"Do you really think the competition will be enough to save the club?" I picked up a pile of papers and taped them on the desk to straighten them. Anything to avoid looking at Chuck.
He paused. "Maybe not save it. But right now, we’re in a code red situation. The needle's pushing against the edge. Something like this will push us back to code orange. Give us some breathing space."
I sighed. Why was I the one being pimped out? A date with me wouldn't even be a joyful thing. Those guys had some image of a fun Violet who could be won over with love, like I was all marshmallow-soft under my hard surface. But I was bitter and resentful Violet to the core.
"You know what this means, don't you? The dating thing? It's crossing that line you told me never to cross."
Chuck took off his sunglasses. That meant serious talk time with Chuck. He wanted you to see his eyes.
"Violet, I think I can trust you to keep this on the right level, if you know what I mean. You might need to encourage these guys a little but if that's what it takes, then that's what it takes. Maybe wear a little makeup. Shorter skirts." He gave me a look. "Maybe not any shorter than that, actually. I know you can manage this without losing your head. Just tease them a bit. Get them interested. You're a girl, you should know how to do that. But remember, no sex and no dating. Play the game."
I clenched my fist. Chuck was levels of wrong, a total jerk and I should've kicked him in the nuts but he held the two prime cards. I owed him big time and I needed to save Carlie's job.
Of course, he was right. I could keep my head but I didn't want to encourage those guys. That would be living a lie. Hell, those guys didn't even need encouraging. This whole stupid situation would continue, whether I agreed or not.
“Carlie would just be the start too. If you don’t agree to this, I’ll have no option but to sell the club.”
He walked out in that way he did when he’d made a point. I was so angry that I wanted to resist agreeing just to piss him off. But Carlie... and the club.
I sat at my desk, thinking. Chuck would be sitting in the bar
, waiting for me to approach him. I had to do it. The whole thing had gotten beyond ridiculous.
Surely it wouldn’t kill me. One date. One night with a hot rocker. That would be most women’s dream.
I stormed out of my office before my common sense kicked in.
Chuck sat at the bar, just like I thought. He looked up. In fact, the whole crew was there. Alex and Razer on opposite sides of the bar. Jackson in his corner. Probably good that they all heard it together.
I walked behind the bar and turned off Carlie’s music. It’d been death metal all week and, without it blaring, the silence made your ears ring.
I clapped my hands together to get their attention.
"Okay, I'll agree to the bloody competition. If that's what it takes."
My mouth twisted. The whole idea made me crawl inside but it would be a huge draw for the club. People loved that shit and Alex and Razer would work like crazy to save the place. If I had to be sacrificed, then I’d do it.
“Hell yeah,” shouted Razer.
Alex grinned but didn’t say anything.
“Oh, I’ve got to stick around to watch this,” Jackson said. “Things are hotting up.”
I spun to face him. “And where the hell else would you be? You have important business elsewhere that requires you to get off that stool?”
He just raised his glass.
"There will be ground rules. One date. A date only. No sex. Not even working towards sex. Sex is not the prize here."
“Sex is so going to be the prize,” Jackson muttered under his breath.
I ignored him and looked from Alex to Razer.
They both nodded. A little too quickly. That kind of agreement where they actually think they could convince me otherwise but there was no otherwise in this situation.
"I mean it. There will be nothing, not even a kiss."
"If there's no kiss, it's not a date," said Razer. His meaningful look had me blushing to my pinkie toes. No one needed know that we'd already kissed.