"You still sure about the dance tomorrow night?" I asked Louisa as we sat in the usual booth at our favourite diner. What started as a spontaneous lunch spot had somehow turned into a weekly tradition.

This week, though, we were lucky enough to squeeze in two lunches since we all had the day off for the 4th of July. Seokjin only closed Copacabana for five days a year: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Today was one of those rare breaks.

"Chloe, there's no way you're talking me out of doing a sensual bachata on stage with you," Louisa said with a grin, grabbing one of the communal fries and dipping it in ketchup before taking a satisfied bite. "I know Seokjin gave us free rein over our performances, but let's be real—every guy in that audience is either going to pop a boner or have a heart attack when they see what we've planned."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," I admitted, stabbing my fork into my mac and cheese more forcefully than necessary. "Since I picked up extra lap dances and private shows last week, some patrons have been coming on way too strong. Especially Big Jay."

"I thought Venus was his favourite," Louisa said with a pout, her expression like she was trying to solve a tricky trigonometry problem. "Maybe he got a taste of your gorgeous curves and now he's not interested in going back to skinny white girls."

"Who's got a thing for skinny white girls?" a deep voice asked as they slid into the booth beside me. I instantly relaxed, recognizing the familiar scent of my boyfriend's cologne.

While Louisa greeted Justin, who had joined her on the other side, Taehyung scooted closer to me. He placed a soft kiss on my cheek before saying, "Hey, Sweetness. Justin and I got bored, so we figured we'd crash your day off and girl's lunch."

"That is if you don't mind," Justin added nervously, glancing between Louisa and me. We were friendly enough at Copacabana, but I hadn't spent much time with the burly bouncer outside of work.

"We don't mind at all," Louisa cooed, her eyes trailing down Justin's toned arms.

It was strange seeing him out of his usual work uniform, which always made him look so professional and tough. In a black tank top, loose leather pants that highlighted his height and narrow waist, and chunky boots, he looked both hot and dangerous. No wonder Louisa was eyeing him like he was her second lunch.

The guys settled in, and when the waitress came by, they placed their orders. As I shared bites of my mac and cheese with Taehyung, Justin casually swiped fries from the communal plate. Each time he did, Louisa's eyes followed the fry's journey from the plate to his mouth.

After taking a sip of his banana milkshake, which had just arrived, Justin twirled the straw between his fingers. "I know you as Lola," he said, his gaze meeting mine, "but I've yet to get to know Chloe."

"There's not much to tell. I'm pretty boring," I replied, not keen on talking about myself. Maybe it stemmed from my mother always speaking for me, so she could control the narrative. "Louisa's far more interesting than I am."

"Oh, he knows me very well as Louisa," my friend chimed in, giggling as my jaw dropped at this surprising revelation. "You two aren't the only ones hooking up from Copacabana anymore."

"Well, damn time you got some dick!" I cheered with a laugh, high-fiving her. "I thought you were going to die lonely with a dusty, shrivelled-up vagina that had seen no action in decades."

"I can assure you, hers is definitely not dusty, dry, or shrivelled up," Justin declared with a grin, even as Louisa smacked him on the arm. "Hey! It was meant to be a compliment," he added, still grinning despite her playful hit.

⋆⁺₊⋆ 🖤 ⋆⁺₊⋆

"So, you and Justin, huh?" I asked, glancing over at Louisa as we settled into our side-by-side chairs for a relaxing pedicure. The guys had joined us for our day of pampering and shopping but were currently browsing one of the nearby gaming stores.

"It's still pretty new between us. I was planning to tell you today, but then they crashed our day," she admitted, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"I'm really happy you've found someone to lift your dating moratorium," I said, reaching over to grasp my friend's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know you've been worried that all men will be like your jackass ex, but Justin seems different. He already knows about Seraphina, and I haven't seen him give any of us showgirls a single judgemental, repulsed, or sleazy look. As my dad would say, 'He seems like a decent bloke, a good egg.'"

Louisa laughed, her beauty shining through despite the heavy baggage her ex-fiancé had left her with. I had never met the guy, but I loathed him with every fibre of my being.

Louisa sighed contentedly as the nail technician began to massage her foot, a relaxed smile on her face despite the topic of conversation. "Yeah, so far he seems like a good guy. He's the complete opposite of Ryan." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "I actually told Justin about him the other day. Let's just say Ryan is lucky he's locked up in prison—the way Justin's eyes darkened with anger was both hot and terrifying."

As Taehyung and I bonded over our shared grief of losing a parent, Louisa and I connected through our experiences with the con artists in our lives. Where my mother had swindled me out of my savings, Ryan Planter had been a con man who made my friend fall head over heels in love with him so he had access to her money. Initially, he asked her to buy little things for his kids as he didn't have cash on him at the time. Since she loved him and she had a generous heart, Louisa didn't hesitate to help him out. But fast-forward two years, and everything changed when Ryan was arrested for embezzlement. It turned out that 'his kids' were actually his niece and nephew, and all the money he'd convinced her to give him had gone towards a hidden cocaine addiction. The betrayal cut deep, leaving Louisa heartbroken and angry.

"As long as he treats you well and is a good guy, Justin gets my stamp of approval," I said, using my can of Dr Pepper to point at Louisa for emphasis. "You deserve happiness, Lou."

Louisa let out a laugh, shaking her head with a playful grimace as she watched me guzzle my beloved beverage. "I don't know how you can like those—it's like carbonated medicine!" She scrunched her nose, teasing me with a grin.

"Hey! People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Lil Miss Twinkie Hoe! At least my Dr Pepper doesn't taste like artificial plastic nothingness," I shot back, a grin spreading across my face. Louisa and I had a love/hate relationship when it came to each other's favourite snacks. I could never stand her beloved Twinkies and Lucky Charms, while she loathed anything with cherry or peanut butter flavour.

"It's only fried Twinkies that I love!" she replied, sticking out her lower lip in a playful pout. "Anyway, after this, we should see if we can find something sexy for our dance. I think it would be hot if we wore matching styles but in different colours. What do you think?"

"I'm down. But nothing too revealing, please?"

"We'll see," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she contemplated the possibilities.

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸🖤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

After our non-girl's girl day, everyone gathered at my apartment. Jin had messaged me to say his plans had fallen through and that he was heading over to join us.

On my spacious balcony, I had set up the barbecue, ready to grill burgers for the group. As much as Taehyung begged to help me man the barbecue (I refused to call it a grill), I had relegated my boyfriend to tending the bar instead. "Come on, let me take a turn!" he pleaded, flashing his most charming smile.

I shook my head, chuckling. "Tae, you're great at a lot of things, but cooking isn't one of them."

He feigned offence, crossing his arms dramatically. "I make a mean sandwich!"

"Sandwiches don't count," I laughed, giving him a playful nudge as I prepared the burgers. My boyfriend shook his head playfully, kissed my cheek and then headed over to my makeshift bar.

As I gathered all the ingredients, I noticed both Louisa and Taehyung grimace at the sight of the tinned pineapple rounds. Every time I made burgers for my boyfriend, he always refused to let me add the fruit. Tae simply couldn't grasp why so many burgers in Australia came with tinned pineapple and/or beetroot. While I could do without the beetroot, pineapple was a staple in my mind for a good burger.

Somehow, whether it was Justin's enthusiasm for trying something new or the fact that I had worn my friends down over time, I managed to convince them to give my version of burgers a chance tonight.

Of all the foods I had loved during my time in Sydney, Aussie burgers were my favourite. Although we had similar ingredients here in America, none of the burgers could replicate the flavours of home. It took me years to adjust to the meat here, especially the beef. My father had been a true carnivore, favouring meat over vegetables, and I developed a love for a perfectly juicy steak. After Mum moved us back to Boston following Dad's death, I swore off red meat for two years because it tasted so different. Australia is renowned for its high-quality beef; the combination of grass-fed cattle finished on grain for the last few months, resulted in delicious cuts with complex flavours and textures.

The satisfying sizzle of the burger patties hitting the hot grill filled the air, accompanied by the enticing aroma of meat caramelizing. The smell of sautéing onions mixed with the sweetness of pineapple made my mouth water. It had been too long since I'd made burgers. On my days off, I usually opted for simplicity over flavour due to exhaustion. My go-to meal was a soft omelette wrapped in a tortilla, which I could elevate using different toppings. On days when I didn't feel like cooking, I relied on a bowl of either Reese's Puffs or Cornflakes topped with yoghurt and dehydrated strawberries.

While I manned the barbecue and Tae tended the bar, I left Louisa and Justin to prepare the other toppings in the kitchen. When Jin arrived, he made a beeline for me, eager to see if I was managing everything well. After confirming that I had everything under control, he wrapped me in a warm hug before heading inside to greet the others.

I flipped the patties on the barbecue's flat grill, placing a perfectly caramelized ring of pineapple on top of each one. As the meat neared perfection, I turned off the barbecue and laid slices of American cheese over the patties. The residual heat worked its magic, melting the cheese and melding all the flavours together into a delicious masterpiece.

⋆⁺₊⋆ 🖤 ⋆⁺₊⋆

"God, these are delicious!" Justin moaned, sinking his teeth into another burger. "How did you learn to grill so well?"

"My dad taught me, actually," I replied, a smile creeping onto my face. "He was adamant about teaching my half-siblings and me how to use the barbecue. 'It's an Aussie rite of passage,' he used to say."

Justin's burger hovered in mid-air as he froze, processing my words. "I take it from the past tense that he's no longer alive?"

I shook my head as Taehyung wrapped his arm around my waist, his gentle squeeze providing comfort. "No, he's not. When I was 13, he committed suicide."

Even after almost 20 years, my father's death remained a painful topic for me. I wasn't sure why tonight felt different, but I felt compelled to share. Out of the four people present, only Jin knew the circumstances of my father's passing; the details had come up during my background check. Despite us being together for a year, Taehyung had never heard the full story.

"Dad was a successful businessman who made his money as a venture capitalist," I began, drawing the attention of the others. "In the early 80s, he inherited money after his grandparents passed away. Instead of squandering it on frivolous purchases, he chose to invest in struggling businesses. My father ended up investing in the right companies and built a fortune, which he continued to grow over the years.

"In 2004, he was approached by a friend of an acquaintance about investing in a new resort in an area called the Whitsundays, an island group about 620 miles from Brisbane. Dad flew out to see the island and review all the plans. After doing his due diligence, he believed it would be a valuable addition to his portfolio."

"Why do I get the feeling that it wasn't?" Louisa asked, her attention so captivated that the remnants of her dinner lay forgotten on her plate.

"You're right, it wasn't a good addition to his portfolio," I confirmed, pausing to sip the cocktail Tae had made. "Instead, it's what caused my father to fall into financial ruin and consequently take his life. The whole thing was a scam—the island, the resort, the contract... everything. The guy was such a good con artist that even all the due diligence my father and his lawyers conducted couldn't pierce the façade. The worst part was that Dad invested millions, and in one swift move, it was all swindled away. The conman even racked up debts by stealing my father's identity."

A chorus of "Shit", "Fuck me" and "Holy fucking shit balls" rang out. As I glanced around the table, I saw the same mix of astonishment, anger, and disbelief etched across everyone's faces. Jin, sitting on my other side, gently clasped my right hand in both of his, offering silent comfort.

"So, when you said you're working at Copacabana to pay back your father's debt, this is what you meant?" Tae asked softly, his fingers squeezing my other hand in support. I nodded, and he added, "But why are you paying it back? Shouldn't it have come out of your father's estate, or shouldn't the conman have been held responsible?"

"You'd think so, but no," I said, frustration creeping into my voice at the unfairness of the situation. "My father, being a venture capitalist, owned no property or business. He relied on money from his investments, and while that brought in some cash flow, it was all funnelled away when his identity was stolen. Dad saw no way out, and his life insurance meant he was worth more dead than alive."

I shuddered at the memory of learning how Sarah—my youngest older half-sibling—had found Dad hanging from the exposed beam in his bedroom. She had never recovered from that grim discovery, which was understandable.

"My dad's wife, Elizabeth, as the executor of his will, divided up the debt," I said, my tone sour. "She's always resented my dad's one-night stand with my mother, and because I'm the product of that dalliance, she hated my very existence. So, she thought it was only fair to split the debt equally between his two families. I ended up with 50%, while they all shared the other half."

"WHAT?" Louisa shrieked, her face a vivid canvas of anger. "You mean to tell me that bitch-face and her three kids each have a 12.5% stake in the debt while you're stuck with 50%?"

I nodded, pressing my lips together into a grim line.

"If you don't mind me asking—how much debt are we talking about here?" Justin inquired. Others had asked the same question over the years, but they were just nosy busybodies. The way he looked at me, a mix of sympathy and anger, made it clear he cared more about me than about gossip.

"In total $1.5 million Australian, so a little over a million in US dollars," I replied, my voice steady despite the weight of the number. "So, combined with Grandpa Red's medical bills, I've ended up with about $560,000 in other people's debts that I've been paying off."

"Fuck, Peach," Tae breathed, his voice thick with emotion. My heart ached at the sight of tears welling in his eyes. "All of my tips are coming your way from now on." He gently placed his finger on my lips when I tried to protest, insisting, "You're not going to change my mind. You are my girl, and I want to help however I can."

I searched his face for any hint of insincerity, but all I found was an abundance of love. With a nod, I whispered, "Thank you."