CHAPTER THREE
The first night of quiet and time alone was welcome for Joey. He finished a book he’d been reading. Finished a series he’d been binging. Did his laundry and cleaned his kitchen and bathroom and went to bed early.
But the second day was killing him. He was bored out of his mind and quickly contemplating heading to Duke. When his phone pinged, he hoped for the call to be from someone different. Instead, it was his mother.
Joey stared at the text message from his mother.
Bailey was married and pregnant, with triplets.
He was thrilled for her but sad for himself.
They’d agreed that they were better as friends but somewhere deep inside, he was sad about it all.
He’d had more than his share of women but had yet to find one that he wanted to keep.
Of course, it wasn’t that he was actually looking. He would go out with the guys, meet a girl, make out, sometimes have sex and wave goodbye, but that was it. Nothing that he wanted to write home about, and definitely no one he wanted to take home.
When the doorbell rang, he knew it was probably some of his teammates. Several lived in the same apartment complex as he did.
“Hey, Dougall? You wanna go out with us tonight? We’re gonna head to that new place off I-40,” said his teammate, Bullett.
“The Lace Slipper? It’s a strip joint,” he laughed. “You guys must not like your money very much. I’m partial to keeping mine. No thanks.”
“Come on dude. We’re just gonna see what the girls look like, enjoy some wings and have a few beers,” said Bullett.
“Brother, I am not eating at a place where if I find a hair in my food the possibilities are nauseating.” The men all laughed at him, shaking their heads.
“One beer. That’s all,” said another teammate. “We’ll watch a few dancers and then leave and get something to eat at a real restaurant. What do you say?”
“I should say no but the idea of you idiots going to this place alone worries me. Those are the places that attract fight ready rednecks.”
“Hey, I’m a redneck,” said Bo.
“Well, then you’ll fit right in,” said Joey. “Let’s go.”
Joey changed his clothes, pulling on a clean pair of blue jeans and a tight t-shirt that showed his muscles with every breath he took. When they walked into the place, it took them all a few minutes to adjust their eyes.
“There’s a table up there,” said Bullett.
The four men sat at the table by the dance floor, watching as a redhead looked utterly and completely bored with her own routine. Soldiers from base, and locals alike, were drooling over the woman’s breasts.
Joey stared at the woman but couldn’t even picture himself with someone like that. What was he supposed to tell his parents? ‘Hey Mom, Dad, this is Trixie. She’s a stripper.’ Yeah. No.
After the third dancer did the same boring routine, even his teammates were getting annoyed.
“Let’s head out,” said Bo.
“I’m all for that,” said Joey, waving the waitress over so they could pay their tab.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the stage the incomparable, fucking hot, sexy scientist, Marissa!”
Joey froze hearing the name. No. No, it couldn’t be.
The crowd erupted in applause, men standing and whistling catcalls, then tossing bills on the floor. She shimmied out of the see-through robe, tossing it to her right.
“No fucking way,” he whispered.
“What’s wrong?” asked Bullett. “She’s fucking hot.”
“Shut the fuck up! She’s family. I mean, she’s not family but like family.” He stood and got closer to the stage.
“Hey, Joey, security is headed this way.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” he growled.
Marissa turned, her head tilted back as she twisted her bikini top above her head, her natural breasts, gorgeous and full bouncing for the audience. Just as she was about to throw the top, she caught the eye of the one man she hoped to never see.
“Joey,” she mouthed.
“Get the fuck off that stage!” he yelled.
“Hey buddy! Sit down, let her shake some more,” laughed a young soldier.
“Shut the fuck up or I’ll break you in half. Get down. Now!”
“Joey, go home. I can’t leave right now,” she said moving closer to him. “Please, Joey.”
“No fucking way,” he snapped. He tossed her over his shoulder, pushing his way through the crowd.
“Brother, what the fuck are you doing? Security is coming at us and they are pissed.”
“Hold them back. Please. I have to get her out of here,” he said begging the others.
“Fine. But you owe us for this.”
While his teammates threw punches and bouncers around the club, he dashed to his truck, tossing Marissa in the passenger seat.
“Joey! I have to go back,” she yelled.
“You’re not fucking going back. What the hell is wrong with you? Do you know how stupid that is? Do you know what kind of trouble you’re in? Your parents are going to be so disappointed in you.”
“Shut up! You don’t know me. You don’t know who I am now. Let me out,” she said reaching for the door.
Joey reached across her naked breasts, the feel of her skin against his own not escaping him. He closed the door, engaged the locks and the child protection locks.
“You jump out dressed like that you won’t have any skin left,” he snapped.
She shut up until they got to his apartment and then she tried to run. He easily caught her, carried her upstairs, and tossed her on the sofa. He stripped off his t-shirt and threw it at her.
“Oh, so it’s okay that you’re topless but not me?” she smirked. “What’s the matter, Joey? Don’t like my tits?”
“Don’t talk like that. That’s not you. I don’t know what you’re doing but that is not you.”
“Again, you don’t know me,” she said pulling on the t-shirt. “I have to go back to the club. I’m already in trouble.”
“You’re not going back.”
“I have to,” she said standing. He pushed her back down, then hovered over her lap, his knees pinning her to the sofa.
“You are not going back.” She squirmed and Joey ground his teeth together, willing her to stop.
“Joey! I have to. Please!” she begged, tears in her eyes now.
“Why? Why the fuck would you need to be in a place like that?” She said nothing, just shaking her head as the tears continued to come. “Answer me! Why?”
“Because I owe them three-hundred thousand dollars.”