“I have a condition,” I say.
“Anything.”
“Listen to what I have to say first. If you’ve forgiven me for everything, then I need you to actually forgive me, and not throw it in my face every chance you get.” This is important to me. We either move on, or we don’t. I know it’s harder said than done, and selfish on my part to ask this of him, but I need to know.
He leans down and kisses me. “I forgive you. I won’t bring it up again.”