can’t keep them all straight.” She pursed her red-lipsticked lips together. “I can’t keep shit straight, much less who isn’t talking to whom.”
He blew out a breath. Unbelievable. “Then what was all that about explanations before I went on?”
Both bare shoulders rose and fell. “Motivation.” She cocked her head to the side, a familiar lecture look. “Truth is, I don’t care what your problem is with Phil. Work it out. Today.”
“Why?”
“Because you almost stopped the number. You almost took down the show. Whatever happened, you need to move on, baby. Or you’re never going to come to terms with anything . Your life is too short to waste on shit like this.”
“He fucking walked out on me.”
“And you almost walked out on my show. That makes this little feud my business. And I say…work. It. Out. Before it does come to bite you in the ass more than it did today.”
“Rose.”
The subject of their discussion stood in the doorway. Phil looked as if he didn’t know whether to run or stay.
“Ally said you wanted to see me.”
“And she took her own sweet time passing along that message.” Rose huffed a little. “You two have issues with each other. You both are employed here. You need to figure this out.”
It was Neo’s turn to fold his arms over his chest. “It’s been working up until now. I don’t think anything needs to be fixed.”
“It does when you almost leave in the middle of a dance number.” Rose pointed at him, shaking her finger. “Don’t make me handcuff you two together. Do it on your own.” She walked to Phil and shoved him in the room. “Talk it out.” She slammed the door behind her.
Great. Fucking great.
PHIL LOOKED AT the angry dancer in front of him. Everything about Neo screamed closed off. “I never told her or anyone what happened between us. Or asked her to do this.” Neo wouldn’t believe it, but it needed to be said. What was Rose’s angle? She’d had dancers fighting before and hadn’t tried this hard to get them to settle the situation.
“And that’s supposed to make feel better?” Neo snapped his shirt up and yanked it on. It was a wonder he hadn’t ripped it in the process.
“No. I’m just saying.” Phil couldn’t help his gaze moving over the lithe man’s body. He hadn’t buttoned his shirt, and the gap revealed a muscular chest. Neo was probably still wearing the bright orange thong he’d worn onstage under his jeans. Phil felt his cock rise just thinking about it. Neo best not notice it, or he’d get more pissed off than he was right now.
“Whoop de doo. That changes nothing.”
“Look, we can keep avoiding each other. I’ll tell Rose we talked, and it’s all okay. That’ll keep her happy.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. They’d go back to status quo. It was all he deserved.
“Unless you’re a better liar than you were back then, she’ll never buy it. I doubt you’ve improved.”
Phil chuckled. Maybe it would lighten the mood. Neo glared at him, and he sobered up. Maybe not . “I’m not any better at it.” When they’d first met a couple of weeks before their evening together, he’d told Neo that he’d been doing a research paper, and that was why he’d needed to talk to Neo. Neo had seen through that from the beginning.
“I figured as much.” Neo looked at him from over long, dark lashes. “Rose isn’t dumb. You’ll never fool her. Not even with those puppy-dog eyes.”
Phil wasn’t sure he’d defused the situation, but Neo didn’t sound so angry, even if he was still shooting dagger looks at Phil. “Maybe you should tell her.”
“Maybe.” Neo didn’t look at him. “You could quit, you know.” He snapped the words.
Phil’s heart stopped beating, and he couldn’t breathe for a second. Neo hated him that much. “I could.”
“But that would leave the owners in a lurch. They talk about how dependable you are. Much more so than any other bartender they’ve had.
He blew out a breath. Unbelievable. “Then what was all that about explanations before I went on?”
Both bare shoulders rose and fell. “Motivation.” She cocked her head to the side, a familiar lecture look. “Truth is, I don’t care what your problem is with Phil. Work it out. Today.”
“Why?”
“Because you almost stopped the number. You almost took down the show. Whatever happened, you need to move on, baby. Or you’re never going to come to terms with anything . Your life is too short to waste on shit like this.”
“He fucking walked out on me.”
“And you almost walked out on my show. That makes this little feud my business. And I say…work. It. Out. Before it does come to bite you in the ass more than it did today.”
“Rose.”
The subject of their discussion stood in the doorway. Phil looked as if he didn’t know whether to run or stay.
“Ally said you wanted to see me.”
“And she took her own sweet time passing along that message.” Rose huffed a little. “You two have issues with each other. You both are employed here. You need to figure this out.”
It was Neo’s turn to fold his arms over his chest. “It’s been working up until now. I don’t think anything needs to be fixed.”
“It does when you almost leave in the middle of a dance number.” Rose pointed at him, shaking her finger. “Don’t make me handcuff you two together. Do it on your own.” She walked to Phil and shoved him in the room. “Talk it out.” She slammed the door behind her.
Great. Fucking great.
PHIL LOOKED AT the angry dancer in front of him. Everything about Neo screamed closed off. “I never told her or anyone what happened between us. Or asked her to do this.” Neo wouldn’t believe it, but it needed to be said. What was Rose’s angle? She’d had dancers fighting before and hadn’t tried this hard to get them to settle the situation.
“And that’s supposed to make feel better?” Neo snapped his shirt up and yanked it on. It was a wonder he hadn’t ripped it in the process.
“No. I’m just saying.” Phil couldn’t help his gaze moving over the lithe man’s body. He hadn’t buttoned his shirt, and the gap revealed a muscular chest. Neo was probably still wearing the bright orange thong he’d worn onstage under his jeans. Phil felt his cock rise just thinking about it. Neo best not notice it, or he’d get more pissed off than he was right now.
“Whoop de doo. That changes nothing.”
“Look, we can keep avoiding each other. I’ll tell Rose we talked, and it’s all okay. That’ll keep her happy.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. They’d go back to status quo. It was all he deserved.
“Unless you’re a better liar than you were back then, she’ll never buy it. I doubt you’ve improved.”
Phil chuckled. Maybe it would lighten the mood. Neo glared at him, and he sobered up. Maybe not . “I’m not any better at it.” When they’d first met a couple of weeks before their evening together, he’d told Neo that he’d been doing a research paper, and that was why he’d needed to talk to Neo. Neo had seen through that from the beginning.
“I figured as much.” Neo looked at him from over long, dark lashes. “Rose isn’t dumb. You’ll never fool her. Not even with those puppy-dog eyes.”
Phil wasn’t sure he’d defused the situation, but Neo didn’t sound so angry, even if he was still shooting dagger looks at Phil. “Maybe you should tell her.”
“Maybe.” Neo didn’t look at him. “You could quit, you know.” He snapped the words.
Phil’s heart stopped beating, and he couldn’t breathe for a second. Neo hated him that much. “I could.”
“But that would leave the owners in a lurch. They talk about how dependable you are. Much more so than any other bartender they’ve had.
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