Ky had come out of his room looking sexier than normal. He was wearing dark wash jeans and a black button down shirt. His aftershave wafted through the living space, and my mouth started to water. Oh fuck no. My man was going out looking and smelling like sex candy, and the women were going to flock to him in herds. I need to take some deep cleansing breaths to calm my already shot nerves.

Ky sauntered over to me and leaned down to kiss me on my forehead.

“Checking again just in case, are you sure you’re okay with me going?”

“Mmmhmmm,” was all I was able to squeak out. I would not be the possessive type.

He looked at me wearily, then went to the side table where his room key and wallet were, and walked out of the door with a smile and a goodbye.

After Ky left, I came up with a brilliant plan. I raced into my room and grabbed a few items of lingerie that I’d packed. Throwing them into my purse, I took the elevator downstairs and hailed a cab.

“Spice Gentlemen’s Club, please,” I told the cab driver. He looked at me through the rearview mirror and winked. Gross! He probably thought I was one of the dancers.

The traffic in the city was like nothing I’d ever seen before. I had no idea how far away the club was, and with each passing minute, my stomach churned with images of Kyler with some trashy blonde grinding all over him. I barely noticed when we eventually pulled up to the curb.

“Thirty bucks,” the cabbie called to me, not even bothering to look over his shoulder.

Thirty bucks! That was highway robbery! I remembered how many cab rides Kyler had paid for over the past few days and shuddered. As I fished the money out of my purse, I looked out of the window to see a tall four-story building encased in black glass. I had to hand it to Levi, from the outside it certainly did look more ‘gentlemen’s club’ than ‘strip club.’ Finding only twenties in my purse, I thrust forty bucks at the cabbie, and said to keep the change. He’d watched me in the mirror the whole ride and it had given me the creeps.

Walking through the dark double-doors, I found myself in a dimly lit room that held a cash register, and a very large man sat on a stool by another set of double-doors. You couldn’t see through them, and I assumed that the stage was on the other side.

The girl at the cash register eyed me, before looking over my shoulder like she was waiting for someone else to come in and join me. She was short with bleached-blonde hair. She pretty, but in a very ‘done up’ way. I’d bet if she removed all of that make-up she was just an average girl-next-door.

“It’s a one hundred dollar cover, and no cell phones allowed,” she said with a strong New York accent.

“Honestly, what is it with this city and its prices?” I dug in my purse for my wallet.

“It’s New York, and this is an exclusive club. How else do you think we pay for people like him?” she replied, nodding to the bouncer on the stool.

“I’m actually here for the party up on the top floor. How do I get up there?”

“That’s an exclusive party. Unless you have an invite, you’re not allowed in.” She was now eyeing me like I was some stalker-obsessed fan.

“Actually, I was invited, but I’ve decided to give the boys a little surprise instead. I’m Kyler Lewis’ girlfriend.” That last part might have been a lie but I had to try anyway. I might be able to take her down and run for it, but with the big guy in the corner, I didn’t stand a chance.

“Riiiiight. Do you know how many girls have already come in here tonight saying the exact same thing? If you’re not here to go into the regular part of the club, I suggest you take a hike.”

Now I was getting pissed. Deciding that honesty was probably the best policy, I figured I should talk to this chick girl to girl. I explained to her who I was, and what I had planned. As I spoke, her hard eyes softened, and by the time I’d told her what I had in store for the guys—more specifically Ky—she was flat-out out laughing.

“Girl, why didn’t you just say that in the beginning? We even have the perfect prop for you upstairs. Back here is the elevator the girls take to go up and down to the dressing rooms. Sasha and Cam are up there right now. They’ll get you set up.”

I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn’t being kicked out, and moved behind the counter. The elevator door popped open and I stepped inside. Right before the doors closed, New York Girl said, “Good luck.”

When the doors opened on the fourth floor I could hear the soft beating of music coming through the walls. The room was brightly lit by large light bulbs that surrounded full-length mirrors—just like in the movies. Racks with costumes, string bikinis, and lingerie were beside each mirror, each clearly belonging to a different girl. My heart jumped into my throat as I looked around and I started questioning my sanity for even deciding to do such a thing.

It was then that I noticed a tall and very beautiful woman with jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes off to my left. She was applying her make-up, and was dressed in a shimmery, silver bikini top, and a long black skirt. She stopped with her mascara wand in the air and looked at me.

“Hi there, can I help you with something?”

Well, at least she sounded friendly.

“Uhhh … I think so? I was told that I could come up to this floor to get ready. I’m here to perform for the birthday party.” Even my voice sounded shaky.

“Oh, I wasn’t aware that management had hired another girl to help out. I’m Sasha.” She got up from her chair and came over to shake hands with me. Up close she was even more beautiful. I was starting to wonder if Levi had a point about the women who worked there. If I’d seen this woman outside of the club, I would have never have guessed she was a dancer.

“Actually, I wasn’t hired. I came here to surprise my boyfriend.” There was that two-syllable word again.

She cocked her head to the side slightly. “Your boyfriend?”

“Yes, he’s part of the band. Kyler Lewis?”

Sasha nodded her head and then asked, “What kind of surprise?”

Just as I’d done downstairs with New York Girl, I gave her a rundown of my whole plan. By the time I’d finished talking she was clapping her hands and jumping up and down. “Let me call Brad, he’s one of the maintenance guys. He can bring up the prop. Do you know what music you want to use?”

I gave her the name of the song and the artist, and she told me to go ahead and get dressed and she’d put me on next. Sasha went to tell the DJ the next line-up and I took out the lingerie that I had stuffed into my purse earlier. I undressed quickly and put on the black lace bra, the matching thong, and a black garter belt with nylons. I brushed my hair with the small comb I always carried with me, and applied some extra make-up to give me a more ‘dramatic’ look.

I heard some men laughing on the other side of the door closest to me. Wanting to take a peek before I went out, I opened the door slightly until I realized it was masked by a heavy red curtain. I pulled it somewhat to the side and looked out into the small room. It wasn’t as big as I’d expected—several round tables were scattered throughout the space, and there was a small bar in the back of the room. I could see all of the guys sitting in chairs in front of the stage, and they were laughing and watching a girl slowly move to the music. Her top was already off and she was rubbing her breasts to draw attention to them. The stage was not so much a stage, but rather a part of the regular flooring with light bulbs that defined where the woman would be, and where the men couldn’t cross.

I looked around the room, trying to find Ky. It didn’t take very long. He was sitting next to Anders, trying to talk to him, but there was a dancer making a good attempt to get his attention. She looked like she was doing it for more than just earning some money though.