“I’ll make sure you have your first month pay by then.”

“That would be great. Thank you.”

He didn’t say anything else before he turned and left.

I stood looking down at the most insane scattered mess on the floor and smiled. This would take time. I had plenty to do and this was really going to help Jasper. It wasn’t a hand out because he felt sorry for me. It was a job. One he needed organized desperately. That fact made me feel much better about this situation.

The next couple of hours, I got lost in my task. When I glanced down at my watch, I realized I needed to get back to the house to do a few things before I went to my evening job at the club. I enjoyed being tucked away in this room alone with the files. I was dreading working at the club tonight. But if I ever wanted to go to nursing school, I needed to start putting money away.

Standing in front of the desk, I surveyed the pile of papers with a smile of satisfaction. I slipped my shoes back on and walked out into Jasper’s office. He was standing with his hands tucked in his pockets, talking on the speaker phone. I paused, hoping he saw me. The call sounded like business with someone in his Chicago office from the brief snippet of conversation I heard.

He turned before I heard too much and gave me a slight nod.

“I have an appointment, John. We’ll talk later. Just go ahead and use Samantha for that area,” he said, then walked over and ended the call.

“You ready to leave?”

“Yes, please. I need to finish at the house before I leave for work tonight.”

Jasper frowned. “This is going to be a long day for you.”

“Or productive,” I replied.

He grinned then. “That’s putting a positive spin on things.”

The door to his office opened, grabbing our attention. Stone wasn’t dressed like he belonged here. His clothes weren’t surprising though because the jeans and T-shirt combo was all I ever saw him in.

Stone’s eyes went from Jasper to me, then back to Jasper. “You ready for lunch?”

It was almost three o’clock.

“I forgot. I need to get Beulah home first. Let’s take her on our way.”

“Why is she here?” Stone asked, sounding more annoyed than anything.

“She’s organizing that shit back there for me,” Jasper said. “Stop acting like an ass.”

Stone didn’t look my way again. “Then let’s go. I’m starving.”

“As always, a charmer.” Jasper was clearly amused by his friend’s scowl.

I wondered if Jasper was the only friend he had and that was why he was always around. With a personality like that I didn’t imagine anyone could like him much.

“How many jobs does she need?” Stone asked finally, flicking his gaze my way but only for a moment.

“Not your business,” Jasper told him then winked at me.

“No, but it’s your fucking business so I hope you’re thinking clearly.” The way he said it made it sound like I was somehow using Jasper. It was insulting.

“I can handle some things on my own, Stone.” This time he didn’t sound as amused.

I wondered about his choice of words though. “Some things” was an odd way of explaining our situation. What was it he couldn’t handle on his own?

“Sure, let’s get going so I can eat.”

I wanted to point out he didn’t do anything all day and could eat whenever he wanted, but I kept my mouth shut.

Jasper started talking about a party he wanted to have next weekend for Tate’s birthday At least that kept them busy and their top of conversation off me until I was dropped at home.

I would make sure that I wasn’t scheduled to work Saturday night at the club. I had a party to serve it would seem.

THE FIRST THING I SAW when I walked into the employees only room at the club was the back of Shauna’s red head as she knelt in front of Neil who was holding the back of her head as he groaned with pleasure. I stopped dead in my tracks. They didn’t seem to notice me. Neil’s eyes were closed and his other hand was on the wall for support I assumed.

“Fuck, Shauna, fuck that’s good, baby,” he said just as his eyes opened to look down at her, but he caught sight of me and locked his sex-hungered gaze on me instead. I expected him to stop her or . . . something. I didn’t expect a slow smile to appear on his face as he continued to let her go at it.

“I’m gonna come,” he said as he kept looking at me.

My face heated. I wanted to run from the room but my feet seemed to be cemented to the floor. I was in shock.

“Uh,” he said his eyes slightly closing. “Ohhyeah! Oh, fuck. Here it comes,” he said leaning heavily on the wall now as he let out a long low groan of satisfaction.

I spun around and ran from the room.

I hadn’t been prepared to witness that. I wish I’d been able to move sooner. Run faster. Jeez! They didn’t even lock the door.

“Going the wrong way, aren’t you?” Carey said as he stepped out of his office. “You need to get dressed in your uniform first.”

I opened my mouth to say something when Shauna spoke. “Show’s over. You can use the room to get dressed now.”

I couldn’t look at her.

Carey chuckled like he knew exactly what had just happened. “Breaking in the new girl early, I see.”

I needed to talk to Carey about my hours, but at this moment, I just wanted to find a closet or quiet space to compose myself. My pink cheeks made me look like an innocent school girl—the entire staff would make fun of me now.

I didn’t wait around for more laughter and comments. I hurried back to the room forgetting that Neil hadn’t exited yet. However, when I came face to face with him as I opened the door, I remembered. Dang it.

Neil’s lips curled up at the edges. “Sorry about that.”

He didn’t look sorry at all.

“There’s a lock on the door,” I pointed out.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “But what’s the fun in locking it? Takes away from the thrill of someone walking in and watching.”

I didn’t say anything to that crude comment. I started to step around him when his hand touched my arm. “I’m sorry. I’d say that was a moment of lust and I needed some relief, but honestly, you’ll need to adjust to seeing things like that around here. It’s kind of an open thing with the others.” He paused as if he were thinking about his next words. “And Shauna gives one hell of a blow job.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said tugging my arm free as I hurried past him inside.

“You’ll warm up to it. And I look forward to when you do,” he said and left the room.

I let out a sigh of relief as he shut the door, and I allowed myself a second to compose myself. Changing in here now seemed more vulnerable than before. I didn’t want someone walking in when I was alone, thinking I was interested in . . . something else. I’d come to work dressed from now on. If the employees and owner wanted to share all the STD’s they were likely to get screwing around like they were, I didn’t have to be a part of it.

Getting through this first official night and finding time to talk to Carey about my work hours was all I should have been focused on. Unfortunately, it got busy early and I never found the chance to talk to him.

At the end of my shift, I counted my money, and I did get over one hundred dollars in tips. Monday must be a good night at the club, and now I felt like it was worth the lack of sleep I’d be feeling tomorrow.

Neil and a blonde waitress flirted most of the evening. He even gave me a suggestive grin more than once. That guy had serious issues. I’d decided he was a manwhore, until his wife came in for a drink after her work shift ended. Then I realized he was a manwhore adulterer. Yuck.

When I finally walked into the house at three in the morning, I found Stone sitting in the great room with the gas fire going, even though it was only sixty degrees outside. He looked up from the book in his lap and didn’t smile. Not that I expected him to. He never smiled.

“Why are you working three jobs?” he asked.

I was too tired for this. For him. “Why are you sitting in Jasper’s house at three in the morning drinking his whiskey?”