Book Review & Excerpt of Yellow Dog Blues: Part One & 2 by Ren Monterrey

 

Yellow Dog Blues: Part 1 & 2 (The Club Book 9 & 10) 
by Ren Monterrey 
Genre: Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: December 18, 2015
Publisher: Short on Time Books

They both joined The Club and made an arrangement. She got the money to pay her overdue bills and he got access to her body, whenever and however he wanted it...

After being dumped by her boyfriend of six years, Lyric Johnson has no way to pay her bills. She’s been trying to find a job for months, but no one seems interested in hiring a recent graduate of a creative writing program. When Lyric’s neighbor tells her about THE CLUB, selling her body seems to be her only option.

Seven years ago recording artist, Maverick, had one of the biggest-selling singles of all time. When his second album failed to gain any traction and his personal life fell apart he disappeared into obscurity.

Now on the advice of his manager Maverick has joined THE CLUB and he’s chosen Lyric for an arrangement.  

YELLOW DOG BLUES is a SERIAL NOVEL, which unfolds in TWO PARTS (approximately 90 pages each).

Each novel in Ren Monterrey's The Club series can be read as a stand-alone or as part of the series.

Yellow Dog Blues Part One is book 9 in The Club sites by Ren Monterrey. Lyric hasn't been able to find a job and she's about it of money. A friend recommend The Club, so she gives it a try. Maverick has disassociated himself from pretty much everything, and had become a complete jerk as a result. It's not the situation Lyric was expecting, and the story pulls the reader right in to the lives of these characters.

Yellow Dog Blues Part Two is Book Ten in The Club series by Ren Monterrey. Lyric and Maverick show us more to their personalities. Is Maverick actually likable? The characters I liked were those surrounding Maverick, like Neal and Anna. They were instrumental in my opinion of Maverick. I'm still upset at him for the way he treated Lyric in book one. I have a hard time getting over first impressions, but he did grow on me.

I didn't realize there were so many books in this series out already. I read all the parts of Black Dog Nights previously, so now I have to get caught up on all the others. These short stories really grab my attention.

Yellow Dog Blues: Part 1 & 2 by Ren Monterrey was kindly provided to me by Red Moon Book Tour for review. The opinions are my own.

My hand shakes as I open the front door to The Club.

I have no idea what I’m doing here. Am I really contemplating selling my body for money?

I consider turning around and trying to figure something else out, but I’ve exhausted nearly every option I can imagine.

My next door neighbor, Cali, referred me to The Club when she found me locked out of my apartment with an eviction notice plastered across my door.

Chad, my boyfriend of six years, decided to join the Peace Corps without telling me. He finally admitted he was leaving when I found him packing for his flight to Africa. He left me with an apartment I had no way to pay for and several months of utility bills that were past due.

Despite all of my best efforts to secure gainful employment I haven’t been able to find a job. Not even a nibble. Not even after a nationwide search.

I guess earning a Master’s degree in Creative Writing was much less marketable than I ever imagined it would be.

Out of complete and utter desperation I dialed the number on the black business card Cali gave me. The gruff woman who answered the phone asked me only two questions: how old I was and if I was a blond. Then she told me to meet her at three pm, quickly spit out the address and hung up on me.

So here I am at five minutes until three, my heart practically pounding out of my chest, trying to convince myself to go inside.

You have no job and nowhere to live, I remind myself. Not to mention a six figure student loan that’s about to come due in a few months. How I’ll ever be able to afford those monthly payments is something I can’t even contemplate at the moment.

I take in a deep breath and force myself to go inside.

As nondescript as the exterior of the building is, the interior is in sharp contrast. It’s rich looking with dark wood everywhere. The décor reminds me one of those men’s clubs from the movies. One of those places that only admits rich old men and exudes an atmosphere of excessive wealth and old money.

The Club has a similar vibe.

There’s a young woman standing behind a large mahogany desk. I expect her to give me some type of greeting, but she just stares at me with her big doe eyes.

As I get closer I realize just how tall she is. She towers over all five foot four of me. It would surprise me if she wasn’t some kind of model. She’s rail thin and has that emaciated look about her.

“I have an appointment with Claudia.”

I’m surprised that she doesn’t check an appointment book, or even an electronic calendar, until I realize there is absolutely nothing to check. The desk is completely bare.

“Follow me,” she says.

She doesn’t give me any time to reply. She takes off down a long hallway at a pace so brisk I practically have to run to keep up with her.

When we get to the door at the end of the hallway she turns to me and says, “Go inside. Claudia is waiting for you.”

Before I have a chance to reply she takes off back down the hallway leaving me alone with the drumbeat of my pounding heart.

It takes several impossibly long moments for me to gather enough courage to open the door to Claudia’s office.

Check out my reviews of a couple other books by Ren Monterrey!

Ren Monterrey lives in a small town outside Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and their bloodhounds. She writes New Adult and Contemporary romance under a number of different pen names including Sierra Avalon, Savannah Young and Dakota Madison.

To learn more about Ren Monterrey and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Tour! Series Review of Black Dog Nights by Ren Monterrey

Black Dog Nights is a serial novel broken up into three equally addictive parts. I wrote each review after finishing each part, so I'm going separate the reviews by part within this post instead of writing one review of the whole series. Black Dog Nights was an addictive and naughty little series that was so much fun to read. Enjoy!

Black Dog Nights (Part One/The Club #1) by Ren Monterrey
Genre: Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: August 8, 2014
Publisher: Short on Time Books

My student loans are due and I still haven’t found a job that pays more than minimum wage. So I decide to make an arrangement through The Club. I’ll get what I need…money to pay my loans. And he’ll get what he wants…access to my body…whenever and however he wants it.

ROSE COLLINS is a recent art school graduate with overwhelming student loan debt and no way to pay it.

JAE ROTHKO is a wealthy and renowned artist who doesn’t have the time or patience for a relationship.

Jae joins The Club so he can have one woman when he wants and how he wants with no attachments and no expectations.

He selects Rose to be that woman.

BLACK DOG NIGHTS is a SERIAL NOVEL, which unfolds in THREE PARTS (approximately 70 pages each).

Black Dog Nights Part One by Ren Monterrey is a serial novel broken into three parts. Part one gave me a taste of what's to come in future installments. We get to know Rose and her situation. She doesn't seem like the kind of girl that would enter into an agreement like this, but she feels desperate. I think Jae is going to be one of those characters with layers. My first impression is that he guards his heart. He doesn't want to love, because he doesn't want to get hurt, but when he does love he does so deeply. At least, that's what I'm hoping from him. I want to figure him out. I'm already hooked into their story. I'm anxious for more.

Black Dog Nights Part One by Ren Monterrey was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Black Dog Nights (Part Two/The Club #2) by Ren Monterrey
Genre: Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: July 30, 2014
Publisher: Short on Time Books

I’m still so hurt and angry about being followed. I’m not exactly in the mood to have Jae inside of me. But my mood doesn’t matter, does it? And neither do my feelings. I’m here to give Jae whatever he wants. I can’t say I don’t like having the money. I’ve already got the funds to pay off a fifth of my student loan debt. But I’m afraid of how possessive Jae is and how much more possessive I think he’s capable of becoming…

Black Dog Nights is serial novel, which unfolds in three parts (approximately 80 pages each). Each part has a cliff hanger. You’ve been warned…

Black Dog Nights Part Two by Ren Monterrey was even more addictive than part one. I fully admit that the relationship is dark, twisted, and unhealthy, but I can't stop reading it. Remember those layers I told you about in part one? Well, we get to see some of them. Issues and all, they make Jae pretty irresistible. I'm probably getting way more enjoyment out of this series than any normal person rightfully should. Normal is over rated anyway.Bring on part 3!

The ARC of Black Dog Nights Part Two by Ren Monterrey was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Black Dog Nights (Part Three/The Club #3) by Ren Monterrey
Genre: Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: July 30, 2014
Publisher: Short on Time Books

Seeing Felicity makes me realize how much I want to be with Jae. But I don’t want to be some poor substitute for the woman he loved but could never have. I want him to want me more than he ever wanted Felicity D. We’ve just gotten back together and I don’t want to rock the boat too much but I’m also terrified that Felicity could come between us…

Black Dog Nights is serial novel, which unfolds in three parts (approximately 80 pages each). Each part has a cliff hanger. You’ve been warned…

Black Dog Nights Part Three is the final installment of this serial novel by Ren Monterrey. This was the best of them all. We've gotten to know Rose pretty well in the last two installments, but now we finally get to see into Jae a bit more. He's still a man of mystery, but at least we'll find out where his heart lies and what his true intentions are now. Jae is intense to say the least. It's that intensity among other things that make him so appealing. Whew! I couldn't read this series fast enough, and I was sad that this was the final part, but there is good news... We'll be getting Cali's story soon!

As a side note, I love that Nic Rayne gets mentioned in here too. That was a fun little extra.

The ARC of Black Dog Nights Part Three by Ren Monterrey was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Teaser from Part One

By the time we get to The Rock Stop it’s already crowded with twenty-somethings, who all look eager to hook up with anyone who’s willing.

I pass by two guys, who are already half-drunk and gawking at my breasts, before I hit the relative safety of the bar area.

“What do you want to drink?” Cali yells over the loud Top Forty music.

“Would I look too conspicuous just holding a glass of water?”

Cali purses her lips at me. I tell her she looks like a duck when she does that but it doesn’t stop her.

“I’ll get you a beer. You don’t have to drink it but I don’t want you to embarrass me or yourself.”

“Yes, Daffy,” I tease.

“I do not have duck lips,” she insists.

“You do when you pucker them like that.”

“I think you’re on crack.”

“Just get the beer.”

She waves in order to get the bartender’s attention but no such luck. He’s busy with a group of girls at the other end of the bar.

“Hey, Babe.” An arm reaches over Cali’s shoulder. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you tonight.”

David nods in my direction. “What’s up?”

He never addresses me by my name even though he’s been hooking up with Cali for over a year and I’ve seen him dozens of times.

David is the kind of guy I always hated in high school. His family has money and he’s never had to work a day in his life for anything. Cars, clothes, expensive vacations, you name it, and his parents have handed it to him on a silver platter. As a result he has a sense of entitlement that knows no bounds.

No doubt that’s why he feels like he can treat Cali any way he pleases and she just keeps coming back for more.

He runs his fingers through his short brown hair. I’m not sure whether it’s a nervous habit or if he thinks that his fingers are like some kind of comb but he does it all the time.

David is a good-looking guy in a frat-boy kind of way. Cali says he played baseball in high school and he looks like he probably still plays sports. He’s not huge but he’s definitely in good shape.

Cali met David at a frat party. Even though she’s never set foot in a college class she’s spent a lot of time at college parties. David likes to brag about the fact that he’s a business major. I don’t see what the big deal is though. I feel like business is a degree for people who don’t really know what they want to do with their lives.

Not that I have any room to talk. Apparently I earned a degree for people who don’t really want a job.

Before I know it, Cali and David have disappeared somewhere and I’m alone at the bar.

Great.

I didn’t even want to come here in the first place.

I have a choice. I can leave or I can order a drink. After the day I’ve had a drink is actually starting to sound appealing.

As soon as the DJ starts mixing, nearly everyone moves to the dance floor. The bar area is now pretty empty except for a young woman seated at the far end. She glances up at me when I approach and gives me the faintest of smiles.

She’s an attractive blonde with stunning ocean blue eyes. She’s the definition of a blonde bombshell. She’s got curves that would give Marilyn Monroe a run for her money.

I order a Crantini and the bartender wastes no time filling my order.

“Tough day?” the blonde asks.

I nod.

“Have a seat.” She waves to the stool next to her.

“Thanks.”

I climb onto the stool and take a sip of my drink. It’s strong and I cough a little as it goes down.

“Russ likes to make them strong.” She laughs. “Maybe he thinks he’ll get lucky at the end of the night.”

The bartender looks like he’s in his mid-thirties and kind of rough. He’s completely bald and built like a brick house. Definitely someone I would want to have on my side if a fight broke out.

“Are you waiting for someone?” I ask. She looks a little too dressed up for the place we’re in. It’s mostly a denim crowd and she’s in a little black dress and pumps.

“You could say that.”

I nod. A cryptic response but I get the impression that she’s not going to say much more about who she’s waiting for.

“So what’s your story?” she asks.

I laugh. “Do I look like I have a story?”

“You definitely look like you have a story.”

“You’ve probably heard it millions times before.”

She glances at her watch. I can’t help but notice it’s a gorgeous Rolex. The blonde doesn’t look that much older than me. I doubt she’s even twenty-five. It makes me wonder how she can afford such an expensive watch. When I look at her more closely, I notice she’s also

wearing a diamond tennis bracelet and huge diamond stud earrings. Also very expensive.

Maybe she’s like David and has a generous daddy with lots of money.

“I’ve got a few minutes before my friend gets here. Tell me this story I’ve heard a million times before.”

I take another sip of my drink. She’s right. Russ does like to make them strong.

“I recently graduated from art school. I have a fine arts degree but no professional job and no prospects. My student loans are set to go into repayment and I have no way to pay them. I’m barely making ends meet on my salary busting my ass at the local coffee shop.

Pathetic, right?”

She shakes her head. “It’s not pathetic but you’re right. It’s a story I’ve heard a lot.

Maybe not a million times. Half a million tops.”

We both laugh. It feels good to laugh about it. At least for one night.

She reaches into her purse, a pricey Coach bag, and pulls out a business card. I expect her to hand it to me but she places it on the bar between us instead.

“I don’t do this very often but I feel bad for you so I’m making an exception.” She points to the card. “You can pick it up if you want to, after I tell you what it’s about. Or you can leave it on the bar. It’s completely up to you.”

My curiosity is definitely piqued. When I glance down at the card I notice it only has two words: The Club followed by a phone number.

“What’s The Club?”

“It’s a kind of dating service.”

I frown. “Do I look like need a date?”

“No, but you said you need money. This is a special kind of dating service for extremely wealthy men.”

I assume that’s how she got her Rolex and other jewelry but I don’t want to be rude. “Are you saying it’s kind of like having a sugar daddy?”

She laughs. “That’s kind of an antiquated term but sort of. Most of the men in The Club are older and they have very specific tastes. Most of them want younger women but more importantly, they want women who will be there whenever and however they want.”

I gulp. Then I whisper. “Are you talking about prostitution?”

She gives me a little smile. “Prostitution implies that you’re with multiple men and they’re paying you for sex. It’s not like that. It’s more like you’re being paid to be one man’s mistress.”

“Are they married?”

She laughs. “Some are. Some aren’t. Does it matter?”

“I think it would to me.”

“Why?”

It’s a good question. I’m not married. He’d be the one doing the cheating.

“Do you mind if I ask how much money you’re talking about?”

“That’s negotiable between you and the man who selects you. It’s called an arrangement. You can negotiate any sort of arrangement you want.”

“Could you give me a ballpark figure?”

“Usually between three and five thousand a month.”

My eyes grow wide at the thought of that kind of money. My ten dollars an hour at the coffee shop, even with overtime and tips, doesn’t even come close to that.

“And that doesn’t include all of the perks. A lot of the men like to provide their girlfriends with generous gifts in addition to their arrangement.”

“You said a lot of the guys are older. How old?”

An image of a geriatric using a walker crosses my mind. I’m not sure I’d be able to have sex with someone that old, if he could still even have sex.

“The guy I have an arrangement with is fifty-four.”

That’s ten years older than my dad. I can feel my stomach start to knot. Am I really considering getting involved with some kind of club and being paid to have sex with a guy who could be older than my father?

The blonde leans in close. “Don’t let his age fool you. He can still perform in bed. And I only have to see him two days a week for a few hours. And my arrangement is non-exclusive.

He doesn’t mind if I date other guys.”

“I don’t really date that much,” I confess.

“That’s even better. There are a lot of guys who want exclusive arrangements. Not as many girls go in for that.”

I stare at the business card for a few seconds. Is this something I’m actually

considering? I’m just not sure. There’s no doubt that I need the money but I’m not sure about having sex with someone I don’t even know...for money.

“It’s really not that bad,” she insists. “I wasn’t sure at first either but you get used to it. And Alex can be a really sweet guy.”

She makes a point of pushing the business card a little closer to me. “At least meet with Claudia. You can always back out if a guy selects you and you don’t like him.”

I pass my hand over the card and hesitate for a moment. I feel like this is a pivotal moment. Like my whole life could change just by picking up the card.

I take in a deep breath then grab the card from the bar. Now that it’s actually in my hand I feel like calling the phone number is inevitable.

Check out my reviews of a couple other books by Ren Monterrey!

Ren Monterrey writes contemporary romance novels with a little sass and lots of spice. She lives in a small town outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and their bloodhounds.

To learn more about Ren Monterrey and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Book Blitz!! Black Dog Nights (Part One) by Ren Monterrey

Black Dog Nights (Part One) by Ren Monterrey
Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: August 8, 2014
Publisher: Short on Time Books

My student loans are due and I still haven’t found a job that pays more than minimum wage. So I decide to make an arrangement through The Club. I’ll get what I need…money to pay my loans. And he’ll get what he wants…access to my body…whenever and however he wants it.

ROSE COLLINS is a recent art school graduate with overwhelming student loan debt and no way to pay it.

JAE ROTHKO is a wealthy and renowned artist who doesn’t have the time or patience for a relationship.

Jae joins The Club so he can have one woman when he wants and how he wants with no attachments and no expectations.

He selects Rose to be that woman.

BLACK DOG NIGHTS is a SERIAL NOVEL, which unfolds in THREE PARTS (approximately 80 pages each). EACH PART has a CLIFFHANGER and EACH PART is .99 cents. (That’s $2.97 for ALL THREE PARTS.)

By the time we get to The Rock Stop, the dance club is already crowded with twenty-somethings who all look eager to hook up with anyone who’s willing.

Two guys, who are already half-drunk, gawk at my breasts as I walk by. I wish there was another feature of my anatomy that garnered as much attention as my mammary glands.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I hit the relative safety of the bar area.

“What do you want to drink?” Cali yells over the loud Top Forty music.

“Would I look too conspicuous just holding a glass of water?”

She purses her lips at me. I tell her she looks like a duck when she does that but it doesn’t stop her.

“I’ll get you a beer. You don’t have to drink it but I don’t want you to embarrass me, or yourself.”

“Yes, Daffy,” I tease.

“I do not have duck lips,” she insists.

“You do when you pucker them like that.”

“I think you’re on crack.”

“Just get the beer.”

She waves in order to get the bartender’s attention but no such luck. He’s busy with a group of girls at the other end of the bar.

“Hey, Babe.” An arm reaches over Cali’s shoulder. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you tonight.”

David nods in my direction. “What’s up?”

He never addresses me by my name even though he’s been hooking up with Cali for over a year and I’ve seen him dozens of times.

David is the kind of guy I always hated in high school. His family has money and he’s never had to work a day in his life for anything. Cars, clothes, expensive vacations, you name it, and his parents have handed it to him on a silver platter. As a result he has a sense of entitlement that knows no bounds.

No doubt that’s why he feels like he can treat Cali any way he pleases and she’ll just keep coming back for more.

He runs his fingers through his short brown hair. I’m not sure whether it’s a nervous habit, or if he thinks that his fingers are like some kind of comb, but he does it all the time.

David is a good-looking guy in a frat-boy kind of way. Cali says he played baseball in high school, and he looks like he probably still plays sports. He’s not huge, but he’s definitely in good shape.

Cali met him at a frat party. Even though she’s never set foot in a college class she’s spent a lot of time at college parties. David likes to brag about the fact that he’s a business major. I don’t see what the big deal is though. I feel like business is a major for people who don’t really know what they want to do with their lives.

Not that I have any room to talk. Apparently I earned a degree for people who don’t really want a job.

Before I know it, Cali and David have disappeared somewhere and I’m alone at the bar.

Great.

I didn’t even want to come here in the first place.

I have a choice. I can leave or I can order a drink. After the day I’ve had a drink is actually starting to sound appealing.

As soon as the DJ starts mixing, nearly everyone moves to the dance floor. The bar area is now pretty empty except for a young woman seated at the far end. She glances up at me when I approach and gives me the faintest of smiles.

She’s an attractive blonde with stunning ocean blue eyes. She’s the definition of a blonde bombshell. She’s got curves that would give Marilyn Monroe a run for her money.

I order a Crantini and the bartender wastes no time filling my order.

“Tough day?” the blonde asks.

I nod.

“Have a seat.” She points at the stool next to her.

“Thanks.”

I climb onto the stool and take a sip of my drink. It’s strong and I cough a little as it goes down.

“Russ likes to make them strong.” She laughs. “Maybe he thinks he’ll get lucky at the end of the night.”

The bartender, who looks like he’s in his mid-thirties, is completely bald and built like a brick house. Definitely someone I would want to have on my side if a fight broke out.

“Are you waiting for someone?” I ask. She looks a little too dressed up for the place we’re in. It’s mostly a denim crowd and she’s in a little black dress and pumps.

“You could say that.”

I nod. A cryptic response, but I get the impression that she’s not going to say much more about who she’s waiting for.

“So what’s your story?” she asks.

I laugh. “Do I look like I have a story?”

“You definitely look like you have a story.”

“You’ve probably heard it a million times before.”

She glances at her watch. I can’t help but notice it’s a gorgeous Rolex. The blonde doesn’t look that much older than me. I doubt she’s even twenty-five. It makes me wonder how she can afford such an expensive watch. When I look at her more closely, I notice she’s also wearing a diamond tennis bracelet and huge diamond stud earrings. Also very expensive.

Maybe she’s like David and has a generous daddy with lots of money.

“I’ve got a few minutes before my friend gets here. Tell me this story I’ve heard a million times before.”

I take another sip of my drink. She’s right. Russ does like to make them strong.

“I recently graduated from art school. I have a fine arts degree but no professional job and no prospects. My student loans are set to go into repayment and I have no way to pay them. I’m barely making ends meet on my salary busting my ass at the local coffee shop. Pathetic, right?”

She shakes her head. “It’s not pathetic, but you’re right, it’s a story I’ve heard a lot. Maybe not a million times. Half a million tops.”

We both laugh. It feels good to laugh about it. At least for one night.

She reaches into her purse, a pricey Coach bag, and pulls out a business card. I expect her to hand it to me but she places it on the bar between us instead.

“I don’t do this very often but I feel bad for you, so I’m making an exception.” She points to the card. “You can pick it up if you want to, after I tell you what it’s about. Or you can leave it on the bar. It’s completely up to you.”

My curiosity is definitely piqued. When I glance down at the card I notice it only has two words: The Club followed by a phone number.

“What’s The Club?”

“It’s a kind of dating service.”

I frown. “Do I look like need a date?”

“No, but you said you need money. This is a special kind of dating service for extremely wealthy men.”

I assume that’s how she got her Rolex and other jewelry, but I don’t want to be rude by asking. “Are you saying it’s kind of like having a sugar daddy?”

She laughs. “That’s kind of an antiquated term but sort of. Most of the men in The Club are older and they have very specific tastes. Most of them want younger women, but more importantly, they want women who will be there whenever and however they want.”

I gulp. Then I whisper. “Are you talking about prostitution?”

She gives me a little smile. “Prostitution implies that you’re with multiple men and they’re paying you for sex. It’s not like that. It’s more like you’re being paid to be one man’s mistress.”

“Are they married?”

She laughs. “Some are. Some aren’t. Does it matter?”

“I think it would to me.”

“Why?”

It’s a good question. I’m not married. He’d be the one doing the cheating.

“Do you mind if I ask how much money you’re talking about?”

“That’s negotiable between you and the man who selects you. It’s called an arrangement. You can negotiate any sort of arrangement you want.”

“Could you give me a ballpark figure?”

“Usually between three and five thousand a month.”

My eyes grow wide at the thought of that kind of money. My salary at the coffee shop, even with overtime and tips, doesn’t come close to that.

“And that doesn’t include all of the perks. A lot of the men like to provide their girlfriends with generous gifts in addition to their arrangement.”

“You said a lot of the guys are older. How old?”

An image of a geriatric using a walker crosses my mind. I’m not sure I’d be able to have sex with someone that old, if he could still even have sex.

“The guy I have an arrangement with is fifty-four.”

That’s ten years older than my dad. I can feel my stomach churn. Am I really considering getting involved with some kind of club and being paid to have sex with a guy who could be older than my father?

The blonde leans in close. “Don’t let his age fool you. He can still perform in bed. And I only have to see him two days a week for a few hours. And my arrangement is non-exclusive. He doesn’t mind if I date other guys.”

“I don’t really date that much,” I confess.

“That’s even better. There are a lot of guys who want exclusive arrangements. Not many girls will commit to that.”

I stare at the business card for a few seconds. Is this something I’m actually considering? I’m just not sure. There’s no doubt that I need the money but I’m not sure about having sex with someone I don’t even know…for money.

“It’s really not that bad,” she insists. “I wasn’t sure at first either but you get used to it. And Alex can be a really sweet guy.”

She makes a point of pushing the business card a little closer to me. “At least meet with Claudia. You can always back out if a guy selects you and you don’t like him.”

I pass my hand over the card and hesitate for a moment. I feel like this is a pivotal moment. Like my whole life could change just by picking up the card.

I take in a deep breath then grab the card from the bar. Now that it’s actually in my hand I feel like calling the phone number is inevitable.

“Tell Claudia that December sent you.”

My eyes widen and I can’t help the look of surprise on my face. “Your name is December?”

She laughs. “It’s my real name too. And I wasn’t even born in December. My birthday is November 28. I was an early arrival. But my parents already picked out the name and they really liked it.”

She holds out a hand for me to shake. “December Reynolds.”

“Rose Collins,” I reply as I shake her hand.

“Claudia just accepted several new members into The Club and she’s looking for a few more girls. I think she’ll really like you. You’re cute and classy.”

I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment. “Thanks,” I say anyway.

December looks at her watch. “I’ve got to split. I’m supposed see Alex in a few minutes.”

She hops down from her barstool then reaches into her purse, grabs two twenties and throws them on the bar. The drinks here aren’t cheap but they’re not that expensive. “The Crantini is on me. I’m sure I’ll see you around. Give my best to Claudia.”

Before I have a chance to respond, December is hurrying out the door.

Ren Monterrey lives in a small town outside Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and their bloodhounds. She writes New Adult and Contemporary romance under a number of different pen names.

To learn more about Ren Monterrey and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

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