Scarlett stoodbackstage at the Mystique, waiting for the dancer on stage to finish her routine. The audition earlier that day had gone even better than expected. Thanks, in part, to the skimpy new outfit she had on.
She glanced down at her feet, absentmindedly twirling her right foot while studying the brand new stilettos. Nerves fluttered deep inside her belly, but not about her upcoming performance. She could do the entire routine blindfolded if she had to. Truth be told, some of the guys out there were probably into that sort of thing.
But there was only one man in the crowd she cared about. A tall, dark, sexy man who, less than twenty-four hours ago, had made her come harder and longer than ever before.
And then he’d walked away.
Scarlett still didn’t know what that was all about. It didn’t help that the confounding man had barely said two words to her all day. In fact, the only times they’d really carried on full, actual conversations were just before her audition and after. And even those had been short, sweet, and to the point.
She hated this. Hated that he’d shut himself off the way he had. Especially when she didn’t understand why.
So her dad had called when they’d been about to have sex. So what? It wasn’t a big deal in the slightest…to her. But to Olly…
Something about that phone call had triggered him. And despite wracking her brain all damn day trying to figure it out, Scarlett still had yet to come up with a plausible explanation.
I’ll make him tell me. Tonight, after we leave. I’m going to sit him down and demand an explanation.
It was the least he could do after walking out on her the way he had.
The woman performing spun around the pole once more. Several dollar bills scattered the shiny floor beneath her, and more continued to fly as the song blaring from the speakers began its final chorus.
Scarlett watched with an experienced eye, impressed by some of the other woman’s moves. It was funny how easy some of the classic erotic dance moves looked from the outside. But she knew exactly the kind of physical strength required and understood the hours of practice and preparation it took to make a dance like that look effortless.
Some women could pull it off, no pun intended. Others…not so much. Lucky for Scarlett, she had both the natural talent and strength to bring most of the men out there to their knees.
It was that same talent that had made it possible to get through school—and help with her mom’s medical bills—without she or her father being left with a ton of debt.
Not that her dad knew about her little side job back in those days. That was one secret she would take with her to her grave where he was concerned.
Not because she was ashamed or had done anything wrong or immoral during her stripping days. But because she knewhe’d blame himself, and think it was his fault she felt pressured into taking a job like that to help out.
After her mother died, Scarlett’s dad had done the very best he could with what he had. She knew that. But she’d also known it wasn’t enough. Not to keep the lights on and the bank from foreclosing on their house.
So she’d done what she had to in order to keep their tiny family together under the same roof. And now, thanks to those days dancing up on stage, her dad was free and clear of his mortgage and the last of her mom’s medical bills had been paid.
The song came to an end, and the dancer began gathering up her hard-earned cash. Scarlett looked past the dancer to the corner in the back of the room.
Olly was there, sitting at the same table as before. He couldn’t see her, but she could see him. Though that section of the room was shadowed, she could still make out the hardened expression on his face.
He wasn’t happy about this. She knew that. Hell, it was a wonder he hadn’t hauled her ass back to Denver after being rejected at the door that morning.
When they’d arrived for her audition, Pauly—head of security for The Mystique—had met them at the door. The tall, muscular man been adamant that all auditions were closed to the public. Including pseudo-boyfriends with major alpha male tendencies.
Luckily, Scarlett had managed to convince Olly to wait for her in the car. Since the audition was limited to three minutes, she’d assured him she would be in and out in no time.
And, on the off chance that something baddidhappen to her, they both knew Olly would have been a viable witness for the police.
He knew her last known location. The time she’d entered the club. And the man she’d entered the club with.
Pauly.
Scarlett peaked through a tiny slit in the black velvet curtain hanging high from the ceiling above. She could see Pauly standing by the club’s main entrance. Dressed in a dark gray suit and black button-down, he looked more like a mobster wanna-be than head of security.
But the butterflies swarming in her gut had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the only person present whose opinion of her mattered. Olly.
“You’re up!” The blonde who went by Tiffany exited the stage. “Good luck!”
“Thanks.” Scarlett smiled back.