CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE #2
Slipping through the curtain, she scanned the area.
It was the size of a two-car garage. Four separate lap dance areas, each with a white leather couch and a mini bar, were set up in the corners of the room.
A common-area bar filled the middle of the back wall.
It was so dimly lit in here that the guys needed eyes like hawks to know what they were looking at, which helped out some of the older strippers.
Julia let her eyes adjust and saw Angela in a corner.
Her back was turned. She was mixing a drink, and from what Julia could see, she was alone.
Whoever she was supposed to give a lap dance to hadn’t arrived yet.
Julia took a step toward Angela to give her the money and stumbled as a large man pushed through the curtain behind her, shoving her out of the way.
Julia opened her mouth to give the man hell and then froze. She’d only gotten a quick glance, but there was no doubt. It was her ex-boyfriend, James Stockton.
She backed out of the room, expecting him to turn and recognize her at any moment.
A cold sweat broke over her as she slipped through the curtain.
She hurried through the club, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead until she was back in the dressing room.
She sat in front of her mirror, stared at herself, taking deep breaths to calm herself while her mind relived the time she spent here in Massey with James Stockton.
The whole six months of her time with James spooled out.
She could hear the clink of silverware and bell-toned clink of fluted glasses during dinners at fancy restaurants.
See the bellhops pulling their bags during weekend trips to high-end hotels.
Taste the crafted cocktails mixed by bartenders in black-tie outfits at swanky nightclubs.
Worse, she could feel the heady thrill of it all.
It had been a dream—far removed from her janitorial job in the high school that was part of the school district he oversaw as superintendent.
The overwhelming, dizzying shine of being with a powerful man had intoxicated her.
Then there was the creeping realization of realizing that everything they did was secret.
The restaurants and nightclubs were always out of town, as were the weekend trips.
It didn’t take long to see that James didn’t want anyone to see them together.
Out of town, he had no trouble attracting attention with his big, booming voice.
Talking over people. Ordering them around.
But back in Massey, he didn’t even glance in her direction or whisper a “hi” when he saw her mopping a floor or pushing a trashcan at the high school.
She’d tried to break it off nicely. Said the age difference was too much for her.
That he’d probably be happier going out with someone closer to his age.
His response? The beating followed by the rape.
Leaving town, getting a new job, and meeting Conor had given her a flicker of hope for the future.
But even that didn’t last. James stomped it to dead ash after he’d tracked her down and broke into her apartment.
And he would’ve raped her again if Conor hadn’t come by.
The beating Conor gave James was something that prick would never forget.
Or forgive.
She lifted her hand to her face, running a finger along the scar on her cheek.
I just have to take it one day at a time. I have to be careful. And smart.
She turned her head in the direction of the curtain that opened to the club where James was being entertained by Angela.
And no matter what happens, I have to be ready...
She took her finger off the scar and stared at her face in the mirror and whispered, “To fight.”
* * *
Angela handed James Stockton his dirty Martini with a blue-cheese-stuffed olive. The sight of it made her gag. It looked like an oily puddle of water with flecks of half-digested cheese.
“Are you sure her boyfriend isn’t around?” James said, looking around the room.
Angela held her arms out. “You see him? Maybe he’s hiding under a couch.”
“Don’t get smart,” said James. “I mean, is he going to come busting in here looking for her?”
Angela shook her head. “Julia don’t want anything to do with him. Plus, he don’t even know she’s here.” She tilted her head. “You scared of him or something?”
“Of course not,” said James. He leaned back on the couch, sipped his drink, and smacked his lips. “I just don’t need to get in an altercation in a strip club. It wouldn’t look good.” He patted the couch. “Sit down.”
Angela sat next to him. She forced herself to smile as he rubbed her thigh and loosened his tie. Angela unbuttoned the top button on his dress shirt. He licked his lips.
“Is she out in the club?” he asked.
“She’s in the dressing room,” Angela said, wincing as James kneaded her thigh.
“Well, I didn’t come out here for nothing. Get her in the private room and lock the door. I need to talk to her.”
Angela pushed James’ hand off her thigh.
She stood, shaking her head. “Nuh-uh,” she said.
“It don’t work like that.” She swallowed hard and screwed up her courage.
“Here’s the deal. I want out of this titty bar, and I want that executive secretary job in the board office you promised me.
Give me that, and I’ll put her in that back room with a bow around her ass.
And if you don’t think that’s fair, I’ll tell her you’ve been sniffing around. You’ll never see her again.”
“Calm down,” James said, reaching for her. “You know you can trust me.”
She slapped his hand away. She needed to be careful.
He’d spun a rosy line of bullshit when Julia had first left, telling Angela he only wanted a girl he could take care of and hire as his executive secretary.
Next thing she knew, he’d talked her into his bed.
But surprise, surprise, none of his promises had come true.
What had come true were cuts in the budget that eliminated her maintenance job, followed by James getting her a job here at Sweetie’s and coming in for a weekly lap dance that sometimes went too far. So much for him taking care of a girl.
She thought of Julia sitting in the dressing room, oblivious to the trouble coming her way.
She liked Julia. She could see them being friends forever—and maybe more.
There was only one problem. Life wasn’t a TV commercial with a smiling husband, a nice house, and neighbors coming over to eat hamburgers off the grill while the kids played in the backyard and a dog bounded in the sun after a Frisbee.
Life was big shots like James taking everything from you, making you dance, show your ass, and worse.
As much as she liked Julia, in this life, it was every girl for herself.
She stepped closer to James, ran her fingers through his short, thinning hair and looked him in the eye.
“Can you get me that job or not?” she asked. He nodded. Knowing what this meant for Julia made her feel a little sick, but she smiled.
“It won’t be official until the board authorizes it,” said James. “But they’ll do it. If I tell them to jump, they jump.”
“I want a signed contract,” she said.
James dipped his fingers into his Martini, grabbed the olive, and ate it. She could see blue cheese between his teeth as he talked.
“You bring me Julia tomorrow night, and I’ll give you the contract. I’ll take care of everything.”
She kissed him on one cheek, and then the other.
* * *
“You want me to sleep on the couch downstairs?” said Julia, walking into Angela’s bedroom wearing white cotton underwear. She toweled her hair dry as Angela pulled on a pink satin top.
Angela turned toward Julia. “You need a shirt?”