Thanks for all of your continued support.

Every time I get a new review alert I completely stop what I'm doing to read it.

I reckon this might be the last post for today, but will post again soon.

Bella would have thrown her stiletto shoe at him after the way he so patronizingly kissed her forehead and made her feel like a five year old. But she wouldn't have been able to get the strappy shoe off her foot in time; Edward had turned on his heel and had left without another word.

"What a dick," Bella muttered as she angrily tied the string bikini on around her body and slipped into the baby doll once more. She straightened her back, set her shoulders and after turning the stereo system off, she determinedly strode out the private room back into the common areas.

Setting a pleasant smile on her face, Bella strode through the room, she'd seen Clara on the other side of the room and had begun to make her way toward her friend, sometimes the girls would pair up and try to win groups of men over for lap dances. But she was stopped by one of her regulars.

"Isa, I've been looking for you all night sweetheart. Don't tell me this part of your teasing act."

And just like that, Bella had flicked the switch. She would leave Bella in the private room, this was Isa's gig.

By the end of the night, Bella had made more money than she normally did and was busy counting the notes. She'd made over a thousand. Riley would be happy.

She took two fifties for herself and tucked them into her bra; Riley's deal was to give everything over but Bella didn't think that was fair. So she kept a little something for herself and gave the rest to Riley at the end of every night.

She was relieved to see that Riley wasn't in his office when she arrived there; she found a blank and empty envelope sitting on his desk. She slipped the money inside it with a note to say it was from her. But just as she was about to leave it there the door to Riley's office opened and the man himself entered.

"Bella… Sorry, Isa I should say." A slow smile crossed his face.

"Riley… Glad I didn't miss you," she lied. She straightened up and held out the envelope for Riley. "Here's the money… There's a grand in there."

"Wow!" Riley grinned. "You certainly did well tonight. Don't tell me you were giving extras out…"Riley laughed at his own joke as he took Bella's offering. His gaze raked down her body before flickering back up to her face.

Riley was certainly an attractive enough man, looks wise. He was in his mid-thirties, had a full head of hair and was in good shape. But he also knew he was good-looking and unfortunately considered himself to be a God given gift to women. It wasn't unusual for Riley to hit on Bella after one of her shows.

He'd even offered to cut off some of her debt if she slept with him. But Bella wasn't going to do that. It was one thing to expose her body to strangers that would pay her; it was another thing completely to hand over everything she had for money.

And yet, she'd come so close to doing just that with Edward earlier…

No, that was different. With Edward, she'd wanted it.

"So, do I get a private show?"Riley asked. Bella glanced up at him sharply. She wanted nothing more than to tell him to go to hell but she bit her tongue and smiled sweetly instead.

"Maybe next time, Riley… I've got to head home."

Riley frowned, dark annoyance flashing in his eyes. He wasn't used to girls rejecting him. Bella figured he ought to be getting used to it coming from her.

"Next time then."Riley finally conceded.

Relief flooded her and she was thankful that Riley hadn't pressed.

"But I will need you working Wednesday, Friday and next Saturday."

Bella's mouth popped open in protest. Three nights?

Anger filled Bella as she left the club and stepped out onto the streets of San Francisco. It was past four in the morning and the streets were mostly empty of cars. She'd called for a cab inside and was now waiting on the sidewalk for it to turn up.

She folded her arms across her chest as she seethed. Riley knew that she had another job. That she was only doing this to pay back her stupid debt. How on earth was she going to manage work and an extra night? Wednesday nights were usually when she spent time with her friends.

Edward had meant to walk out of the room and keep on walking past the doors of the seedy strip club to outside where he'd parked his car. But his desperate need for a drink made his legs stop by the bar in the back. The bartender recognized him from earlier and flashed him a grin. "Long night?"

"You could say that, yeah."

"We have girls for that you know, mate… they're meant to help clear your head."

"Is that so now?" Edward raised his brow. "Cause my head seems to hurt a lot more from being around them."

He glossed over the skinny Asian girl currently stripping on the stage and turned his attention instead to Bella who had just emerged on the floor. Edward raised his glass thoughtfully to his lips, trying to think over what he'd just learnt. But she had barely taken three steps when a tall, light-haired man approached her.

His eyes darkened as he watched him whisper something in her ear, slipping a few bills into her hand as Bella giggled and brushed her body against his. A moment later, the two of them had gone no doubt to occupy the same room she'd taken Edward. He wasn't quite sure why the thought of this bothered him so. And truly, it did. He'd glanced down to find that the knuckles of his hand had turned white from gripping his glass so hard.

Edward suddenly decided that he wouldn't be going home immediately after all. He tried to tell himself that it was because he still needed to puzzle out Bella's motives and behavior, and some quiet observation from the bar would be good for that. But in truth, he was… well, concerned about her. Sure, she frustrated the hell out of him. So much so sometimes that he wanted to give her that right good smack on the ass and shake some sense into her, for she certainly didn't have that much to be working at a place like this.

But he still cared.

Maybe he'd stay around a little while longer after all… just to make sure she would be okay getting home.

And when he sat in his car two hours later watching Bella exit the doors of Indulgences, dressed in the same plain clothes he'd noticed her wearing out of the house earlier that evening, Edward felt the urge to roll down his window and call out to her. It was late, so late that it was early and the thought of her travelling in these dark streets in such a shady part of town bothered him. He should give her a lift.

But before he could do that, Bella had stepped into a waiting cab and drove off.

Edward was left with no choice but to drive carefully behind the taxicab, ensuring that it took her safely home.

If Bella knew that Edward was watching her do you think she would she think it was creepy or sweet?

Thoughts so far?