Read Online Rotten by JL Brooks - Free Book Online Page B

bitch, but she was getting tipped out for doing a job. If she wasn’t doing her job, she didn’t deserve any tips. There were no issues the rest of the night, and the girls looked to me with gratitude.
    “That’s Lisa, Nichele’s little sister; she’s not use to being bossed around.”
    I winked. “If she plans on working here, she sure as hell better get used to it.”
    They all smiled and went about taking care of the customers as I made sure everything fell into place. This wasn’t anything that I expected to be doing, but I was actually having fun. For the first time in years, I loved what I was doing.
    David would occasionally come behind the bar, but I would wave him away. When the others smiled broadly, he knew I had it under control. The place roared with excitement and grew humid from the sweaty bodies. I watched as the girls moved about on stage, earning their money with every swing of their hips. They worked hard, I could tell. I was always so judgmental, but I saw it with new eyes. One of the girls came to the bar and shoved her way past the patrons.
    As she held out a five, I walked over to her.
    “What do you need, honey?”
    “Just water, if you don’t mind.”
    I glanced at her bill and refused it. Did she seriously expect to tip for water? I grabbed two glasses and filled them up. She downed them both and looked grateful. When she placed the five down again, I pushed it back.
    “It’s water, keep your money.”
    She reached out her hand, which I took and shook heavily.
    “Jodie, pleasure.”
    Jodie was one of the most attractive ones. I could tell she was younger, but she held an air of confidence. With dark, long, shiny tresses, and seductive brown eyes, she could charm the wallet out of any one of these sorry bastards. Her tan skin was kissed perfectly by the desert sun, and her body was rock solid from her pole acrobatics. As she walked away, I watched as several men simply slid bills in her garter just for stopping by. When she graced the stage, she captured the attention of the whole room.
    I knew I would like this girl. She was no nonsense. I met a few of the others through the course of the night, but she certainly stood out.
    After announcing last call, I finished the rush and went to take a break in the office. Emptying the bottle of water, I looked up and noticed the row of ledgers on the top shelf. Being nosy, I took one down and started to glance over the entries.
    Seven hundred dollars, Sloan Elementary Football. Six hundred and forty dollars, Sloan Baptist Church food pantry. Nine Hundred dollars, Sloan’s Children’s Land. Over and over, I absorbed every line. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were used to support local needs. My father was keeping this town alive. I sunk to the floor, holding the books.
    This must have been what David was going to show me. He thought I would be pissed to know that my daddy’s money was spent on this. I couldn’t be more humbled. My dad used what he had to help others. He used this money to put me through school, and how did I repay him? He gave and gave – that’s why his house was falling to shit. He was blowing his money making sure that the kiddos had new uniforms, or that the families had enough to eat. He sacrificed so others did not have to do without.
    I curled into the fetal position, devastated at my misconceptions of my father and this place. I wondered if they knew what he was doing. I wondered why he let that stupid bitch rob him blind. So many more questions poured in that I didn’t have answers to. When I didn’t come out again, David went looking for me. Opening the door and seeing me on the ground, he immediately dropped to his knees and pulled me close.
    “Is this what you were going to show me? Is this why you thought I would be pissed?” I set the ledgers down and fell deeper into his chest.
    “Yeah, part of it. I didn’t know how to tell you. He doesn’t make anything here; he gives it all away. It’s barely enough