year.”
Goddamned vegetarians. “Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night.”
She stiffens. “You want to take me on a real date?”
“Yeah.” I wonder why that surprises her. She’s flawless and intelligent. I know there’s a pack of wolves fighting over her. Maybe I affect her in ways other guys don’t. “There’s a great restaurant at the Omni Bay Hotel . . .”
“Can we go somewhere casual?” she interrupts. “Maybe sushi?”
She’s the first girl I’ve ever known to turn down a three-hundred-dollar meal. I’m pleasantly surprised. “Anywhere you want,” I say.
“Let’s get out of town,” she suggests. “There’s a great place in Rockport, a hole-in-the-wall, really. Sushi Luck. I love it.”
I consider the reasons why she wants to drive all the way to Rockport. She’s one of the best dancers at the Devil’s Den. There’s a price to pay for that notoriety. She risks a lot showing up to work every night—including her reputation. After she graduates, she’ll have a hard time transitioning from stripper girl to a young professional in Corpus. Although men from the corporate world frequent this establishment, in the morning they’d sooner stab you in the back than admit it.
I’ve wanted to ask her a question since the first night I visited here. “Why don’t you use a stage name?”
“I used to.”
I raise an eyebrow, hoping she’ll explain.
“I went by Savanah. One night at dinner with my family at Luby’s . . .” She sounds strangled. “A customer came over to my table and asked when I was going to be at work. That’s before my family knew what I did for a living. Put two and two together.”
I see the pain in her eyes. “Asshole.”
“Yeah,” she agrees. “It complicated things with my mother.”
She looks away. Now I know where that hint of sadness on her perfect face comes from. “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Four,” she says. “And you?”
“Just my sister, Gretchen.”
“That’s better than being alone,” she offers in consolation. I know she’s thinking about my parents’ tragic deaths.
“Are you lonely?” I ask, regretting it the moment it comes out.
She slants her head, wearing a blank expression. “I’m on my own most of the time.” She purses her lips, indicating that this part of the conversation has come to an end.
Garrick presses me for answers on private things. Is he writing a book? No, idiot, I tell myself, he’s genuinely interested . If he wanted a piece of ass, he could have gotten it the second night you knew him. Hell, if I wanted a piece of ass . . . There’s more to this. I feel it. Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone is out to take advantage of me. It’s hard to trust people in this business. Don’t get me wrong: my best friends—more accurately, my real family—have all come through this club. I don’t match the cookie-cutter personalities at school. Most of my professors respect me, but they call me steamroller for a reason. I’m opinionated and not afraid to share my philosophies when asked.
I’m uncomfortable with Garrick because he pegs everything about me. I am lonely. I can stand in a room naked with a hundred men ogling me and still get lonely. Does that make sense? If I’m going to date this guy, maybe I should open up a little. Let him catch glimpses of the real me—the girl who wants more than most of the women I work with. I see the brass ring. It’s far away, but damn it, I can see it.
“I get lonely,” I admit.
He runs his fingers through his thick hair. I watch every move he makes. I love the shape of his eyes, lips, and face. Don’t get me started on that perfect face.
“Let’s see if we can change that,” he says.
I don’t know if he’s a godsend or a devil. Somehow it doesn’t matter right now. I feel safe with him. I can’t explain it. And if I keep second-guessing myself, I’ll never get any sleep.
Chapter Six
I hear the rumble of
Goddamned vegetarians. “Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night.”
She stiffens. “You want to take me on a real date?”
“Yeah.” I wonder why that surprises her. She’s flawless and intelligent. I know there’s a pack of wolves fighting over her. Maybe I affect her in ways other guys don’t. “There’s a great restaurant at the Omni Bay Hotel . . .”
“Can we go somewhere casual?” she interrupts. “Maybe sushi?”
She’s the first girl I’ve ever known to turn down a three-hundred-dollar meal. I’m pleasantly surprised. “Anywhere you want,” I say.
“Let’s get out of town,” she suggests. “There’s a great place in Rockport, a hole-in-the-wall, really. Sushi Luck. I love it.”
I consider the reasons why she wants to drive all the way to Rockport. She’s one of the best dancers at the Devil’s Den. There’s a price to pay for that notoriety. She risks a lot showing up to work every night—including her reputation. After she graduates, she’ll have a hard time transitioning from stripper girl to a young professional in Corpus. Although men from the corporate world frequent this establishment, in the morning they’d sooner stab you in the back than admit it.
I’ve wanted to ask her a question since the first night I visited here. “Why don’t you use a stage name?”
“I used to.”
I raise an eyebrow, hoping she’ll explain.
“I went by Savanah. One night at dinner with my family at Luby’s . . .” She sounds strangled. “A customer came over to my table and asked when I was going to be at work. That’s before my family knew what I did for a living. Put two and two together.”
I see the pain in her eyes. “Asshole.”
“Yeah,” she agrees. “It complicated things with my mother.”
She looks away. Now I know where that hint of sadness on her perfect face comes from. “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Four,” she says. “And you?”
“Just my sister, Gretchen.”
“That’s better than being alone,” she offers in consolation. I know she’s thinking about my parents’ tragic deaths.
“Are you lonely?” I ask, regretting it the moment it comes out.
She slants her head, wearing a blank expression. “I’m on my own most of the time.” She purses her lips, indicating that this part of the conversation has come to an end.
Garrick presses me for answers on private things. Is he writing a book? No, idiot, I tell myself, he’s genuinely interested . If he wanted a piece of ass, he could have gotten it the second night you knew him. Hell, if I wanted a piece of ass . . . There’s more to this. I feel it. Sometimes I have to remind myself that not everyone is out to take advantage of me. It’s hard to trust people in this business. Don’t get me wrong: my best friends—more accurately, my real family—have all come through this club. I don’t match the cookie-cutter personalities at school. Most of my professors respect me, but they call me steamroller for a reason. I’m opinionated and not afraid to share my philosophies when asked.
I’m uncomfortable with Garrick because he pegs everything about me. I am lonely. I can stand in a room naked with a hundred men ogling me and still get lonely. Does that make sense? If I’m going to date this guy, maybe I should open up a little. Let him catch glimpses of the real me—the girl who wants more than most of the women I work with. I see the brass ring. It’s far away, but damn it, I can see it.
“I get lonely,” I admit.
He runs his fingers through his thick hair. I watch every move he makes. I love the shape of his eyes, lips, and face. Don’t get me started on that perfect face.
“Let’s see if we can change that,” he says.
I don’t know if he’s a godsend or a devil. Somehow it doesn’t matter right now. I feel safe with him. I can’t explain it. And if I keep second-guessing myself, I’ll never get any sleep.
Chapter Six
I hear the rumble of
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