The man placed his large, calloused hands on her shoulders to steady her. “Better watch where you’re going, sweetheart.” Histhin lips curled into an eerie grin. “Never know what kind of trouble you might run into in a place like this.”
A line of shivers raced down the center of her spine. “Sorry,” Scarlett offered again. She added a belated yet friendly smile for good measure.
The man’s hooded blue eyes continued to stare. Though she knew it was impossible, she could’ve sworn there was a hint of recognition there.
He glanced down, first at her gaping cleavage, and then…he noticed the flyer still clutched in her hands.
“Can I help you find something?” His intimidating gaze rose back up to hers.
Scarlett was so flustered by what she’d just found and this man’s unsettling demeanor, she blurted the first word that came to mind. “Cinnamon!”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit!
There was a slight twitch at the corner of the man’s right eye, but then, “If you’re looking for dessert, I suggest you try one of the bakeries in town.”
Before she could even respond, the man dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped around her before continuing on his way.
Think, Scarlett. Think, think, think…
“Wait!” she called out after him.
The man stopped mid-stride and turned back around slowly.
Scarlett held up the flyer and forced her lips into an even bigger, friendlier smile. “I-I was asking about this.” She took a few steps toward him. “It says here to ask for Cinnamon to schedule an audition.”
Olly’s either going to kiss me…or kill me for this.
Praying for the former, she held her breath and waited. She wanted to squirm beneath his uncomfortable stare, and when he ran his gaze down the length of her body and back up again,Scarlett suddenly couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel and shower.
“You dance?” Those blue eyes fell back down to her breasts.
Fighting the urge to cross her arms over her chest, she nodded. “I used to.”
“What’s your name?”
“Scarlett.”
The truth was automatic, but she hadn’t given him her last name. And since Rose didn’t even know she had a sister, there was no way this guy would connect the two women.
I hope.
“How old are you, Scarlett?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“Getting a little old for the business, aren’t you?”
Ouch.
Ignoring the intentional jab, Scarlett refused to let the jerk intimidate her any longer.
“No offense, but isn’t that something Cinnamon should decide?” She maintained eye contact like a pro. “I mean…” She held the flyer up again. “If she’s the one doing the hiring, that is.”
“Cinnamon no longer works here.”
Her heart sank into her stomach at his growled words. “Oh.”Don’t let him see your disappointment.“Um…okay. So who should I see about a time to perform, then?”
Rather than answer the question, the man she now suspected as the one in charge of the place made a twirling motion with one of his hands.