“Oh.” Sienna paused to collect her thoughts, not wanting to raise any more speculation. “Thanks, guys. I’ve seen him here before. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, he’s just a harmless fan. He asked me to have a drink with him tonight and I turned him down. He was probably just looking for another chance.” She gave them both a smile that she hoped looked genuine, and went back into her dressing room.
As she settled onto her chaise longue, her one indulgence in her private dressing room, she realized she still had the slip of paper in her hand. Sienna knew Mike wasn’t going to let this go. He had been with the club since she came to work at the Tunnel. Big Mike might cover up the silver-spoon upbringing he was always trying to shed with a scary face and demeanor, but he was also a softie like Asher when it came to her. He would never let anything make her scared or sad, and had been telling her this since she first came to work for Asher, promising he would always protect her. The bouncer was younger than she was, but he had taken her under his wing with a tenderness that at first had surprised her.
“Sienna, sweetie, we’re gonna take care of you, Asher and me. Nothing is gonna scare you. Nothing,” Mike used to say as he drove her home to that gross motel when she first started to dance. It wasn’t as if he had designs on her. Big Mike was a one-woman man even back in the day, and his girlfriend lived with him. He just cared for Sienna and considered her family, unlike the wealthy parents he had turned his back on years before.
And just like family, she knew he wasn’t going to drop this.
Sienna unfolded the slip of paper.
Name is Carson. Coffee on Saturday or Sunday? Nothing too crazy. I promise.
That was all it said, along with his cell phone number.
Sienna put the note away. She couldn’t think about this now. She had to go back out and dance again soon, and she was pretty sure Asher would be showing up any minute to check on her. Mike had a big mouth, and Asher was already concerned. Shit.
Locking the door, Sienna started to change her outfit for her next act. Unable to stop her thoughts from whether Carson was still out there, she began to choose a one-piece lace negligee with him in mind, and then caught herself.
Wow. I’m losing it.
Maybe she needed a little vacation? Perhaps a few days of R&R at one of the spa resorts near Red Rock Desert?
She was obviously not herself with all this thinking about a man, dressing for said man, and that tiny part of her that was considering having coffee with that man.
A little vacation was the answer.
A moment later, Asher knocked on her door as she’d predicted. After a quick check to be sure she was “decent,” Sienna opened the door.
Asher brushed past her and turned to confront her, his protective mode in full swing. “Sienna, are you okay, honey?” Before she could answer, he raked his blond hair off his forehead and frowned. “I’m always telling you to make some time for yourself and date, but let’s not get carried away with some guy from the audience. I know I told you it was natural to feel curious, but did you throw his number away?”
Sienna tried not to sigh. Asher meant well; she knew that. But sometimes he went a little overboard with his big-brother act.
So she smiled and, ignoring his question, said, “I’m good. Really, I am. I had a moment or something, I can’t explain it, but there was a thing with him. Something I never had before. A pull.”
The look that flashed over Asher’s face looked suspiciously like pity. “Oh, doll, you’re so lonely. That’s it.”
Sienna ignored the brief annoyance she felt at the thought of Asher pitying her, and did her best to mollify him. “I know, Ash. I’m all good now. It’s passed, whatever it was. I think I need a few days off. A little vacation will do me good.”
His face brightened and he instantly perked up. “Sounds great, I can go with you. How about Tuesday? Wednesday? Mike can run the place.”
She laughed. “Perfect. Thanks, Ash, love you. Just a little break, a night off will do me wonders.”
“I know, doll. Now it’s time to dance and bring the house down, before we ride off into the sunset.”
With a kiss to her temple, Asher headed back to his office, and she was left alone with the note again. No, she hadn’t thrown it out, and she wasn’t sure why. After all, there was nothing she could do with it.
As much as she loved dancing and it was her ultimate relief, she needed to break away from this place for a day or so. Thank God for Asher and the upcoming getaway. She would go away with Asher, take a breather, and return home restored and renewed to live life. By herself.