Page 2 of Juno

“And they bought that?” he asked.

“Yep, for almost four years now,” she said.

“Listen, I’m not judging, but why be an exotic dancer if you don’t want to tell all your friends what you do for a living?” Saint asked.

“Because it pays the bills,” she insisted. “My parents wanted me to go to college, but school really wasn’t my thing. So, I made up a story about getting a job at a law firm and that seemed to appease my overly religious parents.”

“I see,” he breathed.

“When I saved up enough money to get my own place, that solved my problem of keeping my secret from my parents,” she said. “And the girls all seem to accept that I work at the law firm, so I really haven’t had to tell anyone.”

“It must be hard to keep a secret from everyone you know. Have you been able to talk about it with anyone?” he asked.

“Not until now,” she said, nodding at him. “You were the first person from town to recognize me, and that’s why I need you to keep my secret,” she said again. He should have let her off the hook and told her that he wouldn’t tell anyone about her being a dancer, but that would end their conversation, and he was actually having a good time talking to her. Yeah, he was playing with fire, but he just didn’t seem to be able to stop himself when it came to Juno.

“What does your boyfriend think about you working at a place like this?” he asked.

“He doesn’t think anything about me working as a dancer because he doesn’t exist,” she said.

“So, no boyfriend?” he asked.

“Nope, and no girlfriend, husband, secret lover, boo with benefits, or anything else like that,” she insisted. “I’ve never really dated in high school and after I graduated, I got the job here, and never wanted to explain what I do for a living to a man who might tell me that I needed to quit, so I just avoid men altogether.”

He tried to think back through everything that she had just told him, and when he got to the part where she hadn’t dated, ever, he had more questions that he was sure she wouldn’t answer. Plus, her love life wasn’t his business and that was something that he’d do well to remember.

“So, you have no one to talk to about any of this?” he asked.

“No, and as I’ve already said, I’m good with that. Now, will you please answer my question? Will you keep my secret?” He didn’t have to think about his answer. That was the least he could do.

“Fine, I’ll keep your secret,” he promised.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

“But if you ever need anyone to talk to about any of this, just let me know. I mean, I already know your secret, so why not confide in me—you know, if you need to?” Saint asked. He was pushing her into a corner, and she looked like a caged animal.

“That’s not necessary,” she insisted. “I haven’t needed to talk to anyone about my job so far, and like I said earlier, it’s been four years now that I’ve been working here.” She shot him down cold, and he really couldn’t blame her. Juno was a smart girl, and she seemed to know how to protect her ass at all costs.

“Well, the offer stands,” he assured. He waited her out to see if she was going to say anything else, and after what felt like an eternity, he realized that she was finished.

“Can I give you a ride home?” he asked, hoping to end the awkwardness.

“No,” she breathed, “my car is right over there.” She nodded to the sensible four-door sedan that sat alone in the back of the parking lot. She opened the door and started to jump down from the passenger seat. Before she shut the door, she turned and stared him down one last time.

“Remember,” she said, pointing her little finger at him. “You promised to keep my secret. No one else knows, so if you tell someone and it gets around, I’ll know.” She wasn’t very intimidating, but he kept his smile concealed.

“I promise to keep your secret,” he said again. “You have nothing to worry about with me, Juno.” That was the truth too. Dare liked to tell people that Saint was one of the most reliable guys he ever knew. Maybe it was the fact that he had to grow up fast after his parents passed. Raising Dare wasn’t an easy task, but his little brother had built Saint’s patience and his ability to help out when needed. Juno seemed like someone who needed some help, and he wasn’t going to look the other way. He’d keep her secret, even if he wanted to run back to Savage Hell and tell every one of the guy's how hot Juno looked dancing up on stage tonight. No, he’d keep that bit of information to himself and pull it from his memory now and again.

Juno

Juno felt that their little talk had gone well. She also didn’t know Saint well enough to know if she was fooling herself into believing that or if he’d really keep her secret. Either way, she couldn’t do anything about it if he ran back to Savage Hell and the Harlots and told them all her news. But then what? Would Juno finally own her shit, or would she call Saint a liar? She knew that she’d never be able to do that. Saint seemed like a nice guy—mostly, and throwing him under the bus wasn’t in her rule book.

She had one of those too—a rule book. Well, it wasn’t actually a physical book, but more of a made-up list of things she would and wouldn’t do to another person. Murder was at the top of her list, not that she wanted to murder Saint, or anyone else for that matter. She always tried to do the right thing, even if it was hard to do. Lying to everyone about her job was a necessary evil and one that she hated herself daily for doing.

Lying to her parents had become second nature. Her overly religious mother would never understand her dancing for a living. The poor woman would die if she saw her up on that stage every night. As an only child, her parents had high hopes for her. They set goals that she didn’t want for herself—like going to college. She hated having to tell them that she wasn’t going to further her education, so there was no way that she’d tell either of her parents that she was an exotic dancer.

Juno unlocked her car and slid into the driver’s seat, realizing that she had left her cell phone in the dressing room of the club. “Shit,” she grumbled to herself. She grabbed her purse and keys, and ran to the back door, trying to dodge the rain that had just started falling. She said a little prayer that the door was still unlocked and when she tugged it open, she almost wanted to cheer.

“What are you doing back here?” Bruno asked.

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