that he's a shitty excuse of a man.
He sees me flinch.
He does it anyway.
I've spent a lot of time in the strip club, during my dances and out in the locker rooms. I've sat at the bar, in the office, I've helped clean down the stage because of all of Mel's freaking glitter, and not once has anyone forced their touch on me after seeing my reaction.
Fuck, Diamond loathes me and she still makes sure she doesn't so much as brush against me in the hallways.
Since Mav tried to touch me there hasn't been a single biker that's tried to either. Speck keeps a close watch of who is around me and not once has he attempted to touch me. Fuck, he's always as shocked as hell when I talk to him about something that isn't strictly stripping related.
Finley is a creep.
I don't want to go with him but if someone hasn't come out already then they're not going to save me now. The music is too loud in there for them to hear me if I start screaming and now he's got a firm grip of me. I should've run the second I saw him standing there but I need this freaking job. So my option is go with Finley or die here now.
Fuck it.
I lock my truck up with my bag safely stashed under my seat and then I go with him.
And I’m not entirely sure that’s not the wrong thing to do.
The car ride over is excruciating but Finley doesn’t try to touch me again.
It becomes clear that he’s not a guy girls usually say no to but… this is clearly also not the first time he’s forced himself on a girl. He knows too much, like what to say to control the conversation, how to play everything off like he’s swooping in to save me from myself because dinner with him is such a fucking privilege.
I'm not expecting much from the restaurant he takes me to, because why would a guy forcing me on a date take me somewhere decent, and you know what? I’m exactly right in that assumption.
The walls are covered in tacky decorations which in itself isn't that bad but there's a layer of dust on everything and the menus are greasy as hell.
I order the bare minimum. A salad and some water. He looks at me approvingly, like I’ve done it to impress him with a fucking diet when really I just want to get the fuck out of here and if he’s paying, which he has to because my money is back in my truck, I don’t want him using an expensive meal as a justification to dragging me somewhere else.
Fuck.
I really should have found another way out of this.
Too late now, he’s sitting there smirking at me like this is all going according to his fucking plans. When I catch his eye by accident, he smirks at me and motions at the dusty walls.
"I thought you'd feel at home here, it’s always been a staple in Coldstone for the low income houses.”
Fuck, I wish he’d get hit by a goddamn bus.
I force a smile onto my face and shrug. "My family is from here but I'm not. Like I told you, it's extended family. Look, I'd appreciate it if you could keep my confidential information to yourself. This has been such a nice surprise and all, but it’s not really appropriate.”
That fucking smile stays put on his face. “It is confidential but if I see a student in danger, I’m contractually obligated to intervene.”
Fuck him.
That doesn’t sound right but I can’t exactly call him out on it either. My phone is a piece of shit and doesn’t connect to the internet at all, I only bought it so that I could take calls from The Boulevard about shifts or calls from Southern Miss about my classes.
“When I heard about you dancing I knew I had to come down here and check it out for myself, make sure you’re not in any danger.”
The sound of his voice alone sets my teeth on edge.
He’s the only danger around here but he thinks he’s so fucking slick, sitting there and forcing me to back down like this is some fucking game of dominance. There’s no fucking way. I’m not ever going to lie down and submit to some piece of shit man ever again.
Fucking never.
I keep my mouth shut for the rest of dinner, nodding my way through his incessant prattling on about