“Sorry, I just want to get done, so we can get out of here. I have plans for you, and they don’t involve bin bags and latex gloves.” Cassie giggled in her ear. “Well, maybe the latex gloves…”

Cassie snorted softly. “I’m helping, remember?”

Nina turned in Cassie’s arms and nodded. “Okay, gorgeous. If it means we get the fuck out of here faster, I’m all for it.”

“It does, so tell me what you want me to do.”

Nina smiled and held Cassie’s gaze. “Well, there’s an offer,” she said, her voice sultry and her eyes darkening slightly.

“Focus, Nina, focus! Cleaning tasks. What cleaning tasks do you want me to do?”

“Spoilsport,” Nina mumbled as she handed Cassie the glass holder. “You do glasses and bottles, I’ll do rubbish,” she said in a slightly petulant tone.

Between them, they finished in record time. Nina flipped off the bar lights, followed by the main lights, and they walked out of the darkened room arm-in-arm. They switched off the main lights in Green as they walked through there and into the staff room to grab their coats and bags.

Mandy was waiting for them in the doorway to her office, smiling. When Cassie saw her, she tried to extricate herself from Nina’s hold, and Mandy’s smile grew even bigger.

Mandy held up one hand. “Don’t bother, I know,” she said, grinning as Cassie blushed. “And as I said to the other one earlier on, I’m very pleased for you both. Now, get the hell out of here and go have some fun.”

Nina giggled and pulled Cassie with her to the front door. “Come on, you heard the boss—we have official permission to go get sexy.”

Cassie sighed and then grinned as she looked at Mandy.

“What have I got myself into?” she wondered aloud.

“Hey, I’m right here!” Nina’s pout was very cute. Cassie leaned in and kissed her soundly.

“Yes, you are,” she said against Nina’s lips. She turned to Mandy, grinning even wider. “Oh, and I think I’m more than ready to go into the bar rotation for Red from next week.” She glanced at Nina, smirking. “I’ve got a lot of learning to do to keep this one satisfied,” she said, and both she and Mandy giggled as Nina’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“What the…” Nina’s voice, when it finally came, was strangled. She stared at Cassie, who put the tip of one finger under Nina’s chin and pushed up gently to close her mouth. Then she winked at Mandy and tugged a stumbling and stuttering Nina out into the cold night air.

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

Manchester, 2003

Mandy gazed across the room from the mezzanine level. It was packed tonight, and she allowed herself a small, proud smile. They’d been open less than a year, but they were already the most popular club in Manchester. This was her third job in this city as a club manager, and this was the big one. She planned to do this one for about two years total, assuming they could keep this level of success going, and then she wanted to open her own club.