A few minutes later, another girl with smaller breasts and reddish-brown hair comes up from behind Mia. She touches her on the shoulder as she locks eyes with me. Mia jumps up from her chair as if struck by lightning. Her reaction causes both the stripper and me to laugh. Strippers love giving attention to women, and unlike other girls who come here with men, Mia wants nothing to do with it. She came here for business and nothing more.
Once Mia settles back into her chair, the girl says something to her that I have trouble hearing over the loud music. Mia shakes her head a few times before she smiles, a real one this time. A few minutes pass, where they have a private conversation, whispering shit to each other. What the hell could Mia possibly have to say to a stripper?
The drink girl places a bottle of Heineken in front of me and hands Mia an apple martini. Mia takes it from her and sucks down half the liquid in one gulp, and then holds her index finger up to indicate she would like another drink.
I hand the waitress my credit card. “Start a tab for us.” I tilt my head to Mia, who’s still engaged in conversation with the redheaded stripper. “And another martini for my girl.”
She smiles and walks away with my credit card, and I’m left wondering why I called Mia my girl. I guess she will be after she accepts my offer. If she still wants to give me a chance after acting like an asshole.
“Hey, E.” Mia props her elbow on the table and looks over at me. “Roxie is going to show me how to give a lap dance. Want to be my test subject?”
I almost laugh. Instead, the corner of my mouth curls up into a smirk. “Yeah, actually, I do. Not out here, though.”
“Duh, silly.”
I look up at the redhead. “Just us, okay?”
“That will cost you,” she says.
“Money’s not a problem.”
She grins. “Good. I have just the place for us. What’s your name, cutie?”
At least she doesn’t recognize me.
“Ethan,” I tell her.
“Well, Ethan, I’m Roxie. I’m gonna take good care of your girl, and she’s gonna take real good care of you.” She says the last part with a wink.
“I’m counting on it.”
My cock gets hard thinking about Mia grinding on it. Fuck, yes, I want to be her subject. I’d pay any amount of money for this experience. Seeing Mia out of her shell and her comfort zone is worth every penny, no matter the cost.
After we order another round of drinks, Mia spills some of the martini on her hand. Taking her hand in mine, I help her up from the chair and lick the sweet juice from her skin. She tastes like apple and vodka mixed with the scent of her body wash.
What was I thinking?
What if Will saw me do that?
Idiot.
I try to convince myself that I don’t care anymore and that I don’t need Will’s approval. But I do. Having his consent with Mia is important to me. So, why do I keep fucking things up? Instead of confessing my feelings for her, I intentionally hurt her and lied right to his face. I still haven’t told Mia the truth. I’m so afraid of getting close to her that I offer her a bullshit relationship instead of what I really want. With Mia, I want it all. But I need to man-up first.
Mia’s body trembles from my touch, my effect on her instantaneous. She responds so well to me, and I love it. My little lamb is about to dance for me, something I never thought I would see. I wonder if this has anything to do with her work assignment.
We follow behind Roxie to the opposite side of the bar. She leads us down a long hallway and into a private room mirrored from ceiling to floor. Luckily, Will and Clarke are off by themselves. Mia wouldn’t have agreed to do this otherwise.
Roxie slides her fingers down to Mia’s forearm. “Do you want to watch me first or get right to it?”
Mia smiles, refocusing her gaze on me. “What do you want, E?”
“You,” I growl.
Mia’s eyes flicker with acknowledgment. She sticks out her tongue to glide it along her bottom lip.
“Okay, then.” Roxie moves behind Mia and places her hands on her narrow hips. She helps Mia sway to the beat, the rock music pumping through the speakers. “A good lap dance is all about the tease. By the time you’re through, he should be begging you to sit on his face.”
Mia blushes at Roxie’s words but keeps moving to the tempo.