“As I’ve said, you need to marry her,” Mia stated. “She’s as driven as you are, and she doesn’t strike me as a gold digger like some of the bimbos you date.”
“She’s not interested in dating me,” I pointed out.
Mia looked even more disappointed than me by that fact. “What did you do to mess things up?”
“Me?” I asked with a laugh. “What makes you think I messed up? As I said, Suri is the problem. I can’t promise Mercy that Suri won’t be an issue, and Mercy isn’t interested in dealing with a woman who thinks it’s okay to break into my condo and get naked in my kitchen. I don’t blame her. While Suri’s never been violent toward me, she’s destroyed my stuff in a fit of temper before. Mercy doesn’t want to risk it.”
“How did Suri get into your condo complex?” Mia asked. “I can’t get in there unless you buzz me in.”
“There are always ways to get into secure complexes,” I stated. “I’ve emailed the management company to ask them to look into it. They may need to send out new gate cards. It’s always possible Suri has one. She could have followed someone in without them noticing. No more talking about Suri.”
“Fine,” Mia agreed. “I’m still mad that she’s ruining your wedding.”
“What wedding?” I asked with a laugh. So much for not talking about Suri. “I can’t even get Mercy to date me until I convince Suri to leave me alone. It may be for the best if she doesn’t date me since we’re neighbors. Can you imagine how awkward our situation could get if I dated Mercy and things ended badly?”
“She also thinks you’re a porn addict,” Mia added.
I groaned. “Can we not bring that up? I still can’t believe she heard Suri cheating on me. As I already said, it might be best if she doesn’t date me.”
“Do you believe it yet?” she asked with a sweet smile.
“Not even a little,” I grumbled.
Chapter 15
Mercy
Before the meeting with the team, I finished a proofreading job I’d started three days earlier. It wasn’t one of my paid jobs, but I considered it a top priority. I’d just finished the last page when I attached the file and grabbed my phone to call my brother.
“Hey, Mercy,” Lex greeted me.
“I’m annoyed with you, Lex,” I complained.
He chuckled. “Did you remember the time I put honey in your hair again?”
I frowned. “I will never forget that, Lexus. Mom let you off easy.”
“Yeah, she did,” he agreed. “So, what are you really annoyed with me about?”
“I have a lot of work to get done,” I complained. “I didn’t have time to read your book twice.”
“There were that many errors?” he sounded nervous.
“It was so good that I kept forgetting I was supposed to be proofreading it,” I explained. “Your book is amazing, Lex. The editor you hired caught all but a few minor errors. I emailed the document back to you.”
“You really like it?” he asked.
“I loved it,” I assured him. “I’m so proud of you. This can’t have been easy.”
Lex hated talking about his time in rehab and prison. I already knew it had been tough on him, but I’d had no idea how tough before reading his book. It amazed me that my brother had put all of his struggles on paper and planned to publish them for the world to see.
“I’m sorry about hiding from all of you for as long as I did,” he said softly.
“You don’t need to apologize to me,” I assured him. “I spent months hiding in my condo, so I don’t have much room to judge you.”
“Now that we’re both willing to leave the house, how about if we grab an early dinner?” Lex suggested. “I can pick you up.”
“How about a late dinner?” was my response.
“Why?” he asked. “Do you have a hot date?”
“No, but I’m at work,” I explained before realizing I hadn’t talked to Lex since before my run-in with Suri. Bentley would have told him if they talked, but she’d been busy getting ready for the next Reckless Release tour. “My neighbor behind me offered me a contract job.”
“The one you went out with?” Lex asked.
“So, you have talked to Bennie this week,” I deduced.
“Only for a minute, but she couldn’t wait to tell me you had a date,” he explained. “She also said you had it wrong about the porn addict thing. So, you’re working with him and dating him?”
“I went on one date, but he’s got a crazy ex, and I don’t need that drama,” I told him. “This contract job is perfect for me.”
I gave Lex a rundown on what I was doing for Spencer.
“That does sound like a good fit for you,” he agreed. “How does it feel to have an office job?”
“Strange,” I replied. “It hasn’t been that long since I’ve had to get up and go to work, but my hours were vastly different, and I rarely spent more than a couple of hours behind a desk. I’m not sure I’m cut out for a corporate job. At home, I can at least go to the gym or bake something when I need a break.”
“I can’t see you settling into an office job,” he agreed. “Do you need to work there all day? You could have gone home to work on my book.”
“I carpooled with Spencer,” I explained. “He let me drive his car.”
Lex chuckled. “Got it. He’s got a nice car, so you’re willing to spend a few extra hours at work to drive it.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “So, can we have dinner later?”
“We’ll have to plan for another night,” he replied. “I have band practice tonight.”
“Really?” I asked. “I thought you were only filling in for one show last week?”
Lex hadn’t been interested in playing music after getting out of prison, that is until Bentley’s husband convinced him to fill in on bass guitar at a local show. Since then, he’d played with Reckless Release on occasion. Recently, he’d been asked to fill in for the bassist of another local band, Deluded Serenity. They were good enough that they’d opened for Reckless Release at the beginning of their last tour. From what Bentley had told me, they would be opening for the entire next tour.
“It seems their bassist is planning to go to medical school, so he’s leaving the band,” Lex explained. “I’m filling in for him again this Friday, and they offered me his spot when he leaves.”
“And you took it?” I asked excitedly. My brother loved playing, and I was dying to see him with a band again.
“I’m considering it,” he replied.
“What’s holding you back?” I asked. “You love playing, and the guys in the band are great.”
“They also make me feel old,” he admitted.
“I can see that,” I agreed before noticing the time. “Damn! I need to get to my meeting. I’ll call you later, and we can set up a time to meet for dinner. You can also give me the details for the show on Friday.”
“You got it, sis,” he replied. “Thanks again for helping out. I love you.”
“Love you, too,” I replied before ending the call.
Grabbing my laptop and the few notes I had on paper, I hurried to the conference room to meet the rest of the team.
Chapter 16
Spencer
Mercy raced into the conference room shortly after I arrived. She set her laptop on the table along with a notepad before flashing me a smile and then one to the others.
“Are you wearing bunny slippers?” I asked.
Mercy looked down at her feet and laughed. “I forgot I had them on. They were in my big purse this morning, so you didn’t see them. Piper, my manager at Euphoria, introduced me to these. They have hard bottoms so I can wear them outside. It’s a lot more comfortable than running around in heels all day. Sorry, I know they aren’t office chic.”
“No,” I replied with a shake of my head. “They’re fine.”
More than fine, her bunny slippers were hot. When had I started finding bunny slippers sexy? When Mercy had raced into the conferen
ce room wearing them.
“I want a pair,” Mia chimed in.
“Me too,” Kayla added. “They look comfy.”
“I’ll email you my contact,” Mercy assured them. “They’re custom made.”
“Do you often wear your bunny slippers outside?” I asked.
“Never,” she admitted with a sigh. “I bought them to wear at work right before I started working from home. Shall I tell you what I’ve learned so far?”
“Go right ahead,” I replied with a smile.
“I only went over notes on The Frisky Beaver,” she began. “I’ll look at the other clubs later. There have been quite a few changes since I sold the club. Some of those changes are good. They were able to get better rates on health insurance since they’re a larger company. Premiums will go down in January, saving the company and the employees money.”
“The strippers have health insurance?” Liam asked.
“The dancers have the option to buy insurance through the club, but their out-of-pocket expense is more because they are all part-time employees. The dancers also work other jobs or attend college. There are full-time waiters, bouncers, management, and one full-time bartender. Those employees are more likely to take advantage of the benefits. The information I have doesn’t tell me how many employees signed up. In the future, I would appreciate it if we refer to them as dancers rather than strippers.”
“Got it,” Liam replied with a nod.
Mercy continued. “They remodeled the club and spent a lot of money on that project. It looks like the changes were predominantly in the back areas. According to the notes you got from the owners, they converted some space to private rooms and updated the offices. The idea behind the private rooms is that you can charge more for time with the dancers. When I ran the club, we had one private room used for small parties.”
“You don’t think they’re a good investment?” I asked.
She shrugged. “It depends on how much demand there is for them and how much the owner cares about the safety of their dancers. Some more disreputable clubs send their dancers in alone and claim they’re safe because of the security cameras in the room. The security cameras aren’t a horrible idea if you have someone watching them closely, but those clubs aren’t good at taking care of their dancers. A good club sends security into the private rooms to make sure there are no problems.”
“What are they doing at The Frisky Beaver?” I asked.
“It’s not in the notes, but they have hired extra security,” she replied.
“Good,” Mia replied with a nod. “Aside from the obvious argument that employers need to watch out for the safety of their employees, they could be sued if one of the dancers is hurt.”
“How is the addition of the private rooms helping the bottom line?” I asked.
“It’s hurting it,” she replied. “The club isn’t a dive, but it caters to a middle-class clientele—at least, that was the case when I was there. There weren’t many requests for private lap dances. I’m not saying their business model can’t work, but I think they need to do more to separate it from the original club. A name change and possibly a new club opening would help.”
“That’s a lot of money,” I mused.
She shrugged. “You have to spend money to build your image as a club. There are some other areas where I think they’re overspending.”
I nodded. “Let’s go over those and then we can all head home.”
“Sounds good,” she agreed. “I’ll be able to put together a more complete report by the end of the week. It would help if we could go by the club while it’s open.”
“You want the team to go to a strip club?” I asked.
“Of course,” she replied. “I can go alone if no one wants to go with me. It’s the only way I’ll be able to see how the club is functioning. I can say it looks over-staffed, but without seeing everyone in action, I can’t give you a good recommendation. Seeing the changes they’ve made might also help me make recommendations.”
“I’ll go with you,” I assured her. “When would you like to go?”
“How about tomorrow?” she asked. “Thursdays are usually busy without being insane.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed before returning my attention to the others. “Are you interested in coming?”
“I’ll pass on this trip,” Mia replied. “My dad is in town tomorrow.”
“The kids have a school play,” Liam replied.
“I have a date,” Kayla added. “Before anyone suggests it, I’m not inviting him to The Frisky Beaver for our first date.”
“Then it looks like it’s just me and you,” I told Mercy. “Now, let me introduce you to the team.”
Mercy grinned. “I took over, didn’t I?”
“Yes,” I agreed. “It was very impressive.”
Chapter 17
Mercy
“Are you sure I’m dressed okay for a strip club?” Spencer asked as we walked toward the entrance of The Frisky Beaver.
I stopped to look him up and down—not because I needed to check out his clothing to decide if he’d dressed appropriately. There wasn’t a dress code at The Frisky Beaver. Some guys came in jeans and t-shirts while others would look like they’d just left the office. Many came straight from work. I was checking Spencer out because he looked fantastic in his charcoal dress pants and burgundy shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
Imagining him unbuttoning that shirt and stripping it off was easy. I could practically feel his warm skin under my fingers as he drew me closer for his kiss. Spencer’s kiss would be the toe-curling kind that made me want to beg for more of his touch. My nipples hardened against the lace of my bra as I felt myself clench with desire.
“Mercy.” I blinked twice as Spencer’s warm hand settled on my shoulder. “Are you okay, love?”
Love? Wow! That was hot. “I’m fine,” I assured him with a bright smile. “I got lost in thought.”
His lips curled into a knowing smile as if he could tell what I’d been thinking, but he didn’t call me on it. “I asked if I’m dressed okay.”
“Don’t tell me a porn addict such as yourself doesn’t go to strip clubs on a regular basis,” I teased.
“Only in my den,” he replied.
I laughed and shook my head. “Are you ready?”
“Let’s do this,” he said as we walked up to the front.
I didn’t recognize the bouncer who checked our IDs and stamped our hands before we entered. Spencer had called ahead to let them know we were coming, so we didn’t have to pay the cover charge. The bouncer notified the club manager of our arrival, and he met us as we approached the bar.
“Hi, I’m James Tate,” the middle-aged man with thinning brown hair and pale blue eyes said as he extended a hand. “I manage this and four other clubs. You must be Mercedes and Spencer.”
“It’s nice to meet you, James,” Spencer replied.
“Mercy!” Shelly screeched from behind the bar. She’d worked part-time for me for a few months before I sold the club. A slender brunette with huge glasses and a neat bob, she’d always looked out of place in the club. That got her great tips and a lot of offers from the customers.
“Excuse me for a moment,” I told James.
“Go ahead and say hello. You obviously know each other,” he replied as he gestured to the bar.
“How are you, Shelly?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Not bad. We all really miss you.” Shelly flashed James a guilty smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you’re a horrible boss.”
James’s eyes lit with recognition. “I thought your name sounded familiar. If this hadn’t been such a crazy week, I’d have remembered right away. You owned this club.”
“I did,” I confirmed.
“That’s why we hired her to consult on this project,” Spencer explained. “The owner knows she’s working on the project, so I’m surprised he didn’t mention it to you.”
“What can I do to help y
ou out?” James asked.
“For now, we’d like to observe,” I explained, not at all surprised when Shelly laughed.
“There are some good acts tonight,” James added. “Not that I think you’re here to watch the strippers.”
“Dancers,” I corrected.
“Right,” James agreed with a dismissive wave of my hand. “There are some good dancers tonight. They’ll be stripping. Now, I know why the girls wanted to be called dancers when I started working here.”
My smile was tight. “We’ll let you know if we need anything.”
James looked startled by my tone, but I didn’t care. I’d already decided I didn’t like him. “I’ll be in my office,” he replied before turning and walking away.
“James is such a dick,” Shelly said from behind the bar. “He’s fine with me, but the dancers all hate him.”
“That’s not good,” I muttered. “Have you had a lot of turnover?” Bartenders were great sources of information.
Shelly nodded. “They canceled ladies’ night, so we lost those employees.”
“That’s too bad,” I replied. “But I can see why it might not fit with their business model.”
“They also got rid of any dancer who refused to work in the private rooms,” she added.
I nodded. Nothing she’d said so far was too bad, and some of it might be out of James’s control since he didn’t own the club. “Anything else?”
“One dancer quit after he went into the changing area unannounced and refused to leave,” Shelly explained. “At least, that’s what I heard. I wasn’t working that night. I’m not usually here when James works.” She looked over her shoulder. “I’d better get back to work. Customers are waiting for their drinks.”
“Hell no,” I grumbled after Shelly’s attention returned to the customers at the bar.
“I’ll contact the owner,” Spencer assured me. “Aside from being an asshole move, that could get them sued. It may have been an accident, but we need this looked into.”
“They should be sued,” I muttered.
“You’re very passionate on the subject,” Spencer remarked. “I’m surprised you sold the club.”
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