Baby Jade couldn’t believe that Mickey sided with Mr. Tats. That was a first.
“Look, Lucky. You can’t get physical every time some douchebag pisses you off. It doesn’t matter if he’s the one trying to get physical first. Get your shit under control. Got it?” Mickey waited for confirmation, and he got it through a quick nod. “Good. Now both of ya get back to work,” he said, leaving the two of them awkwardly standing together. Jewella had slithered off to Mickey’s office sometime during the confrontation. Baby Jade felt bad for Coral having to go on after the chaos.
Mickey made an announcement through the loud speaker. “Hey guys, the next round of drinks is on the house and we’re getting out some more food ASAP.”
The instant hooting and hollering from the bachelor party put Baby Jade at ease. Mickey had somehow managed to save the day. She looked over at Mr. Tats, who appeared to be un-phased like nothing had happened. He wasn’t fooling anyone. He was definitely no stranger to violence.
She placed her hands on her hips and sucked in a deep breath. “Well, Lucky. It looks like it’s you and me for the night. It is Lucky, right?”
Towering over her, he looked down and replied, “Yes ma’am.”
“Good. Now, first things first. I am in no way a ma’am. You can call me Baby Jade, or simply Baby. That’s my stage name. Well, that’s what everyone calls me anyway. Can you handle that?”
“I think I can. Now I have a question,” Lucky said nonchalantly.
“Shoot.”
“Do you talk to everyone like they’re idiots? Or am I special?” Lucky asked with a stone face before stomping away to stand guard at his designated post. He left her standing alone with a gaping mouth.
What the hell?
Baby wasn’t used to being talked to like that. Sure, Mickey talked down to her, and the other girls were always trashing one another. Slade was hot and cold. He either treated her like gold or like a slut. But Lucky wasn’t talking down to her. He was standing up for himself. She was the one doing the downing. She felt like a giant jackass.
Baby Jade did the walk of shame and planted herself next to Lucky, speechless. A few stragglers came and went. He stood his ground. It was no surprise that he fit the role of bouncer perfectly, never cracking a smile. Every now and then Mickey glanced over to make sure Baby was being a good little babysitter, but not too good.
After about fifteen minutes of silence, she couldn’t take it anymore.
She bit the bullet. “Look, I’d like to apologize. Truth is, yes. In this place, I do talk to most people like they’re idiots. That’s because either they are or they act like one. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. I’m sorry.” Baby bit her lip, hoping to hide her humiliation.
Lucky turned toward her. He stood well over six feet tall. They were close enough that she felt the heat coming off his body. “Apology accepted. Why don’t we start over? I’m Lucky and you’re Baby Jade, or simply Baby.” Lucky’s full lips curved up into a lopsided smile.
Holy Hell!
Her heart skipped a beat. The left side of his mouth curved slightly upward, creating the perfect dimple. It took her breath, giving her stomach butterflies. Long, dark lashes set off his chocolate brown eyes. His chiseled jawline made her body flush. Tattoos peeked out from the neckline of his black tee arousing her curiosity. She fought the urge to ask about them.
“You’re new in town?” Baby tugged on her bottom lip. She had adopted the habit long ago when she became nervous or anxious.
“You were eavesdropping,” he said, making all the hair on her arms stand at attention.
“No, I wasn’t. Overhearing is not the same thing as eavesdropping.” She tried to protest but smiled when he chuckled.
“Ok, ok. Yeah, I got here a few weeks ago. I’ve lived here before. I guess it’s more like I’m back in town. You’ve asked a question. Now it’s my turn.”
“All right, lay it on me.”
“How old are you?”
Her eyes opened wide. “Damn, that’s a little personal. I was trying to make small talk. You’re digging. No fair.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Well, you should have set some parameters beforehand. Now answer the question.”
“I’m twenty-one.” She eyed him closely for a response waiting for his reaction. Nothing. She had known the man for less than twenty-four hours, and already he had her going crazy. “My turn. Why are you back in town?”
“That’s a long story.” His lips pursed together.
“Oh well, you should have set some parameters beforehand. ’Fess up.”
“Touché.” He grabbed his cock and adjusted himself, almost as if he had to prepare himself to answer the question. “I have some quick business stuff to take care of. I won’t be around long. How long have you worked here?”
Baby Jade stiffened. The question immediately threw up her guard. Too many people had tried to set up traps for underage workers.
“Too long but not long enough.”
“That’s cheating.” He crossed his arms. She smiled in satisfaction knowing she had him. He continued. “Yeah, I know. Parameters.”
Mickey busted into the end of Coral’s set alerting Baby it was her turn to take the stage.
“I have to go. I’m up,” she said and turned to walk away.
Lucky grabbed her hand before she was out of reach, catching her by surprise. “You are coming back to babysit me some more, right? I’d hate to have to tattle to Mickey.” There was that damn grin again. Those dimples. The way his smoldering eyes danced when he smiled. She sensed he was sincere. Also something that Baby Jade wasn’t used to.
His touch sent chills through her body, like an electrical current flipping on the switch to her pussy. It scared the hell out of her, and her legs trembled. Struggling to swallow back the lump in her throat, Baby didn’t trust herself to speak. She couldn’t muster up a simple head nod. Her feet were cemented in place, not wanting to move and chance Lucky dropping his hand.
When he didn’t let go on his own, she finally said in a soft whisper, “I can’t come back if you don’t let me go in the first place.”
His hand fell to his side and his face turned a deep shade of red. She stared at him for a moment before sashaying away.
As she waited backstage, Baby Jade did some stretches to limber up. Her body was buzzing. It was strange that the loud, grating sound of Mickey’s voice didn’t make her want to claw out her eyeballs. There’s a first for everything.
“Gents, let’s give a nice big round of applause for Coral! What a sweetheart. And for all you Lolli and Barbie fans, they’ll be back again in a little while. But now it’s time to step it up a notch. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing our next dancer in person, you have been missing out. You, my friends, are in for a treat. She’s gorgeous, leggy, busty, and exclusively at Bottoms Up. Give it up for our one and only Baby Jade!” The crowd went wild with catcalls and applause.
Baby Jade glided one arm through the curtains, slowly extending it to the crowd. The anticipation only made them more excited. It was important to maintain control over the crowd in a setting like this. People could get hurt. The bachelor party had been drinking for hours. They were probably harmless, but accidents still happen.
With her arm through the drapes, she placed one finger up to her lips without revealing her face. She gave the crowd a sexy “Ssshhh” to help quiet them down. The shock factor must have worked because silence fell over the room.
Baby Jade slipped her leg through the curtain, which was Mickey’s cue to start her music. By the stillness of the crowd, she knew that all eyes would be on her. She wrapped her leg around the curtain and used it as a pole, sliding up and down with her back to the crowd.
As the song continued, Baby moved toward the pole in the middle of the stage. She coiled her body around the pole before spreading her legs and sliding to the floor in a perfect split. As soon as she hit her mark, the audience went wild. Her own body throbbing as the blood surged thi
nking about Lucky’s moist lips, creating an adrenaline rush.
A man sitting at the edge of the stage waved a handful of bills in the air. She twirled her hair, smacking the man in the face with her ebony tendrils. She imagined Lucky’s hands moving up and down her body, exploring as she shimmied out of her teddy right on point and strategically held it over her breasts for a few seconds, creating a frenzy before slipping out of her thong. Her body automatically cranked out the moves until she finished right on cue.
Perfection. All the way to the point of the crowd chanting for an encore, which was always a huge ego boost. Mickey didn’t let the girls give encores unless it was their final set of the night. It was one of the few things he and Baby agreed on. You always leave them begging for more.
“All right fellas, calm down. Yes, that was real. Yes, that actually happened, and yes, it will happen again. Baby Jade will be back to grace the stage soon. In the meantime, we’re going to take a few minutes to prepare for the Bottoms Up one and only original, Jewella!”
Baby snatched up her tips and slipped on her robe before heading back toward Lucky. Jewella squirmed on a stool next to him, trying to inch closer. Her hand rested on his shoulder. She reminded Baby of a dog in heat. And poor Lucky looked miserable.
As she approached, Lucky looked at her with pleading eyes. “I tried to get her to leave me alone, but she wouldn’t move. I think she needs to go sleep it off or something. She seems pretty messed up,” he explained.
“Does Mickey know?”
“Doubt it. He was in the DJ booth the whole time, and I didn’t want to leave the front door. Besides, I liked the view.”
Dammit, that grin!
She was smart enough to know he was definitely flirting with her. He liked her. A lot of guys liked her, but the butterflies in her gut told her this one was different. He was more intense and didn’t feed into the usual club drama.
Since she couldn’t think of a witty comeback, Baby Jade decided to ignore his last comment. “Well, she’s next on stage. Someone’s going to have to let Mickey know. There’s no way she can go on like that.”
Neither of them budged.
Finally, Baby Jade relented. “Fine, I’ll tell him.”
Lucky’s response? That panty-dropping grin.
Mickey was in the back room lighting a cigarette. She was surprised he didn’t already know about Jewella. He usually kept an eagle eye on her. Wasn’t that the whole point of her babysitting job?
Once she filled him in on his girlfriend, she stood back and waited for him to blow.
“Shit, Baby. I told you to keep an eye on her. This is exactly what I was talking about.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Mickey. She’s not my responsibility. I was on the damn stage. Remember, my job?”
“You and lover boy out there are trying to fuck with me.”
“Yeah. The guy I met yesterday and I are plotting on how to fuck with you. It’s how I spend my days.” Baby rolled her eyes.
“Well, Jewella can’t go out there on the stage. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”
Baby Jade knew what he was getting at and wanted to beat him to the punch. “Don’t look at me. I was the last one on stage.” She waved her hands in front of her chest.
Mickey rubbed his forehead. “We need to get some new blood in here.”
“Yeah, because I’d say your girl is about done.”
“Get the hell outta my way,” he said storming passed her and out of the office. He stomped across the bar to the front door.
“What’s wrong with her?” he asked Lucky.
“I don’t know, man. She won’t leave. I think she might be high or drunk.”
“Oh no, she’s sick. It happens every night after a fifth or an eight ball,” Baby Jade chided.
Mickey shot invisible darts in her direction with his beady eyes. “Dammit, Baby. Shut the fuck up.”
She remained quiet, but not for Mickey. It was because she saw the look in Lucky’s dark eyes. He was fuming and she didn’t want him getting into a fight with his boss, especially his first night.
“Go tell Coral to get her ass on the stage,” Mickey directed at Baby Jade.
“She was on right before me.”
He grunted. “I don’t give a shit. Find someone. And I need you in early this week to put in some daytime hours to help with interviews. This shit’s getting old.”
Baby made an executive decision to give Coral a break. She made her way through the crowd to let Lolli know she had to take Jewella’s set. The girl was pissed, and for good reason. All the dancers had been covering for Jewella for far too long. If Baby hadn’t been the last one on stage, it would be her up there and Mickey wouldn’t have taken no for an answer.
Mickey’s hoarse voice belted across the room. “Baby, get your ass back over there. You’re on stud duty!” He jerked his head toward Lucky. “Lolli get your shit together. We don’t have all night. Your set was supposed to start five minutes ago.”
Baby Jade shot Lolli a sympathetic look.
“Well, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Lucky said as she sidled up to him on the stool.
“That’s easy for you to say. I got a few more sets added to my night.”
“In the meantime, you get to hang out with me. Now is that really a bad thing?”
Those fucking dimples are going to be the death of me! He was dangerous. Far more dangerous than she had anticipated, and it was the last thing she needed. Baby didn’t know how she was going to get away from him, and the worst part, she didn’t know if she wanted to try.
“Hmm, I suppose it could be worse.” Her stomach somersaulted as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
Chapter Four
Lucky
Shit!
That smile was trouble, and those green eyes were more than any normal man could take. Lucky didn’t know how long he would be in New Orleans, but it was obviously going to be longer than he had planned. He had to find out more about this girl. It had nothing to do with being a dancer. He had dated tons strippers in the past. Actually, it was fair to say he had fucked a lot of strippers. Lucky didn’t do the whole dating thing, but this girl was something else. She got under his skin, and he liked it. She made his cock hard simply by being in the same building.
Lucky made sure not to get tangled up with females while in New Orleans. The last thing he needed was to stick his cock into someone who was aiming to latch onto the Gauthier name. Been there, done that, and bought the fucking t-shirt.
He didn’t like the way everything about Baby caught him off guard. Those eyes, paired with that smile did things to him that he wasn’t prepared for. Shit.
It was clear to Lucky that the other girls at the club wanted his attention. Coral and Lolli were cute. If he had been anywhere else, he might have entertained the thought of hanging out with one of them or both of them. But with Baby Jade around, they didn’t stand a chance.
“Hello? Earth to Lucky.” Baby snapped her fingers in front of his face to get his attention. “You’re staring at me.” Her gorgeous green eyes beaming up at him, making his cock stir.
“Don’t try to tell me people don’t stare at you. Besides, I was trying to figure out my next question.” He didn’t want her to know that she had his head doing that spinning bullshit. He hoped he didn’t have some stupid shit-eating grin on his face.
“Damn.”
He grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Are you from New Orleans?”
“Yup. Grew up right here in the Seventh Ward. My turn. Where did you grow up?”
“All over the place.” He leaned against the wall.
Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “Come on, that doesn’t count.”
“Sure it does. I grew up all over the place.”
Lucky wasn’t ready to tell anyone he was from New Orleans. Once that was out it wouldn’t take long before people linked him back to his family. He had finally met a girl he wanted to get to know better, someone wh
o intrigued him, and she was from the fucking Seventh Ward. They didn’t have a shot in hell.
Damn, one head was hard, and the other was screwed up. “I’m done playing twenty questions,” Lucky snapped, causing her face to downturn. The pain in her eyes and the offended look on her face twisted his insides.
“Ok. What else do you wanna talk about?”
“Nothing. Don’t you have a set or something?”
Her face fell. “Not for a little while. Why?”
“Jewella’s gone now, I’m probably safe. I think I’ll be fine.”
Lucky felt as if he had the wind knocked out of him watching the way her doe eyes glazed over, dark and ominous.
“You can go now.” He knew she got the hint when her brow furrowed and she didn’t say a word. She lifted her shoulders and walked away, not looking back.
He felt like a bastard for treating her like shit, but he couldn’t allow himself to get wrapped up in a chick, not in New Orleans. As soon as he took care of business, he was heading straight out of town.
Chapter Five
Baby Jade
Baby Jade was sick to her stomach, feeling like she could vomit as she went through the motions of the rest of her set with Lucky in the same room. She didn’t like the way he made her feel vulnerable. He left her feeling exposed and confused. It pissed her off. When she was dancing, she tried not to look in his direction, but she was drawn to him. He didn’t attempt to divert his gaze when she caught him watching her every move.
Things were off to a good start. They were having fun, and he was attracted to her. Baby was sure of it. He had participated in the flirting as much as she had. Now, all of the sudden she didn’t exist. She didn’t have time for the Jekyll and Hyde bullshit.
After her shift, Baby Jade did a quick cleaning around the dressing room. When she was done, she grabbed her stuff and let Mickey know she was heading out for the night. Lucky was still working, but the front entrance was the only way out since she refused to take the back alley exit in the middle of the night. It was after two a.m. and the room was winding down. Lolli was finishing her last set and had her attention directed toward Lucky, who looked bored out of his mind. Bored in a strip club, this man was a fucking puzzle.
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