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Rook tipped her five dollars.

“Why are you tipping her for insulting me?” Ruckus demanded.

“Quality work deserves compensation,” Rook told him.

Micah almost choked on his drink.

Another dancer stopped beside our table long enough to steal two of Asa’s fries. She introduced herself as Jade, compact and muscular with dark curls twisted off her neck and silver glitter across her collarbones.

I was looking at her arms.

She caught me. “You an athlete?”

“Runner.”

“Knew it.” Her gaze dropped briefly to my legs. “You’ve got the build.”

I glanced toward the stage. “How long did it take you to learn that sideways thing?”

Jade smiled. “You want to try?”

Behind me, Rook said, “No.”

I turned. “Did you just tell me no?”

“No. I told the universe no.”

“Universe declined,” Jade said.

Ruckus leaned toward his brother. “I don’t think it respects your authority.”

Rook pointed at me. “This is a very bad idea. I want that on the record. Right next to Clayton is an idiot.”

Jade crooked a finger at me.

I stood.

Clayton looked delighted. Micah looked horrified.

“Where are you going?” Micah asked.

“I’m learning.”

“That answer somehow made it worse.”

I followed Jade away from the table.

The main stage had emptied while the DJ announced something about amateur night and sign-ups. A few women near the bar cheered.

I stopped. “No.”

Jade glanced back. “No what?”

“I’m not stripping.”

“I didn’t ask you to.” She pointed toward one of the poles.

She took me around the side of the stage rather than up the center steps.