Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
N ovember 24 th
Tonight is Leonora’s party at The Red Door. Everything is in order. The flowers are perfect, even if they caused me to stress eat an entire box of chocolates and keep Pride and Prejudice on repeat when I was at my apartment. Something I’m sure Clark just loved.
Speaking of Clark, Leah and Eli tried to get me to have Clark be the one to lose my virginity to. Forced proximity and bodyguard level hot just like Aiden and Piper in our last book club book, but it just wasn’t happening. First, I’m pretty sure at this point he can’t breathe long enough to even kiss me. His allergy to Monty has forced me to ask Leah to take Monty at night in a dog crate so Clark can get some sleep. Second, we bicker like a married couple. Third, he thinks romance books are stupid. I should have made that reason number one. Hence the continual loop of P&P. I figure it’ll be like Stockholm syndrome and eventually he’ll just love it. Fourth, Max.
Max drops by the apartment every night when he gets off his shift to give me an update on the case and check in on me. He texts me in the morning and right before bed. We talk, a lot. I’ve told him about growing up, about my job, about how I feel about politics, religion, money, and movies—all the hard subjects. We talk about what we want for our futures, both professionally and personally. We’ve talked about what kind of wedding we each want to have, how many kids we each want to have, and where our travel bucket lists would take us. We don’t necessarily talk about marriage between us or anything, but just what we each would like. In ten days of talking, sometimes three or four times a day, Max has become one of my best friends. He’s the first person I find myself texting when something happens. He’s the first person I ask their opinion on something. He’s . . . not mine. I’ve made a horrible mistake. I’ve fallen for him. Hard.
How do I know for sure? Well, tonight is Lenora’s party and tonight Mr. Paris will be there. Max hasn’t offered me anything other than friendship. While I am excited to see Mr. Paris, I know he’s the fantasy, not the reality. He told me that himself and now it makes sense. The question I don’t have the answer to yet is do I live tonight with Mr. Paris in the fantasy, knowing there is no tomorrow for us?
The rules of The Red Door were still in effect. Paige’s favorite hostess was ready to greet her with a list of book recommendations. Miriam and her husband and Kendrick and Amanda, watched with wide eyes as Paige handed over her phone and selected a mask. Unlike normal parties, this night people were allowed in their formal wear. They could choose to wear lingerie or they could come clothed. Knowing this was a work event, Paige had selected a professional yet curve-hugging little black dress. She had also gone to the second-hand store, tackled one woman, knocked another over, and maybe broke someone’s toe to get the gorgeous, black Hot Chick pumps with red soles by Christian Louboutin. She was going to be eating Ramen noodles for the rest of the month, but she hoped she could get enough leftovers from Thanksgiving to help make up for the cost. As long as no one looked too close to see the very minor wear and tear, no one would know they were second-hand. Just sliding into those high heels with the sexy scallop on them made Paige feel like a vixen.
“Come this way,” Paige said to Kendrick, Amanda, Miriam, and her husband. Paige led them into the lobby, which was not nearly as full as normal, and over to the bar. “Dracklen, I want you to meet my team,” Paige said, introducing Dracklen to her co-workers.
Dracklen looked them over as he made them the special drink of the night. “The night looks to be a success. Several subs and doms have come in for the night for the partiers’ . . . enjoyment.”
Paige, while planning the details of the party, had not been the one to work with The Red Door. That had been all Lenora’s doing. She did know that several experienced members were going to be working the public venues to give everyone a real feel for the club.
“The party will officially be out here,” Paige said, showing where the food was set up and where servers were walking around already talking to some of the guests. “Lenora will arrive in thirty minutes and everyone will gather here in the lobby. We’ll have the opening remarks, take photographs, and then these doors will open. In there is where you can experience the club, if you so choose. Now, go mingle. I need to talk to Mr. Griffin.”
Paige, with Clark hot on her heels, headed to where Jack was talking to someone. He stood tall in a tuxedo and a gold mask similar to the one Jack wore. That indicated they were VIP club members. There were no restrictions to them on where they could go within the club tonight, even with it being a private party. Other guests, like Paige, were strictly limited in what parts of the club they could visit.
“There’s our Miss Reading,” Jack said with a smirk. “I know you are already familiar with Mr. Paris. We were just getting caught up on everything.”
Of course, they would know each other. Paige’s heart hammered with excitement as Mr. Paris turned and smirked at her. Okay, so maybe it was another part of her anatomy that was pulsing.
“Hello, Mr. Paris. Would you mind if I borrow Mr. Lion for a moment,” she said, using Jack’s Red Door name.
“Not at all. I’ll find you later for a . . . chat of our own.”
“Aren’t you two cute together?” Jack teased. “So, has Moxie gotten here yet?”
“She just arrived. I thought you’d want to know. She’s right over there.” Paige turned and looked at the bar. Moxie was dressed in a long, tight red dress that shimmered when she moved. “Do you need me with you?”
Jack cleared his throat and looked haughtily down at her. “Do you need me to be with you and Paris? Actually, that could be fun. You did almost have an orgy with Moxie. We could make a double date of it.”
“Eww, no.” Paige shook her head. The lines between boss, sex, and friendship had been blurred with Jack. But now sex was completely out of it for her and he was like a big brother she never had. “But a threesome with Moxie and Mr. Paris,” Paige sighed, “would have to go better than my last threesome.”
Jack’s eyes went a little round behind the mask. “I thought you said you hadn’t lost your virginity yet.”
Paige frowned. “Exactly.”
“Tell Paris to take care of it. I know you both want to with how you stare at each other. What are you waiting for?” Paige snapped her head back around to look at Jack. He’d totally busted her for watching Mr. Paris as he mingled. Jack chuckled. “And now he’s looking at you. Yeah, I’m too old for that. I’m just going to ask Moxie if she wants to fuck and stay for breakfast. That’s pretty clear I want a relationship, right?”
“Don’t you dare!” Paige called out, but Jack was already walking towards Moxie.
“Paige,” Clark said softly, getting her attention. Yeah, he’d been there the whole time. “Miss Hamilton is arriving.”
Time to get to work.
Paige and Jack welcomed Lenora. Paige gave a short speech, Lenora thanked everyone for their support and for sleeping with her—some better than others—and then the group picture was had. That picture would be the only official one released to the press and everyone who wanted to be in it was included. However, those who did not, were not forced to be in it. An astounding number of Lenora’s former lovers were present. Some were single and some others had brought their spouses.
Paige watched as Lenora graciously thanked them all for coming and somehow made the spouses feel unthreatened and welcomed. So much so that many took pictures with Lenora in the selfie area—an area that Paige had designed with a press backdrop of Lenora’s book and a photo booth like setup. Just press a button, strike the poses, and the machine would print the pictures and dispense them in just over a minute. It upheld the no-cameras-allowed rule by leaving no chance of accidentally photographing someone who didn’t want to be photographed. It was a huge hit.
Paige took photos with Lenora, Jack, Moxie, Leah, Noah, Kendrick, Amanda, Miriam, Clark, and even Dracklen as she celebrated this huge milestone for not only Lenora but for herself as well. The one person she did not take a photo with was Mr. Paris.
The doors to the exhibition room had opened and people were now moving freely between the two rooms. The party was gearing up, inhibitions were loosening, and she might have seen Miriam with a flogger.
“You did it,” Lenora said, handing her a drink.
“Thank you, but this is all you.”
“Don’t undervalue your worth. Women always do that and it needs to stop. You did a hell of a job.” Lenora raised her glass and Paige clinked her glass against Lenora’s.
“You know, you’re right. We both did a hell of a job. How does it feel to know in four days your book baby will be out?”
“Thanks to your advance readers and reviewers, I feel very good about it. It’s my story, but I want women to learn from it. Don’t let a man tell you that you can’t do something, be it a job or your sexuality. Embrace it just as you are embracing yours. How is your journey going?” Lenora asked.
“You know, I found a backup. If I don’t lose my virginity and I want to, I have someone who will help me out. It’s taken the pressure off, and I’ve embraced trying to live out the tropes without fear of failure. I’m making friends, having fun, and I find it . . . empowering. Even if I’m embarrassed by it, I did it. I went out, put myself out there, and didn’t hide behind the pages of my books. I’ve stepped into them. Now, when I walk into the board meeting, I do it with the power of all of my favorite book heroines.”
“Well, I say there’s the answer to an added benefit of feeling your inner heroine,” Lenora said, glancing behind Paige. “Men are drawn to the confidence. Go put the poor man out of his misery. He’s been watching you all night.”
Paige turned and saw Mr. Paris. He stood holding two glasses of champagne. When she caught his eye, he lifted one to her in a salute.
“Tonight is about you, not me.”
Lenora laughed. “Paige, taking control of your sexuality and owning it is what tonight is about. Now, go claim yours. I insist.” Paige turned and felt her shadow move behind her. “Not you. You stay with me.”
“Miss Hamilton, I’m her bodyguard,” Paige heard Clark say.
“Not for the next hour you aren’t. I can find other things for you to do with your cock instead of blocking your client.”
Paige smiled. She loved Lenora so much. It was the first time in ten days she didn’t have Clark right by her side. She licked her lips as she approached Mr. Paris, who leaned against the wall near the VIP suites.
“For you,” he said, handing her a glass. “Congratulations on a successful night, Paige. Or should I still call you Miss Reading?”
“It depends,” Paige said, looking up into his deep brown eyes. “Are you the fantasy or the reality?”
Mr. Paris smirked. “There’s always a bit of truth in a fantasy. But for tonight, I want to know what your fantasy is.”
Too many thoughts went flying through Paige’s head for her to settle on one. She bounced from sexual fantasies to relationship fantasies back to sexual fantasies. “I don’t suppose you can be a dragon?”
Mr. Paris chuckled. “No, but Dracklen probably is. He’s massive.”
“True,” Paige giggled.
Mr. Paris reached forward and cupped her face. He looked down at her and ran his thumb over the part of her cheek not covered by her mask. “Tell me your fantasy and I’ll fulfill it.”
Here was her chance to lose her virginity. She only had to say the word. But it didn’t feel right. “Thank you but no. I think I’d rather have the reality.”
Mr. Paris surprised her by nodding. “You want love, don’t you little one?”
“I do. It took this huge adventure for me to go on to realize I could do anything or anyone I wanted. But there’s only one man I really want to be the one I share it with.”
“Are you talking about the detective?” Mr. Paris asked.
“I am, and I’m not. I hope it’ll be him. But even if it’s not, I want to find someone who makes me feel all the things.”
“We know I can make you feel things.”
Paige smiled up at him. “I know, and three weeks ago I would have taken you up on that offer for a fantasy tonight. But, no more hiding for me. I know what I want and I know what I deserve. And if we do all those things tonight, I’ll still wake up alone tomorrow. I know what it feels like to have my heart involved. How a simple text can make me feel alive. It’s lust on steroids when it’s real. You’re amazing. But you’re like a book that has come to an end. I could come back and re-read you, but there’s never a new story.”
Mr. Paris leaned down. She felt his lips brush her cheek. “You deserve the entire series, Miss Reading.”
Mr. Paris dropped his hand from her cheek and walked away. It felt sad, but it also felt right.
The rest of the evening flew by. When Paige reclaimed her phone, the first thing she saw was a text message from Max. I don’t even need to wish you luck. Tonight is going to be a smash hit.
“Come on, Clark. Let’s go home.”
Paige walked away from The Red Door not knowing if she’d ever come back.