Jessica's heart sank. "Fired? You can't fire me over this. I didn't do anything wrong."
Roy, the club owner, cleared his throat, refusing to look at her. He reminded Jessica of a bloated Elvis, minus The King's good looks. Men should not wear white spandex or sequins—separately or in combination. Especially not hairy, overweight men. "Have you seen the condition of my bouncers? Your friends—"
"They aren't my friends."
"Then why are you protecting them?"
Jessica shook her head, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. "I'm not."
"By the time the cops got here last night, they were long gone. If you're not protecting them, tell me their names and where to find them, so I can press charges."
"I don't know them."
"I don't believe you." He considered her for a long moment. "Clear out your dressing table, Feather. I don't want to see you in my club again."
"But I need this job." She'd only been working for three weeks. She didn't have enough saved up for school yet. Not by a long shot. "It's just for the summer."
"Sorry, babe. I don't need your kind of trouble. You're beautiful and sexy, but I've got a long line of applicants who want your job and they don't bring their thugs into my club."
"They're not thugs."
"I thought you didn't know them."
"I don't."
He slid an envelope across his desk toward her. "Your pay."
She snatched the envelope off the desk and stormed from Roy's office.
Sed never ceased to fuck up her life.
Jessica burst into the dressing room and tossed all of her crap into a bag. She almost ran into Aggie on her way out. The black-haired beauty grabbed her by both arms to steady her.
"Hey, kitten, what's the rush?"
"Roy just fired me." She needed to get out of the place. Her throat ached with unshed tears and she didn't want anyone to know how upset she was. It was just a stupid job. Just another failure .
"What? How could he fire you? You're already a local favorite."
"This is all Sed's fault," she said. "When I see him, I'm going to rip him a new asshole."
"I think he's already got a corner on the asshole market, sugar."
Jessica tried not to smile. Failed at that, too.
"You said he was in the band Sinners, right?" Aggie asked.
"Yeah, so?"
"So they're opening for Exodus End tonight at Mandalay Bay."
"How do you know that?"
Aggie shrugged. "I saw a flyer tacked up somewhere."
"Perfect," Jessica said, starting to feel marginally better. "Now I can tell him where he can stuff his money. Better yet, I can show him where he can stuff his money."
"If you happen to run into that blond guy who was with them last night… the fine-looking one with the tight little ass… and the hard bod… and that face… and those…" Aggie's hands clenched and she shuddered in undisguised delight.
Blond? Jessica's brow furrowed. "Do you mean Jace Seymour?"
"Jace." Aggie smiled, her ruby red lips parting to reveal a perfect set of teeth. "Tell him I still owe him a dance. He paid, but ran off to fight bouncers before I could treat him to my special brand of pain."
Jessica chuckled. "Soft spot for him, Aggie? It's not like you to worry about pocketing some easy cash."
Aggie winked. "Maybe."
"I'll try to remember to give him your message when I go kick Sed's ass." Her hands clenched into fists. Sedric Lionheart would regret getting her fired. Oh yes, he would.