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in the shower
earlier. “Like with lap dances?”
    Raven yanked her
hand away. “Don’t judge me.”
    “I’m not,” I
said, kicking her foot under the table. “Don’t be so sensitive.”
    “People think
strippers are all whores and that’s bullshit. I mean, I’m a little bit of a whore
and most of the girls I knew were too, but some weren’t. It’s a fucked up
stereotype.”
    “Maybe the
non-whores were the exceptions to the rule?”
    “Eat shit,
jackass.”
    “You’re sure
protective of those non-whore strippers.”
    Raven smiled a
bit. “One of them was really sweet. She was taking care of her sick mom. You
shouldn’t assume anything about people.”
    “You assumed I
was an asshole.”
    “I didn’t assume
shit. I knew you were an asshole. Everyone told me you were and they weren’t
wrong.”
    Laughing, I took
her hand back in mine. “I don’t like seeing someone as hot as you bruised up, but
I don’t judge you fighting for money. We all do what we can. Look at me and my
work. Not exactly a dream job, but I’m big, strong, and don’t mind hurting
people. Not a lot of jobs for a guy with my skill set. I was never good at
school. I hate computers and have no patience with fixing things. I had the
choice of being an enforcer or a gigolo.”
    Raven smacked my
hand away. “Stop being charming, you dipshit.”
    “I’ll try, but
it just comes so naturally for me.”
    “Why not a
gigolo?”
    “I’m too shy.”
    Raven laughed.
“That’s too bad. I’d pay to fuck you.”
    “Of course, you
would. I’d totally pay to have you give me a lap dance.”
    “You couldn’t
afford me.”
    “I don’t know. I’ve
been saving up for something special. This could be it.”
    Resting her arms
on the table then her head against them, Raven smiled at me. “You’re such a
pompous ass. Normally, I’d hate that, but I find it endearing in you. I guess
it’s the friends crap.”
    “Probably,” I
said, stroking her lips with my finger. “How long do you think you’ll fight at
the Thunderdome?”
    “Until they
outlaw walkers in the cage.”
    “That long,
huh?”
    “If I keep
getting my ass kicked, I’ll need a walker by twenty five. You fucking me will
probably speed up the process.”
    “It’s true. What
I lack in creativity, I make up for by being a vigorous fucker.”
    As Raven studied
me with a heavenly expression, I was overwhelmed with the urge to hold her. I
also had the urge to keep my balls out of her purse. It was a tough call, but
my ass remained on my side of the table.
    “So what happens
now?” she asked when our food arrived. “Do we call each other when we’re horny
then hook up and go our separate ways?”
    “I’d need to keep
you on speed dial.”
    “Like do we hook
up on weekends or what? Or do we just act like friends now?”
    “Why act? Are
you saying you don’t like me?”
    Raven grinned.
“Don’t force me to make you cry here, Vaughn.”
    “Man, I love
when you say my name,” I murmured. “I prefer when you scream it. Either way, it
sounds great in your voice.”
    “My truck stop
waitress voice?”
    “Your Demi Moore
voice. It’s sexy.”
    “Imagine my voice
on a kid. Just weird.”
    “Probably, but
you’re not a kid anymore.”
    “True.”
    “So you grew up
here in Ellsberg?”
    “Off and on. My
mom was always chasing some loser. Sometimes, the loser left the state trying
to outrun her.”
    Raven’s mom was
a bitch. While Lark never said so, Bailey did often and loudly. I knew the
stepdad was a fucker too and I’d enjoyed stealing his prized antique car and
watching Aaron trash “Gloria.”
    “You’re Cooper’s
age. Did you two ever hook up in high school?”
    “Would you cry
if I said yes?”
    Rolling my eyes,
I felt the heat of jealousy in my gut. I didn’t expect Raven to be a virgin. In
fact, I was thrilled she wasn’t since I was too lazy to train chicks. I might
not care that she’d fucked guys before, but I didn’t want those guys to be