2. Gentlemanly Thing To Do
2
GENTLEMANLY THING TO DO
TYLER
It’d been five long months since I had a night to myself. When Jenna’s call came, telling me they were taking the kids to a theme park for the weekend with Luke and his family, I hesitantly agreed to let mine tag along. A wave of guilt washed over me as I thought about how much I needed the break. It’d been over a year since Mila passed away, and the guilt still felt intense and heavy in my heart that my kids had lost her.
Losing both of my parents at once had been difficult, but losing my wife was a different kind of pain. I felt like a piece of myself had been ripped away, leaving an incomplete puzzle behind, but it felt nothing like I thought it would. Naya, my daughter, would often ask when her mom was coming back. Each time it broke me because I couldn’t give her the answer she wanted. Now, it was just my three kids, and me.
A year of holidays came and went. With the help of my family and friends, we tried our best to make them special. But tonight, I needed a break from the suffocating feeling that seemed to consume me every day.
When Chance and Amber insisted that I join them for a night out at a club, I reluctantly agreed. The last place I wanted to be on my only day off was in a crowded nightclub. But I also didn’t want to spend another night alone in my empty house. Tonight, I needed some air, even if it was nightclub air.
Against my better judgment, I made the call to Victoria, asking her to accompany me. She’d been filling in at Luxe for Giovanna, but no one could ever truly replace her. She was a force of nature, and it was difficult for me to admit that to myself.
As Victoria and I stepped through the doors of the club, a sense of unease washed over me. I’d known for some time now that she had feelings for me. At work, she’d constantly flirt with me, but I thought nothing of it at first.
After Mila had been gone for a while, some of the other dancers started showing interest as well. Most of them meant no harm, and I wanted to believe that Victoria was innocent too. But she seemed to be working harder than the others to catch my attention.
When I looked up and saw Kirsten with a friend, it took me a moment to realize that it was Giovanna without her signature pink hair. I hadn’t seen her in so long. My heart skipped a beat. She was the last person I expected to see tonight. Part of me didn’t even want to see her. Though I knew she belonged at Euphoria, there was a selfish part of me that wished she would go back to California. Her presence stirred a confused feeling inside me.
However, the moment she took Chance’s drink, I felt sorry for her, internally sighing before she got up to go dance. As much as I tried to fight it, I found myself unable to peel my gaze away from the way she moved. She was one of the most mesmerizing dancers I’d ever laid eyes on. I’d be a liar to not admit that, at the very least.
Victoria kept her lips near my ear, whispering but I wasn’t paying enough attention to process her words. While I kept my gaze on Giovanna, her hand crept up my thigh. Several times, I coaxed her away, but she’d persist a little further. Unlike the standard VIP tables at Euphoria, the coffee tables in front of us hid nothing.
Giovanna paid no attention to me while bent over in front of Kirsten, rotating her hips before spinning away to dance with Amber. Within a split second, she hurried to the bathroom with her fist over her mouth. I knew Chance’s concoction was going to hit her like a truck, and she’d end up naked in a ditch if I didn’t do the gentlemanly thing and get her water at the very least.
Irritated, I reached for a water bottle sitting in the center of the table and three cocktail napkins, my irritation growing as I watched Amber and Kirsten rush after her. The minute Lizzie took a step to follow, I grabbed her wrist, and she spun around, ready to defend herself against any potential attackers. When she saw it was just me, her expression softened.
“I think Gia’s sick,” she yelled over the music, gesturing toward the bathroom.
“I’ll handle it,” I replied. “Go back to the table while no one’s out here with you. I don’t want to have to kill someone tonight for fucking with you.”
Smiling like she always did, she tucked a strand of her medium-brown hair behind her ear and sashayed back to the table, still dancing with her drink in hand. As a runway model, she was rarely phased by pressure but knew the rules about being alone.
I could’ve walked away. Maybe I should’ve. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Huffing in frustration, I straightened my posture and made my way through the crowd toward the Ladies Room, ignoring any further thoughts.
When I turned down the glowing green hallway, I came to an abrupt halt when I nearly collided with Kirsten.
“Oh!” She froze before a sly grin spread across her face. A grin that made me suspect she knew exactly what had happened between Giovanna and me.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, hoping she couldn’t hear me over the blaring music. “She okay?” I said louder.
She pointed back over her shoulder. “She’s puking thanks to Chance, so I’m taking her home.”
“No one forced her to drink that shit,” I shot back.
Stepping forward, she attempted to grab the water bottle and napkins from my hand, but I quickly pulled away. “Damn, okay,” she said with a shrug and a mischievous glint in her eye. “I’ll go get her bag then.”
I offered a curt nod and brushed past her, ignoring her cunning nature as I came to a halt outside the bathroom door.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
I rapped my knuckles against the door, giving a warning before pushing it open. The sound of music drifted in from the hallway. I stepped inside, letting the door close behind me.
“Hey,” Amber sighed. “I’ll wait outside.”
“Wait!” Giovanna called out from the stall.
“Gia?” I replied loudly as Amber exited.
“Yeahhh?” she responded weakly.
I held out the bottle toward where I assumed she was sitting. “I brought you some water.”
There was a long pause, filled only by the muffled sounds of the party outside, before she finally spoke up again. “I’m fin—” her words were cut off by a sudden bout of gagging, followed by the sound of vomit splashing into the toilet bowl.
Shuddering, I put my arm over my mouth. I was great with blood. I could watch murders all day long, thanks to my brother-in-law dragging me into his life and discovering who my family was. But throw up? The sound drove me insane. My hand clenched around the door handle, and for a moment, I considered leaving her to deal with it on her own. After all, I didn’t really care enough about her to stick around. But then she spoke again, and I hesitated.
“Thank you,” she sniffled, and I turned around. “I know Chance probably forced you to come in here.” The toilet flushed. I saw her shadow shift under the stall door as she stood up and stepped out, one hand still covering her face in embarrassment. “Don’t look at me, Ty.”
Ignoring her request, I was unable to stop staring as she made her way over to the sink, turning on the water. She leaned over, rinsing out her mouth, then gargling before checking her reflection in the mirror. The door pushed open, and I stepped to the side to let Amber and Kirsten enter with her bag.
“Thank you,” she said, taking it from Kirsten and turning back to the mirror to fix her makeup. Then, she took a swig of mouthwash, trying to get rid of any lingering taste.
Glancing at my watch, I realized how much time had passed. “How’d you girls get here?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“T,” Kirsten replied, her wide eyes pleading like those of a helpless puppy. “We’d planned to take an Uber home, but since you’ll be passing by her apartment anyway, could you give her a ride, and I’ll go with Amber, Chance, and Lizzie?”
As I got ready to chastise them both for taking the subway, Giovanna interrupted.
“What?” She spun around abruptly, tucking her mouthwash back into her bag.
Dread flooded through me as I narrowed my eyes at Kirsten and discreetly tucked the bottle of water and napkins into my jacket pocket. Beneath her false expression, I could sense her sneer, and it made my blood boil. But I refused to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. “Sure,” I gritted my teeth, unsure of what the hell she was up to, “but I have to drop Victoria off at her place too.”
Amber looked between Giovanna and me before focusing on her shocked expression. “You’re okay with him giving you a ride home, right?”
“Yeah,” Giovanna exhaled in defeat, though I suspected it was due to her illness rather than me this time. “That’s fine.” Her gaze flickered toward Kirsten. “I’ll let you know when I get home safely… if I do.”
Kirsten snorted dismissively. “I’m sure you’ll be just fine, my dear.” Taking out her phone, she tapped on it for a second, then put it away.
Amber wrapped her arms around me, thanking me in a hushed tone before whispering in a barely audible voice, “Talk her into coming back, please.”
I pulled away from her embrace with a shrug. My phone vibrated in my pocket.
360 Newbury St Unit 810
Have funn ;)
Shaking my head, I slid my phone back in place. Annoyed as we exited the bathroom, I approached the table, wiggling my fingers at Victoria and picking up her jacket off the seat. She stood as I held it up, slipping it on her. Then, she turned to say goodbye to everyone before we started for the door.
“Why’s she coming with us?” she yelled in my ear over the noise.
I kept my focus ahead as Giovanna led the three of us out of the dimly lit club and into the cool night air, the sounds of laughter and music fading behind us. I took the lead as we made our way down the bustling street to my car.
Giovanna stumbled on a raised curb. Lunging forward, I grabbed her waist with one hand and her elbow with the other, steadying her. Though I wasn’t mean, I definitely didn’t want to deal with the wrath of anyone else if she busted out her perfectly straight white smile on the sidewalk.
When we finally reached my black Audi RS e-tron GT, I remote started it and unlocked it. Victoria called out, “Shotgun!” and hurried to the front passenger seat, opening the door before I could even offer it to Giovanna. Feeling a twinge of guilt, I opened the back driver’s side door for her and helped her topple inside.
“Precious cargo area,” Giovanna snickered with an eye roll as she got herself situated.
“Buckle yourself,” I instructed in a firm tone, but was amused at her sarcasm.
“Where’s the BMW?” she asked, still slurring her words.
“Home,” I replied through clenched teeth. “And you better not fucking puke in my car. I’ve only had it for three days.”
Laying her head back, she closed her eyes and lazily saluted me. Exhaling a deep breath, I shut the door, opened mine, and got in. Victoria was visibly agitated, glaring straight ahead as I drove through downtown toward her apartment.
Glancing back at Giovanna in my rearview mirror, I saw that she still had her eyes closed. A small part of me wanted to ask her so many questions, but I quickly reminded myself that questioning her would be crossing the line of the civil relationship I insisted that I wanted.
“Wait a minute,” Victoria’s annoyed voice broke into my thoughts. “Why are you taking me home first? Aren’t we going to drop off the drunk chick and then go back to my place for a while?”
My eyes darted to her, then back at the road before I spoke. “Taking her home first would be backtracking, and I never planned to hang out at your place tonight.”
She turned to face me, her hand sliding under my elbow that was resting on the center console. “My three roommates are gone tonight,” she whispered seductively, “and I just thought you wanted to maybe see what happens with us.”
I withdrew my arm, gripping the steering wheel, so she couldn’t get any closer. “I’m not ready for that.”
“It’s been a long time now, hasn’t it?” she scoffed.
Thankfully, I pulled up in front of her apartment building before I could verbally put her in her place. I just wanted her out of my presence as soon as possible. Normally, I would’ve walked her upstairs like a gentleman, but tonight I couldn’t shake off her comment. My mind was preoccupied, and I wasn’t leaving Giovanna in the back seat unattended while she was drunk.
Victoria rolled her eyes, pushing the door open and stepping out. She leaned back in with a mischievous smile, blowing me a kiss. “I’ll wait until you’re ready, and I had a great time tonight.” Before I could reply, she shut the door with a soft click and paraded toward the building entrance, making sure to sway her ass as much as she could muster on the way.
Feeling a rush of frustration, I lowered my head. Eyes closed, I mumbled, “What the fuck is everyone’s problem?”
“She seems... nice.” A quiet laugh came from the back seat, causing me to tense up even more.
“Not my type,” I spat back.
Slowly, I opened my eyes and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her head was tilted back, her eyes were still closed, but she was smirking. I rolled my tongue over my bottom lip and forced myself to look away, staring back out the window to make sure Victoria got into the building safely. The moment the door closed, I wasted no time speeding away, swerving through the next few traffic lights and turns.
“Which building are you in?” I glimpsed back.
Her eyes popped open, and she craned her neck to peer out the front window. “Just drop me off on the side at the entrance.”
“I’m not letting your drunk ass navigate your way to your apartment,” I grumbled as a group of cars zoomed by, one of them honking.
Amusement danced in her eyes. “You don’t even care about me enough to worry about my safety,” she teased. “And I know this city like the back of my hand.”
Don’t even care about her? Fuck her! I thought, though I was unsure why that upset me. I could’ve let her walk miles home. Get kidnapped by God knows who since I was sure her father still had spies lurking. I know my family did. Maybe she could’ve taken an Uber driven by a stranger who wouldn’t wait to make sure she made it to the door… like a gentleman.
And yet, here I was, being the fucking hero for the night. All because I respected the relationship with the people I do care about because I knew they adored her. I was doing it for them. Only them.
Ignoring her, I pointed to the parking garage across the street. “You have access to that?”
“Yeah, I bought five spots,” she replied nonchalantly, digging through her purse and handing me a card.
I quickly scanned it, and the gate lifted to allow us entry. “Five?” I repeated it incredulously as we drove in, glancing back at her.
She huffed and sent me a playful glare. “What? I like having enough parking spaces for the guys who come to gangbang me.”
Heat rose in my cheeks, and I gripped the steering wheel hard.
“Kidding,” she giggled. “It’s so any visitor has a good park when they don’t take the T. You know traffic in this city can be a nightmare.” She pointed straight ahead. “Over there, ground level.”
I drove where she told me to, parked, and got out. When I opened her door, she stumbled and fell into my chest. I caught her and held onto her upper arms to steady her for the second time tonight.
“Your body is still as hard as I remember,” she peered into my eyes but quickly looked away, attempting to stand on her own. She brushed herself off with stubborn determination, like she’d fallen in a pile of dirt. “I’m fine,” she beamed, taking a step in her high heels, immediately tripping again.
Once more, I caught her, gripping her arm tightly. “You’re utterly useless,” I grumbled under my breath as we made our way to the crosswalk.
“You didn’t think I was useless when you fucked my every hole,” she retorted. “I was pretty useful to you then, wasn’t I, Ty?”
Shocked, I lowered my eyes to hers. She peered up at me with bratty boldness. I was so taken aback by her brazen words that I found myself unable to come up with a proper argument or denial. Me… a lawyer, and a damn good one.
Before I could gather my thoughts, we were given the signal to cross the street, so I wrapped an arm around her waist gently and guided her across to the side entrance of the building. The elevator ride up to her apartment was silent while she leaned against the wall, watching the numbers climb.
“I don’t feel so well,” she groaned as it neared the eighth floor, pressing her palm to her forehead. “I think I’m going to puke again.”
Remembering the bottle of water I had stashed in my jacket pocket, I retrieved it, handing it to her.
“Thanksss.” With shaky hands, she unscrewed the lid and took a gulp.
“Slowly,” I cautioned, “or you’ll definitely end up throwing up.”
“Right,” With a heavy sigh, she lowered her bag to her side just as the doors of the elevator dinged and opened. “This is me,” she announced, coming to a stop at her door. Her movements were clumsy as she tried to balance opening her bag and holding onto the bottle.
I reached out and took it from her, screwing the cap back on. She fumbled around for a few more seconds before finally taking out her key and unlocking the door. I stretched my arm out, holding it open while she faltered inside. The bottle dropped to my side, hitting the floor in the entryway. The door slammed shut behind us, and I quickly grabbed her elbows to steady her.
“How much did you drink tonight?” I asked sharply. “Chance mixes them strong, but you’re acting like someone drugged you.”
“Kirsten and I drank two bottles of wine before we left here,” she admitted, jerking away from me and bracing a palm on my shoulder as she kicked off her black stilettos and dropped her handbag.
That explained it. I guided her over to one of the couches in her spacious living room. She plopped down clumsily and then fell over sideways in slow motion, her head hitting the pillow. Pressing her fingertips to her temples, she groaned.
“Do you need more water?” I offered.
She shook her head weakly. “Just leave me here. I’m fin—” her voice trailed off mid-sentence.
I took a step forward, ready to brush the stray strands of hair from her face, before stopping abruptly. Shaking my head, I exhaled and turned to take in the magnificence of her luxurious apartment. Damn, Gia .
The only time I ever went anywhere near where she lived was her room at Penthouse L.A. At the time, I didn’t even know she lived there. I thought it was only her job, but I also half-expected her to live in a sex dungeon somewhere else too.
This place was light, airy, and felt like a home. I wondered just how much money her father left her and how much she’d had before that. Not that it mattered, but her lifestyle seemed extravagant for someone like… her. Then again, I didn’t really know her, nor did I care to.
Lowering my gaze back on her, I felt a sense of mild relief when I saw her chest rise and fall to let me know she was still breathing. I pushed the compassionate thoughts out of my mind for a half-second, then turned away to leave. As I marched toward the door, I stopped and spun back around, sighing once again. Damnit .
Walking over to the kitchen, I yanked open the refrigerator door and grabbed two cold bottles of water. Scanning the cabinets until I found a large metal mixing bowl, I mumbled under my breath, “This’ll have to do.”
I sauntered back over to where she lay, setting the bowl on the floor next to the couch and put the water bottles on the coffee table on two coasters. Taking the black and white blanket off the back of the sofa, I draped it over her curled body. Her head was in a position that I knew would cause her to be sore for weeks after she woke up. I cradled her neck and head, gently positioning her straighter on the decorative pillow.
Pausing, my heart raced as I stared down at the woman who had once consumed my thoughts and desires. The memory of our one encounter flooded back to me in vivid detail. One I’d paid for, and she was obligated to fulfill because of it. My gaze darted to the hand that was cupping her neck, and I realized I had been absentmindedly circling her cheek with the pad of my thumb.
She shifted on the sofa, her eyes fluttered open, and she barely whispered, “I like when you touch me like th—” her voice trailed off, and she drifted off to sleep again.
With a jolt, I lurched back, dismissing the intense emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. I needed to bring myself back to reality. At that moment, I knew I had to get out of her apartment. I’d done the gentlemanly thing and driven her home. I’d helped her drunk ass get into her place safely and positioned her so she wouldn’t drown in her own vomit.
This time, I spared no time marching toward the door. Bending over, I took her shoes, sitting them next to the white foyer table and picked up her Louis Vuitton handbag, placing it on the surface. Flickering my gaze back at her one last time, I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration before leaving.