Page 9 of Private Dancer

I tried unsuccessfully to change internships with my advisor. She basically told me it was to stay at Briarwood and graduate or quit Briarwood and be dismissed from the program.

I take my assigned seat in a small cubicle hidden away on one of the lower floors. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, blowing it out slowly.

I can do this. They’ve probably already forgotten about me. I try to convince myself.

“Miss Rose!” A shrill voice yells from above my cubicle wall, and glaring down at me is Karen, her lip curled in a snarl, “They want to see you in the penthouse.” She throws a key card on my desk. “That will give you access.”

I don’t have to ask who they are. It can only be Alec, Jake, and Ryan requesting I join them in the penthouse. No, this can’t be happening. I can’t go to them in the Penthouse.

My feet move on their own. I pick up the card and stand, “Why would they want to see me?” I say more to myself than anyone else.

“Exactly. What would the three most powerful men at the company want with a lowly intern like you?”

The disdain in her voice pricks my fight-or-flight instinct, causing me to make matters worse by replying, “I guess they consider me an important employee.”

I try to brush past Karen, but she grabs my arm in a painful grip, “You think just because you are young and pretty, you can use that to get ahead in this company. I’ve seen your kind a hundred times. They are going to eat you up and spit you out. Throw you away like yesterday’s garbage.”

I jerk my arm, trying to get away from her hateful words, only to have her squeeze my arm tighter, “You’re not the first intern they’ve called to the penthouse. The last one was kicked out of the program with no reference. I believe she dances at some gentlemen’s club now for money. I think it’s called The Palace. You might know her. So if you know what is good for you, you will stay away from anything Mr. King, Mr. Prince, and Mr. Knight suggest, or you will find yourself kicked out of this internship.” Her threat hangs heavy in the air.

Shit. I can’t lose this internship. I glare at Karen and wrench my arm free of her grasp, “I understand.”

Karen steps out of my way, running her hands down her skirt, “Good. Now run along. You mustn’t keep them waiting, or I’ll have to write you up for your tardiness.”

You’ve got to be kidding me. This old witch is going to get me fired however she can. I will have to do whatever it takes to make sure Alec, Jake, and Ryan stay the hell away from me.

The ride in the elevator to the penthouse does nothing to calm my nerves. I play every conceivable scenario in my head, from them firing me to all four of us ending up in bed together again. I groan as my panties dampen at the thought.

When the elevator stops on the top floor, I wave the keycard in front of the scanner, silently praying the doors won’t open and I can return to my assigned floor. But just my luck, the elevator doors open, revealing three very pissed-off men who I have recently been naked with.

“Miss Rose.” Alec motions with his hand for me to enter the penthouse.

I cautiously walk forward, waiting for one of them to pounce on me like the primal look in their eyes portrays them.

“Sit,” Alec commands when I reach the sofa in the living room.

I take a seat, watching as they circle me like the cornered prey I feel like. It’s now, or never, I sigh, knowing whatever they have to say to me, I have to push them away or risk Karen getting me fired and losing everything I worked so hard for.

“Before you begin, I would like to say I would have never behaved the way I did Friday night if I had known you all had fiancées.” I silently congratulate myself, I ripped off the Band-Aid and addressed the elephant in the room, so to speak. “I promise it won’t happen again. I am only here for eight weeks; I think we can…”

Ryan stops my speech, “We aren’t engaged. We don’t even have girlfriends.”

“B-but Alec said….” I stutter.

Jake rolls his eyes, “That was Alec’s bright idea when we first started meeting with new employees in orientation. We’ve been propositioned by way too many employees throughout the years. He decided this would prevent it from happening again.”

“Has it?” I can’t help but ask, too stunned to say more now that I know they don’t have girlfriends or at least aren’t engaged to anyone.

Ryan steps closer to me and bends down so we are face to face, “No, it hasn’t helped. The employees are relentlessly throwing themselves at us, whether they think we are taken or not.”

My body is screaming for a repeat of Friday night, but my mind knows what I have to do, “That’s good to hear, but like you said, no fraternizing with co-workers. I’m here to do my internship, and I’ll be out of your hair in eight weeks.”

“About that internship, your advisor called and said you wanted to change companies.” I hold back a cringe at Alec’s words.

Of course, my advisor would rat me out. I fold my hands in my lap and look at Alec, “And?”

“We have decided to make you our assistant during your internship with our company.”

“What?” I screech. How am I supposed to ignore them when I’ll be working so closely with them?

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