Page 34 of Trailer Trash

Stan glared but didn’t say anything.

I downed the rest of my whiskey, feeling the burn all the way to my toes, then stood. I rarely drank anymore, and watered down or not, the alcohol was going straight to my head.

Jed tossed another bill on the counter, this time a twenty. “I take it this will ensure that our visit never happened?”

“Yeah,” Stan said, sliding it off the counter and stuffing it eagerly into his pocket. “Never saw ya.”

Jed leaned closer. “I’m counting on your discretion. If I find out—”

“You won’t! I’ll be quiet.”

“Good.” Jed put his hand at the small of my back and pushed me toward the door.

It felt like a choker was tightening around my neck.

As soon as we left the building, Jed rushed on ahead, moving several steps away from me. I felt my lifeline to my new life—my life with Rose—tighten and threaten to break. Jed was taking it with him.

How could I have been stupid enough to trust him?

“Go ahead,” I said as I held my hands wide.

“Go ahead and what?” he asked with a scowl as he continued to barrel toward his car.

I stayed in place and called after him. “You know my truth now. One of my dirty little secrets. Just keep on walkin’.”

He stopped and turned around, looking furious. “What do you want from me, Neely Kate? You want me to condemn you for working here? Seems like you’ve done that enough on your own.”

“I disgust you, don’t I?” I asked, taking a step closer.

His face hardened even more. “No.”

“So you like that I used to be an exotic dancer?” I asked coyly, yet my voice had an insincere edge. “You want me to show you my moves?”

“Get in the car, Neely Kate.”

Why, so he could ditch me later? It would be best to save myself a mountain of pain and get this out of the way now.

“Have you changed your mind about not sleeping with me?” I asked, moving closer with slow steps as I grabbed the skirt of my dress and hiked it up, exposing my upper thighs. I slinked toward him.

Jed’s eyes dipped to my legs before lifting to my face, his expression unreadable again.

“Do you want me to give you a lap dance?” I put my hand on his chest and pushed him backward. His butt hit the trunk of his car.

I expected a reaction out of him, but he just watched me with guarded eyes, his hands on the trunk beneath him.

My hips started to sway to unheard music as I straddled his leg and began to grind. “I slept with men for money, Jed,” I said in a hard voice. “You didn’t know that when I asked you if you wanted sex in exchange for the gas money to drive me here. I’d understand if you changed your mind.”

“Neely Kate.” His voice sounded strangled.

I turned around and lifted my hair from the back of my neck. Reaching back in a practiced move, I spread his legs and began to rub my ass into his crotch. “Do you want to screw me right here in the parking lot?”

He stood, wrapping his arm around the front of my waist to keep me from losing my balance. “Neely Kate,” he said in a sad voice, “I want you, but not like this.” He spun me around and held me to his chest.

I tried to pull back, but he held on tight, refusing to let me go.

“It’s okay,” he said. “That’s not you. It’s in your past.”

I started to cry. “No. It’s not. It’s right here.”

---