On the Prowl

A deleted scene for Table Five.

Spoilers ahead: Mae and Jamie are looking for someone to help her check off the final item on her list.

Several guys caught Mae’s eye as they danced, though most of them backed off the second they saw Jamie, who was obviously dancing with her. There were two, however, who either viewed him as fair competition, or at least non-issue. A tall man with a trim beard and tight jeans, and another with dirty blond hair and a square jaw. 

“I think I’ve got some nibbles,” Mae said into Jamie’s ear when the blond eyed her again. He was dancing alone, sometimes moving with this girl or that as they moved across his path. But his eyes kept falling on Mae. 

“Some what?” Jamie asked with a laugh. 

“That guy, and the beard over there,” Mae said, pointing with her chin. “They keep eyeballing me.”

“Of course they are,” Jamie said. He reached around and blatantly grabbed her ass as they bounced to the music. “You’re sexy as fuck in these jeans.”

“I know!” 

“But at the end of the night, you’re mine. Don’t forget.” 

Mae’s chin dropped, and she looked up at him with sex in her eyes. “Oh, I know. Now you go get a drink, and I’ll go get us a date.” 

He kissed her full on the mouth, then allowed himself to be pushed away with a predatory grin. 

Mae worked her way to the blond first. But when she opened her mouth to say hello, she immediately understood why every woman who came to dance with him found a way to disappear immediately. 

He reeked. It was some awful combination of body odor and cigarette smoke, plus the sweet stink of soured laundry. 

“Hey gorgeous,” he said to her with a flash of white teeth and a sultry expression. 

“Nope,” Mae said and veered off to the left, barely breaking stride. 

Her sudden change of direction didn’t seem to faze Blondie, who was already dancing with someone else when she glanced back. The poor girl was desperately trying not to laugh with her friends as he pressed himself on her. 

“That was a near miss,” Mae said to herself, unheard by anyone else over the pulsing music. 

The beard was dancing with someone else now, which almost put Mae off. But when he glanced up and caught her eye, she knew the game wasn’t over yet. 

Mae started moving in his direction, a little abashed at herself. Where had this confidence come from? Was it just the high from getting a job she was excited about? Or the pineapple rum punch? 

Or maybe the list had worked as intended. She had been so worked up about asking Jamie to be her stranger, it had taken her days to get up the courage. 

And now here she was, sidling up to the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome, getting ready to ask him for a threesome. 

He turned away from the girl grinding on him the minute Mae approached. She couldn’t help but feel a little smug as he grinned down at her. “Hey baby,” he said, sounding pleased. 

Not slimy, not arrogant, but genuinely pleased. 

In response, Mae put an arm around his neck and resumed dancing. 

The girl he’d been with gave her a dirty look before dancing away, but Mae couldn’t feel bad for her. She wouldn’t have any problems finding someone else looking the way she did. 

Unfortunately, The Beard didn’t dance as well as Jamie did