I pushed the door open and walked in, once again feeling that strange sensation of déjà vu, but I couldn’t figure it out now any more than I’d been able to on my last visit. I stopped in the center of the room, and Mud looked up from his paperwork, a smile spreading across his face. “Ah, it’s my mystery girl.”

I didn’t say anything, but he stood and started to walk around me. “Crystal said you were interested in dancing, but you’re too shy. She suggested that I hire you as our bartender. I don’t usually waste the girls by sticking them behind the bar, but I’m willing to give it a shot.”

This was turning out better than I’d hoped, but I didn’t want to come across as too eager. “What does it pay?”

“Tips, but I want to keep this one off the books. You’ll get cash at the end of the night. You good with that?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Good. You’ll start tonight.”

That was a relief. “Okay.”

“Since you’re not dancing, you should wear a short, low-cut dress or short-shorts with a tight, low-cut T-shirt.”

I was sensing a theme. As much skin as possible. “Okay. What time should I be here?”

“Around seven. That will give you enough time to learn the ropes before we get really busy.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mud.”

He sat down in his chair. “Just Mud,” he reminded me. “And you need a name. The girls were calling you Daisy, but it doesn’t fit in with the gem theme.” He studied me for a moment. “How about Ruby?”

I was prepared for something stupid—after all, Skeeter had named me Lady—so I didn’t have to fake my smile. “I like it.”

“Wear something red to go with your name.”

“Okay.”

I headed back into the big room, where Sparkle was back on the stage with the other girl, who was hanging on the pole and spinning. I watched her for a moment from the back of the room, amazed that she was able to hold herself up by hooking the back of her knee around the pole even though she was spinning.

“Hey, Daisy!” Sparkle called out. “What’d he say?”

I moved closer to the stage, still watching the girl. “I got the job,” I said with a grin. “Only now I’m Ruby.”

“Well, welcome to Gems, Ruby,” Sparkle said.

The other girl didn’t look so pleased.

“When do you start?”

“Tonight. I’m supposed to be here at seven.”

“You’ll make good tips because it’s Friday night,” Sparkle said.

“I’m surprised he’s having her start tonight with everything else goin’ on,” the other girl said in a low voice.

“Diamond,” she hissed.

Was she talking about the owner showing up? I wanted to ask why tonight was so significant, but decided to play ignorant. For now. “Mud told me to wear shorts or a short dress. Which is better?”

“That’s tricky,” Sparkle said as the other girl climbed down from the pole. “Because you’re not planning on taking anything off.”

“Just go with shorts,” Diamond said, sounding bored. She squatted on the stage in front of me, spreading her legs wide. “How good are you at keeping your mouth shut?”

My breath caught in my throat, and I tried to look away from her crotch as I forced out, “I’m not a gossip, and I’m loyal. I may be naïve, but I know things go on in places like this that shouldn’t be repeated outside these walls.”

She grinned, but it didn’t make her look any friendlier. “Then you’ll fit in just fine. Welcome to Gems.” Then she stood and walked backstage, her booty swinging as she walked.

“Oh,” Sparkle said, sounding excited. “You’ve already made points with Diamond. You’re one step ahead of the game.”

“What does that mean?”

“Diamond’s sleeping with the owner.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, she’s nervous because he’s coming tonight for some special meeting. He likes things to run just so, and the thought of a new person working tonight has her on edge.”

“But isn’t Mud in charge?”

“Yeah, but Diamond always pays for it if things don’t go well.”

I went out the front door, worried that Diamond was going to have to get a loan to pay for all the things that would probably go wrong tonight.

I expected Neely Kate to be happier about my new job, but she sulked instead. “You can’t do this without me. Maybe I can wear a wig and go in disguise.”

“You think you’re going in there alone?” I shook my head. “I’ll be working.”

“Then I’ll sit in the parking lot in case you need me.”

I agreed to her plan. It would be comforting to know she was close by.

“I know what you need,” I said. “Let’s get you some ice cream. I think it’s safe for me to go back to the Burger Shack again since Eric . . .”

“Took a long nap in his car?”

“That seems strange, don’t you think?” I asked. “For him to show up dead just when the sheriff deputies go to question him?”

She shrugged. “Not so strange. He probably knew he was in a heap of trouble for what he did before that auction, and he was too chicken to face it. It happens all the time.”