“Men,” she mutters before turning to me. “I’m looking for a trainee manager to help me run this place. A little birdie told me that you might be interested.”
My chin drops so low, I swear it hits the floor.
“Y-you… uh… you want to offer me a job?” I stutter, unable to believe what I’m hearing.
“Toby has told me that you’ve secured a place at Imperial College and given me a copy of your CV.”
I turn to the man in question and scowl at him.
All he does in response is smirk and sip his drink.
“I understand you’re at a loose end before you start later in the year and are looking to begin your career, maybe get some experience. Well,” she says, holding her hands out, “I can’t promise you the best hours, but I can promise you a wild ride, hands-on experience—excuse the pun—and the best job of your life, assuming you can cope with a little nudity here and there.”
“Uh…” I hesitate, my mind spinning with everything she just said.
“You’re seriously offering me a job?” I blurt. “You don’t even know me.”
Hera looks at me with amusement before knocking back her vodka in one go with not so much as a wince at the burn.
“I know enough. Toby and a few others have vouched for you.”
“A few others?” I ask, a deep frown forming between my brows.
“A good friend of mine assures me that you’re a hard worker with managerial potential. He was disappointed to have to lose you, but someone,” she shoots a glare at Toby, “ripped you away from him.”
“Matt?” I breathe.
She nods once to confirm my suspicions. “You don’t have to decide right now. I’m aware that this has just been sprung on you out of the blue, and I’m also aware that things have been… difficult for you recently. Take a few days, think on it, and give me a call.” A black and gold business card appears on the table and she pushes it toward me with one perfectly black-painted finger.
“Now,” she says, pushing to her feet. “I’ve got a rare night off, and I don’t intend on spending it at work. Make sure you lock up on your way out, Tobias. I’d hate to let the riff-raff in. Call me,” she says, shooting me an Oscar-winning smile before she glides across the room and disappears through the same door the barman did not so long ago.
“What the fuck just happened?” I bark, turning to Toby the moment we’re alone.
The smile that spreads across his face almost has me forgetting all about the past few minutes in favour of allowing the alcohol flowing through my system and my libido to take over.
“Thought you might be interested in what she had to offer,” he says, his voice deep, his eyes dropping to my lips and then lowering to my cleavage before his tongue sweeps across his bottom lip.
“Do you think maybe you should have run it by me first?”
“I took my chances. Something tells me you’d be all over this opportunity.” As he says that, he runs his hand down the centre of his body, bringing it to a stop over the bulge in his trousers.
Lord, give me strength.
“And you’d be okay with that? Me working here?”
“My girl managing one of the most exclusive clubs in the city and coming home at night to fuck me in my bed? Hell, yeah, baby. I’m good with that.”
“You’re a dog,” I mutter.
“I’ll be whatever you want me to be if you get up on that stage over there and make the most of that pole.”
I let out a little puff of air at his words. This place really does turn my sweet Toby into the devil. And from the state of my underwear right now, it seems my inner whore likes it. A lot.
“You want me to dance for you?”
“It’s what you’ve fantasised about, isn’t it? Getting up on stage. Being the most powerful person in the room. Bringing me to my fucking knees.”
“Aw, baby,” I coo, cupping his cheek and sliding closer. “I’m pretty sure I did that a while ago.”