Page 3 of Up In Smoke
I try not to grimace and do my best to twist out of her grip. “Aww, shucks. You’re too sweet, sugar. But I gotta hustle. You ladies can come watch me on stage! I’ll dance just for you.”
I wink, hoping to charm my way out of her hands. I really do have to go perform in a minute, but I’m not sorry to have an excuse to get myself out of here.
However, she digs in with her nails, and I can’t help but wince. “Mommy says STAY, baby boy. It’s mommy’sbirth-dayyy.”Her friends are laughing as she pushes me against the wall and I’m too shocked to do anything but blink down at her. “ONE MORE SONG!” she yells in my face.
“Ma’am,” I say, trying to keep my cool. “Please stop. I’m sorry, but I gotta go and?—”
I choke on my words as she thrusts her hand down my pants, scratching my stomach before wrapping her sweaty palm around my junk.
“What theFUCK!”I bellow, shoving her back on instinct. “Stop! Get off me!”
Unfortunately, I’m pretty strong and she’s wearing high heels. I watch in horror for a second that lasts forever as her arms pinwheel, her eyes and mouth wide. Her friends jump back as she crashes down into the coffee table. The tall glasses fly in every direction, smashing into jagged pieces, while the ice bucket dumps freezing water and what’s left of the Champagne into Cougar’s lap.
There’s a beat where nobody moves.
Then Cougar bursts into tears.
Blood starts trickling from a few shallow cuts on her bare arms. Her top button has popped off, and mascara is quickly staining her cheeks.
“You pushed me!” she wails.
My senses finally come back to me. I hastily tuck my cock back into my shorts where she pulled it out, trying to maintain what’s left of my pride. “Youassaultedme!” I fire back indignantly.
But she’d still sobbing as her friends rush to help pick her up. “It’s my birthday! You were supposed to look after me! Ipaidfor you!”
“You actually paid for Fen,” I snap at her. “And I had to rescue him from you doing exactly what you just did to me. No means no!”
“You didn’t say no!” she spits at me, her wet eyes blazing.
“I told you to stop,” I say, jabbing a finger at her face, my chest heaving. “Twice.”
She bats my hand angrily away. “I didn’t hear that. Did you girls hear that?”
They don’t even hesitate before shaking their heads. They’re all looking at me like I’m some kind of monster whenI’mthe one who just got felt up.
Of course that’s when Oakland comes barreling through the curtain looking like thunder. “What’s going on here?” he barks.
“Hepushedme!” Cougar cries, trembling and pointing at me as a fresh wave of tears spring forth.
I scoff. “Because she shoved her hand down my pants and grabbed my dick!” I argue back. But when I turn my attention from her to Oakland, I already know he’s going to put profit before anything else.
It must be a day ending with a ‘Y.’
“Oh my goodness, ma’am,” he cries, striding right past me. “I can’t apologize enough! Let’s get you cleaned up and then we’ll make sure you and your lovely friends get a free round of drinks at the bar.” He wraps his arm around her and starts escorting her and the others out. He pauses and meets my gaze, glaring.“Youwait in my office,” he hisses.
Whatever. I shouldn’t have been surprised. But the betrayal still feels like a sucker punch to the gut.
I storm out after them and head in the opposite direction to do as he says. His office is hardly bigger than a broom cupboard, but I do my best to pace anyway. Five minutes pass, then ten, then fifteen. I’ve missed my solo, but I’m sure they just got someone else to perform instead. It’s not like anyone’s waiting with bated breath to see me specifically light up the stage. I’m just angry about the tips I’ve missed out on.
It doesn’t matter how long Oakland makes me wait, though. I’m not going to cool off if that’s what he’s hoping. I’m as furious at him as I am at that handsy woman.
“What the fuck, man?” I demand as soon as he storms through the open door.“Shegrabbedme!”
He squares up to me and puffs out his chest, like he’s not thirty pounds lighter and two inches shorter than me. “Apologize,” he says firmly.
“To you?” I ask, baffled. Because that’s not happening.
“To the lady you accosted.”