The Things We Do For Money Ch. 04

Disclaimer: If you read the previously posted Chapter 4 and enjoyed it, I apologize. I had it removed because I realized that wasn't the direction I wanted to go with the story. There were too many variables to get hung up on that didn't make sense and I realized that all the commenters that were kind enough to give me their honest opinion before I turned comments off (thank you!!!!) were right and I didn't want Lacey to jeopardize her relationship with Brian by sleeping with Josh.

But I still love the little shit! Soo in this chapter I revamped Josh, and his personality will be more suited toward Dawn's tastes, if you get my drift 😉

If you're a first-time reader of the story and completely missed the deleted chapter 4, don't worry about it lol. It's water under the bridge!

I decided that for this chapter, Dawn is the primary focus, to set off a chain of events in her life that will impact the story as it unfolds.

This is not a sexually charged chapter, it is pure filler to advance the story and set things in motion for future chapters. There is sexting in it, but nothing beyond that. I'll make up for it in the next chapter, promise!

As always, am open to your ideas and suggestions in the comments!

Anyways, I really hope you enjoy it! Going to stop rambling now. Happy reading!

Dawn's PoV

Friday nights shouldn't be boring. That's why Dawn chose to go out with her closest friends and fellow colleagues Pam, Jane, and Chelsea. There were always new clubs opening all around New York City, it was the city that never sleeps after all. But they were going to one recently opened and owned by Pam's Uncle, so they were all getting the VIP treatment tonight.

Dawn was excited, as her last outing with her friends had been nearly a year ago. It was all thanks to Lacey's job that she was even able to afford to do this and then some. She could treat her gals to drinks tonight and not have to worry about being broke over it! That one $10,000 bonus that Lacey received recently was enough to give them money for quite a while. She could go out with her friends now whenever she wanted and that made her a happy girl.

Though Dawn couldn't help but feel that something was a bit off with Lacey, but she wasn't sure what it could be. She chalked it up to the mental and physical exhaustion that comes with any role at a new job. Things are great, you're liking it, but they are also stressful too, just as anything new and shiny is.

It's just, there was a man in the restaurant when they had been out on their date a week ago. He had been staring at Lacey like he knew perfectly well who she was. That normally wouldn't be odd, of course, except that it was the way he was looking at her that had raised her suspicion. He looked stunned when he first noticed her, and then later upset, like he was angry or sad or something in between.

Even stranger, when Lacey had excused herself to the bathroom because she didn't feel well, the young and rather handsome man that had been leering at her had excused himself from his date not even a minute later to conveniently go to the bathroom shortly after her. Surely to just take a piss, but Dawn timed it and he was there for at least five minutes.

They were both gone so long that that's when Dawn started to get worried about Lacey. Did he follow her? Was he doing something untoward to her in the bathroom? Risky thing to do in public, but not impossible. The whole thing, his behavior, it was just peculiar, and it made her Spidey sense tingle.

Just when she was starting to get even more concerned, Lacey had come back saying she had been throwing up. All her attention then, had of course gone back to her, and she had felt stupid for making dumb assumptions. She didn't know if the man came back to his date after that or not, because they both left in a hurry and Dawn shrugged it off as coincidence. It was surely all just a random chain of events.

The truth is, Dawn could just ask Lacey about it. Ask her at the very least if she knew who that guy was. But what did it matter? Whether they knew each other or not, nothing was going on. Because Lacey didn't like men, not one bit. She was disgusted by them, really. The thought of touching them or having anything sexual to do with them seemed to repulse her. And on that note, it just wasn't fathomable that Lacey would have an affair with one. She had no reason to cheat on Dawn, anyways, that would be ridiculous since they had an open relationship. If she was into men and wanted one in their bedroom, all she had to do was ask. There was no shame in your sexuality and curiosity changing, Dawn knew that firsthand from being bisexual.

Lacey had always been honest to her when she was attracted to other people in the past, she had no reason to think that had changed. And if she was seeing someone behind Dawn's back, it sure as shit would not be with that man from the restaurant. Still, the way he had looked so longingly at her, it had almost been too gut-wrenching to bear.

Oh, well. Best not to fester on shoulda, woulda, coulda. She had a club to get to. And man, she was really looking forward to this night out with her gal pals. She was sad that Lacey couldn't come. Having to work a night shift after being on day shift all week really sucked. She'd been there, done that, and was glad that she wasn't so low on the totem pole that she'd ever have to do it again. It would change for Lacey soon enough. She was going to get a promotion soon; Dawn could just feel it.

She finished applying her red lipstick and licked her lips. Last step was to put on her sapphire earrings. She was wearing a glitzy glamorous silver sparkly sleeveless shirt that had a slanted bottom and left her stomach bare. She had liked the way that it hugged her tits, it meant she didn't need to wear a bra. To top it off was the matching short skirt that barely went down past her thighs. She had to make sure not to bend over for any reason, or someone was going to get a nice look at her thin cotton panties underneath. She was aware the outfit was going to make men drool over her, but she would pay no attention to them. Tonight, was just a night out to have fun and let loose. It wasn't like she could hook up with anyone anyways.

Dang, she looked hot, though. Even she could admit it to herself! Having confidence was the first step to living a happy, healthy life. She knew she was a gorgeous and unusually tall Filipina woman; she had no doubts about that in her mind. She would get hit on tonight by men in the club, but she wasn't going to give them a second thought.

Pam and Chelsea were straight, with Jane being the other bisexual one. That's why Dawn felt she had the most in common with her. They could check out both men and women together. The others were single, Dawn was the only one of the group in a committed relationship. Though Pam was recently divorced, having previously been with her husband Jason for three years. They had called it quits after many fights about money, work, and even having kids, which was something Pam wanted but he didn't. Seems their relationship couldn't survive the rocky road of becoming adults in the real world outside of high school.

It was sad, really, but Pam had moved on with her head up high. They never mentioned her ex-husband, he kind of always was a bit of a drag anyways. She would take him with them on some of their outings, and God, what a jerk he was. Always trying to boss Pam around with his holier than thou attitude. No one was upset to hear they were filing for divorce because none of them were able to stand the sight of him anyways. There just hadn't been anything appealing about him whatsoever.

Pam certainly deserved better. And she would have better when Mr. Right came along. Funny that that was the reality for some of her closest friends. They were all just waiting for Prince Charming to magically appear, right out of a fairy tale story. When the reality is, nothing is ever perfect. It's just what you make of it.

Dawn heard a honk outside and knew it was her cab waiting for her. She hastily locked up the apartment and carefully walked down the stairs that led to the exit of their building in her heels. Ugh, she hated being on the third floor, so many damned stairs to go up and down. But at least she was getting exercise. Bright side of things.

The cabbie honked a few more times before she got there. "Alright already, jeez. I'll give you a good tip for waiting."

She told him the address and checked her phone. She had a text from Pam. Seems she and Chelsea were already at the club, but Jane, who worked in their quality assurance department, was running late and possibly couldn't make it because work was rearing its ugly head. No way, was there something wrong with the software release coming out this weekend? Ugh, their work could be such a shit show sometimes. But Dawn really loved her job so she couldn't complain about it too much.

Pam: Jane can't come. She's stuck at work tonight.

Dawn: Well, that sucks. Oh, well. Not much we can do there. I'll be there in about 15. Can't wait!

Pam: Same! Oh, I forgot to tell you. I've got a date with me tonight. His name is Josh Garner. We met at the mall last weekend when I was shopping for a new dress and really hit it off. I think you're going to like him! He's quite a catch, hot asf.

Now why did that name sound familiar? Wait. It dawned on her suddenly that she used to know a guy named Josh Garner in high school, that's why. He was three years older than her and the star quarterback of their football team. From what she had been told, he got scouted his senior year and offered a scholarship at a prestigious school to further pursue his football career. Dawn was just glad when he graduated, though she knew he'd probably just get replaced by yet another crappy jock.

Oh man, he had been a real hardass back in the day, kind of an arrogant prick. Mean to the nerdy kids, always shoving them around, acting the part of a bully. His parents were filthy rich and he had always flaunted that, wearing expensive clothes, driving an over-the-top car, basically wanting everyone and anyone to perceive him as royalty. So many of her friends had pined over him, but not Dawn. Dawn had seen him for what he was, a spoiled little prick that would eventually get what he deserves for all the mean things he had done to so many others. Karma was a bitch. That's what she always thought about when she had intentionally avoided him when she saw him walking towards her in the halls with his jock buddies who were just as much of asshats as he was, if not more so.

But surely it couldn't be the same Josh Garner though, right? What in the hell were the chances of that? It would be one heck of a freaky coincidence if it was him. Ugh, if it is him, she bet he probably hadn't changed his tune over all these years he'd had to grow up and out of his nasty behavior toward others. That would be six long years to get his crap together, as that's how long he would have been out of high school. He graduated her sophomore year, thank fuck. She had met and started dating Lacey in her junior year.

Dawn: He's not from California, is he?

Pam: Yes, actually! He just moved here from there three months ago. Why?

Dawn: I think I went to high school with him for a year. He was a total prick back then lol

Pam: Srsly? That's wild, girl! You know I wouldn't date another prick after Jason, though. He's nice, so he's obviously a changed man! You'll see when you get here. See you in a bit!

Dawn: OK. See you soon!

Dawn sighed. Fuck my life. Why couldn't she just have a totally normal night out? That's all she was asking for. Just one!

The girls were waiting for her next to what she assumed was the bouncer checking in everyone at the front door when she arrived at the club. From what she could see, there was no sign of Josh, just Chelsea and Pam waving frantically at her. The line to get in the new place went far down the sidewalk, people were patiently and impatiently waiting to be let in, and some of them were angrily stomping away when getting denied entry.

Dawn had promised a good tip to her driver, so she gave the guy a fifty dollar one before he thanked her and took off.

"Where's Josh?" Dawn asked, raising a brow. Was she even going to recognize the dude? It had been like 8 years since she had seen him, so it was doubtful.

Pam squealed and clapped her hands together excitedly. "Damn, girl, you look fire! We sent Josh inside to get us a table and drinks. The place is packed! Jerry, honey, this is Dawn, she's with us."

Jerry gave her a curt nod and lifted the rope so Dawn could go inside. He stepped forward to let them through the open door behind him. Dawn hugged Chelsea and Pam, blatantly ignoring the angry shouts and complaints they heard from them not only cutting in line but being let in before them. Of course, they would get upset not even knowing that Pam was literally related to the guy that owned the place. Sometimes she had little hope for humanity.

Pam was right. The place was packed. Mainly the dance floor, where there was a live DJ blasting some loud tunes. It was techno music right now, not any band that she recognized. But she was more of an Indie gal.

It was then she saw someone waving at them from one of the many tables and she blinked as they locked eyes. Woah. Josh seemed even more tall; he was like 6'5 tall. She swore in high school he had only been about 6'2. His face was way more grown up and handsome than she remembered it being, she could see a hint of stubble on his strong jawline. His hair was short, blonde, spiked, and messy. It was his eyes that really caught her attention. They were an alluring, warm hazel color. They had a kind, mature feel to them but looks could be very deceiving.

His sense of fashion had clearly improved, though, as he certainly knew how to dress himself to look appealing. He was wearing a dark green button down and he had left the first few buttons loose, exposing just a taste of his hairless chest underneath. His black slacks were held up by a leather belt. She couldn't see his shoes, but she guessed they were dressy ones.

"Is that Josh?" Dawn asked, her mouth agape in awe.

Pam laughed. "Yeah. Isn't he just perfect?!" She gushed, grabbing Dawn's hand to pull her along through the crowd until they reached the table that Josh had reserved for them. There were already their usual drinks on it.

Dawn found herself unable to look away from Josh's enticing gaze. My God. He was so hot. At least from a distance. She didn't know how his personality was going to be. It wasn't to say that he was terrible looking back in the day, but she'd had no attraction to him then, his douchey personality was way too much of a turn off for her to find him even remotely pleasing to the eye. Seems that has changed now.

It seemed like it took them forever to reach the freaking table. When they did, Josh was still looking at her in total shock, like he didn't believe it was her that he was seeing. The fact that he recognized her after all these years made Dawn blush before she could stop it, feeling her cheeks get all hot as she got flushed from his intense gaze and the knowledge that she had somehow made an impact on him way back in the day since he clearly remembered who she was. She brushed her long dark hair behind her air almost shyly, releasing Pam's hand as the woman took off in a race to get to her man.

Their spell was broken when Pam rushed up and hugged him and he hugged her back. That's when Dawn remembered that he was dating her best friend. And she was with Lacey. Best not to get too wound up about him. Hopefully he would still be a total douche so she could hate his guts anyways.

"Josh, this is Dawn. You two went to the same high school, right?! Such a small world!" Pam exclaimed.

Dawn shook Josh's large hand firmly. "Good to see you again, Josh. Did you end up in football?"

Josh laughed. "Dawn, yes, I remember! God, no. I went to business school and got a finance degree to become an accountant and make the big bucks. Football just wasn't in the cards for me after I graduated."

That was totally shocking to Dawn. "Wow! I would have never guessed." She laughed. "Well, it's good to see you again."

He smiled, still holding Pam in what looked like very strong, capable arms. "Thanks, you too! It's been what, 8 years? Wow, honestly, you've grown up very well."

Why was he was being so nice? It was almost too much. "Yeah, thanks, you too."

Oh, and he was a businessman. Making the big bucks, what the fuck? Could it get any worse? Yes, it could because she was going to like him now. What changed his mind about the football scholarship? Why had he suddenly decided to give up everything that he had worked so hard for? And to become an accountant? Goddamn. That sounded boring as all get out, but who was she to judge? The money probably made it worth it and so long as he was happy and not bullying other people around, she didn't care what the guy did for a living. She hoped he had learned that his behavior had been wrong and atoned for it.

It was hard to ignore Josh throughout the night. He kept looking at her as he was seated next to Pam but Dawn was to his left. She sensed he wanted to talk to her, get to know her better, but Pam and Chelsea were always the chatty ones, whereas Dawn and Jane were the quiet ones.

As Pam and Chelsea chatted away and Dawn sipped her Long Island iced tea, Josh finally moved his chair closer to her while Pam was distracted.

"So, how have you been? I can't believe it's been 8 long years. You've really grown up!" He chuckled, eyeing her up and down with a look of admiration on his handsome face. "And I mean that in a good way."

"Yeah, eight long years," she confirmed. "You, too." She took a sip from the straw of her drink. She found herself growing more curious about him by the second. She finished her drink before continuing their private conversation. Pam and Chelsea seemed too absorbed in what they were talking and laughing about to notice. "So, from star quarterback to accountant, huh?" It was a slight tease.

He laughed. "Yeah. I don't know. Business school just seemed more right at the time. I hated all my friends; they were such aholes. I got in trouble my senior year for getting in a fist fight with one of the other teammates. He got suspended for two weeks, but I got let off with a warning. You know why? Because I was the big shining star of the football team and they couldn't have me missing one of their precious games." He shook his head, letting out a sardonic chuckle. "What a joke. That's when I realized that I was just getting special treatment from everyone because I was good at a freaking game that I despised playing anyways. It was so stupid."

He paused, taking a breath to calm himself down. "So, I turned down the scholarship and went to school in Los Angeles. Lucky for me, I got decent enough grades to get accepted into the University of California. I realized I was good with numbers, so finance seemed like a solid bet. Now here we are eight years later and I work for a prestigious finance firm in New York City in a management position making a six-figure salary with room to grow. Never thought I'd be that successful at this age, but here we are."

Okay, so he was a little arrogant. But his story impressed her. And it seemed like she had underestimated him. "Wow. That is just kind of incredible. I always thought you were the biggest prick I had ever met."

Josh laughed. "Well, that's because I was. But not anymore. I've changed a lot. Want to toast to it?"

"What? I barely even have a sip left," Dawn said, laughing. "But fine. We'll toast to it. To not being a dick anymore."

Their glasses clinked and they smiled at each other. If only he wasn't dating Pam. Wait, what? No way. She couldn't go there. She couldn't hurt her friend or Lacey like that. That would be breaking the rules, and she had followed rules all her life, with a few little exceptions here and there. She'd been a good girl through and through. If they wanted to see other people, they had to talk about it first. But she was sure that Pam wanted Josh all to herself.