Chapter 10
Lauralyn
Icheck my reflection one last time, feeling uncomfortable in the outfit Sorrin picked out for me. It’s something Portia would wear. All the clothes Sorrin brought for the weekend are more risqué than I’d like. But Holt is paying me a hefty amount to obey, so leopard print it is.
“Are you ready?” Holt comes walking into the room, stopping dead in his tracks. The look on his face is making me feel less self-conscious about my dress. “Damn, you look fine as hell. Shit, Laur, gonna have to beat them off you tonight.” He loosens his collar.
He doesn’t look too bad himself. He’s dressed in a black button-down shirt and black slacks.
His sleeves are rolled up, revealing his ink.
It’s a far cry from the boy I knew back in school.
The man before me, living in this luxurious penthouse, has earned himself a place in this world.
Funny how life works. I’m now the one who’s broke and living in squalor.
“Yes, I’m ready. You look good too.”
He shakes his head. “Come on. We need to go before I pin you up against that wall again.”
A wave of tingles runs through my system. I wouldn’t be opposed to him touching me again. Or getting on my knees again. I liked making out with him. I wasn’t even doing it for the money. I wanted to.
We step onto the elevator, and that heat closes in again.
There’s something about elevators. The confined space.
The tension that clings in the air as the shaft moves from floor to floor.
Never knowing if the doors are going to open and someone is going to get on.
There’s a crackling against my nerves as I stare at the lights, watching the numbers descend. Holt breathing heavy at my back.
“If we weren’t late for dinner, I’d be fucking you up against the wall.”
Another shiver rocks through right as the doors open.
He presses his hand at my back, urging me off because apparently my feet are struggling to move. “Come on, princess. Time to go play your part.”
The lights and sounds come from every angle. It’s an overload to the senses. Or maybe that’s just Holt.
“Sorry, we’re late,” he says as we enter the bar.
“No problem, man. We just ordered a drink; can I get you something?”
Slade looks to me and I shake my head, and Portia’s lustful stare finally leaves Holt and she’s now glaring at me.
“Why? Is the princess too high and mighty for a little alcohol?”
Her rudeness never falters, does it?
“If you find your mother passed out drunk in a running bathtub, nearly seconds away from drowning, you might not want to drink either.”
Holt tenses at my back. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but I’m done with her making assumptions about me. Hey, at least it shut her up.
“None of that this weekend,” Holt tells Portia, his hold on my waist tightening. “I don’t want you acting like a bitch in front of my client.”
I don’t know who’s more stunned by his comment, her or me. The guy who hates me just stood up for me.
“That wasn’t my intent.” Portia puts on an innocent act. “I’m sorry.”
“Sure, it wasn’t.” His voice is tight. “Come on. Let’s go eat and discuss the expectations for the weekend.”
Holt leads me out, telling Slade we’ll meet them in the restaurant.
During dinner, he tells us about the man coming to town, emphasizing how important it is that he has a good time.
When the guys are tending to business matters, us girls are free to use the amenities: the pool, gym, spa.
Anything, just as long as we’re accessible via text.
He doesn’t want to have to hunt us down.
He’s not going to have to worry about that with me. I’ll be in his place studying when I’m not on duty. Which reminds me. “Can you give me the Wi-Fi later so I can pull up my assignments?”
“What are you even trying to become?” Portia asks with that condescending tone again.
“A children’s counselor.” That way I’ll be able to help other girls who are like me.
“Ha. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. You’ll make more money shaking those tits.”
True. But some things in life are more valuable than money.
“Speaking of money.” She turns those spiteful eyes on me again. “Why did that collections guy call the club the other day? Are you avoiding your bills?”
It’s another shot at embarrassing me, and she’s landing every one right in the center of the bullseye.
“If you’ll excuse me.” I rise from the table. “I’m going to go use the restroom.”
I turn to walk off, wishing I could just go back to the room. I’m done with spending time with Portia. But I have to do as I’m told. As I start to walk away, I realize I don’t even know where the restrooms are. It will make me look like more of an asshole if I start circling the place.
I turn back to ask and see Deuce leaning across the table right in Portia’s face.
“You take one more cheap shot at my girl, and I’ll be digging your gravesite myself. Now tuck your jealousy aside or else we’re going to have a problem.”
She looks terrified—shocked. Once again, I’m shocked that he stood up for me.
“You good, sweetheart?” Slade asks.
“Can you tell me where the restrooms are?”
Deuce turns, standing in all his glorious stature. “You can use the one in my place. We’re done for the night.” He looks to Slade. “Make sure she knows what’s expected of her this weekend and what will happen if she fucks anything up.”
Portia definitely looks afraid now, but it serves her right. These men are paying her a lot of money and all she cares about is putting me in my place.
Deuce leads me through the crowd and back to the elevator, and I don’t know what to make of his behavior. I thought he’d let the girl take all the cheap shots she wanted. After all, he did back in school.