Chapter 23

“What?” I stared at Charlie, feeling sick.

“I’m sorry, Anastasia, but we need someone who can work longer shifts. Your nighttime shifts aren’t enough anymore. The hours are too short.”

I opened my mouth to argue…or beg. But what could I say? With my dance schedule, I couldn’t go in earlier. Other employees came in at least two to three hours before me, I knew that…but it had never been a problem before this.

I was panicking, the edges of my vision darkening because this was bad, this was really bad. I had to pay Michael. Putting aside all my other expenses…I had to pay him. Cleaning the dance studio gave me a little, but it wasn’t enough.

There was also the fact that I needed to find my own place. Camden wasn’t going to let me stay there forever. He’d eventually get tired of me. I didn’t want to go back to a shelter…or the streets.

And why was this such a big deal? I showed up, I worked hard. Charlie had never made one complaint about my hours. This was what we had agreed upon. He’d known this was the only way it would work from the beginning.

“Charlie, please. I really need this job,” I whispered. “I’ll work even harder. I’ll stay later…please.”

Charlie pushed his hair off his forehead where beads of sweat were collecting. We were back in the kitchen, and it was hot in here. I searched his face for any sign I was breaking through to him, but his usually warm brown eyes had cooled, and his lips were curled up in annoyance.

“Look, Ana, you’re a good kid. But I gotta do what’s best for my business, and you ain’t it. You can leave your apron on that shelf over there. You’re gonna be fine.” He turned his back and picked up a basket of fries from a vat of hot oil, clearly signaling the conversation was over.

I stared at him for a few seconds longer, so long he was probably worried I was going crazy. I just couldn’t believe this was happening.

I also couldn’t understand how it had happened.

When he didn’t turn around, and it was obvious he was keeping busy so he didn’t have to—I admitted defeat.

Taking off my apron, I flung it onto the shelf and made my way out of the kitchen.

I stood at the end of the hallway, looking into the main dining hall. It was a mix of regulars and new faces. No one glanced at me.

I’d worked here for half a year, and no one would think about me after I left.

It had been like that everywhere I’d gone.

I wonder what it felt like to be memorable to someone, a ghost that lingered in their minds after you were gone because they’d actually cared about you.

What a pathetic thought.

“Take it easy, Anastasia,” Poison said, poking her head out of the scullery. Those four words may have been the longest sentence she’d ever said to me. I was guessing she’d overheard the conversation—my begging had been embarrassingly loud. I nodded to her and waved before striding across the dining hall, focused on getting out of here as fast as I could.

There was a tight, panicked feeling building up inside of me as I burst out the doors into the cold night air. Glancing around at the familiar buildings…I was at a loss for what to do with myself.

And then Camden’s giant truck pulled to the curb, his usual parking place despite the heavy traffic that went in and out of the restaurant. Just another way that luck smiled down on him.

He hopped out of the truck, and I flushed as soon as we locked eyes.

I knew what he looked like when he came now.

And I couldn’t imagine anything hotter.

“Hey, baby girl,” he said. His hair was wet and pushed off his face. He was wearing a pair of nice, black dress slacks, and a black, fitted button up dress shirt for some reason.

He looked like sex on a stick and I wanted to lick him.

Don’t think about sex, I hissed at myself. Or licking!

“Did you hear me?” he pressed, and I realized I’d been fantasizing so hard about his dick that I hadn’t heard a word that he’d said.

“Sorry, what?” I asked, trying to focus this time and not get lost in the golden flecks in his green gaze.

“I asked what you were doing getting off so early. Shouldn’t you be working for at least a few more hours? Not that I’m complaining about getting more time with you,” he teased, flashing a smile.

“I just got fired,” I muttered, feeling embarrassed as soon as the words came out of my mouth. The list of reasons that Camden James should stay far, far away from me was growing.

Who got fired from cleaning tables?

“Are you serious?” Camden growled, and a warm feeling slid down my spine because he sounded so…outraged.

I’d never had someone sound like that on my behalf before.

“I’m going to talk to him,” he said sternly, marching toward the restaurant. A giggle escaped my mouth as I grabbed his arm to stop him.

“No, you can’t go talk to him!” I said, exasperatedly.

“He fired you.”

“Yes, and he’s allowed to do that.”

“I can be very persuasive, Ana,” he said, and this time his voice came out as a purr as he tangled his hand with mine and brought it to his chest. I realized he was the only one I actually liked calling me that nickname. I liked all the nicknames he had for me in fact.

“I’m very aware of that, James,” I responded with a smirk. Camden James must have some kind of magical powers because five minutes ago there was no way I’d have thought I’d be smiling today.

A grin stretched across his face. “Last names, Lennox? You’re pulling out the big guns.”

I snorted, a giddy feeling singing through me. I liked him so fucking much.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to him?” he pressed once more, his gaze darting around my face, that same expression there, like he thought I was some kind of miracle.

A girl could get used to a look like that.

Even if she shouldn’t.

“I don’t want to be somewhere where I’m not wanted,” I told him simply, and he seemed to get that, because he nodded and started leading me to his truck.

“Maybe it was meant to be,” he said as he buckled me into my seat.

“How’s that?” I mused, my mind adding up all the money I didn’t have to pay my dance expenses, and now Michael.

“Because now I can take you on our super special date.” He smirked happily, completely distracting me from the frantic thoughts that had been building up inside of me.

“A super special date? That sounds like serious business.”

His eyes heated, hunger spilling into their depths as he leaned forward and softly brushed his nose against mine.

“It is serious, Anastasia. The most serious I’ve ever been about anything.”

I forgot how to breathe at that announcement. Because it almost seemed like he was talking about…us.

In what world could a man like Camden James be serious about me?

He put the truck into drive and pulled away from the curb, headed the opposite direction of how we usually got to his place.

“Sorry, I just need to make a call,” he said, shooting me an apologetic glance before he put his cell phone up to his ear. “My plans for tonight got moved up a bit with your early release.”

“You make it sound like I was in prison,” I huffed.

He just lifted an eyebrow at me. Hmmm. I guess working nonstop was kind of like a prison sentence when I thought about it.

“Yeah, sorry. We’re on our way right now. Can you move everything up?” he asked. I could hear the faint sound of a woman speaking on the other end, although I couldn’t hear what she was saying. Camden was definitely being intentionally vague.

I realized my shoulders had tensed, my eyes narrowing. I didn’t like him talking to another woman. I kind of wanted to grab the phone and hit end just so the conversation would stop.

No need to be crazy, Anastasia.

After a few more grunts on Camden’s end, he hung up the phone and grabbed my hand, bringing it to his thigh while he drove.

If I really needed money, I could probably take a picture of him like this and put it on OnlyFans. There had to be a kink for that sort of thing.

I snorted at the thought. I could never. If I thought that listening to him have a very innocent phone conversation with a woman was bad, I could only imagine what my feelings would be if there were thousands of women drooling over him all over the World Wide Web.

Although, come to think of it…there already was. He was a star NHL hockey player. And I was pretty sure he’d done an underwear ad…

I made a mental note to not do any more research on him than I’d already done. No need to stumble on a fan site or a Reddit page.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked. “You’ve got that little smirk on your lips, so I know it must be good.’

“OnlyFans,” I said lightly. And he almost swerved off the road.

“What? Why are you thinking about that?” he asked, his voice sounding very concerned.

“Just thinking of ways to earn some money.”

He made a choking sound and shook his head. “Let’s table that idea for another day, shall we? A heart attack would be seriously inconvenient right now.”

“I hear they pay a lot on there for feet pics,” I told him, my tone very serious.

He side-eyed me, clearly panicked.

“I can definitely go back to Charlie’s if this is the direction you’re headed. And it’s not my particular thing, but I will pay you for your feet pics if need be.”

“What?” I laughed. “Is that a hidden kink of yours? I knew you were too good to be true.”

His eyes flashed at that comment, and he wrinkled his nose. “Over my dead body is any person, male or female, getting pictures of you—feet or otherwise.”

My stomach tightened, bile rising in my throat as I thought about the pictures someone already had…

Blinking hard, I tried to push away those thoughts. I just wanted to have a good time with Camden tonight.

Just for tonight.

My laugh was delayed as I shook my head. “I’d strip before sending people pictures of my feet. You’re safe.”

The truck swerved again, going into the other lane as my screech shot through the cab.

“Are you okay?” I gasped, trying to slow my heart rate down as he righted the vehicle.

“Just had that heart attack I mentioned,” he growled as he pulled into a parking lot of what looked like a high-end beauty salon.

“Old man problems,” I said with a nod. “Understandable.”

“You just want to be spanked, don’t you, baby girl?” he growled as he parked.

I ignored the way my clit was pulsing and my panties were drenched, and I peered at the building. “What are we doing here?” I asked instead of answering his question.

“Getting ready for our date,” he answered mysteriously as he jumped out of the truck and jogged to the other side.

I didn’t try and get out on my own—I’d learned that lesson over the last few days.

We walked hand-in-hand through the front doors, and as I stared around the very fancy, elegant interior, I remembered I was still in my black work uniform…and I was pretty sure my hair smelled like hamburger.

I was very aware of what I looked like compared to him…

“I look ridiculous,” I hissed to Camden as he led me toward the front desk.

“Just relax, baby,” he said softly, pressing a light kiss on my neck that had me almost tripping over my feet. “You’re going to have fun.”

Before the modelesque receptionist could even speak to us, a loud, vivacious woman bustled around the corner. “You must be Anastasia!” she exclaimed, her voice ringing through the salon. Her brightly colored dress and sparkling jewelry was almost as dazzling as her personality seemed to be. “I’m Maria, and oh my, you are a pretty, pretty girl. Perfect for our Camden here. Geraldine is going to go crazy over you.” She shot a look at Camden. “Or has she already?”

There was that name again. Geraldine. I did not like how often Camden and Geraldine were mentioned together. At all.

“Okay, follow me. This is going to be great,” she gushed, taking my hand and pulling me away from Camden. I shot him a helpless what the hell is happening look, but he just winked at me—the gorgeous asshole.

Maria practically pushed me into a salon chair, and then four other employees were suddenly around me, gushing and cooing as they examined me—thankfully without mentioning that I smelled like fried food and grease. Maria pursed her lips as she studied me intensely for a moment.

“I’ve got it!” she suddenly squawked, making me jump. “Let’s begin.”

I was hustled to a sink where my hair was washed, and I received what would go down as the best head massage I’d ever had in my life. It was actually my first head massage, but I couldn’t imagine a better one. After my hair was clean, they all went to work, their hands moving skillfully through my hair, transforming it into soft waves. I closed my eyes as they applied makeup, feeling the light touch of brushes and powders. They painted my nails a delicate, shimmering shade of pink, their friendly chatter and Maria’s lively stories easing some of my tension.

Maria kissed two fingers, doing a little shimmy after my hair and makeup was done. “Stunning. Fabulous. I love it.” She winked at me. “He won’t be able to keep his hands off you!”

I squeezed my legs together at that thought. I’d seen how Camden reacted to me in a leotard, my hair a mess.

I wasn’t sure I could handle his reaction to this.

One of the employees appeared with a shiny, black garment back. She unzipped it revealing a deep-blue mini dress. I stared at it, stunned by its beauty. “For me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Exactly what kind of date was Camden taking me on?

“Absolutely,” Maria said with a wink. “Let’s get you into it.”

They helped me change, and when I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. The dress fit perfectly, hugging my curves in all the right places. I felt like a different person. Like instead of the streets, I’d stepped off the runway.

“Shall we do the grand reveal?” Maria trilled, clapping her hands together as she looked me over one last time.

“Yes,” I murmured, nervous anticipation fluttering in my stomach…and my core.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the lobby. Camden was texting on his phone, an arm slung over the back of the chair beside him, lounging back like an arrogant god, his legs outstretched in front of him. When he looked up and saw me, a low growl ripped from his chest. The sound reverberated through me like he had a direct line to my clit.

His gaze roamed over me slowly, heating with each passing second. I did my best not to fidget.

“Give me a spin,” he ordered roughly. I could hear some of the girls whispering and tittering behind me, but I slowly spun, enjoying the feel of his eyes savoring every inch of my skin.

“Incredible,” he finally murmured, standing up. “I don’t know if we can go tonight.”

“Why?” I laughed, still wondering exactly where this date even was.

“I don’t want any other man to see you like this.”

I smirked, thinking he was joking.

He stepped closer, his eyes burning. “If anyone dares to flirt with you, Anastasia,” he rasped, a finger trailing down my arm and leaving goosebumps in its wake. “I might have to kill them.”

The intensity in his voice made me ache for him. I liked his possessiveness. I wanted Camden to own me, take care of me…keep me.

He grinned and it was like the storm parted, all traces of his intensity from just moments ago disappeared. “Shall we go?” he asked, offering me his hand.

Camden waved at someone behind me and I turned my head and saw Maria standing there, waving a hand in front of her face like she was burning up.

“Wow,” she mouthed. “So hot.”

I grinned and shrugged. She was right.

“Have fun, darlings! And don’t be strangers! And Camden—” she called.

Camden stopped and glanced at her.

“Don’t keep her from Geraldine for long. You know she won’t like it.”

He laughed with a nod, and my inner bitch growled.

Freaking Geraldine.

All thoughts of that woman disappeared when we got to the truck, and I was suddenly pushed against it, his lips smashing against mine.

“Fuck,” he growled in between biting kisses. “You’re so fucking hot. I’m literally dying. Where did you even come from? I can’t believe you’re real, baby girl.”

I gasped as his lips slid down my neck, biting down on a sensitive spot right between the neck and shoulder, making me moan.

“I could ask the same thing about you,” I gasped and he huffed, giving me one more soul shaking kiss before he pulled away. His chest was heaving, and his pupils had expanded into the green—like he’d gone feral.

I loved him like that.

“We’re going on this date. But when we get home…all bets are off,” he murmured, and oh my.

I was ready for that.

We got back into the truck, a charged silence pulsing between us as we drove.

No matter what this date was, I was quite sure that the afterparty…it was going to be a million times better.