Chapter 2 The Future Boss

• Elle noticed a small piece of spinach lodged between the other woman's front teeth. It was quite an eyesore, and she felt compelled to inform her about it. However, upon checking her watch, Elle realized that she wasn't actually late. She had a couple of minutes to spare, which was unusual for her since she preferred to be early. Nevertheless, she didn't think the woman would appreciate hearing about the fifteen minutes she had spent panicking in the parking lot.
• The temptation to flee was strong. Elle had been searching for a reason to escape, and now she had one. But she pondered on her other options. Reluctantly, she pushed aside her fears and mustered a bright smile. "Who are you?" she asked, trying to maintain a positive demeanor.
• The other woman simply sniffed and looked down her nose at Elle. Clearly, she wasn't impressed.
• "It's not eight-fifteen yet," Elle pointed out, hoping to defend herself.
• "Everyone else was here early," the woman retorted.
• Elle plastered on a cheerful smile, determined to kill her with kindness. "That's fantastic! I'm here now, though. And technically, I'm not late."
• The woman's face tightened, and she scrutinized Elle from head to toe. "Interviewing you would be a waste of time. You're too old and overweight."
• Ouch. That stung. Elle couldn't deny that she carried more weight than she should, but stress had a way of making her turn to food. If she landed this job, she would have the opportunity to be more active and afford healthier meals.
• She was pretty sure that her teeth would rot if she kept eating cady, and just this morning, a huge clump of hair had come out.
• Of course, she had been tugging on her hair at the time as she’d tried to work out her finances.
• Adulting was so hard sometimes.
• She envied April. Sure, would probably have trouble sitting tomorrow, but she had a man who loved her. A Daddy who took care of her. Who gave her a safe space to be who she wanted to be.
• She threw her shoulders back. She wasn’t going to let this woman make her feel bad. What was wrong with boobs and ass and a bit of a belly? Well, maybe more than a bit.
• Now, she was glad she hadn’t told this woman about the piece of spinach between her teeth.
• That’s not very nice, Elle. People won’t like you if you’re not nice.
• The last thing she needed right now was Nan’s advice.
• And she still wasn’t telling this woman about the food between her teeth. She’d called Elle fat.
• There was a line.
• And being told that she was fat and old crossed that line.
• “Elle?”
• She turned and saw a tall woman strutting toward her. This woman could only be Caramel. Elle wasn’t sure if that was her real name or her stage name, but she rocked it.
• Long, bright red hair fell down her back in waves; her make-up was on-point. She had a generous cleavage and wore a tracksuit in a green velvet that was totally awesome.
• “Caramel?” she asked.
• “Yep.” Caramel gave her air kisses. That had been something Elle had never managed to pull off. The last time she’d tried to do that with a friend, she’d ended up whacking her nose so hard that it had bled.
• So she stayed still while Caramel did her thing.
• It was safer that way.
• “You two know each other? Figures,” the rude woman muttered.
• “I see you’ve met Satan’s mistress,” Caramel said.
• “Oh, that’s her name? She wouldn’t tell me. She called me fat and old.” Shit. Why had she blurted that out?
• Caramel glared at the other woman. “You’re such a bitch, Lucy. Why don’t you go sacrifice a goat to the dark gods?”
• “You can’t talk to me like that! I’m your boss!”
• Was this woman really in charge? That wasn’t good. Dread filled her.
• Caramel wrapped her arm around Elle’s. “No, you’re not. You’re just on a power trip because you think you’re going to get into Saber’s pants. News flash, he ain’t interested in your pants or any other part of you. Oh, and you’ve got spinach in your teeth!”
• There was a screech as Caramel led her away.
• “Wow, she’s . . . intense,” Elle said, coming up with the kindest word she could think of.
• “She’s a bitch is what she is. Hates us dancers because we make more money than she does. And she knows that even if she got up on stage and started stripping, ain’t no one who wants to see what she’s got under her clothes. There’s probably a portal to hell between her legs.”
• Elle let out a surprised giggle as Caramel winked at her. “Come on, let’s head into the main room. They’ve already started.”
• “I’m sorry I’m late.”
• “Pfft, you’re not late. Don’t let Lucy get to you. She’s like that with everyone who isn’t Saber or Gomez.”
• Saber was the owner, but who was Gomez? A manager?
• They stepped into what was obviously the main area of the bar. A stage with a long catwalk went out into the middle of the room.
• Seating went around the edge of the catwalk, and more chairs with tables were scattered throughout the room. Booths lined two walls.
• A long bar took up most of the wall to the left. It was all done in shades of black and red.
• Honestly, it was pretty much what she’d expected for a strip bar.
• “For some reason, I thought there would be some pink,” she muttered as Caramel led her toward the back of the room where a few other women were sitting.
• “Wouldn’t that be awesome? But no . . . it was named after the original owner. I don’t think the clients would appreciate a pink overload, anyway.”
• Elle nodded as they sat to watch the woman on the stage. She was an okay dancer. Good body. But her face was stony, as if she didn’t want to be here.
• “I was kind of freaking out in the parking lot.”
• “April said you’re an amazing dancer, but it’s your first time stripping?”
• “Uh, yeah. Do you . . . do you think I’m too old and fat to strip?”
• Caramel turned her, putting her hands on her cheeks. “Do not listen to that bitch. You’re freaking gorgeous. Seriously. Men dig curves. And all that hair and those cheekbones. By the way, I love what you’ve done with your eyeshadow. You think you could do something like that on me?”
• Elle nodded enthusiastically. Even if she didn’t love helping people, Caramel had just saved her from Satan’s mistress. So she’d do anything she asked.
• “You’ll be on after the next dancer. I think Gomez is going to enjoy watching you.”
• “Who is Gomez?”
• “He’s Saber’s right-hand man. Saber owns this place, but Gomez mostly runs it after our old manager, Mitchell, left. Don’t worry; no loss. He was a rat bastard.”
• Right. Okay.
• “And Lucy?”
• “She’s the bar manager and the reigning queen of hell.”
• The next woman moved onto the stage. And she was good. Sultry and sexy. There were a few moves she could tweak to make it even better.
• But she was rocking it.
• Elle gazed at the dancer in complete admiration. She couldn't help but wish she looked as stunning as her. However, there was a lingering fear in the back of her mind that her body might betray her. Thankfully, it had been a while since she last experienced a back spasm.
• When the performance came to an end, Elle clapped enthusiastically, causing everyone around her to turn and stare. Oops. Did she make a mistake by clapping? Technically, the other woman was her competition, but Elle believed she deserved recognition for her outstanding performance.
• Caramel flashed a grin in her direction. "Just like April said."
• Uh-oh. What did April say? Elle was curious.
• Caramel chuckled. "She mentioned that you're a bit eccentric but have a heart of gold."
• Great. Eccentric. Elle wasn't sure how to feel about that.
• "Come on, it's your turn next. Let's head backstage," Caramel urged.
• As Elle rose to her feet and followed Caramel, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She turned around and noticed a man sitting in a back booth. Although partially hidden in the shadows, she could still make out his attractive features—a muscular build, dark hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a well-dressed appearance.
• His gaze was intense as he locked eyes with her, but then he quickly averted his gaze, dismissing her presence. It was silly, but Elle couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. Caramel pulled her along, causing her to almost lose her balance.
• "That's Gomez," Caramel whispered. "Isn't he sexy?"
• "Uh, yeah," Elle replied, realizing she probably shouldn't be expressing her attraction towards her potential future boss.
• "He's a bit peculiar and distant. He's not the type of boss you can have a casual chat with. There's always a barrier between him and the rest of us."
• Huh. That didn't sound like the greatest boss.
• "But ever since he took over from Mitchell, this place has become much safer. He insists on escorting all the girls, dancers, and bar staff to their cars. And if they don't have cars, Pepper takes care of their transportation home."
• "Really?" Elle was amazed. She had been worried about how she would get home at night, especially since the nearest bus stop was still a four-block walk from her place.
• “Yes. Gomez is really big on making sure we’re safe.”