Page 6 of Business or Pleasure

In my head, I could see everyone’s hand, and mine would beat all of them.

I raised, and everybody called. I couldn’t hope for better action in the last game.

I laid my cards on the table.

Mr. Sleepy cursed and pushed back hard enough to jar the table. His Straight was no match for my Full House. Mr. Grumpy just sighed, like this was the outcome he’d expected, and tossed his hand without showing. Ms. Cleavage scowled and swore under her breath as she turned over a Flush. Captain Asshat, however, didn’t even seem annoyed as he flashed three jacks before tossing his cards. He looked like he enjoyed himself.

After that last win, my estimation of the place went up. Maybe I would come back here after all.

But no more poker today.

I hadn’t exactly dressed for going clubbing, but what I wore would work. Black skirt, fishnet stockings, and chunky black boots, topped off with a clingy dark blue sweater that matched the streaks in my golden blonde hair.

I could dance like this, and attracting a guy had never been a problem, no matter what I had on.

Rather than driving back to my place and calling a cab, I would stay sober and go straight from here. While getting buzzed to blow off steam was fun, I didn’t need alcohol to relax. Dancing and sex would be the perfect combination to end out the night.

Sunday nights in April weren’t exactly the busiest time for clubs, but I’d lived here my whole life, and The Catch-all always had a crowd. It was also a place that fit my mood tonight.

People didn’t blend into each other. It was okay to wear the little black dress, but also ripped jeans and a corset. And sometimes it was the guys wearing those. You could find straight, gay, bi, pan, poly, cis, non-binary, and transgender people on any given night. Everyone was welcome.

Hence the name.

“Harlee.” The bouncer greeted me with a wide smile. “Good game tonight?”

“I cleaned up.” I accepted his one-armed hug before handing over the cover charge. “How’ve you been?”

“Good,” he said, dark eyes twinkling. “My sister had her baby, so I’m an uncle now.”

“Congratulations.” I was genuinely pleased for him. “What’s their name?”

“Calypso Renegade Van Houser.”

It shouldn’t have surprised me. Bear was his real name, not a nickname, and I knew his sister’s name was Lynx. “Say that one more time.”

“Like you’re one to talk, Harlee Sumpter.” He grinned at me. “I’ll bet you have an interesting middle name too.”

I shook my head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have a middle name. My mom didn’t think I needed one.”

His grin widened. “So, how did you know if you were in trouble?”

“Then I went from being ‘Harlee’ to ‘young lady.’” I could almost hear her voice and felt a pang at the memory. She’d passed away seventeen years ago, and I still had days where the wound felt as raw as when it had happened.

Before losing myself down that rabbit hole, I entered the club. The lights and music assaulted my ears and eyes, and the bass added an extra heartbeat. The sound cleared my head. I didn’t want to dwell on the past or think about the future anymore tonight. I wanted to be in the present, nothing on my mind but that very moment.

I went to the bar and drowned a single shot, then a bottle of water. With just the edge taken off and now well-hydrated, I made my way to the dance floor. I found myself the focus of attention much faster than expected.

At first, I ignored it, getting lost in the music. Then, one guy came up smiling as his pale eyes locked with mine. I could read the intention on his face and continued to face him until only a couple of inches separated us. He smelled nice and was above average in looks, which was a good start. The two of us danced well together, and we had sparks that could lead to a hot hook-up. After ten minutes of dirty dancing, and without a word, I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door.

I dropped his hand as we stepped outside into the chilly April night.

“My car’s over there.” I gestured to a spot a few yards away. “Interested?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “Hell yes.”

The back seat wasn’t big, but we weren’t going for some slow lovemaking. A quick fuck with one mission…both of us getting off.

By the time we got a condom on him, we’d completely fogged the windows up. Which meant I didn’t have to worry about anyone getting an unexpected show as I dragged down my stockings and pulled my panties aside. Not that I’d have let that stop me from sinking down on his thick shaft. A little thrill of danger always added to the excitement.

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