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“Fuck friends, you mean,” Augie drawled.
Lyric rolled her eyes at him. “Not everyone is as big a slut as you are, Aug.”
He wasn’t fazed by her insult. Probably because it was true.
“It’s kind of like speed dating though, right? I think I like it. Maybe we’re a strip club four nights a week and something else on the fifth night. A place to meet people.” A kernel of excitement lit me up as the idea took hold. “Each week could have a different theme, but all geared around getting people meeting up in person. Everyone bitches about how much they hate the dating and hookup apps, why can’t we go back to basics? But with a little help to get them mingling.”
Lyric nodded. “We have to try new things. We’ll never know what works and what doesn’t. What about a fancy-dress night? Maybe to coincide with the Opposites Attract party. Dressing up is more fun with a theme.”
I grinned. “If it’s Opposites Attract, Boston and I could come as a stripper and security guard without even getting a costume.”
Augie sniggered.
“Zeph and I could come as a priest and a prostitute without dressing up either,” Lyric mumbled.
I looked at her sharply. “You are not a prostitute.”
“Depends who you ask, apparently.”
I wanted to argue with her, but she gave me a quiet shake of her head, silently asking me not to push any further.
I mused on the idea some more. “If we could do one really big night per week it would make the other slower nights less painful.” But deep down, I knew it wasn’t enough. “We still need to hire a new act though. These parties are great, but we need bodies in here every night of the week. Without Fawn’s sweet-and-innocent thing, I feel like the customers are dropping like flies.”
Lyric hunched in her seat. I waited for her to react as violently as she had in the past when I’d mentioned needing to hire a new stripper. But this time, she nodded. “Maybe you’re right.”
Augie shoved his chair back viciously and got to his feet. His hands trembled with anger, or maybe hurt, but I wasn’t scared. Augie was tough as nails on the outside, and few people saw the soft, marshmallow center he sheltered behind crass words and an ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude.
But I saw him.
I knew his reaction was solely to do with the way he cared about Fawn. It was brotherly love, on his side at least. But it was strong.
“She’s coming back, Eve,” he growled. “And her job needs to be here waiting for her.”
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, feeling his pain mixed in with my own. “Aug, Lyric needs the cash. She’s got Amelia—”
His fist came down hard on my desk, his eyes flashing. “Amelia has a roof over her head, a mother who adores her, and all of us. What the fuck does Fawn have? An abusive ex who’s keeping her prisoner somewhere? We aren’t giving up on her! Not fucking happening. I’m not out there searching for her every damn day for no reason. I don’t care if you’ve all given up, I haven’t!”
Lyric glared at him. “Nobody’s given up on her.”
“Sure sounds like you care more about money than Fawn.”
I cringed at the two of them bickering with each other. It was their normal state of being, and it normally came from a place of love. The two of them were like brother and sister. But everyone’s emotions had been running high for weeks, especially mine, though I tried to hide it. I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Okay, enough. Go get ready for the doors to open. Or go home. Augie, I’m talking about you, specifically. You can’t be here if I think you’re going to explode the first time a customer looks at you wrong.”
Augie shouldered past Phoenix. “Fine by me. I’m going to go search for my friend. Again. The one you all seem to have written off.”
Phoenix, Lyric, and I all watched him go. Phoenix looked to me. “Should I go after him? He’s pretty worked up.”
I shook my head. “Let him go. He needs to cool off. I’ll talk to him again tomorrow.”
Phoenix nodded. He paused awkwardly by the door. “He’ll come around. We all know you love Fawn and that she can’t be replaced, even if we do hire a new staff member.”
I pressed my lips together, grateful for the way he understood me. “Thank you.”
With a quiet nod, he disappeared into the club.
Lyric stood slowly, shouldering the gym bag she used when she needed to take costumes home to wash. The two of us locked eyes, and it was like I could see right inside her brain, even before she said the words we were both thinking.
“Do you think she’s dead?” she whispered.
