Page 2 of One Night with the Player

“They’re on a cruise. It was the weirdest thing. My folks got a call they’d won an all-expenses paid trip from some contest they didn’t even remember entering. Two weeks cruising from New York to somewhere down south and back again.” Based on the way his eyes couldn’t fully focus on mine, he looked like he’d gotten a sizable head start on whatever shots he was pouring.

“Oh yeah? Good for them. Did your sister go too?” That had been my goal all along. If I was going to be returning to Texas, I had to make sure Olivia wouldn’t be anywhere nearby.

“Yeah. It’s too bad. I’m sure she would have loved seeing you while you’re back in town.”

A mixture of disappointment and relief slid down my spine. I held out my shot glass for another refill. Knowing I wouldn’t be running into Olivia would make being back in Texas a whole lot easier, though there was a part of me that would have given everything for one more glimpse of her gorgeous face. “We’ll have to catch up next time I come home.”

Ethan laughed. “Yeah, right. At this rate, the next time you come back, you’ll be bringing the missus and a brood of kids.”

My gut clenched. He might think I aspired to the American dream, but that had never been my goal. The only woman I’d ever been able to picture standing by my side for any length of time had always been entirely off limits.

“What’s it like being the owner of the hottest dating app out there? I guess you’re always hooking up with supermodels and movie stars, huh?” Ethan was halfway to sloppy drunk with nothing standing in his way. He’d always had a hard time holding his liquor. Too bad he hadn’t seemed to learn how to handle himself better over the years. It would be easier to humor him than crush his warped fantasies of what my actual life as CEO of the most popular hook-up app on the market looked like.

“Not nearly as exciting as you’d think.” I gulped down another shot. “Now tell me where we’re headed. You know I don’t like surprises.”

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Club Curve. It’s a gentleman’s club on the way out of Austin. If things go your way tonight, you might just get lucky, not that you need any help in that department.”

The last thing I wanted to do tonight was sit around with guys I hadn’t talked to in fifteen years while women I didn’t give a fuck about shook their tits in my face. But I didn’t want to hurt Ethan’s feelings. So, I sucked it up and held out my shot glass for another pour, determined to do what I did best: keep my feelings to myself and do what needed to be done to get through the evening ahead.

2

OLIVIA

Irolled the sheer black stocking up my leg and clipped it to the lacy garter belt clinging to my thigh. I’d been psyching myself up for this moment for the past six months. Now that it was here, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to throw up or give myself a high five. I might just have to do both.

“You’re going to do great out there.” My best friend Shiva leaned her hip against the makeup counter. “Slay, queen. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

“I don’t know. It’s not too late to change my mind. Maybe I should wait a week or two.” I studied my reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman underneath the false eyelashes, blond wig, and expertly applied makeup.

“Don’t you dare.” Shiva pointed a wickedly long nail right at my nose. “You’re ready. Mistress Crimson said so.”

Groaning, I inwardly cursed her for convincing me to sign up for pole fitness classes at Mistress Crimson’s studio. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I’d been feeling frumpy and dumpy and let Shiva talk me into trying something to pry me out of my funk. After making a complete fool out of myself the first night, I’d been surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Even so, I never should have let Mistress Crimson talk me into taking my skills to the stage for amateur night at Club Curve.

“Come on. You’ve got this, girl.” Shiva put her finger under my chin and forced me to meet her gaze. “You said working that pole gives you confidence.”

I nodded. “Yeah. In the privacy of the Sassy Spins Studio. I’ve never performed in front of an audience. What if they laugh me off the stage?”

“Hey now,”—Shiva pressed my cheeks between her palms—“you’ve got the moves and you look so fucking hot tonight, you could burn the whole place down.”

I let my eyelids drift shut. “You’re my best friend. You have to say stuff like that.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Because I’m your best friend, I’m telling you the truth.” She pinched my cheek. “Now look at me.”

Blinking the long, thick lashes, I reluctantly gave her my full attention.

“A big boost of confidence would do you a world of good going into this weekend, don’t you think?” Her dark eyes narrowed as her brows arched.

She didn’t have to say another word. We both knew exactly what she meant. Leo Steele was coming home this weekend, and I was finally going to get to the bottom of why he ran out on me all those years ago. I’d tried to move on. Tried to forget all about my brother’s best friend. But those dark grey eyes haunted me.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” I popped the case off a bright red lipstick and ran it over my lips. There was no chance of anyone in the audience recognizing me. No one would ever suspect me of even walking in the front door of a place like Club Curve, much less taking the stage.

Even if there was someone from Broken Bend out front, the blond wig and heavy makeup had given me a brand new persona. Thanks to Shiva’s skills, I was unrecognizable as Olivia Monroe, the shy manager of the gift shop on Main Street. As soon as I stepped on the stage, I’d become someone else.

“Hey, you’re on next.” The DJ popped his head into the dressing room and gestured to me. “What’s your stage name, princess?”

I glanced at Shiva, a blank look on my face.

“What’s your favorite song?” she asked.

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