1:37 p.m.

The clock glared mockingly at her and she groaned, rolling over to the other side, giving it her back and throwing the covers over her head.

A wimp, a wuss, chicken shit, cop out, she was calling herself a whole slew of names for not being able to get out of bed, go downstairs and face Jason Morgan. She'd rather just snuggle under her covers and ignore the snickering down the hall that she knew was coming from Candy and Crystal.

Bitches.

She was tempted to throw one of her spiked heels at them but she knew that wouldn't do her any good. That would only confirm what was already being whispered around the club. Jason had disappeared while she was on stage, Elizabeth had disappeared soon after and neither of them were seen for the remainder of the evening.

She was crying in the shower, he was hiding in the office with a satisfied smirk.

The whole damn building was aware that something had happened between them and her lying in bed avoiding the matter certainly wasn't helping the situation but her brain wouldn't let her feet hit the floor.

She was mortified after what happened last night. She went into the office with the intent on seducing Jason Morgan and somehow they were both being seduced, somehow they both lost control but in the end he reminded her that this was suppose to be some sort of business deal.

He gave her the money she wanted.

It wasn't his fault she abandoned everything that she was taught simply because the man was the reason jeans were created. It wasn't his fault that her heart thumped a little faster when he entered the room. It wasn't his fault that the sex meant more to her than it did to him.

Nope, that was entirely her fault and she knew that. That's why she buried further into the warm flannel sheets.

Elizabeth knew that when you had sex with a man in this line of work it was just sex, nothing more. Most of the men that walked into these types of club want a little piece of action, be it a private show, a lap dance or a roll in the hay. It was something she quickly accommodated herself to and it was extra pocket money so she could start her own little next egg. She knew that feelings were never to be involved, she knew that little tingles did not run up and down your spin when you were lying down with a customer, she knew that you didn't see stars with a man who wanted a quick fuck, and she knew that you never, ever, gave up the control in the situation.

She did all that and more last night with Jason Morgan.

The tingles were there, so were the stars and she practically forced him to take control.

She could count on one hand the number of times a man actually had been the one leading the situation, the one touching her, wanting her to feel the same kind of release he was feeling. It had been a very long time she had felt that way, felt like someone was right there with her enjoying it. Jason gave her that back last night and she relished every minute of it.

Which made the one hundred bill that much more painful.

She wanted it, she told him that, she told herself that but she also wanted him and she knew that she couldn't have both. She couldn't stick around in this dinky little town for long; she wanted to move as far and as fast as she possibly could. Her past was also lingering there, threatening to catch up with her, she had to always, always keep one step ahead.

She couldn't let this man falter her.

That determination helped her swing her feet over the side of her bed and step into a pair of Tasmanian Devil slippers. She took a quick glance in the mirror, adjusting her ponytail, before making her way down the backstairs in a pair of Star Wars pajamas.

She was going to have to face Jason sometime and she'd rather it be in the light of day instead of at night when too many ears were around. She just hoped that he was in his office, alone.

Her hand froze as she started to turn the door knob. Maybe being alone with Jason wasn't such a good idea.

She was about to release it when the door was pulled open in front of her and she stumbled forward, falling into the muscular chest of Sonny Corinthos. When she looked up startled he was smiling down at her, dimples and all.

"I thought I heard someone at the door."

She straightened herself quickly and tugged at her shirt, "I'm sorry, I was looking for Jason."

"He had a couple of errands to run," Sonny said as he turned back into the office, "He'll be back before opening. Come in."

"I really should get…" she looked down at herself and bit her lip, "Dressed."

Sonny laughed as he made himself comfortable in the leather chair behind the desk. She tried to hide the blush that she felt creeping up her neck as she remembered, quite vividly, what took place in that exact chair last night.

Her legs were even staring to tremble.

"My son, he loves Star Wars, he watches the cartoon," Sonny said with his usual grin, "I'm still trying to figure out what a Wookie is."

Elizabeth laughed slightly, feeling a bit more at ease. He didn't seem to have the same affect on her as Jason did, she felt like she could relax with him. Then again no man she had ever encountered had the affect on her that Jason did. The man should be arrested for looking that damn good.

Sonny was waving her into the office, "I need to speak with you. Jason told me he didn't give you a run down of the rules before he hired you. Said there was some sort of problem with identification."

Elizabeth snorted as she stepped into the office, "He thinks I'm fifteen."

Sonny smiled as he leaned back in the chair, "I believe he told me sixteen."

"I get that," Elizabeth said, "All the time, its so fu…damn annoying."

A bark of laughter came from Sonny, "I've heard, and said, much worse. Just don't tell my wife," he added with a wink.

Elizabeth settled down into the chair across from him, "I learned it, from this," she said with a wave of her hand around the office, "Believe it or not I was raised to be like Cindy Brady."

Sonny leaned his elbows on the desk and looked at her, "How'd Cindy Brady get to be like this?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it again. It would be real easy to tell Sonny Corinthos how she got into this life, let him make up his mind as to whether or not he wanted to help her, but she had been down that road before and that was why she was running now. No, trusting the man in front of her was not something she was ready to do."

"The stories are all the same," she said as she licked her lips and met his dark brown eyes, "Dad's not around, Mom's not good enough, you get an offer you can't refuse, someone takes you under their wing, then you wake up one morning and you're in so deep you can't get out." She maintained eye contact with him, "I'm sure you know what that's like."

The corners of his mouth tugged up a bit, "I know a little bit about that."

She shifted in her seat and pulled her legs up underneath her, Tasmania's face poking out just slightly over the arm of the seat, "What rules do I need to go over?"

Sonny leaned back once again in the chair and brought his one leg across the other, "I'm sure you're already aware of them, they're usually the same in most clubs."

A smirk appeared on Elizabeth's delicate features and harshness flashed in those beautiful eyes of hers, "Have you worked on the West Coast?"

Sonny shook his head but he was aware of things that happened in strip clubs. The first time around he did it all wrong and he was going to make sure that didn't come back to bite him in the ass this time. It was something he was tempted to share with Elizabeth but now just didn't seem like the time.

"We don't allow drugs in here," Sonny said, "I don't allow them outside of here as well. If you wish to participate in something illegal you are going to have to keep it away from my club and away from me and Jason and any of the guards. I will not allow it."

She nodded, "That's something I've never touched, it's not something I want to get involved in."

"It all starts out that way…"

"I've been around," she said, "People don't seem to believe me but I have and I've been around long enough to know what I'm going to do and not going to do. That's one of them."

He saw the determination in her eyes and he believed her, "I don't care what you do with the men in this club but make sure that it's not done on this property. There are plenty of hotels in this city and tons of them on Courtland Street."

Elizabeth made a mental note that the particular street he mentioned must be on the rough side of town.

"Fair enough," she said, "I also know that I'm underage and I will not be caught drinking in your bar."

Sonny shrugged, "Some of the men are going to want you to drink with them when you socialize. As long they aren't undercover cops, a few drinks won't hurt. Check with one of the guards to see who's who around here. They'll point you in the right direction."

Elizabeth nodded and was grateful. She could always use a drink or two before she went on stage. Lord knows she had quite a few last night and she wound up doing both a great show and Jason Morgan all in one night.

Life was grand.

He cleared his throat and continued on, "Regarding in house dating."

Elizabeth's eyes snapped back to his and Sonny hid the smile before it appeared on his face. It seems the woman before him felt the same way that Jason felt. He wondered if anything had happened between the two yet.

"I'm not opposed to it."

She swallowed and for the first time avoided his eyes when speaking to him, "You just don't recommend it."

"I didn't say that," Sonny said standing up from the chair and moving around to the other side of the desk, where he stood in front of her, "This place, it's tempting and if I wasn't a happily married man I would be in here every night, keeping an eye on all the beautiful women that I hired. Francis does it, Johnny does it, Max does it," he stopped and gave her a small smile, "Jason does it."

Elizabeth looked away again, knowing that she couldn't prevent the blush from spreading to her face this time.

"They knew who they have to watch out for and who seems like safe territory," Sonny said as he folded his arms across his chest, "All of them will avoid Crystal, Candy and Baby."

She let out a relieved laugh, "Thank God."

"Peggy's too much of a mother and Rita, well," he leaned closer and said in a whisper, "I heard she snores."

Elizabeth leaned back in the chair again and laughed, "She does, loudly."

"Jill, Becky, Karen and Marie, they seem like nice girls," Sonny said, "They'll treat them right, they won't use them."

She licked her lips, wondering what was coming next, a little nervous at hearing what he had to say about her.

"They'll avoid you, Elizabeth," Sonny said with a smile, "Francis, Johnny, Max, everyone else here will avoid you. I hope you don't get too upset by that."

"Look," she said as she started to twist her fingers in her lap, "I'm just here to work."

"They see the way he looks at you," he said quietly, "And for that reason alone they'll know that you are Jason Morgan's…"

"I am Jason Morgan's nothing," she said jumping out of the chair, "He has no right to say anything to anyone about…nothing."

"Hey," Sonny said holding his hands up, "I'm not saying that he did…"

"I don't think this is a good idea anymore," she said as she moved away from him.

"What's not a good idea?" Sonny asked standing up from his leaning position against the desk.

"This, that, all of it," she groaned, "I just wanted a job, I didn't come in here expecting to find…" she stopped and took a deep breath, running her hand over her forehead. She couldn't do this, she was losing control of the situation and it seemed like the owner of this club was now in here trying to fix her up with Jason.

It was all too much.

"I quit," she said and then turned around, ready to storm out and leave with the last word, but she ran straight into a brick wall.

That turned out to be Jason's chest.

"I hope that's not on my account," he said, slight smirk on his face. He reached down to steady her as she started to wobble and when his hands wrapped her around her wrists, he felt it, something akin to a shock shooting right through his veins.

Looking into those dark blue eyes he saw that she felt it too.

"You'll have to excuse Sonny," he said releasing her and taking two steps back, "He's been trying to fix me up for a while now and he doesn't seem to understand that my work takes up too much of my personal time."

Elizabeth looked at Jason and then back at Sonny who was smiling, "I'm a very greedy man."

She closed her eyes and reminded herself to just breathe, in and out, in and out. She couldn't believe that five days ago she was living it up in Connecticut. My, how quickly her world had changed.

"I hope you reconsider," Sonny said, "From what I've seen you have talent, you're a real people person, a crowd pleaser. I hate to lose you."

"I think she'll be fine once you stop harassing her," Jason growled as he passed Sonny and moved behind the desk. His fingers lingered on the back of the leather chair and he looked towards her, his eyes searching hers.

It was there, the smoldering desire that had burst into a flame last night.

Even though her brain was screaming for her to run right out that door, her other body parts were telling her otherwise. She could no more walk away from Jason Morgan than he could from her. Not yet anyway, not until they were able to quench each others thirsts.

That or two weeks from now, she thought, whatever came first.

"I apologize for jumping the gun," Elizabeth said as she looked at Sonny, "I feel like Jason, except it's because of my work that I don't have someone. I think its better that way."

Sonny shrugged, "I was just saying…"

"Sonny, the stray cat outside gets what you're saying," Jason said as he threw a few folders down on his desk, "Now, if you're done talking with Elizabeth I need to discuss some business with you."

Sonny grinned at Elizabeth, "I'm finished, for now."

She hide the urge to roll her eyes and turned away from them, her slippers scrapping lightly across the carpet. Her hand was wrapped around the door frame when Jason called her back.

"I'll see you tonight."

She looked at him, saw the flame in his eyes and hurried back upstairs. She felt as if that man was going to be the death of her.

Jason's eyes scanned the bar. It was a little past ten and things were going smoothly. Sonny had dropped in about an hour ago and would be leaving around eleven so he could be home with his wife. Johnny had maintained a constant presence at the side of the stage, Francis was placed at the door and Max was standing outside with Sonny's limo. Things were going well for their third night and it was clear that the club was already making a profit.

His one problem; dealing with Elizabeth stripping at midnight. He hadn't figured that one out yet.

He didn't know why he had a problem with it. She was a stripper, that's what he hired her to do, that's what she had shown him last night in that back office, her beautiful body moving in rhythm with his, their sweaty bodies writhing together in that small leather chair.

He took a deep breath and then quickly finished the half bottle of beer that was in his hand. Working himself up right now was not a good idea. He had to figure out a way to calm himself before she appeared on stage later. Maybe he would just go out for a while or see if Sonny had anything for him to do.

Still, thinking about her back here, gyrating all over the stage, showing that perfect little body off to every man in the place. That would surely keep his mind off of work and have his rage going places it didn't need to be.

No, he had to figure this out; he had to find out what the hell was wrong with Elizabeth stripping. He didn't know her, they weren't friends, they were simply fuck buddies, something they decided to do to pass the time. According to Elizabeth, however, they weren't even that.

What had happened last night was something that she considered a bonus and it was something that he didn't mind dishing out money for. He was beginning to wonder if he promised her salary plus a bonus maybe he could have her stripping privately for him.

Damn fucking women, he thought as he opened another beer bottle. He needed to get out of this club before he was losing his mind.

His eyes were scanning the place again when he saw a smiling Elizabeth come out from the back with a tray in her hand, drinks on it. She was wearing a short leather skirt and a leather bikini top that barely contained her breasts. It looked like she had purposely bought once size too small. She was wearing ridiculous heels again that must have given her at least five inches in height.

She was delivering the drinks to a group of business men, leaning over and laughing, making sure they were getting a good view of her assets. His hand gripped the bottle as he saw one drape an arm around her naked waist and she leaned into him, laughing quietly at whatever he said.

This socializing with the customers was not going over well.

When one dropped something and Elizabeth offered to bend over to get it, revealing matching leather bikini bottoms Jason lost it, slamming the bottle down on the bar and motioning for Johnny to meet him at the other end.

"What's wrong boss?" Johnny asked.

"I don't care what the fuck you have to do," Jason growled, "You get her off this floor and you keep her off. I'm going out, tell Sonny if he needs me to call."

He stormed off, leaving Johnny thoroughly confused. He knew what woman Jason was referring to, he just had no idea that his boss was that affected by her. Heaving a sigh he made his way over to the table and excused both her and himself, pulling her away from the gawking men.

"You're done for the night," he said, "We're pulling you."

Elizabeth crossed her arms across her chest, "I'm assuming your Johnny?"

Johnny nodded.

"Yeah I tried interviewing with you but it seems like Jason wanted to see all the girls first," she smiled as she held out her hand, "I'm on at midnight. I hope you'll be watching and that I don't let you down."

Johnny smiled as he shook her hand. She could definitely keep Jason on his toes and he liked that. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like her reaction when he told her that she wouldn't be dancing.

"I'm sorry but we do have to pull you," he said, "Maybe I can catch you tomorrow night."

"I'm on the schedule," Elizabeth said, "I was told I'd be working the full week and I'm looking forward to this money."

Johnny shrugged, "There's nothing I can do."

"Well who the hell pulled me?" Elizabeth asked, her hands now on her hips.

Johnny bit back his smile, "Jason."

Her eyes flashed, "Where the fuck is he?"

He pointed towards the door, "He just left. He had somewhere else he had to be."

"Just left huh?" she said as she turned towards the door, "Jackass better pray that I catch him now instead of later. There is going to be hell to pay."

Johnny laughed as he watched her push her way out of the club and into the cold night air, nothing on her but the revealing clothes she wore. He was sorry he wouldn't be around for this fight.