recognize her. Which made it even weirder.
I nursed a drink until Martin and his crew finally made their noisy departure. Pleasure Salon was winding down and more people were leaving.
Sierra sat up straight as if ready to follow Martin out. But then she slumped back down.
I knew I couldn’t walk out that door without trying once more with Sierra. How could any man walk away from a woman like that? Especially after what I had done.
I kept thinking about her. She haunted my mind, as I remembered little moments, a look or a motion that was seared into my brain. Why did she go to the Chamber? Why was she hiding behind that awful wig?
I had to find out more.
And I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Chapter 5
Sierra
I looked up and saw Victor coming towards me. There was an inevitability about his approach that was inescapable, a train wreck that I couldn’t avoid.
I wished he wasn’t so bronzed and good-looking. It was bad enough he seemed to see right through me, but I could hardly look at him without feeling all sorts of things stir around treacherously inside of me.
Victor slid into the booth next to me. He didn’t even have the grace to sit on the other side that the couple had just abandoned. I shifted over on the vinyl bench to get further away from him.
“C an you take off the wig now that they’re gone?” Victor asked first thing.
I glared at him, angry and frustrated. I had accomplished nothing tonight, except for finding out that Lola was now walking around in her bra and letting her new boyfriend beat her with fire in public.
Even more surprising, the crowd had loved Lola. Her nasty wisecracks and that twisted scowl she made every time someone tossed her a dollar instead of donating more, only made them laugh. People gave her more because of it!
All evening I felt panic bubbling up inside of me, like things were slipping out of control. Like Lola was receding into the distance, beyond my reach.
So I snapped at Victor, “Are you always this much of an asshole?”
“Apparently with you, I am.” His grin was rueful. “If you still want revenge, I can introduce you to the producers. They’re bound to tell other people what I did, and then they’ll warn all the newbies that they’re taking a risk if they play with me.”
I couldn’t imagine telling anyone what had happened with Victor. Look at how unsympathetic my own sister was! “I could have told a cop about it, if I wanted to. But I didn’t.”
“You mean that guy in the car who was waiting for you? He looked like a cop.”
Shocked, I finally met his gaze. “You followed me!”
“ We had an intense scene, and you were wobbly. I had to be sure you got home okay. But then I saw another guy was already waiting for you.”
“What’s your problem? You follow me last week and tonight you’ve been watching me like a hawk.”
“You’re worth watching.”
His tone was so honestly admiring that I couldn’t be a complete bitch. Besides, the damage was done. He had seen everything tonight.
“Come on,” Victor urged. “Tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help.”
I gave him a sideways look. “Why would you help me?”
He shrugged. “After what I did, I owe you one.”
He sat there looking so delicious that my hands twitched, wanting to touch his hair and his chest. It was traitorous, that feeling.
Sighing, I pulled off the red wig. It itched, and Lola was long gone. With both hands, I pulled out the barrettes that held my hair in place, letting it fall straight down.
“Much better,” Victor murmured. He handed me a napkin. “Lipstick, too.”
I bridled. “What makes you think this isn’t my usual shade?”
“It’s not.”
He said it with finality, as if he had known me for years. He was right, but that didn’t make me any more eager to do what he said. But the way he was stared made me feel like a clown. I slowly rubbed off the showy red color.
“Now we’re talking.” Victor looked
I nursed a drink until Martin and his crew finally made their noisy departure. Pleasure Salon was winding down and more people were leaving.
Sierra sat up straight as if ready to follow Martin out. But then she slumped back down.
I knew I couldn’t walk out that door without trying once more with Sierra. How could any man walk away from a woman like that? Especially after what I had done.
I kept thinking about her. She haunted my mind, as I remembered little moments, a look or a motion that was seared into my brain. Why did she go to the Chamber? Why was she hiding behind that awful wig?
I had to find out more.
And I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Chapter 5
Sierra
I looked up and saw Victor coming towards me. There was an inevitability about his approach that was inescapable, a train wreck that I couldn’t avoid.
I wished he wasn’t so bronzed and good-looking. It was bad enough he seemed to see right through me, but I could hardly look at him without feeling all sorts of things stir around treacherously inside of me.
Victor slid into the booth next to me. He didn’t even have the grace to sit on the other side that the couple had just abandoned. I shifted over on the vinyl bench to get further away from him.
“C an you take off the wig now that they’re gone?” Victor asked first thing.
I glared at him, angry and frustrated. I had accomplished nothing tonight, except for finding out that Lola was now walking around in her bra and letting her new boyfriend beat her with fire in public.
Even more surprising, the crowd had loved Lola. Her nasty wisecracks and that twisted scowl she made every time someone tossed her a dollar instead of donating more, only made them laugh. People gave her more because of it!
All evening I felt panic bubbling up inside of me, like things were slipping out of control. Like Lola was receding into the distance, beyond my reach.
So I snapped at Victor, “Are you always this much of an asshole?”
“Apparently with you, I am.” His grin was rueful. “If you still want revenge, I can introduce you to the producers. They’re bound to tell other people what I did, and then they’ll warn all the newbies that they’re taking a risk if they play with me.”
I couldn’t imagine telling anyone what had happened with Victor. Look at how unsympathetic my own sister was! “I could have told a cop about it, if I wanted to. But I didn’t.”
“You mean that guy in the car who was waiting for you? He looked like a cop.”
Shocked, I finally met his gaze. “You followed me!”
“ We had an intense scene, and you were wobbly. I had to be sure you got home okay. But then I saw another guy was already waiting for you.”
“What’s your problem? You follow me last week and tonight you’ve been watching me like a hawk.”
“You’re worth watching.”
His tone was so honestly admiring that I couldn’t be a complete bitch. Besides, the damage was done. He had seen everything tonight.
“Come on,” Victor urged. “Tell me what’s going on. Maybe I can help.”
I gave him a sideways look. “Why would you help me?”
He shrugged. “After what I did, I owe you one.”
He sat there looking so delicious that my hands twitched, wanting to touch his hair and his chest. It was traitorous, that feeling.
Sighing, I pulled off the red wig. It itched, and Lola was long gone. With both hands, I pulled out the barrettes that held my hair in place, letting it fall straight down.
“Much better,” Victor murmured. He handed me a napkin. “Lipstick, too.”
I bridled. “What makes you think this isn’t my usual shade?”
“It’s not.”
He said it with finality, as if he had known me for years. He was right, but that didn’t make me any more eager to do what he said. But the way he was stared made me feel like a clown. I slowly rubbed off the showy red color.
“Now we’re talking.” Victor looked
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