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“Here’s your payslip.” Shay passes it to me as I drop my bag in a locker. This will be my first paycheck from the club. I’m hoping I can use it to make a bigger payment to the hospital. The bitch from the accounts department left me another voicemail this afternoon. I swear she’s fucking Satan’s sister. The woman has zero empathy.
I have ten minutes before I need to be on the main floor, so I quickly tear the envelope open to check I’ve been paid correctly. My jaw drops.That can’t be right. The figures don’t make sense. I know what my hourly rate is, and I’ve worked out what I’m owed before deductions, but this says I’ve been paid a thousand dollars more than I expected.
WTF?
There must be some kind of mistake, but I’ll have to ask Shay during my break. I shove the payslip back in the envelope and stuff it in my bag. The club is heaving when I hit the floor in my sequin bootie shorts and crop top. I much prefer this outfit to a bikini. I don’t have to worry about my tits falling out and it covers my ass better. At least we’re allowed to choose our own outfits here. Some clubs have a strict costume policy where lessis more. There’s no way I’m dancing in a piece of dental floss. I’m a dancer, not a stripper.
I wait for Maria to hop down from the podium. She grins at me and whispers, “Good tips tonight!” I smile in return. Most of the girls here are nice enough. Apart from Kat. Being friendly costs nothing and to be honest, I quite like the camaraderie.
Then it’s my turn and I lose myself in the music for an hour.
Chapter 18
Romano
The lines of code on my monitor blur into a jumbled mess. I can’t decide if it’s the last glass of whiskey I drank or the fact I’ve had barely five hours of sleep in the last week. It’s taken longer than expected to resolve the mess left behind by Dimitri, although Alexei has been surprisingly helpful. Probably because he has political ambitions, and he doesn’t need any complications from us. Aroldo hates the slimy fuck, but we can all agree that peace is better for business.
It’s nearly midnight and I’ve had enough. Paul is closing tonight so I don’t need to stick around. I could have left hours ago but I know Rory is in this evening. It’s pathetic, but the fact she won’t give me the time of day is driving me nuts. It’s like the night we spent together means nothing to her.
I caught a glimpse of her when she arrived for her shift, but she ignored me. Just looked right through me as if I didn’t exist. I’m not used to women treating me like I have fucking syphilis. It’s never happened before.
The pencil in my hand snaps in two and I grit my teeth. I need a break from this place. From my life. Maybe I should hit Vegas for a few days. Play a bit of poker, catch a show or two, and party like it’s 1999. Or whatever.
There’s a soft tap on the door. I switch the monitor off.
“Come in.”
To my surprise, Rory sticks her head around the door. We stare at each other for a moment. Her cheeks are pink and her lithe body is covered in a pair of pale pink sweats and a large black hoodie. She looks adorable and strangely vulnerable.
“Everything OK?” Considering how mad she was when I punched that asshole on her behalf, I’m a little surprised she’s sought me out voluntarily.
“Uhm, I got my payslip and it was…uhm…more than I was expecting? I asked Shay and she said I needed to talk to you.”
Ah. “You lost out on tips when I sent you home early, so I added them back in.”
Her jaw drops. “I wouldn’t make a thousand bucks in tips!”
I half-smile and shrug. “Bar takings are 50 percent up when you dance, so consider it a performance-related bonus.” The money means nothing to me. I’d pay her a lot more if I could get awaywith it. She fucking deserves the money. She’s by far the best dancer we have.
“But I can’t—”
The door flies open and Shay shoots in, a worried expression on her face. “Rory, someone from Jackson Memorial called, your mom’s been taken in.”
Rory turns ashen. “What? When did they call?”
“Just now.”
“But I told her to call me if she felt poorly, I’d have gone home!” Rory crumples in on herself, all her usual sass and fire vanishing in a puff of air. I know from the research I did that her mom has stage 3 cancer, so if she’s had a bad turn, it can’t be good. I can sense the panic building in her. She’s trying really hard to be strong, but it’s not working. Hardly surprising given how exhausted she probably is.
“Shay, tell Paul I’m taking Rory to the hospital and he’s in charge.” She nods and leaves. My mind’s made up. I can’t let her deal with this alone. I pull my phone from my pocket and call Rico to bring the car around. When I take hold of Rory’s arm, she startles, like she is unaware of my presence.
“I need to go,” she mutters.
“I know. I’m taking you there now.” She looks up, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “But—”
“No buts.” She doesn’t protest when I slide my arm around her slender waist and lead her down to the parking garage. I catchsight of Kat as we leave. Her lips are pursed in annoyance when she spots how close I am to Rory, but I ignore her. I don’t have time for her bullshit antics now. Rory needs me.
