Cold Fusion by Olivia Rigal Read Free Book Online Page B

in the nick of time too because he starts stirring.
    Suzy blows out the candle as he asks, “What the fuck happened?”
    “First you went out cold on me,” Suzy says, “and now the power’s out. But I think I can still make you see the light!”
    Slider and I sneak out of the room, leaving the door open. I think he’s with me on this one—there are some things we don’t want to witness, even in the dark!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

    Mimi comes around on Friday night, twenty minutes before show time. I’m at the door when she arrives, and I don’t even try to hide how glad I am to see her. The feeling’s not mutual.
    She doesn’t return my smile when she growls, “Happy now?”  
    I can’t help but grin. God, she’s even hotter when she’s mad! Following her as she marches in, I play dumb and say, “What’s the matter?”
    “Right, you have no idea why I’m mad. Don’t tell me you didn’t purposely scare the manager of my restaurant to get me fired!”
    She looks so upset that I feel a bit guilty. But not enough to offer to go intimidate the man into giving her her job back. I put on my best innocent look and turn up my hands. That sends her into a fit of rage.  
    She stops and turns toward me, jabbing her finger into my chest. “Next you’re gonna tell me that those weren’t your guys following to every single interview and making sure no one else hired me.”
    I bite my lips to hide the smile that’s likely to pop on my face. Good for Slider. I like a man who makes sure he gets his way, ’specially when his way could make one of my fantasies come true. I’ll get to see her every day and show her what a nice guy I really am.
    She glares at me, and all I want to do is hug her to bits. Instead, I grab her hand and bring it to my lips.  
    She jerks it away as if I’ve bitten her. “What’s with you?”
    “Mimi, I swear to you, I didn’t intimidate anyone but that pretentious man at the hotel.”
    “Well, if not you, then those were goons of yours,” she says.
    “I claim sole responsibility for their actions,” Slider says, cutting in.
    She turns around to face him, and I’m happy she’s no longer directing her anger at me.
    “I’ll take the job under three conditions,” she says after taking a deep breath to calm herself.
    Slider looks around to check that no one is within earshot. When he’s sure Vic, the barman, is nowhere to be seen, he invites Mimi to speak with a movement of the head.
    “First, I don’t do lap dances.”  
    Slider nods, raising his shoulders as if he’d never expected that of her.  
    “Second, I’m out of here by midnight no matter what.”  
    Slider shakes his head sideways and pucker his lips.  
    “And third, you actively keep looking for a replacement, because on September first at the latest, I’m out of here.”
    “I’ll sure look for a way to replace you as soon as possible, but while you’re here, you’ll need to stay later than midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.”  
    Mimi frowns. “Fine.” Then she struts toward the dressing room, waving at the barman.
    Vic’s wheeling in a beer keg and yells, “Welcome back, Starla.”  
    The man badly needs glasses. Mimi has at least thirty or forty pounds on her sister. Where Josette’s ass was bony, Mimi’s is luscious and—fuck, I already have a boner just from looking at her walk away.  
    “Get a grip, man, or you’re gonna lose it when she comes on stage.” Slider snickers. I look at him sideways, and Slider slaps my back real hard, laughs, and says, “Not your boner, man, your cool.” Then he leaves me with my frustration to help Vic with the keg.
    I walk outside for a bit of fresh air. Well, it’s not actually fresh—it’s hot and muggy—but I need to clear my head. My hard-on subsides as I try to come up with a way to get that stupid floppy before Zach and his partners return and realize someone’s messed with their computer.
    Sally arrives in the death trap she calls her car and comes