Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
“Stop being so skittish. Let me wrap this around you.” Quinn moved toward him again. This time, he allowed the other man to tie the strap around his waist. He turned the material until the flap rested against his hip. “Most likely, they’ll open a tab with cash, usually a hundred-dollar bill then when it’s used up, you ask for more, but you need to keep track of the drink totals on a pad. I’ve seen some of the guys get royally screwed when they tried to keep it all in their heads. If a guest wants to use a credit card… Come on. I’ll show you what to do. That’s all in the software, but you’ll be surprised at how little anyone wants to use a credit card around here.”
“Why’s that?” Levi asked, following Quinn back out to the floor. “They signed up for memberships. Surely, that has to be easy to track.”
“You’re so cute, but you have a lot to learn, my friend,” Quinn said offhandedly, doing a quick sweep through his section of tables, checking everyone’s drinks before heading back to one of the monitors on the far end of the bar. “The obvious reasons, of course. Many of these men don’t want a trail that they were ever here. A lot of the older generation isn’t as out in their lives as we are. You gotta always remember we’re only here because of the hell they went through. Let me show you the software to process the credit card.”
Quinn went through the steps of starting a tab. Levi watched, ticking off the bullet point instructions in his head until he was taken right out of the tutorial with another pat on his ass.
“What the hell?” he growled, looking all around.
“Man, you gotta lighten up,” Quinn said, grabbing his arm, turning him back to the computer. “You stick out like a sore thumb. They’re doing it because you’re bowed up so tight. Well, that and because Julian promised them free drinks.”
Of course, Julian would do that, and Quinn was right that he was uptight. Frustrated with himself, he nodded at the touchscreen. “Keep showing me.”
“No, really,” Quinn said, resting an arm on the edge of the bar, leaning in to Levi as he spoke more quietly, just loud enough to be heard over the music. “You’re a smart guy. Your training’s taken about an hour and most of that wasn’t with the process, but learning to use the dang tray. But you gotta let go of whatever it is you think you know about the guys here. If you think you’re better than this, you’re probably right, but there’s a reason you’re here. Own it and get what you can out of this experience.”
Everything faded under the weight of Quinn’s blunt words. The music, the noise, just everything was gone as Levi stared at a pair of crystal blue eyes. Under all his internal self-loathing, he had missed what a nice-looking guy Quinn was.
“No one’s here to judge. I’ve been here since we opened and already paid for my whole semester at Southern Cal. I graduate this year and this job’s gonna pay for law school. And yes, I’ve absolutely hooked up here, but not for money. Look around. It’s like a smorgasbord of men.”
Levi didn’t bother to look around because he was still hung up on Quinn’s statement about paying for school. The guy looked like a male model straight off the pages of GQ. Honestly, Levi would have thought Quinn was an actor trying to break into the business; he was just that good-looking.
Quinn nudged him. “You’re hot. You’re ripped and your ass is absolutely delectable. It’s gonna get touched. Work it to your advantage. Stay smart, but remove your judgment. No one here expects you to do anything other than wait a few tables. If you hook up, do it on your terms. If you don’t, then do that on your terms. Stop getting hung up on the possibility of money changing hands somewhere. That’s not your business, man.”
Slowly Levi nodded. The guy was right. That was exactly what Levi had been doing. All day, from the grooming of his junk, to shaving his chest, getting a spray tan, to trying to figure out how to style this new haircut, he’d been feeling bad about himself. No one in this place knew anything about him. They didn’t know his struggles or where he came from. His hang-up wasn’t that he thought he was better than anyone—absolutely not. Quite the opposite, actually. He’d spent his whole life trying to do better than his meager beginning and the drug dealers and gangbangers that now populated his neighborhood.
“Finish showing me,” he said, his voice softer now. He appreciated Quinn being so honest with him.
“One more thing. I wasn’t joking earlier. Keep that quiet brooding thing going, just don’t let it slip into condescension. Keep ’em guessing. Nobody else in here does that, and you’ll stand out if you do. Got it?” Quinn said with a wink.