Page 26 of Tell Me Lies: Manlove Edition

“Come on, Laur, don’t make him beg,” Jude says in her MC voice.

Laur smiles—at Jude, not at me—and reaches into his pocket and pulls out a single.

I drop to my knees, absolutely begging, grinding in the air too close on the cramped bar. He slips the bill in my shorts, not through the waist, but through the leg, sliding his hand up my thigh and pushing up until the bill pokes out the top of my shorts again.

Jude says over the thrilled squeals of the crowd. “That’s inappropriate, Larry. I might have to throw you out.”

“Meh, I outrank you.”

“It’s my damn bar!”

Of course! He’s a soldier. Jesus fuck, I’m a moron.

****

Back in the man cave after the teaser, Dex gives me a glare that could make an intern cry then grabs his backpack and beats it downstairs into the revue. Teddy lingers like a puppy that’s been kicked in the nuts and Jude stands by the kitchen door, arms crossed, like she’s not done kicking.

I offer Teddy the jar full of cash Jamie gave me. “Sorry about crashing your number, man. Take my share of the tips.”

He doesn’t take the cash. “I will, thanks. But Jude told us about … special attention for a veteran, that was … he must have had a hell of a time. I’m glad you were here tonight to do it.”

It’s exactly the kind of shit that would soothe things over with the other Cuties.

Thank you, Jude.

“He usually sits at the high-top,” I say by way of explanation and push the cash at him again. “Take it. Because of the surprise. Split it with Dex too, so he’ll talk to me again someday.”

Ted chuckles and finally takes the cash, then shrinks and flees downstairs. Not stripper energy.

Jude clears her throat and gestures with her head to the alley door.

Fuck, oh, fuck.

I follow her into the cool night air. My gut roils with shame, even through the beat of adrenaline. I have to focus, to look contrite, to not run away. He might already be on his way upstairs.

“Chard, I can’t believe I had to leave the bar for this shit. A minute forty early, crashing the new guy’s number, and you jump on a full bar.”

“I got carried away. It won’t—”

“It better not,” she interrupts. “There are rules for a reason, Chard. Common courtesy to your fellow performers.”

“I made it up to…” I can tell I missed her point and shut up.

“How about food and health regulations? Safety regulations? If you tripped on a piece of ice or we had a health inspector in…”

She doesn’t like my eye roll either.

“Hey! This is my operation. I don’t wanna get shut down because you can’t control yourself. Just because you’re my top earner does not mean you can walk all over the other Cuties or that you can break the rules.”

This is going to haunt the fuck out of you once you come down.

“Chard, you’re great ninety percent of the time.”

Try to remember she said that too.

“But you’ve got to get a handle on that other ten percent or take the night off when I give you the chance. I don’t want to fire you.”

My earnest nod doesn’t placate her, but she needs to get back to the bar. And I need to get upstairs. Facedown. Ass up. Wearing a blindfold and handcuffs and nothing else. To be in my bed where he expects me.

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