Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Riley
“Riley Monroe, please head to the manager’s office…”
The words are still echoing in my head as I make my way down the well lit corridor. I can’t shake off the look on his face as he said my name. Nor the memory of what I witnessed.
But on the bright side, I got the job. Now that I don’t have to worry about money, I should be able to focus on my studies and graduate on time. I should be more excited about this. Even though I was never looking forward to stripping, it’s a big win.
At the end of the corridor, I see the door and the plaque with the word ‘manager’ on it.
I shake nervously, hoping to release the tension from my body, before knocking hesitantly on the door.
Relax, Riley this is a good thing.
“Come on in,” a voice from the inside instructs and I find myself obeying.
I step inside and I’m overwhelmed by the scent of expensive cologne and leather. The office is larger than I expected, dark wood panels lining the walls and a massive desk sitting in the center of the room.
The moment our eyes meet, I lose interest in the interior design of this place.
“You…”
In the well-lit room, I can’t help but notice how the light reflects in those green eyes. He’s changed into a clean shirt in the meantime and his hair is slicked back.
For a heartbeat, I find myself unable to move. He’s intimidating.
“I’m Ezekiel Kavanagh, the owner of Eden and your new boss.”
Ezekiel Kavanagh.
I’ve heard of him. His family is one of the richest families in the city, but that’s about all I remember. We belong to two different worlds and it never even crossed my mind that we would cross paths.
Or that he’d be this attractive.
“I’m sorry,” I finally manage to speak. “This was all a mistake, I shouldn’t be here…”
I turn to leave, wanting to punch myself for having ended up in the room alone with the same guy I escaped from earlier.
“Wait!” Ezekiel’s voice sounds cold, but it doesn’t make me feel threatened.
What the hell is going on?
“Don’t leave,” He gets up from his desks and takes a few steps closer to me but then stops at a safe distance. “Congratulations on getting the job. It’s a privilege to work at Eden, but I think you knew that when you came to audition.”
All I can do is nod. I did know. What I didn’t know is that I’d find myself in this mess before even getting hired. And to make things worse, I keep getting distracted by his physique.
“Take a seat,” He points to one of the chairs at his desk.
I don’t know how, but I find the courage to speak again. “I don’t want to work for you.”
Ezekiel raises an eyebrow and takes another careful step closer. My breath catches but I do my best not to show how much he’s affecting me.
“This is simple, Riley,” His voice is almost a whisper, and yet his words carry the power of a command. “If you refuse to work here, your friend won’t be hired either. Mia, was it?”
I don’t know why I was hoping that a determined ‘no’ to a job offer would be good enough for this man. Of course, he won’t let me go so easily after what I’ve witnessed. It’s a miracle that I’m still standing here and breathing, instead of rotting in a body bag somewhere.
“Take a seat,” this time I don’t let him repeat himself twice and I do as he says.
“It’s not fair to punish Mia because of me,” I look him firmly in the eyes. Big mistake, but if I’m screwed, I don’t want to bring my best friend down with me. Mia has a life of her own, goals of her own. I’m not going to ruin that for her.
“Who said anything about punishing?”
“You just…”
“I said that she won’t get hired either if you decide not to go through with the contract,” He makes himself comfortable in the chair across from me. “No one said anything about punishing.”
“What do you want from me?” I don’t know where the courage to challenge him like this is coming from, but I refuse to be jerked around by a man. No matter how hot, rich or dangerous that man might be.
“Isn’t it obvious? To hire you as a new dancer at the club,” he grins, making my heart drop.
“Do you threaten all your dancers?”
“No,” he shakes his head. “Only those who happen to walk in on me.”
“I never did such thing,” I realize that denying that I’ve seen anything is the best move and probably what he expects to hear from me. “I was just looking for a bathroom when you chased me down and I got scared.”
“So you ran because I scared you?”
“Wouldn’t you?” At this point, I’m aware that whatever is going on here is way darker than what I can even imagine. The blood splatter on his shirt flashes into my mind and I push the image away.
“I wouldn’t run if I didn’t do anything wrong,” Ezekiel leans back in his chair, his eyes never leaving me. I notice the way he scans me from head to toe, reading my body language but also staying a little too long on my legs.
“Well, next time maybe put clear signs for the bathroom and keep your lights in the corridors on,” I’m rambling, completely terrified of what he could do to me. “That way no one will accidentally walk into any wrong rooms.”
“So it was too dark for you to see anything?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve been trying to say all along!” My voice is a little harsher than I intended and I freeze for a heartbeat, worried that I might have overstepped. Not that I didn’t already overstep when I kicked him earlier.
What does he want from me?
“You say you were looking for the bathroom,” He continues. “But the bathroom was on the opposite side, close to the stage.”
“It is out of order, I was given directions to another one and got lost,” I sigh. “You’re now keeping me here against my will and blackmailing me into signing the contract, and I just want to leave.”
“This is not blackmail, Riley.”
God, the way my name sounds on his lips.
“All you have to do is keep your mouth shut and really believe your story about not having seen anything,” The confident smug makes me want to get up from my chair and slap him. Or maybe find another more creative way to wipe it off his face.
Stop it, Riley!
“And both you and your friend can keep your jobs.”
“That’s all?” I find it hard to believe that he would let me off the hook so easily.
He might be many things, but stupid is not one of them and I know he’s aware that I’m lying. I would not have run if I hadn’t seen too much in that room. Besides, I’m far from being a great actress, I’m sure he can see straight through me.
“That’s all,” he nods.
I’m defeated. There is no other way out of this for me, so I nod.
From the little I I can see about him, he’s a man who thrives on control. I don’t think I can talk my way out of it, if he’s set on keeping me to work for him after what I’ve seen. So, I sign the contract and choose to look on the bright side of things–I finally have a well-paid job.
“That’s a smart move,” he says, reaching out his hand for me to shake it.
When I stay put and don’t do it, he laughs, his eyes dropping for a second to my open jacket.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d bet he’s been checking me out during the entire conversation.
“Tomorrow is your first rehearsal. Make sure you don’t miss it. ”
“I’ll be there,” I nod, ready to get out of here as soon as he allows me to.
Ezekiel nods without saying a word, clearly satisfied that I gave in and he got his way.
This time he doesn’t offer me a handshake and I’m glad he doesn’t because the thought of touching his skin makes my stomach turn and my reaction to him scares me.
I get up and head towards the door when I hear him add.
“Welcome to Eden, Riley.”
After a long and exhausting night, going home feels more like a punishment than a reward. The graffiti on the brick walls are a confirmation that I’ve left the nice neighborhood behind me.
As I’m waiting for the bus to leave the station so I can cross the street, I hear a siren before a police car speeds in front of me, followed by two motorcycles.
“Another day in paradise,” I chuckle, speaking at loud even though there is no one to hear me. I would be lying if I said I’m not afraid to live here, but right now it’s the best I can afford.
“Hey there,” my neighbor Noah is leaning on the wall at the building entrance and my stomach drops the moment I see him. “You look tired, do you want to come to papa’s place for some fun? I can help you let lose a little.”
“I’ll pass,” I say calmly. Noah is not aggressive as long as he’s sober and he appears to be so tonight. “Can you please move so I can get inside?”
“Hmm,” he sighs, but he makes space for me to open the door and walk into the building.
“You’re no fun, neighbor.” I can hear him mumble but I choose to ignore it, not wanting to spend another breath on him.
Besides, I know that getting into an argument with a guy like that would only make things worse for me.
After climbing what feels like a never-ending flight of stairs, I finally reach the fourth floor. By the time I dig my keys out of my bag, my legs are burning and my patience is hanging by a thread.
The hallway is as worn down as ever, with faded paint peeling from the walls in places and the overhead light flickering weakly. The building is quiet at this hour, save for the distant hum of a television coming from one of the neighboring units.
I let myself inside and gently push the door closed behind me, but the weak wooden frame still rattles loudly. The sound echoes through the apartment and I freeze, worried that I might have woken up my roommates.
“Riley?” Elena, one of my two roommates, calls out from the living room. “Is that you?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
I find her curled up on the couch, with a calculator in her hand and a math book spread across her lap. Empty coffee cups and highlighted notes cover most of the coffee table.
“Tough night?
“You have no idea,” she sighs, taking another sip of coffee. “If you want a cup, there’s still some in the kitchen.”
“Gosh, it’s like you’re reading my mind.”
After thanking her and wishing her luck with her studying, I head toward the kitchen.
Though, calling it a separate room is generous.
A thin wall cuts the apartment in two, creating a narrow space just large enough for a stove, a sink, and a few cabinets.
The counter barely has enough room for a coffee maker, but somehow we’ve made it work.
The entire apartment is like that.
We have three small bedrooms branching off a short hallway, and the bathroom is squeezed between them.
There isn’t much space but I’ve learned that having the right roommates matters more than square footage.
Thankfully, Elena and Lexi are both organized, which makes the cramped apartment feel a lot more livable than it should.
Tonight’s going to be a long night.
I pour myself a large cup of coffee and head down the hallway. Another siren blares somewhere outside, the sound drifting in through the old windows. As soon as I reach my room, I find my noise-canceling headphones and put them on.
My desk sits tucked into the corner between the bed and the window, leaving just enough space for a chair. I set down my coffee, open my notes, and force myself to focus on tomorrow’s exam.
It lasts all of five minutes.
Even though I’m doing my best to focus, my thoughts keep drifting back to Ezekiel and the ruthless look in his eyes as he was pinning me against the wall. Heat spreads through me before I can stop it, and I cross my legs, dragging my attention back to the pages in front of me.