Now, she’s definitely having a worse night than us. “Are you okay?” I didn’t know much about the green-haired woman other than she’d started last night.
She pressed her trembling lips together and shook her head.
Damn. I’d been there before. Setting down my bag, I walked over to her side and put my hand on her shoulder. “It’s not always like this you know. There are good nights and bad nights.” Just more bad nights lately. “Things will pick up after the holidays.” I hope.
Her expression crumbled. “I didn’t make jack tonight.”
Anxiety ate at me as I glanced at the empty doorway. I’d already made the cops wait far longer than a minute. Torn between the need to comfort the girl and the need not to piss off the officers who might hold my fate in their hands, I chewed my lower lip.
Jade let out a loud sob.
Screw it. The cops can wait. I led Jade to the nearest swivel chair. She sat, her chest heaving. “I’m sorry. I’m such a mess.” She swiped a hand across her face, smearing her makeup. “I never thought it’d come to this. Me taking off my clothes for money. And when I finally get desperate enough to do it, I don’t make a fucking cent.” Tears trekked down her face. She was an ugly-crier, something that made me like her even more.
“It’ll be okay,” I said squeezing her shoulder. Desperation drove a lot of girls to dancing. Me included.
Jade let out a heavy sigh. “I thought for sure I’d make some good money. I’m so broke I can’t even pay the sitter.”
“You have kids?” I asked, grabbing a tissue from the counter and handing it to her.
She gave me a watery smile. “Payton just turned two.”
My chest tightened. I was a sucker for little ones. Forbidding me from seeing Mira had to be one of the cruelest things Nathan could have done after breaking up with me.
I gave Jade a once-over. She was pretty in that girl-next-door kind of way. With the right makeup and outfit she’d kill it. “Look, how about I give you some pointers tomorrow night?”
Her raccoon eyes widened as she studied my face. “Seriously?”
“Until then, take this.” I fished out two twenties and gave them to her.
Her eyes widened and then narrowed. “For real?” Like most of us, she’d probably been kicked around by life to the point she had a hard time believing that anyone would do something nice for no reason.
“Yeah, consider it a welcome-to-the-club present. I was new once too, and I barely made anything my first night,” I said, lying. “I’m Havana, by the way.” I held out my hand to her.
She shook it. “Melody.”
“Nice to meet you, Melody. Now don’t waste any more tears on this shithole. Go home and enjoy your baby.”
She smiled for the first time. “I will.”
I walked back over to my bag and slung the strap over my shoulder. As I walked through the doorway, I stopped and said, “Hey, if you and Payton aren’t doing anything Christmas Eve you’re welcome to come to my place. I cook a mean turkey with all the sides.”
She blinked up at me. “Thanks, but we’re going to my sister’s.”
Of course. It was destined to be me and me alone this Christmas. “Well, I'd better not keep those cops waiting any longer. See you tomorrow assuming they don't throw me in jail.”
She blinked. “You mean the pirate-looking guy and the hot blond that came in a little while ago?”
“Yeah.”
“They aren’t cops.”
I whirled around. “What do you mean?”
She dabbed her eye with the tissue. “My stepdad was a sergeant with SVPD before he died. If there is one thing I know, it’s law enforcement and those guys aren’t it. Not by a long shot.”
My stomach dropped to the floor as I looked toward the side stairs. If Mason and Gabriel weren’t cops, who were they? And what did they want with me?
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