Serving the Wolf's Den (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (2 page)

“You’re a good friend.” Maura reached over and put her hand on Rhonda’s for a quick second. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You’d be fine,” Rhonda said, leaning against the back of the booth. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “I’ve got to call Todd to make sure he has the girls up for school. Give me a minute.”

Maura poured them each another cup of coffee. She needed a second job, and the Wolf’s Den sounded like the answer to her prayers. She had no other prospects, and having Rhonda work there would make it so much easier. Rhonda was a kindhearted woman and such a good mom. Listening to her talk to each of her daughters brought a smile to her lips.

Rhonda ended the call with loud kisses before she slipped the phone back into her pocket. Maura’s smile widened. “Sounds like Todd has everything under control as usual.”

“Yes. He’s the best. Even in a wheelchair there’s none better. The girls and I are lucky to have him.”

Maura knew life hadn’t been easy for Rhonda, especially since Todd’s accident. But she never complained, and like the realist she was, she had gone out and gotten a second job to help her family even though it took her away from them. Knowing how much her friend valued her time with her family, it wasn’t a sacrifice she had taken lightly.

They talked for a while longer before they had to clock in and greet their morning customers. Before they went their separate ways, Rhonda said, “I work tomorrow night. I’ll put a good word in for you with Max. Can’t promise you anything, but I think you might at least get an interview. And remember, Tim leaving you was the best thing for you, regardless of what an absolute asshole he was when he left.”

Rhonda was a wonderful friend. She had held her while she cried, without making her feel like she had had been stupid for trusting a man who had done nothing but use her. She also insisted that Maura call the police. She didn’t want to. As far as she knew, Tim was already in another state and whatever he had stolen had been sold and used for drugs.

Maura never wanted to see that handsome face of his again or be subjected to the ridicule of others who could bear witness to her stupidity. She knew she would never get back what he had taken from her. However, with Rhonda’s support, she had gone to the police and suffered through an interrogation by a somewhat unsympathetic detective who had wanted to know everything from the first time she met Tim until the last time she had seen him.

Tim had moved in the apartment next door to hers. From the moment he introduced himself, he made no secret that he was attracted to her. He fed her ego constantly by telling her how beautiful she was and how much he enjoyed being in the company of a woman who made him feel good about each new day because she was in it.

At first she’d been wary, but his attention didn’t waver and her defenses had crumbled. After only a few weeks, they were dating steadily. He told her he had been clean for over a year and was working at a drug rehab. His sincerity when explaining his goal to give back and help others who also were afflicted with his disease had impressed her and made her like him that much more.

One night after he had made love to her in a variety of ways, he had let it slip that he was only subletting his apartment for a couple of months and was looking for a more permanent place to live. He convinced her that if they pooled their resources, they could find a bigger place in a nicer neighborhood. His affectionate nature and professed love fooled her into believing they were building a future together. However, it was obvious now that he had never been in love with her and the only thing he was building was an escape route back into the world she thought he had put behind him forever. The man who had made her feel like she was his one true love had left her with an empty apartment, an empty bank account, and an emptiness inside of her that came from the worst kind of rejection. She had been devastated, but Rhonda was right. Having him out of her life was for the best. A week had passed without any word from the Wolf’s Den. She figured the job just didn’t work out. So when Rhonda approached her at the end of their shift on Thursday to tell her she thought Max intended to hire someone more mature, she wasn’t surprised.

“Don’t worry. The fact that you tried to get me the job means a lot to me.”

“I told him you’d be great and that he shouldn’t hold your age against you. That you were excellent with the customers and that you were a real quick learner. I guess he just had his mind made up already. I’m sorry I even mentioned it to you without speaking to him first.”

“Please don’t be. You were just trying to help me, and again, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you would do that.”

“Well, I’m not giving up. If not the Wolf’s Den, then something else will show itself.”

When Max called her a few days later to set up an interview, she had been in shock but ecstatic. She couldn’t wait to tell Rhonda.

“I told you I wasn’t giving up. Looks like the man thought about what I said and finally realized that I was doing him a favor by telling him about you.”

Rhonda had a number of suggestions to help her prepare for the interview, from how to dress to her makeup and hairstyle. She also wanted to stage a mock interview that covered the kinds of questions he had asked her before she was hired.

Maura prayed Max wasn’t just interviewing her as a courtesy to her friend with no intention of seriously considering her for the job. Even if that were the case, she thought, trying to stay positive, she was being given an opportunity to convince him to put his initial prejudice about her age aside and hire her. And with Rhonda’s guidance, she felt she was arming herself to do just that. However, nothing Rhonda told her could have prepared her for exactly how far Max would expect her to go to prove she was worthy of being one of his Bitches.

“You’re a friend of Rhonda’s,” Max said after he had introduced himself. He pointed to a chair in front of his desk. She sat down.

“Yes, we work together at Lucy’s.”

“How much did she tell you about the Wolf’s Den?”

“Just that the tips were great and that it was after-hours, so I wouldn’t have to worry about giving up my day job.”

“That’s right. Most of the girls here have two jobs. However, I don’t take kindly to callouts.”

“I’m pretty high energy, so that won’t be a problem. However, she did say it would only be three or four nights a week. Not that I couldn’t work more if you needed me,” she added quickly.

“Have you seen the uniform?”

“No, Rhonda said she keeps hers in her locker, but she told me and I’m fine with it.”

Max picked up the telephone. “Katie, come to my office.” He put the phone back down. His eyes came back to hers. He didn’t smile. “Stand up for me.”

She stood up. With trembling hands she smoothed down her dress that Rhonda had insisted she hem so that it hung mid-thigh. Her insides were jumping around like crazy. Good-looking men always made her nervous, and this one was exceptionally good looking. He had long brown hair past his collar and a day’s growth that only added to his bad-boy appeal. His eyes were an incredible light blue that were startling when you first met him. He also had a long nose and high cheekbones that made her think he might have some Indian blood in him. She hadn’t seen too many men, including Tim, who had what she would call mesmerizing good looks. With everything Rhonda had told her, it seemed strange that she had somehow left out the part about Max being absolutely gorgeous.

“Now turn around a few times.” Again, she did as he instructed.

There was a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” Max said while his eyes continued to look Maura up and down.

A woman entered the room that appeared to be in her late thirties. “This is Katie. She helps me keep things running smoothly around here. She’ll take you into the changing room and fit you with a uniform. Try it on, and come back to my office. I want to see you in it.” He walked back behind his desk and started rummaging through some papers. “Oh, and Katie, her name is Maura Dow.”

Before they reached the door, he said, “Thanks, Katie.”

Katie turned around and smiled. “You’re welcome, Max.”

Katie led her through the bar area and down a short corridor to a room that she unlocked with a key that hung from a gold chain around her neck. Rhonda wasn’t big breasted, but she wasn’t flat either. Maura had just assumed having full breasts would be expected in a place like the Wolf’s Den.

Maura went through the door into what Katie told her was the changing room. It had more than a dozen lockers and a closet that Katie opened using another key from her gold chain. Silently she pushed through the racks of clothing for a few minutes and then pulled out a white, V-necked T-shirt and black pleated piece of cloth. Maura could only surmise it was the skirt that Rhonda had referred to.

“These should fit you, Maura. You look like you’re about a 36C cup and around a size 8. Am I right?”

“Yes. You have a good eye.”

“That’s what Max pays me for. I’m the lead Bitch here.”

“Right. I guess the bitch thing goes along with the wolf thing, huh?”

“Max is a salesman and a damned good one. He knows what his customers want, and they’ve always called the servers here Bitches, and he saw no need to change it when he took over. Feeds some fantasy they harbor. I don’t give a shit what they call me as long as they keep throwing money my way every night.”

“You like working here and for Max?” Maura asked.

“He’s the best fucking boss I’ve ever had. He’s not too hard on the eyes either. Wish I had a dime for every woman who asked that boy to take her home with him and fuck her.”

“And does he?” Maura couldn’t believe she had just asked such a stupid and totally inappropriate question. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business.”

“You’re damn right, it’s not.” Katie handed Maura the uniform. For a few seconds, she just stared at Maura and then said, “This once, and because he might end up hiring you, I’m going to give you some advice about Max you’d be wise to take to heart. He’s got the kind of sex appeal that draws women to him like bees to honey. You can’t blame the customers for trying and neither does he. But here’s the thing, darling, if you have fantasies about running your hands through those long dark locks of his, don’t. He’ll get rid of you quicker than spit. And that’s a fact.”

“I’ve no intention of mixing business with pleasure. I’m here to do a job and make money. I don’t need or want anything else.”

“Make sure you keep it that way. Now put this on, and then Max will see if you’re the kind of Bitch he wants serving his Den. You know how to get back to his office?”

“I’ll find it. Thanks.”

“Oh, and ditch the bra. It’s not part of the uniform.”

When Katie finally walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, Maura breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been sure if the woman had intended to stand there and watch her disrobe or what. She was totally out of her element here and wasn’t sure what to expect. She undressed quickly and, as she had been told, removed her bra. She was glad her breasts, although large, were firm enough that she could get away without wearing one if she chose, although she never did.

It didn’t take long to put on the skimpy uniform. Turning, she observed herself in a full-length mirror that hung on the far wall. It was a bit unnerving to see her ample breasts pressing against the T-shirt that dipped low enough to show an abundance of cleavage. Her large areolas and nipples were barely covered, their outline clearly visible through the thin material. The skirt that barely covered the cheeks of her behind made her long shapely legs look even longer than usual. She remembered how Tim had raved about her breasts and legs. But it was her fuckable ass, as he referred to it, that he took the most pleasure in. Giving herself a mental shake, she was reminded that he had told her a lot of things, most of them not true.

With one final glance in the mirror, she smoothed her long, light-blonde hair that fell in waves down her back. She was glad she had taken Rhonda’s advice and worn a dress and black high heels for the interview, as well as leaving her hair down instead of pinning it up in a bun the way she usually did. The heels set off her legs nicely, and most men liked long hair. Tim had told her it was sexy.
Stop thinking about what Tim told you.

Maura knew she couldn’t delay going back to Max’s office dressed the way she was any longer. Taking a deep breath, she walked out the door that locked with a click behind her, making her jump. She walked quickly through the bar area, catching a glimpse of a young man behind the bar that had stopped what he was doing to watch her pass. She knew if she got the job she would have to get used to men staring at her clad in next to nothing, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. It was a means to an end, an end she desperately needed if she were to get her life back on track.

Maura found Max’s office easily. She knocked hesitantly against the dark wood grain of the door. In the center was a shiny gold plate that read “Max Andrews, Manager.” Her hands were shaking. She needed to calm down or she was going to ruin any chance she had of impressing Max. Just breathe, she kept repeating in her head before she heard his voice summon her from behind the door.

She entered, closing the door quietly behind her. On wobbly legs she walked to stand in front of his desk. She watched him raise his eyes that were immediately drawn to her breasts. She felt her nipples stiffen against her will.