1

Mia

Okay….

I’m ready.

Ready to go in.

I pull in a deep breath, hold on to it, and allow the thought to sink in.

I actually brought myself here and decided I’m going in.

That must mean I’m serious. I’m going to do it.

The interview.

I’m going to do the interview.

Scratch that… I don’t actually have an interview yet. But I hope to get one. And, to get one I have to actually go inside the building and make the enquiry.

The building I’ve been standing outside for the last… what?

I glance at my watch and see it’s been a whole hour.

Geez…what the hell must I have looked like just standing outside here?

Was I that nervous?

God… of course I am.

It’s not every day you think: hey I know what I’ll do, I’ll go work in a sex club owned by mobsters.

That’s what The Dark Odyssey is.

Great idea and exactly where I’d hoped to be after investing in my legal career at Harvard.

All those long years of study. Right from high school, then on to college and grad school. This is where it got me.

I’m twenty-six years old. I thought I had a bright future as a lawyer, except this is where I am after all the hard work I put myself through.

I thought I at least be a junior associate at some prestigious firm now.

But no…

That never happened. I saw eighteen months of my internship at Silvermans in LA before the shit hit the fan.

None of my goals, aspirations or dreams followed through.

Nearly though… I was almost there then disaster struck and led me here.

My nerves tingle and my body shivers in response.

Get it together girl. Dad needs me. He needs me and so does Beth.

Knowing I was standing outside the entrance to The Dark Odyssey would probably push Dad further into that early grave that keeps threatening to take him— if he knew what this club was—but I’m here.

Here because Chloe, my very adventurous best friend who had a flair for the risqué, told me about a potential waitressing job and said it paid very, very well. Heaps more than the recent nothing I had after using all my savings to help Dad manage the situation of shit Carter had dragged us all into.

Carter, my no good big brother is a real asshole with no regard for his family, none whatsoever.

The first sign of his truly disgusting ways was to turn his back on Beth, his nine year old daughter who Dad has taken care of since she was a baby.

Unwanted by her mother who just left her on dad’s doorstep, and Carter who disowned her, me and Dad took care of her.

That was bad, but Carter had to go and make things worse and drag us into the mother of all problems when he got himself in the worst trouble ever. It saw Dad owing over a hundred g’s to a bunch of drug lords who wanted Carter’s head in a box.

And that is how I got here.

I’m here and this is maybe a chance to fix things.

I could stop us from losing everything.

On that thought I take a step and walk up the stairs leading to the grand oak doors. My legs wobble as I put one foot in front of the other and I’m grateful there’s no one around to see me.

Not like last night when I walked by.

I didn’t see much. Being outside, I wouldn’t have, but what I did see tugged at my imagination.

I’d be lying if I said my interest didn’t peak when I saw a woman with platinum blond hair like mine being led away by two men. All were still wearing their masquerade masks from the party and she was in her barely-there lingerie. One of the guys had his hands all over her and they moved along the pathway to get to their limo. The other man kissed her, shoved the straps of her negligée down her arms and started sucking her breasts.

That was what I saw.

Right there in the street for all to see, and they didn’t care.

It was enough to give me a taste of what might go on inside.

I pull in a breath as I approach the large oak doors. The one to the left is already ajar and I just have to give it a push to go inside. I pull in another deep, deep breath, give it a little push and the door swings open.

Instantly, as I look ahead to the sophisticated design of the reception area, I straighten up and push my shoulders back, assuming my legal stance.

I may be going in to ask for this waitressing position but I want to look good. Cool and confident, opposite to the anxiety that roils within me.

I walk inside and my three-inch heels click-clack against the marble floor.

God… it’s actual marble, like the designer couture flooring in Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom.

Definitely classy, and a little odd in some respect, as I never expected a place like this to be linked to classy in the general sense. Not that I’ve ever been to many sex clubs. Or any.

It’s the unknown that’s seriously wigging me out.

I take the corner and see a dark-haired woman sitting at the reception desk. She looks to be in her late twenties, or possibly early thirties. Very pretty and classy too, like the woman I saw leaving last night.

She lifts her head as I come into view and a little smile graces her porcelain face when I approach the desk.

“Hi,” I say and put on my best smile.

“Hello, how can I help you?” she replies and as she smiles I genuinely get that vibe that she’s the kind of person who strives to offer good customer service. It fits to have someone like that on reception, given the wealthy types that I’ve heard come here.

“I know this is a little impromptu but I heard there was a job opening for a waitress position.”

There’s a noticeable shift in her mood at my answer and I realize it’s because I’ve come to ask for a job. She probably initially thought I was a patron.

“Oh… um. Yes there are a few positions. Can I ask who it was that informed you of the job?”

Lord… Chloe told me this could happen, so I was prepared.

“Sure, I was told to give Sal’s name. Sal Mortensen.”

Oh wow… the minute I say that the shift in her mood comes again and it makes me wonder who the fuck Chloe has been hanging out with. She’d told me to give Sal’s name and it would be enough to get me seen.

Sal is her new guy but I’ve never met him. I don’t know who he is but I’m happy right now because from the way that this woman reaches for the phone and looks at me with instant respect, it seems Sal’s name did the trick.

“That’s fine. I’ll speak to the boss and schedule an interview,” she says and presses a button on the phone’s switchboard.

“Thank you.”

The boss seems to have answered straightaway, and I mentally pray for luck and cross my fingers as she starts talking.

“Hey Boss, I have a lady here who wants to know about the waitressing job. She gave Sal’s name. Can I have a date for when she can come back to meet with someone properly?” She raises her brows when he gives his answer and my heart squeezes. “Now? Really?”

Now?

Christ. Okay… that’s good. That’s really good. Now would be good. In my head I’d prepped myself for an interview and dressed for it too. Now is fine for me and not something I can turn away.

She hangs up and her smile brightens. “You’re in luck. He’ll see you now. He’s in the first office on the fifth floor. There’s an elevator to the left of us,” she nods and the smile recedes from her face. “Follow the corridor down once you get to the fifth. His is the office you first come to.”

“Thanks so much,” I smile with more gratitude than I should, then try to hold back.

If there’s one thing I know it’s to never allow people to see how desperate you are. It doesn’t matter if it’s a life or death situation. Don’t show desperation. The minute you do, you lose the upper hand or any control.

I give her one last grin and follow her directions.