Free Exit Stage Six: A Contemporary New Adult Romance Novella by A.J. Downey

came with mixers and basically a personal bartender
in a VIP section.
    It was expensive too. The markup on the bottles sold often upwards
of two thousand percent, partially to accommodate an exorbitant tip for the
hostess which was included in the price. You had to be good and I mean really good at customer service, bartending, and you had to have the look too.
Pretty, beautiful to the degree of being a model. I worried my lower lip
between my teeth.
    “Are you sure?” I asked Lauren.
    “Absolutely, it’s not forever, just until the crazy blows
over, come on let’s get you ready.” She hugged my arm and led me to the back.
    “Thanks for being game London.” Jay smiled encouragingly at
me and I gave a watered down version back.
    Okay, so maybe two good things had come of this mess. One,
I’d gotten an A+ on my final thanks to Evan’s… Dorian’s picture and now I stood
to make a little bit of extra money tonight.
    I absorbed everything Lauren was telling me like a sponge
while she redid my makeup and laced me into the crazy steel boned corset all
the bottle servers wore. She even managed to make me look like I had cleavage
while she was at it, an impressive feat all on its own.
    I stood in front of the mirror in the skin tight black
leggings and royal purple and black corset and blinked. A black lace half-mask
had been carefully glued around my right eye and my hair hung loose and flowing
down my back and around my face.
    I looked like some sexy and alluring siren. The make up
around my eyes turned them to orbs of cold steel and I swallowed. I looked
nothing like myself and that made me smile. No one would believe the woman in
the silvered glass was mild mannered art student London Greene who had been
taken in by a rock star playboy.
    I immediately felt guilty about that last thought. Hadn’t
Evan already proven to me that he wasn’t a playboy? Confusion swirled
behind my eyes but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Bass began to filter
through the walls of the back room as the DJ brought up the house music. It was
show time. I followed Lauren out. Blessedly she and I were the same size and
she’d lent me her thigh high flat leather boots. They clung to my legs but were
comfortable as all get out to walk in for which I was extremely grateful.
    “London! Table Six!” Jay shouted at me and I nodded. The
doors had opened while Lauren had been working her magic on me and the club was
quickly filling. I glanced at table six, which was empty and so I did what I
could to pitch in until I glanced over and saw three men sitting at it. I took
a deep breath in through my nose and out through my mouth and putting a sexy
roll into my walk, stalked over.
    I plastered a smile on my face and stepped up into the VIP
section and the alcove for table six. I froze the smile onto my face when Hal
turned to greet me.
    “Hey sweetheart. You better sit down before you fall down.”
He patted the sofa beside him.
    “What can I get you?” I purred, pointedly ignoring Ev-Dorian
whose green gaze crackled in the dim light.
    “Ketel.” He said and I pursed my lips, repainted the smile
on my face and inclined my head. I retreated to the bar and glared at Jay.
    “Switch me out Jay!” I snarled.
    “Can’t do that darlin’. I hate seeing you the way you’ve
been, you gotta work this out.” He crossed his arms and I tried not to cry.
    “Paid you a lot didn’t he?” I asked and he gave me an
indelicate one shouldered shrug.
    “I thought you were on my side!” I cried.
    “I am on your side.” He stated calmly.
    “Really!?” I demanded.
    “Yep. Now go to work, you got clients waiting.” He gave me
an impassive look and I really, really thought about quitting. I picked up the
small silver tray with the bottle of Vodka on it and glared at Jay.
    “I hate you so god damned much right now.” I said petulantly
and he smiled out of one side of his mouth.
    “Yeah, well, you wouldn’t be the first one.” He said and
turned his