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"Yeah, but they don't get involved with hiring dancers. It's supposed to be a safe haven; the last thing some omegas need are male alphas watching them dance and perform, judging to see if they're good enough. That's where Roxy comes in. She's like the de facto manager. And she's awesome. You'll love her."
A fantasy flashes before my eyes, a vision of my future, of being an omega like these women from South Loop, who are their own bosses. Who are in control of their own lives and their own decisions.
As mad as I was an hour ago, I was resigned to my fate. I still am. But I can take a detour. I've never done that before, but if I'm getting married soon, to the mayor's pack, no less, I will go crazy if I don't do something for myself. So that someday when I have children and grow old, I can look back and think, I did something once. It wasn't what was expected of me; it wasn't something my family or future alphas would ever approve of. But I still did it.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes, I want to meet Roxy. And stay at your apartment. At least for a few days." For the first time since I left my house, maybe for the first time in ages, I feel something like excitement. It's not strong, more nerves than anything, but it cuts through the shame and sadness of my fate, urging me forward.
"Stay as long as you want. Sully owns the place, it's not like he needs the rent money." She rolls her eyes again, making me laugh.
This is insane. I can't dance at a strip club. What in the world am I thinking?
And yet, as Ophelia gives me directions to her old apartment, shares her neighbor Melanie's phone number with me in case I need anything, and sets up a meeting with Roxy for the following day, something inside me screams to follow this path, no matter where it leads.
Chapter 2
Red
"Dude, check it out. It has a motion sensor that’ll go directly to our phones." Cass practically bounces next to me.
"Groundbreaking," I deadpan.
"Nah man, see, look, I’ve already downloaded the app." Cass excitedly shoves his phone in my face, like I didn't understand the concept of a wireless security system the first time he brought it up. He's the only person I know who could get this pumped about very basic technology most people have in their homes.
With the heat Ophelia's been getting lately, and with her connection to our club, it's best we finally up our game and invest in something that isn't just our reputation.
I shake my head at Cass and push him off, but he’s like a puppy with a chew toy. Since I'm not as animated as he wants me to be, he grumbles, "I’m gonna go show Roxy."
Just as Cass is leaving, Phe walks into the office. He nearly trips, giving her a double take, but the door slams shut in his face.
Ignoring his strange reaction, Phe makes herself at home, propping her ass on my desk, kicking her legs up to stretch out on the chair opposite me, and a baiting scent hits me.
"What the hell is that?" I breathe her in.
She frowns. "What?"
Inching closer, I briefly catch a sweet scent that isn’t hers, but it vanishes.
"What? Do I smell?" She asks, sniffing her pits. Those unfortunate days when Phe used to wear cheap over-the-counter scent-blockers which reacted poorly with her scent, making her smell like melted plastic, caused us all to have PTSD. She wore that shit for years, but now, on the rare occasion she wears it—she might have mated billionaires, but she’s still a cheap ass—it’s almost unbearable.
But she’s not wearing blockers, so whatever it was that lingered with her in the office is gone. I can’t identify it, so I let it go.
"I’m bored. My friend just left. You guys almost done?" She asks her mates. Enzo’s completely fixated on whatever the fuck he’s doing on one of our office computers. I assumed he was finishing the security install, but he could also be hacking into our financial system and reinvesting our payroll flush for all I know.
"How can you be bored in a room full of tits?" Theo gasps.
Phe gives Theo a glare, then shrugs. "Good point. Want to go watch?"
"Thought you’d never ask, lovebug."
"You’re the fucking worst," Asher groans, but gets up to follow them out, leaving me alone in the office with Enzo and Sully.
Sully’s a man of action, and I can tell he’s got something on his mind. Since I have no clue how long Enzo is gonna take, I pull a bottle of whiskey from my desk drawer—such a fucking cliche but I love it—and pour two glasses, taking a seat in the chair across the couch from where he’s seated. He takes a few sips, biding his time, and we sit here in silence, pretending we're friends or some shit.
"Rubens still coming around?" he finally asks.
"Yep."
"I’m impressed, he’s really stepped up his game. He’s been trying to convince Fletcher to hire a few more doctors to have a permanent off-campus role, rotating through the omega clinics in town. Maybe implement it as a national standard." The OFA is a national program, but we have a home field advantage in Arrow Cove; it’s the largest facility, therefore the one with the strongest influence over the rest of the facilities.
