‘You’ll get married one day, Lyds. Not until I’ve checked the guy out, though. I’ll need to make sure he’s good enough for you.’
She laughed. ‘You’d better not scare any potential husbands away.’
‘Watch me.’
He hung up the phone and made a mental note to pop in and see Lydia as soon as he got back to Queensland. Perhaps he’d head back earlier than planned. It wasn’t as if Chantal would be coming back to the boat after their argument. Without her he didn’t have a reason to stay.
And where would she stay? A cold tremor ran the length of his spine, settling in the pit of his stomach. The bar accommodation wasn’t safe, he believed that even more now after what she’d told him today. He’d noted the single lock on the door while Chantal had packed her bags in front of him. That door needed at least another five locks before it became remotely secure. Not that the cheap wood door would withstand a well-aimed kick or the swing of a crowbar…
He dropped onto a sun lounger and put his head in his hands. How had it gone downhill so quickly? One minute they were out on the ocean, racing the dolphins, and the next they were yelling at one another. That was definitely not in the vein of their friends-with-benefits arrangement.
Maybe he could convince her to let him pay for a hotel room. There was a suitable beach resort down the road from the bar. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it would be more secure than her room. He could give her a couple hundred bucks, make sure she was safe, and then leave her the hell alone.
Would she take the money from him? Not likely, but he had to try. The thought of anything happening to her filled him with cold, hard dread. He cared about her. She was a friend—of course he cared about her. That was normal, wasn’t it?
He paced the length of the helm, his muscles tightening with each agitated step. Chantal valued her independence, that was for sure, but he had a right to step in if she was endangering herself. It was his duty… as a friend.
Jogging down the stairs to the lower deck, he went on the hunt for his wallet and phone. She was gone. Her bags were nowhere to be found and the bedroom was so tidy it was as if she’d never been there. But her presence hung in the air like perfume—sweet and memory-triggering. All the scraps of lace that had littered the floor after their various escapades had been removed, and the small pile of her jewellery on his bedside table had vanished too.
He snatched up his keys from the hook on his bedroom wall and jammed his wallet into the pocket of his shorts. She was going to be royally pissed at him trying to buy her a room, but he didn’t care. Having her angry at him was better than any of the other alternatives. She’d have to deal with her anger. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
BACKSTAGE AT THE BAR, Chantal tried to psych herself up for her performance. Truth was she wanted to run away with her tail between her legs and never come back. But she was a professional, a trooper. She never backed down.
Part of her wanted to get out there on that stage to prove a point. Brodie had treated her as if she was made of crystal—as if she’d break with the slightest knock. But she didn’t break. She’d been through her share of tough times and she always kept going. No matter what.
‘Don’t look so down, honey.’ A blonde girl in a sparkling corset pouted at her. ‘If I had natural boobs like that I wouldn’t be frowning.’
Chantal instinctively crossed her arms over her chest. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Is this your first time dancing?’
‘No, not at all.’ Did she look that nervous? Hell, what had Brodie done to her? She was wound up tighter than a spring.
‘It’ll be okay.’ The blonde nodded and gave her shoulder a light pat. The woman’s long silver nails glinted like tiny blades. ‘Don’t let the audience frighten you. They’re big old lugs. Only here for the tits and the booze, never mind that fabulous dancing we all do.’
Chantal couldn’t help but smile. The blonde gave a little shimmy, flicking the black fringe edging her corset back and forth. Her stockings stopped at mid-thigh, biting into her generous flesh, and she wore black gloves that stretched up over her elbows. She looked at ease with herself… with what she was doing.
‘Just have fun. Leave your worries behind!’ She sang the last few words, twirling and shaking her ample booty.
‘I think I need to take a leaf out of your book,’ Chantal said, smiling.
‘Good idea. I always get a little tipsy before I dance.’ The blonde leaned in conspiratorially. ‘A couple of shots of tequila. Boom! Loose hips.’
Chantal practised her routine in the small space next to the mirror-lined bench. Sure, this wasn’t the best place on earth, and it wasn’t what she wanted for her career, but she could get through it. To hell with Brodie. She’d be fine and she didn’t need anyone else to take care of her. She would stand on her own two feet.
The dancer before her gyrated on stage, using the pole to complete some gravity-defying tricks. The audience roared, catcalls and wolf-whistles drowning out all but the heavy thump of the bass. Then it was her turn. She peeked out as the other dancer finished up. The crowd had swelled considerably since she’d first arrived.
Then she spotted Brodie. He was unmistakable. Sitting in the front row, arms folded across his chest, biceps on display… most likely on purpose. The blood drained from her face and her confidence followed it until the world tilted beneath her feet.
What the hell was he doing here?
Her music started but her feet were rooted to the ground. Someone shoved her in the back and she stumbled a little as she walked on stage. The audience didn’t seem to notice. They cheered and hooted as she swung her hips, pivoting on one foot with a dainty flick of her hair. Under Brodie’s intense stare she might as well have been naked. His eyes seemed to penetrate her, seeing all that she wanted to conceal.
He didn’t smile, and his eyes certainly didn’t sparkle the way they normally did. Had she turned him into this hardened lump? Where was the free and easy Brodie she’d fallen for?
And had she really fallen for him… even after everything that had happened today?
Confusion made her head fuzzy, the thoughts clashing in her mind. It was nothing—just a fling. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the warring emotions.
The steps of her choreography eluded her, but she had to keep going. Close to the edge of the stage she felt a hand brush by her—not Brodie’s. A portly man with a heavy beard and mean eyes leered up at her. Her skin crawled and she backed away, still clinging to her stage presence though she was sure she’d never danced so terribly in all her life.
Brodie had leant over to the man, his face red and indecipherable words falling from his lips. For a moment she would have sworn a fight would break out, but it didn’t. The bass thumped at odd intervals with the pounding in her head… everything unravelled. Fast.
She rushed off stage before her time was up, ducking her head at the curious stares of the other dancers and ignoring the cutting remarks from the manager as she scuffed her feet into her sneakers and grabbed her keys.
Outside the change room people swarmed the crowded space of the bar, the smell of beer and body odour making the air heavy and thick. Swallowing against the nausea, she pushed through, swatting away invasive hands