Page 96 of Don't Quit the Day Job

I move over to the table and start dancing around, happy when the music changes yet again to an Usher song. I close my eyes as I swing my hips to the beat, dancing around. I can feel lots of eyes on me.

"Oh, hey, we have some new guests."

Someone jumps up and I turn toward the door to see who's come in. My jaw drops as I see a shocked looking Max standing there in a suit. He looks devastatingly handsome as always. His eyes narrow as he walks toward me and I can feel myself feeling faint.

"Lila?" He glares up at me.

"Hi," I say, offering him a small little wave.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he demands, and before I know what's happening, he's grabbing my waist and lifting me up and carrying me in his arms.

"What are you doing?" I cry, slapping at his chest. "I'm dancing."

"I don't think so." He carries me out of the room and into the corridor. "What is going on here? Is this the plan you said you had with your friend that you didn't know what was going on?"

"It's just like an acting gig. She wanted to help me out because she knows I want to be an?—"

"Dancing on a tabletop in a coconut bra is not an acting gig, Lila." He glares at me then pushes on a door, steps inside, and closes it behind us. We're in a small bedroom. He puts me down unceremoniously and glares at me. "What is going on?"

"So I promised my friend that I'd be a dancer for the day because they really needed someone and I thought it would be good practice for my acting and…"

He crosses his arms. "Really? And just how far were you willing to go for your acting?"

"I wasn't going to go far at all. I didn't want them to touch me. That's why I got on the table."

"You do realize they could see up your skirt and see your ass you were shaking it around."

"I mean, I'd rather them see my ass than them touch my ass."

"Who touched you?" he says. "Let me go out there and speak to them."

"No one touched me. It's fine." I pause for a second. "Hold on. You didn't tell me you were going to a bachelor party today."

"You never asked me if I was going to a bachelor party today."

"But you asked me to hang out."

"I did."

"But you had this event."

“And I was going to drop this event for you." He smirks at me. "However, it seems like you were not going to drop this event for me."

"I mean, I promised my friend and they needed another dancer and I didn't know you were going to be here."

"I didn't know you were going to be here looking so fine and sexy in two coconuts." He leans forward and gives me a kiss on the lips. "You look beautiful, by the way."

"You are just saying that because you want to get my coconuts off."

"Oh, I do want to get your coconuts off, but I'm not just saying that," he says, smiling as he touches the side of my face. "I've missed you."

"I've kind of missed you too. Just a little bit. Even though?—"

"Shut up while you're ahead, Lila," he says, smirking. "Sometimes we don't have to say everything we're thinking."

"So what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I would love a lap dance from a sexy dancer in a straw skirt and a coconut bra."

---