Chapter Fourteen
Lily
? “Glory Box” - Portishead ?
My body freezes as I stare at Jace. I can’t believe I just did that.
He rolls his neck back to me slowly. My eyes zone in on his mouth as his tongue swipes the crimson off his bottom lip.
I slowly start to back away, my heart battering against my chest. He stands from his seat, towering almost two feet over me.
I continue walking backward until I fall onto the couch.
He plants his hands right above my head on the sofa. “Any particular reason you decided to be violent today, álainn?”
As soon as I open my mouth the speak, he leans closer to me, swiping his tongue over my lips.
I can taste the iron that lingers, electricity streaming down to the pit of my stomach, I close my eyes to take a deep breath, washing away the emotion.
Exchanging my lust to anger, I lift my arms, pushing him on his chest, but he doesn’t back away.
I push again and again until he finally releases the death grip he has on the couch.
He backs away, letting me stand up. I go to open my mouth, but it feels as if I have a hand crushing my windpipe.
My eyes burn, and there’s pressure in my ears.
I blink fast and hard to clear my vision. “My situation was private,” I whisper.
“Specifics, álainn.”
I close my eyes, “My school. You paid for my fucking school! Is this some sort of game? You babysit me once and now you think you have control of me? You say who I can and can’t hang out with and what I’m allowed to do and not do?
! Now you pay for my school! For what?! So I’d feel bad and continue to stay in VIP for you? ”
“I don’t see an issue here,” he deadpans.
I start pacing around the room, running my hands through my hair. “Resolute. Have you ever heard of the term before, Mr. Cook? It means—” I’m cut off when he pulls my arm backward, crashing my body into him.
“I told you not to call me that,” he sneers. His face is only inches from mine. I watch as he drags his eyes from mine down to my lips, his sharp eyes turning soft as he loosens his grip on my arm.
“What is your issue?!” I push him off me, causing me to fall back onto the couch. I prop my elbows on my knees, wiping my hands down my face. I watch as Jace starts to walk away, pulling the curtain back. “Hey! Where are you going?! We are not finished here!”
He turns his head over his shoulder, thinning his lips he says, “The jacks,” and closes the curtain behind him.
The jacks? What does that even mean?
I throw my head back against the couch, staring at the ceiling.
Now what am I going to do? How am I supposed to pay him back?
Maybe I can take Mateo’s job offer. Work there from nine to five then be at the club by nine at night.
It’s like when I was working at Caffee Latte, except I will have shorter nap times in the afternoon and will have to work on school... When I can.
I stand from the couch, peeking my head out of the curtain and looking around. No Irish man in sight, but I do spot Mateo.
I walk toward him and his friends who are sitting in the middle section of the club. “Hi, Mateo.”
His eyes are barely open as he looks me up and down, scanning my body like a prized possession. Suddenly, I’m feeling very naked.
“Well, hey there, pretty girl. I’ve missed you. Sit down with me.”
I look around us, scanning the crowd. “Um, I can’t. I just wanted to let you know I would like that interview, for what you offered.”
His smile reaches his eyes as he stands, holding out his hand. “Great, you’re hired.”
“I’m sorry? I thought—”
“You’re hired. That was your interview. I’ll text you the address and details,” he whispers into my ear over the loud music.
I scratch my forehead, not understanding how that was an interview. “I—”
“Miss Ballis.”
I turn around to see our bodyguard, Aaron, standing behind me. He’s as wide as a linebacker, but shorter than me when I’m wearing heels.
“You’re requested back in your room.”
I roll my eyes, turning back to Mateo. He gives me a nod and turns to sit back on the couch with his friends.
Now we are sending other people to fetch me? This is fucking fantastic. It’s like he has never left my side since Rowan and Celeste went to Italy.
I rip the curtains open, seeing nobody in the room. His laptop is gone, and everything is cleared off the table. I turn back around to see Aaron standing guard.
“Where is he?”
“Who, ma’am?” Aaron asks.
“Jace?”
Aaron looks to his left and right in confusion.
“Jace, the one who is always in room five. Annoying Irish dude. Tall, blonde hair, eyes like a husky. Jace!” I scream, getting irritated with this whole ordeal.
“I’m not sure, Miss Ballis, I was told to keep you in room five.”
“Why? By who? Nobody is even here!”
“I am just doing my job.”
If I could scream and throw a tantrum right now, I would, but he is right. He is just doing his job, and I cannot blame him for it. It’s not his fault. It’s Jace's.
I give him a tight smile, calming myself and close the curtain in front of me.
"Stop, Celeste," I mumble, feeling my body jerked multiple times. “Five more minutes.” I turn my body, snuggling my arms into my chest. I feel my legs being dragged off the bed. “Oh my god!” I whip my head around and scream when I see Roxxie standing in front of me.
I take in my vicinity and see I am still at work.
“It’s after hours. You need to leave.”
“I am so sorry.” I gather myself, wiping the dried-up crust I feel near the corner of my mouth.
I stand, running out of the room to the lockers.
I look at the clock to see it’s past 4 a.m. Did Jace ever come back?
Why wouldn’t he wake me if he did? I switch from my heels to my slippers, grabbing my bag and heading out the front door.
The sun is barely rising and the cool morning breeze brushes past my legs, causing a shiver throughout my body.
I pull my bag off my shoulder to pull out my trench coat, wrapping it tightly around myself.
I walk out of the alley into the main road, spotting a taxi.
I wave my hand in the air to try and get his attention, but the stupid yellow car decides to ignore me and drives past. This would be a really nice time to have a car.
Luckily, there is another one coming. I wave my hand in the air again, hoping to catch this one.
My whole body jumps when I hear a high-pitched whistle right behind me. I turn around to see Mateo removing his two fingers from his mouth. When I turn back around, the taxi is pulling to the curb.
“I thought whistling for taxis only works in movies.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I just wanted to show off my talent,” he says, walking to the car and opening the door for me.
“What are you doing out this early?” I ask.
“Stocks don’t wait for you to do your morning
routine.”
“Why don’t you drive to work?” I interrogate, stepping into the car but leaving my body halfway out.
“Hey lady, can we hurry it up here?!”
I turn to see the taxi driver looking back at us. Mateo lets go of my door and knocks on the front passenger window, signaling the man to roll it down. He throws money through the window and says, “How ‘bout you take the pretty lady where she needs to go and keep your mouth shut.”
The taxi driver scoops up the money, holding it to the light, and nods at Mateo.
“You start tomorrow at nine a.m. Meet me in the lobby of Brooks on Wall Street.” He gives me a smile while softly closing the taxi door, his hands in the pockets of his suit as he casually walks away down the street.
I meet the taxi driver's eyes in his review mirror when he says, “I need an address, ma’am.”
I give the driver my address and start making a mental list of what could possibly go wrong with me working at the Law firm.
A tremble wracks my body when I realize this could actually be good for me.
Maybe it’s time to put my dreams aside and become an adult.
Yet, in the back of my mind, I still have mixed emotions about letting go of my career dreams.