You already had your turn.”
He counted out the money and then held it out to me. I looked at him confused.
“ Wait a minute. I didn’t even do anything.”
“ Oh, but you did, Harley. You did more than you realize.”
“ I thought you said you wanted me.”
“ I do. And I said you’re not going to dance for any other man at the club except for me. That’s still the case. Go on. Take it.”
He continued to hold the money out to me. It was definitely suspicious. This was too easy.
“There’s nothing wrong with this money, is there? You’re not some drug dealer or something, are you?”
“ No,” he laughed. “I assure you that all of my money is from legitimate business.”
“ Okay… Then what was this all about.”
“ We should probably discuss this somewhere else.”
“ Oh. Right.”
I walked with Luther out of Paradise and headed back to the main floor of the club. I leaned up aga inst the bar and looked at all of the money in my hand. It was seven grand, just like he promised. The bartender placed a drink in front of Luther and he took a moment to enjoy it after his rigorous experience with Jade.
“ That was a test,” I said to him.
“ What?”
“ You were testing me. You didn’t pay me just to watch. There was something else you wanted to see.”
He smiled then took another sip of his drink.
“You’re very perceptive,” he said to me. “But you’re asking the wrong question. The test was obvious. But what exactly am I testing?”
I looked at the ground and thought about it. Nothing immediately sprang to mind. I found myself unable to come up with an answer. None of it made sense. When I looked back up at him, he was staring back at me, waiting for my response.
“ What do you want?” I asked him.
“ Honestly? I want to take you out. What do you say, Harley? Go out with me on a date.”
“ What? I’m not a hooker.”
“ You’re only a hooker if I pay you for sex. That money is for your services here in Platinum. I’m asking to take you out. Whatever happens after that is up to you. I won’t give you a single dollar outside of this club.”
It had come so suddenly. He went from handing me a wad of bills to asking me out on a date. It wasn ’t an offer I could easily turn down. There was no denying that I was drawn to him in some way. And when I realized that I had a bit of an attraction to him, it finally hit me. I was able to regain my focus and my original objective.
You ’re not a stripper. You’re a reporter. You’re here for a story.
An opportunity had once again presented itself. I had targeted a man named Landon Schrader. Maybe Luther was actually the one who had all of the answers I was looking for. A date would give me the perfect opportunity to see if I had a lead.
“Okay,” I told him. “One date. No promises. No guarantees. If you’re so intent on taking me out, I suppose I could oblige.”
“ Thank you, Harley. How does Saturday night sound?”
“ I suppose I could fit you into my schedule,” I winked at him.
“ Then I’ll meet you here Saturday night. I’ll pick you up and take you somewhere nice. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”
“ The pressure’s not on me, Luther.”
Luther winked at me then took a sip of his drink.
“Remember, Harley. You only dance for me. So take the rest of the night off.”
Before I could respond, he turned around and made his way back to his spot in the VIP section.
“That’s a lot of money.”
I whipped my head around as I heard the voice. Sage was standing right next to me with a big smile on her face.
“You seem to be doing pretty well,” she smiled at me.
“ Yeah,” I said, remembering how much money I was holding. “I think I’m done for the night.”
“ You’ve had a good night. Might as well enjoy the rest of it.”
I smiled at her and headed back to my locker. I chan ged back into my street clothes and thought about everything that just happened. I
He counted out the money and then held it out to me. I looked at him confused.
“ Wait a minute. I didn’t even do anything.”
“ Oh, but you did, Harley. You did more than you realize.”
“ I thought you said you wanted me.”
“ I do. And I said you’re not going to dance for any other man at the club except for me. That’s still the case. Go on. Take it.”
He continued to hold the money out to me. It was definitely suspicious. This was too easy.
“There’s nothing wrong with this money, is there? You’re not some drug dealer or something, are you?”
“ No,” he laughed. “I assure you that all of my money is from legitimate business.”
“ Okay… Then what was this all about.”
“ We should probably discuss this somewhere else.”
“ Oh. Right.”
I walked with Luther out of Paradise and headed back to the main floor of the club. I leaned up aga inst the bar and looked at all of the money in my hand. It was seven grand, just like he promised. The bartender placed a drink in front of Luther and he took a moment to enjoy it after his rigorous experience with Jade.
“ That was a test,” I said to him.
“ What?”
“ You were testing me. You didn’t pay me just to watch. There was something else you wanted to see.”
He smiled then took another sip of his drink.
“You’re very perceptive,” he said to me. “But you’re asking the wrong question. The test was obvious. But what exactly am I testing?”
I looked at the ground and thought about it. Nothing immediately sprang to mind. I found myself unable to come up with an answer. None of it made sense. When I looked back up at him, he was staring back at me, waiting for my response.
“ What do you want?” I asked him.
“ Honestly? I want to take you out. What do you say, Harley? Go out with me on a date.”
“ What? I’m not a hooker.”
“ You’re only a hooker if I pay you for sex. That money is for your services here in Platinum. I’m asking to take you out. Whatever happens after that is up to you. I won’t give you a single dollar outside of this club.”
It had come so suddenly. He went from handing me a wad of bills to asking me out on a date. It wasn ’t an offer I could easily turn down. There was no denying that I was drawn to him in some way. And when I realized that I had a bit of an attraction to him, it finally hit me. I was able to regain my focus and my original objective.
You ’re not a stripper. You’re a reporter. You’re here for a story.
An opportunity had once again presented itself. I had targeted a man named Landon Schrader. Maybe Luther was actually the one who had all of the answers I was looking for. A date would give me the perfect opportunity to see if I had a lead.
“Okay,” I told him. “One date. No promises. No guarantees. If you’re so intent on taking me out, I suppose I could oblige.”
“ Thank you, Harley. How does Saturday night sound?”
“ I suppose I could fit you into my schedule,” I winked at him.
“ Then I’ll meet you here Saturday night. I’ll pick you up and take you somewhere nice. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”
“ The pressure’s not on me, Luther.”
Luther winked at me then took a sip of his drink.
“Remember, Harley. You only dance for me. So take the rest of the night off.”
Before I could respond, he turned around and made his way back to his spot in the VIP section.
“That’s a lot of money.”
I whipped my head around as I heard the voice. Sage was standing right next to me with a big smile on her face.
“You seem to be doing pretty well,” she smiled at me.
“ Yeah,” I said, remembering how much money I was holding. “I think I’m done for the night.”
“ You’ve had a good night. Might as well enjoy the rest of it.”
I smiled at her and headed back to my locker. I chan ged back into my street clothes and thought about everything that just happened. I
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