Heaven In Hiding

Whiskey Sour

With just minutes before her shift started, Camila sat in her car finishing her sketch of what she wanted to do for the mural she was going to paint in Brewed Awakenings. She wanted to present her idea to Shawn when she went inside so she worked quickly as she added some finishing touches to her rough draft drawing. After perfecting it to her liking, she smiled to herself and got out of her car to make her way into the building. She stared proudly down at her drawing as she walked inside, immediately bumping into her boss' chest.

"Woah there," he chuckled. "Might wanna watch where you're going, yeah?"

"Oh, um...sorry," Camila laughed awkwardly. She worried the heat she felt in her cheeks would escalate into a flood of pink. She didn't necessarily have feelings for him, but she couldn't deny that he was damn attractive. Bumping head first into his muscular chest might've thrown her off for a moment, but she quickly recovered and pulled herself back to reality. "I finished a sketch of my mural idea...if you'd like to see it?"

"Of course!" he said with a bright smile. She held the piece of paper out to him as he took it into his hands and looked down at it. "Oh my god, Camila...this is...wow."

"In a good way?"

"In the best way," he said as he looked at her and grinned. Her concept was perfect for the coffee shop. It featured countless coffee and tea related items such as coffee beans, tea bags, mugs, spoons, and coffee presses combined and strategically placed to create the iconic San Francisco skyline - complete with the Golden Gate Bridge. "This is so cool...how do you even come up with something like this?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "It just kind of came to me."

"You're a creative genius," he said matter of factly. "Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Your latte art alone belongs in The Louvre."

"Speaking of latte art...I believe I have a shift to start."

"You and me both. Kolby called off so I'm covering."

"Thank god," Camila sighed. "I get headaches trying to decipher his scribbles." Shawn just laughed and shook his head. Working the opening morning shift on the weekends was her favorite. Sure, for most people the idea of having to wake up early on a Saturday and go to work would probably seem like a nightmare, but she enjoyed it. Mainly because it meant that she'd also get off work earlier than normal, giving her plenty of time to prep for her shift at the club later that night. Saturdays were always a big money-making night as that was the go-to night for both bachelor and birthday parties. If she played her cards right, she could potentially go home from the club that night with a couple hundred dollars. "Any big plans tonight?" Camila asked Shawn as she washed a few mugs in the sink.

"Not really," he lied. The truth was he did know exactly how he was going to spend his Saturday night but he wasn't about to admit it to her. He felt like a crazy person for being so entranced by the exotic dancer he had seen at their local strip club the weekend before but he couldn't help it. She was perfect and more than completely mesmerizing. The way her hips swayed rhythmically to the music combined with the way the club lighting illuminated her smooth, honey-toned skin made his mind spin. He couldn't stop thinking about her if he tried. He felt like a creep for going back to the club by himself but he didn't care; he needed to see her again.

As he walked into the club later that night, his eyes found her immediately. Her black, fringe-laced two piece fit her gorgeous body perfectly. Her perky butt was on full display which he greatly appreciated.

Her long, platinum blonde tresses cascaded down her back in loose waves and he swore her tanned skin was literally glowing gold. He sat down at a booth in the corner, hoping to stay fairly low-key for the night. He didn't quite have the confidence to ask the girl for a private dance yet, but god - he really wanted one. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and a smirk tugged at his lips as he watched the woman take the stage for her solo dance. The way she moved her perfect body had him feeling even more intoxicated than the whiskey sour that sat on the table in front of him. Since the first night he had seen her there he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. A small part of him worried that maybe he was remembering her differently and that when he saw her again he'd be disappointed in what he saw - but that wasn't the case. If anything, the way he remembered her wasn't nearly as beautiful as she actually was. Granted, he had a hard time focusing on anything above the collarbone - but still, she was stunning. As much as he hated to admit it, part of him was so infatuated by her because something about her reminded him of Camila and although she was technically his employee, he couldn't deny that he had quite the little crush on her. Unfortunately for him any kind of relations with his employee would be wildly inappropriate, so fantasies about a stripper that looked vaguely like her it was.

Camila felt like she was on top of the world on that stage. She had every patron in the club wrapped around her finger and the cash being thrown her way was proof of that. It was only after she finished her performance that she saw Shawn sitting in the corner. Once again, she panicked. Her throat went dry and heart heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. He was looking at her. There was no denying that he was there to see her. But why?

"He knows it's me. He knows it's me, he's just pretending that he doesn't," Camila said to Jenna.

"As I said last time, you're overreacting. Besides, so what if he knows it's you? He's still acting normal during the day, right?"

"Yeah," Camila sighed. "I just...I don't know."

"Yes you do. What's the issue?"

"I don't want him to think less of me for having this job," Camila admitted. "He talks so highly of me when we're at the coffee shop. I don't want him to think I'm trashy for being a stripper."

"Why would we be the trashy ones?" Jenna asked. "He's the one at a strip club by himself. It's not like he's an angel; he's obviously a fan of your work."

"Whatever," Camila huffed.

"You have someone requesting a VIP dance," Coco said as she walked up to Camila. "He's a college frat boy...so good luck with that one." Camila took a deep breath and glanced back at her boss one last time before heading to the VIP room. By the time she came back out from her private dance, Shawn was long gone.

"He left?" Camila asked Jenna.

"Yep. He left shortly after you went back to VIP." Jenna smirked whereas Camila just sighed. "Whether he knows it's you or not might be a mystery, but no matter what I think it's pretty damn clear he's here for you and only you."

A/N: How are you little sunflowers doing today? Today is my birthday and although it's been pretty uneventful my shot glass has been put to good use so I can't complain too much I guess.