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‘Well, yeah, that’s true. It can still be intense, though.’
‘I’ll be okay, I promise. I’m pretty good at grinning and bearing it.’ I tried to inject confidence into my words—confidence I absolutely didn’t feel.
‘Promise me that if you need to tap out, you will. And that if there are any issues, you’ll come to me.’
‘I promise.’
Stretching out my weary legs, I was so glad it was Sunday tomorrow and a day off from both uni and work. Almost at the end of my second week. A third of the way through. My calves and arches ached from wearing heels for hours on end. The ribbon dress made me feel desirable, but after a few hours, it irritated my arms every time I moved them. Only an hour or so to go…
The barman, Adam, passed me a glass of water with a smile. ‘Quiet night, huh?’
‘Yeah,’ I said, taking a sip and closing my eyes as the cold water hit my tongue. ‘God, I can’t wait to get these heels off. The red ones are so uncomfortable.’
‘You complain about them every time you wear them. Get some different ones.’
The fact that Ruby complained about them too made me smile. Maybe we weren’t completely different after all.
‘You should just ask one of the sub guys for a foot rub. Then you are working and get to ditch the shoes.’ Adam rinsed the used glasses as he spoke before stacking them into a dishwasher tray for the kitchen guy.
‘They’d do that?’ The thought of a stranger touching my feet gave me the heebie-jeebies, but the idea of sitting on my ass and taking off the heels was pretty damn appealing.
‘What’s gotten into you? You know they do. I see you utilise them at least once a week.’ Adam looked up at me, and I lowered my glass, fidgeting with the condensation on the edge.
‘Sorry. Of course, they do. I’m just super tired this week. I get a bit forgetful when I’m run-down.’
Maybe a foot rub wouldn’t be so bad…
‘Emilia is stuck in the bathroom after eating bad sushi. I need you on stage in five, Ruby,’ a commanding voice said behind me.
I pivoted on my heels and swallowed when I met Ewen McGowan’s piercing gaze.
‘I… was just going to…’
He sighed and held up his hands. ‘We don’t have time for mock resistance. What do you want? Double time? Triple? I just need you up on the stage edge in five minutes.’
He stalked off, leaving me gaping like a freshly caught fish as my stomach clenched. Where the hell was Molly? She could help.
Except that Molly was currently sitting on some guy’s lap, whispering in his ear while taunting him with a key on a chain.
‘Best get your arse up there,’ Adam said. ‘You know he hates being made to wait.’
Shit.
Oh shit!
Feeling like a shaky-legged foal, I made my way to the central stage. It gleamed a polished dark wood and was lit with a series of candelabras on the dark red walls. A low-hanging chandelier highlighted the centre stage, and in the wings, Ewen waited.
How the heck was I going to do a performance with him while keeping my true identity a secret? My heart pounded as I took the side stairs and stopped a few feet from him. Ewen looked positively bored. Not a hint of emotion on his face as he eyed me.
‘What are your terms, Ruby? The usual?’
My mind raced as my throat seemed to block up. Holy hell.
This man—this icy asshole—was about to touch me, not to mention whatever the fuck else.
I itched to turn and flee, to call Ruby and tell her that the deal was off; that there had to be another way. The only problem was that there wasn’t another way.
Twenty minutes. I could do anything for twenty minutes. He’d take control. All I had to do was deal with it.
