Page 8 of Born to Make You Smile

I looked into his deep brown eyes and entered my number into his phone before I could change my mind.

The night continued after Ethan left, and I held on to the one drink he’d bought me, though it was practically down to ice. As I watched Dorina and Will grinding on the dance floor, Vanessa approached me.

“Hey,” she said. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad. You?”

She sighed. “I’m over this scene.”

“Same here.”

She leaned in close. “I didn’t want to discuss this at the condo, you know in front of Dor, but I couldn’t help but overhear you talking about your mortgage situation. So there’s a job available. At the club.”

Vanessa worked as an organizer for some sex club downtown. Truthfully, I didn’t know much about it, except for the fact that Dorina hated that her sister worked there, calling it sketchy and unsafe.

I nodded with hesitation. “Okay…”

“We could really use a part-time bartender and server on weeknights. Great way to make some extra cash and still keep your full-time job.”

I tried to picture myself working at a sex club.Yeah, right.“I don’t know. I’m not sure that’s my scene.”

Vanessa fluffed her short black hair. “It’s not as crazy as you think. Sure, it gets a little kinky, but most of the heavier stuff is behind closed doors in the rooms. I mean, you’ll definitely see some things, but it’s pretty tame. At least I think so.” She shrugged.

“So I wouldn’t have to…” I paused to collect my thoughts. “Participate or get naked?”

“No way!” She put her hand on my arm. “It’s not like that. You don’t have to wear anything you’re not comfortable with. A costume of your choosing or a bit of leather. But it’s completely up to you.”

Dorina blew me a kiss from the dance floor, oblivious to my conversation with her sister.

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

Vanessa clanked her drink against my empty glass with a smirk, then walked away.

FOUR

“Shit, this is heavy,”I said to myself as I made my way next door, gripping the warm lasagna. My phone chirped in my purse, but with my hands full, I knew I had to wait to check the message.

Gavin opened the door, and my brows rose when I caught sight of him. He looked surprisingly dapper, a complete change from his typical office attire. He stood before me in a tailored gray suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a sleek black tie. His wavy hair was neatly styled, seemingly fixed with a hint of product. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, so I could see his whole face—his sharp jaw, prominent Roman nose, his emerald-green eyes. I didn’t realize how dazzling his eyes were before. He looked great. Extremely handsome, actually. Apparently, a British Superman had been hiding under a pair of Armani glasses and baggy clothing all along.

“Gavin. Hi.” My cheeks went bright red with embarrassment, suddenly aware of how underdressed I was. I knew I’d be staying in, but I felt so frumpy—without a stitch of makeup and wearing yoga gear, which wasn't much of a step up from the black scrubs I wore to work.

“Why hello, Grace. How do I look?” He did a whimsical turn, and the subtle smell of his aftershave mixed with his pleasant cologne hit my nose. Intoxicatingly woodsy and fresh. “It's a new suit. And shirt. And tie.”

I smiled as I slipped off my shoes, moving them to the side with my socked foot. “You look fantastic. Dressed to impress.”

“Thank you. That lasagna smells wonderful.” He took the warm foil-covered Pyrex from my hands.

I stepped farther into the house, and its homey smell filled me with a heartfelt nostalgia. The Brinley household was my second home. Memories of childhood visits with my mother flickered in my head. My mom and Judy would chat over coffee and peach cake while I spent time with the girls, playing and doing crafts.

“Let me set it in the kitchen for you,” Gavin said as he headed down the hall. “I wish I could stay to enjoy it.”

I smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ll leave you some leftovers!”

“Yeah, right. It's all mine!” shouted Charlotte, his eleven-year-old. “Grace!”

She ambushed me with a huge hug. She stood nearly as tall as me, her dark brown hair seeming so much longer since the last time I saw her a few weeks ago. “We’re going to have so much fun! I have all the movies lined up, and we have popcorn, the good stuff.”

“Sweet and salty?” I said.

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