As tempting as it is to take him up on his offer…there are too many things that have the potential to go wrong.

For starters, I’m already sleeping with my potential boss, and having sex with someone who signs your paychecks is a big no-no.

Plus, if we ever ended things, that could make things super awkward and I’d be unemployed.

The whole thing is a recipe for disaster.

Not to mention, I’m willing to bet I’d still make way more at the shit-hole Bashful Beaver than I would working for him.

I also have a sneaky suspicion as to what his real motivations behind this idea are.

He wants to give me money, but he knows I won’t take it. However, if he can legally hire me… I’ll have no choice but to accept it.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

He’s visibly offended. “It sure didn’t take long for you to turn that down.”

“I appreciate it, Leo. Really, I do. It’s just…things could get messy.” I shrug. “Plus, I’m going off to college in a few months so it would be temporary, and you’d end up having to train someone else to take my place.”

“No one can take your place, Aspen. Trust me.”

His words are sweet and I can’t help but smile. “I appreciate everything you do for me.”

He scoffs. “I hardly do anything for you, honey.”

“That’s not true.”

He’s here.

Which is a lot more than I can say for my father.

Or my mother.

After paying for his new desk and arranging delivery, we leave the store and walk out to the parking lot.

“Have any plans this evening? I was hoping we could get a hotel for the night.”

I frown because I hate disappointing him. “I can’t. There’s a huge chemistry test tomorrow that Violet and I have to study for.”

I can tell he’s upset by this, and I can only imagine how much more upset he’d be if he knew the truth.

“I see.” He opens my car door for me. “Will you at least let me take you out to dinner before then?”

I tap my bottom lip with my finger, pretending to think. “I guess.” I waggle my eyebrows. “But fast food and only something off the value menu.”

Shaking his head, he laughs. “Anyone ever tell you you’re stubborn?”

It’s my turn to laugh as he climbs into the driver’s seat. “Yeah…you.”

He palms my cheek, his expression going serious. “I love you, Aspen.”

Well, shit.

I guess that’s going to be a thing now.

“Fine, you twisted my arm. You can buy me two things off the value menu now.” Tilting my head, I kiss his thumb. “Thank you.”

His brows draw together. “For what?”

For being here when no one else is.

Gripping the pole, I shake my ass as the song comes to an end, my movements slow and exaggerated.

A couple of men in the audience throw a few bills on stage and I sashay a little, giving them a silent thank you before collecting the money in a bag and walking off so the next girl can come on.

Whipping off my green and black mask, I walk down the empty hallway and into the dressing room.

“Well, that blew,” I tell Violet and Heather. “It’s dead tonight.”

“Tell me about it,” Heather remarks as she applies her lipstick in the mirror. “I’m starting to think Candi Kane took all the clients with her when she ran off.”

“I can’t believe she still hasn’t shown up.”

Granted, being a stripper isn’t exactly a job you need to hand in your notice for or anything, but it’s been over two weeks since she’s been gone.

“Maybe she’s going through some shit,” Violet offers with a shrug as she fiddles with her phone.

Heather laughs. “Or maybe she realized she’s too old to be shaking her ass next to a bunch of eighteen-year-olds.”

Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not it. Candi was popular around here and made just as much money as we do on any given night… sometimes more.

“She had a few loyal regulars.” Fetching my water bottle, I take a sip. “Maybe one of them knows something we don’t.”

Violet thinks about this for a minute. “Maybe.”

Heather rolls her eyes. “To be honest, I’m not sure I even care enough to find out what she’s up to.”

Heather has a point. It’s not like any of us were close to her, and God knows she wasn’t nice to any of us.

But still…she was one of us.

And now she’s gone.

“Anyone up for ordering food?” Heather asks. “It’s dead and I’m starving.”

I’m about to tell her I could go for some pizza, but the door swings open and Freddie pops his head in.

“Ginger, you have a private room.”

The girls and I exchange a confused glance. The only way to book a room is when a dancer offers one while talking to you on the floor.

Well, usually. It’s not unheard of for a client to book a room when he walks in, it’s just more expensive and the patrons here are cheap as hell until you hustle it out of them.

However, it’s been so empty here tonight, I’ve barely been doing any networking. I’m pretty sure there’s been a mistake and it’s for Violet, because she’s been booking a lot of private rooms lately.

I raise a brow. “Are you sure it’s with me?”

Because I don’t really have regulars. Sure, I have guys who come in and tell me how sexy I am, and say they’ll be back to see me again, and sometimes they are, but not enough that they’d ask for a private room before even talking to me on the floor.

Freddie looks annoyed with my questioning. “Yes. He specifically requested a redhead.”

Well, okay then.

Heather waves her hands. “Girl, what are you waiting for? It’s been a shitshow tonight. Go make that money.”

She’s right. When there’s money on the table, you don’t leave it there.

I slip my mask on and touch up my lip gloss before heading down the hallway.

“Room five,” Freddie tells me before he walks off.

My heels clack on the floor as I amble to the very last room at the end of the hall.

I’m not usually nervous about private dances anymore, but my stomach flutters like I swallowed a jar of bees.