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“No, because I coement”

“Barry must like you,” I said

Phoenix gave rin that was part sex and part fun “Everybody likes me, Beautiful”

“I’ll bet they do,” I said, and stopped petting her hip, because if I wasn’t going to move my hand and do more, it was just a little too much repetition for me

I wrappedsure she didn’t fall off ain, Phoenix could have toldet the other customers warmed up, which meant she’d let me take liberties that she probably wouldn’t have ato build the illusion of girl-on-girl sex It’s a fine line to walk, pro it I could never have done it, but Phoenix understood the game, and thanks to the men in my life, I could play for a while

“So the other lap dances got spaced out through the night?” I said

Phoenix nodded, settling herself irl in the photo did her last lap dance onstage with Giselle”

“What ti his coffee

“Between two and three am” She turned in ht her She was going to nurse it and let the ice melt to weaken the alcohol, which didn’t mean she didn’t have a vice—just that alcohol wasn’t it

“Are you sure?” I asked, because if she was sure of the time, then Jocelyn’s alibi was solid

Phoenix put her drink down and turned to ain, not sexy but an unhappy frown that showed small lines on her face that the sirl and her friends left, I wasn’tnearly what I normally do Even when Giselle wasn’t with the the shoay for free, so no one wanted to pay to just watch”

“All three of theether?” Newman asked

“Early it was just your girl and the tall, dark-haired one, but later the third girl got drunk enough that she joined in, too” Phoenix made a derisive snort that wasn’t sexy but was very real “If you have to get that drunk to do it, you’re going to regret it later”

“Totally agree,” I said, and I did, which was a little weird

Phoenix was far more practical than I’d expected It made me like her better as a person, but be less attracted to her I debated asking her to change from my lap to a chair, but she’d have taken the request as an insult, so I didn’t bother But the longer she sat in , the less seductive she beca, but instead of sitting in a chair, she was inunder her real eation and my ability to control my metaphysics