Page 37 of Sun-Kissed Fangs
This place really was a fucking shithole.
Chapter 9
The evening had turned out to be a goddamn waste of time. Not only was the Penny basically empty, but since the only unclaimed patrons were all getting drunk near the stage, Harper had spent the past few songs walking back and forth in front of the worst tippers she’d ever encountered.
She didn’t even like the stage. Some people, like Evie, could own it so hard that no one else should bother going near it. But Harper was strongest in close proximity, and that was hard to achieve when twirling around a pole.
Hopefully, Nell had more luck than her. Since Patricia was with Lucas, she had tagged along under the guise of needing some extra cash. But Harper knew the real reason she was there. Her being alone in this place was a recipe for disaster.
Harper didn’t exactly envy Nell her chosen specialty, as lucrative as it was. Plenty of men would pay a premium to have a beautiful woman actively listen to their troubles, and Nell had a gift for knowing exactly what people wanted to hear. At every club they’d worked at, she always ended up with more regulars than anyone else. She didn’t even have to take her clothes off to keep them around.
Harper kind of wished she had the patience to develop that sort of skill. But only kind of. It was easy to be jealous of Nell, but only if you didn’t see how she acted afterwards. Carrying around other people’s problems was heavy. Not everyone could handle that.
Besides, Harper was perfectly content with teasing both rent and attention out of strangers. She’d always found it easy to separate work from real life. Knowing next to nothing about the men she targeted was part of why.
“Hey there, pretty lady.”
The voice made Harper turn, flirty smile already in place, but the expression withered as soon as she laid eyes on the man who’d just approached her booth.
He looked the same as anyone else who might frequent a place like this. Young guy, gel-filled hair, and wearing a pressed shirt open at the collar. Just a random college kid, looking to pay for attentive company.
But something was off. Something about how expensive his clothes looked and the sleaziness of his smile.
And the fact that he’d positioned himself at the edge of the booth, blocking the exit, wasn’t helping.
“Hey,” she said curtly, hoping rudeness might make him lose interest. Instead, his smile widened.
“Couldn’t help but notice you sitting here all on your own. Kind of sad, for someone who specializes in providing a good time.” He sat down, eyes drifting to her cleavage. “I’m Chad, by the way.”
“Of course you are.” She gathered up her meager stack of bills. “I’m off the clock. And not interested.”
“I can make it worth your while.” He pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet, pushing it over the table. “There’s more coming, assuming you’ll give me areallygood time. If you know what I mean.”
She knewexactlywhat he meant. Having a woman treat you like a king for a few hours was a common goal of going to strip clubs. It was a fantasy Harper knew inside and out, and she hadno problem with selling it either. But this guy wantedmorethan a fantasy.
Some dancers offered additional services to what their club of choice advertised, but Harper had never been comfortable going that far. Not even when she was living on the streets, where desperation had made it far more compelling.
But even if shehadoffered that kind of attention, she still would have turned him down. Instinct was lifesaving in this industry, and this guy was a walking red flag. He had the energy of a spoiled kid who hadn’t yet grasped that ‘no’ could be a complete sentence.
Harper made a career out of being a tease. The leap from there to mocking was tiny.
“Did you get that from Mommy and Daddy?” She eyed the bill he’d pushed towards her. “I bet you did. And I bet they don’t know about how you have to spend it. Kind of embarrassing, to have raised a son so lacking in personality that he has to pay to get his dick wet.”
Chad’s cocky expression dropped. “You can’t talk to me like that!”
“I can’t? Funny, because I just did.” She pushed his money back across the table. “Here’s the deal,Chad. I’m not having a great night, and breathing in your suffocating cologne is only making it worse. This place isn’t offering what you’re looking for, so take your cash and your limp cock, and get the fuck out of here.”
He stared at her, eyes wide and mouth agape. It took almost ten full seconds of stammering before he finally found an insult.
“Watch your tone, you fucking slut.”
Harper raised an eyebrow. “That’s the best you could come up with?”
He was panting now, nostrils flaring. She kept eye contact, waiting for him to get frustrated enough to storm off in a huff, but Chad was in the mood to take things personally.
He grabbed her wrist, digging his fingers into her skin.
“Watch it. I won’t be disrespected by some disgusting whore.”
