Page 33 of Justus
“Youhave to go with me. I can’t go to a strip club alone. I’ll look like a loser,”I tell Ayda when we meet at her house later that day.
“Ican’t believe you’re going. You know what goes on there? The screaming womentrying to grab some strange guys junk?”
“I’mwell aware,” I growl.
Hereyes widen and she points at me. “You’re going to stake your claim!”
“Maybe.Come on, don’t make me go alone.”
Aydaflops back on the couch. “Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. We shouldinvite Zoe—oh and Leah is in town, I’m sure she’d like to go.”
“Darewill kill you taking his little sister to stuff dollars down half naked men’sthongs.”
“She’sa grown woman and he’s way too overprotective.”
Giggling,an evil thought occurs to me. “We should get all the guys to go. Have they everseen Justus perform?”
Aydabursts out laughing. “I don’t know! But it’d be hilarious. All right, you callJeremy and Tucker. I’ll call Landon and talk Dare into it.”
“Justusis going to kill me.”
“Thisis the same man who tied you up, blindfolded you, and made you think yourbrother walked in, right?”
“AfterI set him up to get an unexpected enema, but, yeah, I see your point.”
“We’vegot some phone calls to make!” Ayda squeals.
Theplan comes together perfectly, and I pull in the club parking lot half an hourbefore Justus is supposed to perform. The others are at a café around thecorner, waiting for me to text them. We don’t want him to know they’re thereuntil it’s too late for him to back out. Knowing Justus, though, he may noteven give a shit.
Theinside of the club is dim and the walls are the color of lilacs. It’s not seedyin any sense of the word. The place is very clean. The walls are lined withsofas, while tables and chairs take up the center portion of the room, bendingaround to line the front of the large stage.
Justusis chatting with the bartender and a smile lights up his face when he sees me.I love that smile, his genuine happy smile, so unlike the little smirk Isometimes want to slap and lick simultaneously.
“Sadist!”he calls, striding over to meet me. “I thought maybe you’d chicken out.”
“Noway. I can’t wait.”
Heleads me over to the bar and introduces me to the bartender. “Jane, this isSadie, my fiancée.” Okay, I didn’t know he was still introducing me like thatsince we agreed we aren’t really engaged, but I go with it. The more thesewomen know he’s mine, the better.
“Niceto meet you. You must be a patient woman.”
Laughing,I nod at Justus. “I see she knows you well.”
“Gether whatever she wants to drink,” Justus tells her, before pointing out a tableright in front of the stage. “See the reserved sign? That’s all yours, Sweets.I have to go get ready, okay?”
“I’llbe fine.”
Hedrops a kiss on my lips and walks away humming something familiar I can’t place.
“So.”I turn to Jane. “Is there any way we could add a few chairs to the reservedtable? I may have invited a few friends without telling him.”
“Oh,this should be good,” Jane laughs, waving over one of the security guards.
Justus’sact is first and by the time they announce him, the place is packed full ofscreaming, squealing, drinking women. Jane came through for us and reserved asecond table that we pushed together with mine. Now, I can barely contain mygiddiness at the sight of Dare, Landon, Tucker, and Jeremy seated around onetable while Zoe, Ayda, and Leah gather around mine.
Twomen come out and place a large gray wall at the edge of the stage. It’s hard totell, but it looks like it’s made of cardboard or paper mache. They also lay asledgehammer beside the wall before scurrying offstage. What the hell?
Darelaughs. “Can you imagine this at a guy’s strip club? Using sets and costumes?No way, just show us the goods.”
