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“So what, T? Because she’s not a fucking slut bag like the bitches you normally fuck, you aren’t interested?” he asks, and deep down I know he’s right She was mine from the first ti outside, laughing with ht then and there, I knew that she wasled to another the night of my niece’s birth I finally had her under in Ever since that day, I try to avoid her

“Gotta go,” I say; getting up, I throw some money on the table, and look at Liz one last ti her hair behind her ear My blood boils I know I need to get over it, or step up to the plate; but either way, I need to uy looks over in“Ga out the door

Chapter 1

Liz

I get to the front door of the club and shove it open; my stomach is full of butterflies In all the time I’ve lived here, I have never been inside this club I never thought I would even visit, let alone co e from the bar

“Can I help you?” a very pretty older lady asks She’s standing behind the bar, wiping out a glass

“I, u another small step inside

“Sure, honey Co hall She opens the last door

“Shannon, giveup frorarumbles I smile and walk around the desk, take the mouse from him, and click on the e-mail icon He chuckles, “Hey, darlin’ How are you?” He asks in the fatherly tone that I’ve come to love Mike and my dad had been best friends until , Mike had helped my mom out with my brother and me whenever she needed an extra hand I used to pray that Mike andmore than friends

“Could be better,” I say, feeling the tears start to cliain

“What’s wrong?” Mike asks, standing fro me over to the couch

“Well, I need a job ”

“Okay,” he says, and I can tell he doesn’t knohat to think “What’s going on with the store?” he asks, and I can no longer control the tears

“Tim stole all of oura face plant into his chest I don’t knohat happened to the brother that I used to know, the one ould coht to check in on me after our father passed away We used to be close; then he raduated froht years, before it closed down due to the econoot paid, I would put s I have always loved to shop, and there were never any stores in town that carried anything that I would buy; so I made a plan, saved my money, and finally, my dreams were realized “Temptations” was opened

I sat up, looking over Mike’s shoulder “Three o, when Tim came to visit, he asked if he could helpso reed I didn’t know that the real reason he wanted to help one, and so is all of the store’s money…and mine I can’t tell my mo

married in a feeeks and doesn’t need the added stress fro into finding Tim and the twenty-three thousand dollars he stole, but who kno long that could take I’ve already lost e while I stay in the back rooot a notice two days ago saying that I was late paying the rent for the store I can’t afford to lose

“Shhhhh, darlin’, it’s okay, everything will be alright Nove her apartive you the money ”

I shake my head back and forth “I can’t take the ht ”

“I can’t have you work for ht hand on uns, but I know I needit

“Can you reco like I'ives me

“You’re not going to work at another club,” he says, running his hands down his face “Jesus, I don’t knohat the fuck I' this shit ” When his eyes come back to me, I can tell that he’s really torn “Look, you can serve drinks, but you can’t work on stage ”

“Okay ” I agree ie I would if I had to, but the idea of taking offto appear sexy just see to say about this?” Mike asks, and I looked away Trevor likes to scare away any man who shows the least bit of interest in me I’m pretty sure that I’m halfway in love with his are not ht of him as one of my best friends, until the day July was born We ended up at his house, celebrating over a bottle of vodka Things ended up getting hot and heavy He had his hand down ht up in theit had been, I told him “never” I didn’t mean I’ve never had sex; I meant that I had never felt that kind of fire, like my whole body was lit from the inside out As soon as I said the word “never”, he stopped immediately I tried to tell hinored me He then handed me my shirt fro , because I had never been more humiliated in my life

“Trevor has no say in what I do We don’t even talk any the sadness in my own voice

“Yeah, alright ” Mike says, running his hand through his hair “You can start toet you a uniform ”

“Thanks a lot ” I say quietly, looking at the hands in my lap

“Don’t thank me yet, honey ”

“This means a lot I know that this isn’t easy for you ”

“Okay, darlin’ ” He sighs, pulling“I’ll see you toht; I’ll have one of the girls show you where everything is, and what you need to do ” He stands, taking a set of keys out of his pocket “These are for the aparth the basement door that’s around the back of the house Just let yourself in Toet youto control the eoing to be okay, Liz,” Mike says again, pulling et your uniform, and I’ll see you tomorrow ”