As I sat down across from him, he murmured, “I can’t believe you did so much for me. Not just with lunch, but spending all morning helping with my wardrobe.”
“It was nothing.”
He shook his head. “It was kind, and considerate, and I just…I’m not used to being taken care of like that.”
I grinned at him and said, “It’s what you deserve. Now eat your leaf sandwich while I enjoy my Cheetos and a double-decker PB and J on fluffy, delicious, nutrient-deficient white bread.” He grinned too and unwrapped his lunch, and as he picked up the thick sandwich I asked, “Is that what you would have ordered for yourself?”
“It is. How did you know what to get me?”
My grin widened. “I picked the thing on the menu that I was least likely to order for myself.” That made him laugh.
He watched me eat a Cheeto and asked, “How do you eat like that and still look like you do?”
“Here’s my recipe for success: I walk a ton, dance for six hours at a time at work, and take such terrible care of myself that I often forget to eat. It’s a winning combination.”
He looked like he really wanted to lecture me, but after a moment he let it drop and asked, “What would you have done if Darrah had agreed to join us?”
“There are two more box lunches in the mini-fridge, one for Javier and one for Darrah if she’d said yes. I told Javier he was welcome to both if your friend didn’t come along.”
“You’re very thorough.”
“I try.”
After we finished eating, we joined Javier at the cash register. I told him, “Thanks again for all your help, and for the use of the break room.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said with a smile, as Wes handed over a credit card. I’d made sure Javier worked on commission before asking for his help, and it seemed I’d been right about making his day, given how cheerful he was.
Once the transaction was completed, we made plans for a courier to deliver the bulging shopping bags to Wes’s apartment after work. Then I hugged my new friend and promised to stop by next time I was in the area.
Wes and I returned to the other building, and I said, as we paused beside the stairs leading to his office, “There we go, back with two minutes to spare.”
“I want to see you again this week,” he said, as he lightly brushed my cheek with his knuckles. “I don’t know when or how, given our work schedules, but do you think we could figure out a way to make that happen?”
“I know we can.”
“Okay, good.” He gave me a lingering hug before climbing the stairs.
Yes! He wanted to see me again before Saturday! I let out a whoop, then danced around like a fool. A moment later, Wes called, “Is everything alright?” He was leaning over the second-floor balcony railing and watching me with a concerned expression.
“I thought I saw a wasp. Big fucker, too.” I held my hands a foot apart. “All pointy and stripey and shit. But it’s gone now.” I gave him a little salute, then scurried out of sight as the color rose in my cheeks.
A few hours later, I was back in the DJ booth at Thrust. The club was closed on Mondays, and on Sundays and Tuesdays the club owner didn’t even bother trying to draw a crowd, because it was dead no matter what. But he was trying something new on Wednesdays to drum up business, and that involved me, drink specials, and weekly theme nights.
This time, the theme was leather and lingerie. The go-go boys could wear whatever they wanted, same as every other night, and most of them had gone with bondage-inspired looks like harnesses and boots, paired with their usual choice of sexy briefs.
Meanwhile, I’d gone a different route. My friend Gabriel was in the process of launching a men’s lingerie company, and he’d hooked me up. We’d selected an all-black ensemble which consisted of a silk corset and matching briefs, fingerless silk gloves that were so long they reached my biceps, and a garter belt with thigh-high stockings. I’d rounded out the look with my black Converse sneakers, which wasn’t as sexy as the heels Gabriel had suggested, but six hours in stilettos would have killed me.
All in all, the look was a big success, judging by the reactions I was getting. Lingerie wasn’t my usual style, but I wore it proudly to represent my friend’s company, and I made sure to leave his business cards around the club to give him an extra plug.
The leather and lingerie theme proved to be popular, and the crowd was much bigger than usual for a Wednesday night. Maybe half the patrons had opted to dress up, mostly in black leather. There were plenty of fetish clubs in the city that took the leather thing seriously, but this was more like playing dress-up and trying out a different persona for an evening.