were literally deep in the throes of Holly-day festivities last night.”
“Funny.”
“Good luck. Trust your gut, it ain’t failed you yet. And remember it don’t gotta be a holiday for you to come back here and visit. I miss your ugly mug.”
“Same goes.” Still feeling guilty, Nick hung up and looked at the clock. One hundred and eighty-seven minutes until Sugar Plums opened—not that he was counting or anything.
Dishes clattered in the background. As the scents of soy sauce and grease permeated the air, Holly’s stomach roiled. She wished she’d chosen a different lunch spot.
After the waiter had taken their order, she leaned across the table. “You haven’t said a word since we sat down, Ivy.”
“I’m thinking.”
“About what you’ll do if he arrests me?”
“For what?” Ivy asked. “Ending up with his wallet was an accident. And I know you well enough that I doubt you snooped through his personal effects, besides the accidental peek you got of his badge. Did you?”
Holly stammered, “N-no! I’d never do that.”
“See?”
“But what if he arrests me for…” she lowered her voice, “…solicitation?”
Ivy’s eyes narrowed, reminding Holly that Ivy had been a top-notch criminal defense attorney previous to her stint as the proprietor of a high-class strip joint. “Did he ask you to give him a lap dance?”
“Yes.”
“Did he pay you for it?”
Holly nodded.
“How much?”
“Umm. One hundred dollars.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I-I didn’t know what to charge.”
Ivy mumbled, “Maybe I oughta put you in charge of pricing, since that’s quadruple the standard rate.”
“Ivy!”
“Sorry. Dollar signs blinded me for a second. So what did you do after the lap dance ended?”
“Hid—I mean, helped out in the dressing room.”
A slight smile curved Ivy’s lips. “And Nick returned the night after you performed the lap dance?”
“Yes.”
“Did he ask you for another lap dance?”
“Yes, but I refused, because I figured out the one I’d given him hadn’t been the norm.”
“Then what happened?”
“I left him at the bar and mingled with customers. I changed clothes and Nick was waiting for me in the parking lot when I went out the back door.”
“Was that when he asked you to meet him off the premises?”
“Yes.”
“At any time besides the lap dance did you ask him for money in exchange for sexual favors?”
“No!”
“At any time besides the lap dance did he offer to pay you for sexual favors?”
Holly shook her head.
“Any and all sexual contact, at every point, was completely consensual?”
Once again Holly’s cheeks caught fire when she remembered how eagerly she’d let Nick tie her up. Man. That’d been hot as hell, her powerlessness and his determination to prime her body to reach dizzying new heights, by showing a kinky side of herself she hadn’t realized she had.
“Holly?” Ivy prompted.
“Consensual. All six times.”
“Six times?” Ivy repeated, her eyes wide with surprise.
Crap.
“In one night?”
Holly notched her chin higher. “Yes. Six instances of sexual contact and that’s all I’m saying.”
“And that’s saying something.” Ivy smirked. “At least you didn’t say that’s all you were copping to.”
“Ivy!”
“What? It was funny.”
“No, it wasn’t. I can’t believe this is happening to me. I never ever ever do stuff like this.”
“I know, sweets, which is why I thought this experience might’ve lightened you up and you’d embrace—”
“My seamier, nastier side?” Holly blurted. “It’s just made me more paranoid. Now he probably thinks I’m a slut. You probably think I’m a slut.”
“Because you had a one-night stand, one time? Hardly.”
Holly just stared at her.
“Look. I’m the one who should feel guilty for putting you in this position. It’s those damn dollar signs that cloud my vision. I shouldn’t have asked you.”
“ Asked? ”
“Okay,
“Funny.”
“Good luck. Trust your gut, it ain’t failed you yet. And remember it don’t gotta be a holiday for you to come back here and visit. I miss your ugly mug.”
“Same goes.” Still feeling guilty, Nick hung up and looked at the clock. One hundred and eighty-seven minutes until Sugar Plums opened—not that he was counting or anything.
Dishes clattered in the background. As the scents of soy sauce and grease permeated the air, Holly’s stomach roiled. She wished she’d chosen a different lunch spot.
After the waiter had taken their order, she leaned across the table. “You haven’t said a word since we sat down, Ivy.”
“I’m thinking.”
“About what you’ll do if he arrests me?”
“For what?” Ivy asked. “Ending up with his wallet was an accident. And I know you well enough that I doubt you snooped through his personal effects, besides the accidental peek you got of his badge. Did you?”
Holly stammered, “N-no! I’d never do that.”
“See?”
“But what if he arrests me for…” she lowered her voice, “…solicitation?”
Ivy’s eyes narrowed, reminding Holly that Ivy had been a top-notch criminal defense attorney previous to her stint as the proprietor of a high-class strip joint. “Did he ask you to give him a lap dance?”
“Yes.”
“Did he pay you for it?”
Holly nodded.
“How much?”
“Umm. One hundred dollars.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I-I didn’t know what to charge.”
Ivy mumbled, “Maybe I oughta put you in charge of pricing, since that’s quadruple the standard rate.”
“Ivy!”
“Sorry. Dollar signs blinded me for a second. So what did you do after the lap dance ended?”
“Hid—I mean, helped out in the dressing room.”
A slight smile curved Ivy’s lips. “And Nick returned the night after you performed the lap dance?”
“Yes.”
“Did he ask you for another lap dance?”
“Yes, but I refused, because I figured out the one I’d given him hadn’t been the norm.”
“Then what happened?”
“I left him at the bar and mingled with customers. I changed clothes and Nick was waiting for me in the parking lot when I went out the back door.”
“Was that when he asked you to meet him off the premises?”
“Yes.”
“At any time besides the lap dance did you ask him for money in exchange for sexual favors?”
“No!”
“At any time besides the lap dance did he offer to pay you for sexual favors?”
Holly shook her head.
“Any and all sexual contact, at every point, was completely consensual?”
Once again Holly’s cheeks caught fire when she remembered how eagerly she’d let Nick tie her up. Man. That’d been hot as hell, her powerlessness and his determination to prime her body to reach dizzying new heights, by showing a kinky side of herself she hadn’t realized she had.
“Holly?” Ivy prompted.
“Consensual. All six times.”
“Six times?” Ivy repeated, her eyes wide with surprise.
Crap.
“In one night?”
Holly notched her chin higher. “Yes. Six instances of sexual contact and that’s all I’m saying.”
“And that’s saying something.” Ivy smirked. “At least you didn’t say that’s all you were copping to.”
“Ivy!”
“What? It was funny.”
“No, it wasn’t. I can’t believe this is happening to me. I never ever ever do stuff like this.”
“I know, sweets, which is why I thought this experience might’ve lightened you up and you’d embrace—”
“My seamier, nastier side?” Holly blurted. “It’s just made me more paranoid. Now he probably thinks I’m a slut. You probably think I’m a slut.”
“Because you had a one-night stand, one time? Hardly.”
Holly just stared at her.
“Look. I’m the one who should feel guilty for putting you in this position. It’s those damn dollar signs that cloud my vision. I shouldn’t have asked you.”
“ Asked? ”
“Okay,
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