her tone grudging. “But you’re not moving in with me.”
His held breath released with a hiss. Okay. He could work with that. “Will you let me take you to dinner?”
“Maybe.”
“All right.” A maybe was as good as a yes. “And the band can rehearse here?”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What about my friends and the staff? What are you going to tell them? I presume you want to keep your identities quiet?”
He didn’t care. He’d make this work. “Caleb has already told them we work as roadies. We’ll keep to the story and tell them we’re thinking of forming a band with some friends. Even if we play French Letters music they’ll think we’re doing covers of popular music. Most people see what they want. Without our stage makeup, no one recognizes us.”
Julia nodded, losing some of her starchiness. “If anyone asks I’ll tell them you’re a band looking for a break.”
“Julia, are you ready?” Maggie shouted.
“Are you and Caleb coming to the club with us?” Julia asked, gliding around him in a wide circle. “We’re checking out the opposition.”
“Thanks.” Satisfaction filled his chest, and despite her strictures about taking things slowly, he was quietly pleased. She reminded him of the dog his family had adopted from the Humane Society when he was a kid. Despite her feisty attitude, she acted as if he might kick her at the first opportunity. Troublesome wench. That dog had become his best buddy, and he intended to use the same calm persistence with his wife.
The hour was still relatively early—in club terms—yet already a line had formed outside. The seven of them joined the end of the queue, keeping the conversation away from The Last Frontier . A burly bouncer, dressed in a black suit, stood at the head of the line, his massive arms crossed over his chest. His bring-it-on size shouted a warning for everyone to behave, but none of the waiting people were interested in issuing a challenge.
“Have you been here before?” Julia asked the couple standing in front of them. She wanted to get a feel for the clientele and learn what attracted them to this new club. Anything to get her mind off Ryan. God, she’d let him kiss her, which ranked right up there with stupid. Sly, tricky man. His gentleness had cut her mental arguments off at the knees and fogged her stupid brain.
“Good music. Great atmosphere,” a woman said. “There are both male and female performers so the place doesn’t have a sleazy club vibe. I feel comfortable here with my girlfriends.”
“That’s what I heard.” Julia surveyed the woman and those in front of them. The dress-code seemed on the casual side for the men, but most of the women were dolled up in skimpy dresses or clinging skirts and flimsy tops. She was glad they’d all taken the chance to smarten up.
“I haven’t been here before,” Ryan said. “Is the music live or do they have a DJ?”
“DJ,” the woman said. “He’s good.”
Music swirled out when the door opened. Julia didn’t know the song, but it had a strong beat, something people could dance to if they had the inclination. The bouncer let several people inside, including the woman she’d questioned.
“That’s all,” the bouncer said, stopping Julia.
“Isn’t it unusual to restrict numbers this early in the night?” she asked.
“Not my fault,” the bouncer said in a surprisingly high voice, immediately on the defensive.
“Of course it isn’t,” she said soothingly, leaning toward him slightly to highlight her breasts. “What are the owners like? I was thinking of applying for a job.”
“Dancer?”
“Yes,” Julia said, blinking her eye lashes in his direction. “I wanted to check out the place first. I’ve been burned before.”
Maggie shifted a fraction beside her. Julia caught a masculine growl of disapproval, and she was sure Connor wasn’t the culprit.
“I don’t think they’re hiring at present,” the bouncer said,
His held breath released with a hiss. Okay. He could work with that. “Will you let me take you to dinner?”
“Maybe.”
“All right.” A maybe was as good as a yes. “And the band can rehearse here?”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What about my friends and the staff? What are you going to tell them? I presume you want to keep your identities quiet?”
He didn’t care. He’d make this work. “Caleb has already told them we work as roadies. We’ll keep to the story and tell them we’re thinking of forming a band with some friends. Even if we play French Letters music they’ll think we’re doing covers of popular music. Most people see what they want. Without our stage makeup, no one recognizes us.”
Julia nodded, losing some of her starchiness. “If anyone asks I’ll tell them you’re a band looking for a break.”
“Julia, are you ready?” Maggie shouted.
“Are you and Caleb coming to the club with us?” Julia asked, gliding around him in a wide circle. “We’re checking out the opposition.”
“Thanks.” Satisfaction filled his chest, and despite her strictures about taking things slowly, he was quietly pleased. She reminded him of the dog his family had adopted from the Humane Society when he was a kid. Despite her feisty attitude, she acted as if he might kick her at the first opportunity. Troublesome wench. That dog had become his best buddy, and he intended to use the same calm persistence with his wife.
The hour was still relatively early—in club terms—yet already a line had formed outside. The seven of them joined the end of the queue, keeping the conversation away from The Last Frontier . A burly bouncer, dressed in a black suit, stood at the head of the line, his massive arms crossed over his chest. His bring-it-on size shouted a warning for everyone to behave, but none of the waiting people were interested in issuing a challenge.
“Have you been here before?” Julia asked the couple standing in front of them. She wanted to get a feel for the clientele and learn what attracted them to this new club. Anything to get her mind off Ryan. God, she’d let him kiss her, which ranked right up there with stupid. Sly, tricky man. His gentleness had cut her mental arguments off at the knees and fogged her stupid brain.
“Good music. Great atmosphere,” a woman said. “There are both male and female performers so the place doesn’t have a sleazy club vibe. I feel comfortable here with my girlfriends.”
“That’s what I heard.” Julia surveyed the woman and those in front of them. The dress-code seemed on the casual side for the men, but most of the women were dolled up in skimpy dresses or clinging skirts and flimsy tops. She was glad they’d all taken the chance to smarten up.
“I haven’t been here before,” Ryan said. “Is the music live or do they have a DJ?”
“DJ,” the woman said. “He’s good.”
Music swirled out when the door opened. Julia didn’t know the song, but it had a strong beat, something people could dance to if they had the inclination. The bouncer let several people inside, including the woman she’d questioned.
“That’s all,” the bouncer said, stopping Julia.
“Isn’t it unusual to restrict numbers this early in the night?” she asked.
“Not my fault,” the bouncer said in a surprisingly high voice, immediately on the defensive.
“Of course it isn’t,” she said soothingly, leaning toward him slightly to highlight her breasts. “What are the owners like? I was thinking of applying for a job.”
“Dancer?”
“Yes,” Julia said, blinking her eye lashes in his direction. “I wanted to check out the place first. I’ve been burned before.”
Maggie shifted a fraction beside her. Julia caught a masculine growl of disapproval, and she was sure Connor wasn’t the culprit.
“I don’t think they’re hiring at present,” the bouncer said,
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