Chapter 16
Wednesday came and went without a payday, and by Thursday, I am freaking out to Callie at lunch. “I knew it. I fucking knew it. This always happens.”
“You knew what?”
“No money from the weekend.”
Her eyes widen. “Well, maybe it’s?—”
“No. This is some cosmic punishment for doing what I did. I never do anything wrong. I am a rule follower. When I was a kid and I saw a friend cheating on a test, do you know what I did?”
“What?”
“I turned them in and lost a friend. And do you know why?”
She sighs. “Why?”
“Because the rules are in place for a reason. Or well … that’s what I was raised to believe. I don’t cheat. I don’t lie. Most of the time, anyway. And I don’t, under any circumstances,” I lean over the table and whisper, “have sex for money. I am being punished for what I did. I know I am. It always happens like this. I do the slightest thing out of line, and boom. Instant punishment.”
Callie smiles her “You’re being silly” smile, and I want to growl at her for it. “There are a million reasons the money might not be there just yet. You are overreacting.”
“I am not overreacting. That money is earmarked for my future, Cal. A beautiful future, where I’m happy and fulfilled and relaxed. Right now, it is the only reason I haven’t lost my mind at work. Can you honestly tell me you plan to sit in the office for the next twenty-eight years pushing papers?”
“Well, no, but?—”
“And that’s because you have the money to do something else. Money is freedom, and without it, you’re stuck suffocating on the boot heel of bitches like Madi for decades. I can’t. I won’t. That cannot happen. I will lose my mind. I?—”
“Breathe. You’re turning colors.”
I close my eyes and try to force a deep breath, but it hurts. My chest is so tight that I can’t do it. It’s been like that all week, though a part of that is probably from how sore I was over the weekend. Who knew hours and hours of sex were such a workout? “I’m trying to breathe.”
“Good. This isn’t over, June. You can contact the auction house for information.”
“Okay, yeah, but it’s not like I can take them to court over this, since what I did is not legal.”
“Right, but like Cesar said, there are other ways to enforce a contract.”
My brows bunch together in confusion. “How could I do anything socially to hurt the Chamberlain mansion?”
“Old buildings are highly flammable.”
I snort a laugh, and she merely smiles at me, as if she had just suggested getting a pedicure. “You cannot be serious, Callie.”
Half a shrug is all I get before she dips back into her salad.
“Callie—”
“All I’m saying is, there is more than one way to skin a cat.” She makes a face. “That is an awful saying, if you think about it.”
“I’d rather not. And I’m not threatening arson?—”
“Who said anything about a mere threat?”
“Callie!”
She giggles. “You get my meaning. There are always ways around obstacles. You just have to be willing to do the work.”
“I was. I did the work. And now, I’m not getting paid.” I huff and sip my hot tea, wishing it were something much stronger. “This sucks. I shouldn’t have to chase down my money. This was supposed to be a fun little adventure with a huge payday. Not a hassle.”
“In my experience, the people with the most money are the least willing to part with it. So, perhaps your date is stalling. I’d put money on it that Cesar is freaking out, too.”
“What makes you think so?”
She thinks for a moment. “If we take Camille at face value, that her auction stories are true, then that means she’s done this several times, and there’s a good chance she’s not the only one. Which means Cesar would work to keep all the women happy, so they are more likely to return. If he finds out one of his bidders hasn’t paid?—”
“Then he might socially destroy him for me,” I say slowly as she nods.
“Cesar might be your best hope of taking care of this.”
“Except I don’t have a way to contact him. And I’d kind of like to handle this myself. The less of a stink I make about it, the fewer people will catch wind of what I did.” Plus, I made my bed. Seems fitting I lie in it.
She shrugs. “Understandable. But keep calling the Chamberlain mansion in your back pocket. It’s likely they can reach out to Cesar for you.”
I nod and choke down a bite of burger. Ever since the weekend, it seems like that’s all I want. Comfort food. Not breakfast foods, though. Just thinking about pancakes makes me tense. “Still can’t believe I did something this drastic on a whim.”
“I was surprised about that myself, to be honest.”
“You practically talked me into it.”
She smiles sweetly. “I gave you a nudge. That was it. You were halfway there on your own.” She’s not wrong.
“I guess so. Still. This was so unlike me.”
“Mm, hmm. But even if it all goes sideways, I still think it was good for you.”
“What makes you say that?”
Callie sits back and looks me over. “You said it yourself. The best sex of your life. And since you’ve returned from your naughty night, you’ve been a lot less careful about things. In a good way, I mean.”
“What do you mean?”
“You snapped at Madi when she told you to get a move on for a meeting. The old you would have snarked behind her back or made a face when she wasn’t looking. But you snarled, and I quote, ‘I’ll get there when I get there.’ I’ve never seen Madi speechless before. It was awesome.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “It was insubordinate.”
“That is part of why it was awesome. Whatever this weekend was in your head, I think it uncorked something in you that’s been bottled up for too long.” She’s not wrong.
All week, I’ve been more direct with people, and while it’s gotten some good reactions, it’s also gotten some bad ones. When I speak to people—even to clients—it’s like I have no filter. I haven’t exactly been fire-worthy unprofessional, but it feels like it’s coming. I just don’t give a shit like I used to. All thanks to Anderson West.
Great. He fucked me for free, and now he’s going to get me fired. Just what I need.
But it’s almost like facing him and calling him out broke something in me. Something that’s been holding me back this whole time. Maybe it’s closure regarding what had happened when we were younger … I don’t know. Or maybe it’s that I finally accepted that, despite his teasing and all the rest of it, I had always harbored an attraction to him. It wasn’t the meanness that got me—that was a huge turn-off because I’m not a masochist—it was that he was hot and he always seemed like he had more going on beneath the surface than he’d let anyone know.
Kalen Black was proof of that.
Maybe Callie’s right. I needed this weekend for more than just the money. It was a strange kind of therapy that I could have never bought. Not to mention all the orgasms. I lost count after twelve. An odd thing to count, but I couldn’t believe how my body responded to him, given all our baggage. The way he touched me was practically worshipful. There was no cruelty, no malice. More proof that there was far more to Anderson than he ever let on. He gave me things I didn’t even know I needed.
Still, though, I also need the money.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Callie.”
“Focus on work and get yourself through the day. It may just be a weird banking thing—you know how some deposits don’t go in until after a certain time?”
I nod.
“So, it could be that. When we get back to work, dive into it and shut everything else out. This will all settle itself. You’ll see.” Her cheery tone is betrayed by the look in her eyes. She’s as unsure as I am.
I take another bite of my burger, not willing to call her out for her fake cheer.
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