Page 33 of Rum & Coke

I chuckled. “I only saw it once almost two months ago.”

She exhaled a breath. “Good.”

“But why?”

Sommer turned and leaned against the counter. “I guess it’s my own fault.”

“What? How?”

“I’ve always thought he was cute, and since I started three years ago, I flirted with him a little. It led to things.”

“More than a blow job?” I whispered.

She nodded.

“Oh, wow.”

“And no, he doesn’t pay me.”

“I guess that’s good?”

Sommer chuckled. “I guess it means I’m not a whore.”

“But our boss?”

“It’s actually really good.”

“Really?”

“If you like a no-strings-attached thing. Plus, he knows what he’s doing.”

The mention of no strings reminded me of Vinny. I needed to talk to him. Maybe thatwouldmake me feel better.

“Hey, Brent,” I greeted as I crawled toward him on the stage. Like clockwork, he and his construction crew were here.

“Hey, Scarlett. How’s your day going?”

I chuckled and twirled my legs around as I sat on my butt. His gaze zeroed in on my center and not my eyes when I replied, “I’ve had better. How was your work?” I moved, forcing his eyes to move back up to my face.

“Good. It’s getting hotter out there, and I’m already dreading the summer.”

“I bet.” I continued to dance in front of him.

Brent stuck out a bill, and I turned my hip so he could slip it into my bottoms. “Lap dance for the road?”

I grinned. “Sure thing.”

My two songs of the set ended, and I quickly started to pick up the bills that were left on the stage or had fallen out. I turned to look at Brent to tell him I’d come around to get him, but just as I did, I saw a figure in my peripheral vision up in Sebastian’s office. I glanced up and saw him staring at me—again.

“Have a good night, Scarlett,” Galen, one of the bouncers, said as he held the side door open for me so I could exit.

“Thank you, you too.” I smiled and continued to my silver Corolla.

After I slid in and buckled my seatbelt, I cranked the engine and started to reverse out of the parking space. A car a few spaces over turned their lights on, and when I pulled out of the lot, the car turned in the same direction as I did. “Chains”by Nick Jonas blared through my speakers, and I started to dance a little, moving side to side as I sang at the top of my lungs.

Just as I was about to turn onto the street where my apartment was, I realized the car that left Red Diamond after me was still behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I stopped singing. Was this person following me? Who was it? I couldn’t tell what kind of car it was, but it was dark—maybe black or dark blue? Instead of pulling into my complex, I kept going and turned on the next street. The car did too.

“What the hell?” I whispered, Nick still trying to serenade me.