3. Sienna
3
SIENNA
I t wasn’t unusual for me to look forward to a meeting with a new client. It was, however, unusual for me to wish I had a time machine so I could skip fifteen hours and get to the meeting that much sooner. Years spent patiently waiting for Noah Goldsmith’s bullshit to bite him in the ass were finally about to pay off. And in my office, no less, even I hadn’t dreamed of that added twist. Surprising, since I’d spent a lot of time dreaming of Noah’s sins haunting him.
After checking off the last item on my task list, I leaned back in my chair and grinned up at the ceiling. Noah, forced to humble himself. I’d say I hoped he didn’t injure himself while digging up what was left of his humility, but then that would be a lie. I wished he had hurt himself. He needed to be in the act of going through every single stupid, selfish choice he’d made throughout his useless life. Was he finally starting to understand he couldn’t treat human beings like they were nothing but extras in the saga of his life?
That was the problem with too many guys who grew up the way we had. They all had this thing where they considered themselves the main characters, no matter where they happened to be or who they were with. Everything was about them, all the time. Even my brother, who I loved but had no illusions about. He was as selfish and thoughtless as they came and always had been.
At least, it seemed like his new relationship with Rose had mellowed him a little. It must have, or else there’s no way Rose would have put up with him. I knew my best friend inside and out. She didn’t suffer fools any more than I did.
If time had taught me anything, it was that Noah wouldn’t mellow. If anything, he’d gotten worse over the years. He thought he was God’s gift to the real estate market now, working his way to a billion, at least according to Colton. I would never bother asking or checking up on his prick of a best friend, but he’d offered the update during a dinner with our parents.
“What’s this I see on your calendar?”
I looked toward the doorway to find my business partner wearing her coat, a Gucci tote hanging from the crook of her elbow. She was holding her phone out, and from a distance, I could make out the calendar entry. “Noah Goldsmith? No preliminary meeting? You’re taking him on as a client without running it past me?”
I closed my eyes, wincing slightly. “You know I grew up around Noah’s family. He’s not a stranger. He only called this afternoon, practically begging for help, and you were out at your appointments, so we didn’t have a chance to touch base on it. I’m not trying to go behind your back,” I promised.
Jules scowled, but it wasn’t at me. “I didn’t mean to sound all confrontational. I was surprised, that’s all. Is this the Noah Goldsmith whose company just bought up that property on Park Avenue? ”
“The very same. He’s in trouble.” Did I take glee in sharing the sordid story? A little. Maybe more than a little. But I’d been waiting for this day for too long not to.
Her frown only deepened, and with it came worry lines between her brows. “Considering he is supposed to be an old family friend, you don’t sound concerned.”
“That would be because I’m not.” Of course, that only made her more confused. “Let’s just say he has this coming to him.”
“That doesn’t sound very promising. Are you sure you even want to help him?” She perched on the arm of a chair just inside the door, her head tipped to the side.
As always, she was graceful—an ex-dancer who had studied from an early age. It was a shame an injury had effectively ended her dreams of a dance career, but she was brilliant at business and a whiz at numbers. I would’ve been lost without her.
“Sure, I want to help him.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t a lie either. “He called, begging for help, and I couldn’t turn him down. He knows I’m just about the only friend he has right now.”
“So what’s the bad blood?” When I looked at her in surprise, she waved a hand around her face before pointing to mine. “You’ve got this whole evil genius thing going on right now. Like if you were sitting here stroking a white cat, I wouldn’t have been surprised.”
I had to giggle at the image. “No, I’m not a supervillain. Although if I were, he would be my origin story.”
“What happened between you two?” When I blew out a sigh, she screwed her mouth up in an expression of disapproval. “If he’s going to be one of our clients, I think I deserve to know what you might be bringing to our doorstep. Know what I mean? ”
I did, and it was the least I could do. “Remember, I was fifteen when this happened.” With that, I launched into the story, wasting no time hitting the important points. It wasn’t exactly something I liked talking about, though I had gone over it in my mind countless times over the years. Every word, every feeling, all of it was burned into my soul.
By the time I finished, she was staring at me open-mouthed. “What a fuckface!” She gasped.
A succinct conclusion. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“And you’ve had to be around him since then? How did you manage it without killing him?”
“Family stuff. Our dads have been friends forever. Our moms too. I couldn’t escape him, so I’ve had to play nice for ten years, at least in mixed company,” I added. “Without the families around, all bets are off. He knows exactly how I feel.”
“This is going to sound shitty.” At least she warned me in advance. “Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Taking him on?”
“With the amount of money he’s going to pay?” I countered with a laugh. “I’d be the world’s biggest idiot if I turned down that kind of fee.” And he would pay. He would pay through the nose.
Over the years, I’d heard too many desperate men at the end of their rope, convinced they had made the one enormous mistake they couldn’t escape from. And with all his bluster and ego, Noah was as desperate as any of them. He would hand over an organ if I asked for it and would do so gladly.
That wasn’t enough to convince her, judging by her deepening frown. “It’s not all about money, babe.”
“Well, stop everything. Am I hearing you correctly?” My heart wasn’t in it when I laughed, which came out as a hollow, haunted sort of sound.
“Laugh all you want,” she muttered, shaking her head until her golden curls bounced around her shoulders. “I’m only thinking of you. You don’t need to put yourself through this. That’s all I’m trying to say.”
“I think I do.” Tapping my fingers against my desk, I imagined Noah’s desperation at that very moment. “It could lead to my own closure, letting him suffer a little after what he put me through. But I’ll still do my job, and I will do it damn well. You don’t have to worry.”
“I was never worried. Not about that.” She stood and straightened out her cute little sheath dress. “Anyway, I was on my way out. I have to go home and get ready for… something.”
The way she blushed and looked away piqued my interest. I needed something to think about that didn’t involve Noah, which was probably why I jumped at the opportunity to change the subject. “What something?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, now you have me confused. First, it was something, and now it’s nothing. Which is it? Make up your mind.”
“I hate it when you get like this,” she grumbled, but she knew damn well I wasn’t letting her off the hook until she confessed. We’d been friends for too long. “Honestly, I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me, but I didn’t know if it would be your thing.”
“Okay, now you’re making me a little nervous.”
She shook her head, giggling. “It’s not like anything illegal or whatever. It’s just… sort of an alternative type of evening. I got the invite a couple of weeks ago. Dante West is opening a new club here in Manhattan since the one in Ca lifornia is so popular. I think I told you about the work I did for him during the summer I spent in LA.”
“Dante West?” Closing my eyes, I ran through a list of names and faces in my head. It was something I had always been good at, and it helped me in my work. Wherever I went, I carried a database with me.
“Wait a second.” My eyes flew open when I made the connection. “Club Caramel is a sex club, isn’t it? Like, kinky sex stuff?”
Rolling her eyes, she huffed, “It’s for adults who like to explore their sexuality in a safe environment.”
The way she rattled it off made me laugh. “Are you filming a commercial for them? Is there a camera somewhere?” I looked around the room, still chuckling while she scowled at me.
“Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. It’s actually a lot of fun, and I’ve met some really cool people.”
“How did I not know this about you?” We had been friends since college when we were randomly assigned as roommates my freshman year. She’d gone to LA the summer after graduation to get a little experience at a PR firm run by a cousin of hers before returning to New York to build our business.
She lifted a shoulder. “Some things are private, right? I didn’t know Noah Goldsmith broke your heart, did I?”
“That’s different. That’s the past.”
Lowering her brow, she retorted, “And I don’t pry into your personal life and ask you who you sleep with.”
“Bullshit,” I deadpanned. “You so do.”
“Okay, only because it’s always obvious when you’ve slept with somebody new. You get all giggly and weird.”
It didn’t help that I hadn’t slept with anybody in a painfully long time. “So, like, what goes on at a club like this?”
Arching an eyebrow, she said, “You sound awfully interested.”
I held up a finger. “Intrigued. I’m intrigued. I’ve heard about clubs like that, but I don’t think I’d have the guts to actually go and, you know, partake.”
“You would be surprised. Dante runs a very exclusive club. Everything is top quality. He’s big on security and making sure nobody feels uncomfortable or forced into anything they don’t want to do. You don’t even have to participate,” she adds. “Some people just go, have a few drinks, maybe dance a little in a sexy outfit. Then they go home. It means something different to everybody.”
“You sound very familiar with the whole setup.”
“And you sound awfully interested,” she teased back. “You should come and see for yourself. You landed a big client today. Celebrate.”
“No, I absolutely should not.” The idea made me laugh helplessly. It also made me surprisingly warm and tingly down below.
What would it be like, letting loose in a sex club? There wasn’t much I hadn’t seen and done over the years, and I had enjoyed the handful of times a partner spanked my ass or restrained me during sex.
But a kink club? Did I have it in me to take that step?
Jules shrugged. “I’m just saying. It’s a masquerade, so there’s no reason to worry about being recognized. Who knows? You could end up having a good time.” When I rolled my eyes in disbelief, she dropped her voice to a whisper. “There is nothing like it for clearing your head. The chance to forget who you are for one night and let loose. It’s a lot of fun,” she concluded. “I’m free to bring a guest if I want to. The more beautiful women at these parties, the better. I’m sure you have something short or leather you could wear, right? Something a little sexy.”
Was I honestly considering this? Already, a plan was beginning to take shape in my head. There were a handful of shops where I’d easily be able to find a mask to cover half of my face. “I do have a few dresses in my closet that might work,” I mused, chewing my lip.
“People wear whatever they feel like wearing,” she assured me. “I think you could have a great time. Live a little. You work so hard, Sienna.”
“Are you saying I need to loosen up?”
“Don’t take it personally,” she mused. “But yeah, you could stand to chill, especially with that complete asshole coming in tomorrow. You’d be surprised how easy it is to deal with life when your ass is still sore from last night… among other places,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.
“I’m not getting my ass spanked tonight,” I insisted. “I’m going to go, have a little fun, and that’s it. I need to turn in early.”
“Sure, sure.” She tapped something on her phone moments before my phone buzzed. “There’s the address. I’ll meet you there at ten.” She was gone before I had time for second thoughts. Granted, if I changed my mind, I could always text her and let her know. I didn’t have to show up at the club.
At the same time, I got my things together and flipped off the lights with a spring in my step that wasn’t there before. Not even the idea of putting Noah in his place could make me tingle the way the idea of walking around anonymously in a sex club did.
Jules was right. Considering the thought of him set my teeth on edge, it would be best if I worked out a little tension tonight. Whether that meant getting my drink on while dancing or hooking up with a hot stranger was anybody’s guess.
One thing was for sure. By the time I reached the lobby of our building, I was determined to meet Jules at the club. There were only so many one-time-only offers a girl got in her life. I couldn’t afford to pass it up.