Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Lottie sat at the front desk manning calls while she flipped through a copy of Atomic magazine. “Clinique de villa,” she said, trying to sound upbeat and not.
Sitting up straight like he could see her through the phone line, she answered Razor. “Lottie, it's Razor.”
“Hello. Everything’s going good today,” she said before he could ask. The place was quiet for a change, and she was enjoying a minute to breathe.
“Go out with me.”
“What?” Had she heard him correctly? After all the weeks and months wanting Razor to ask her out, now he asks.
“Have dinner with me,” he asked again. Was she thinking of saying no? He never once thought she’d say no. After all the flirting and teasing each other, he had never thought about the idea that it was all in good fun. That maybe she really wasn’t interested in dating him. Well, shit.
Her hand shook as she held the phone to her ear. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, we work together.”
Smiling at the stall tactic, his doubts floated away. For a minute, he’d doubted himself and his ability to read a woman. After all, he was dealing with Lottie. “I’m good with compartmentalizing my life. And I think you are too.”
“Her chest rose and fell as she stood there thinking about his question. She was both shocked and terrified. She’d been off her game.
Damn it. Did he know she’d seen him at The Red Door?
Did he know she was the one requesting private scenes in the Black Velvet Room?
Shit. What if it wasn’t that and he just wanted to take her out?
Thinking about all of it, Lottie wondered if she could go out with a man that was publicly screwing a woman to please others.
Chewing on her thumbnail, she made the choice to say yes. “Okay. I’m off this weekend.”
“I’ll plan everything and send you the details.”
Hearing his comment, Lottie snapped out of her thoughts. “Sounds good,” she answered, thinking what had she just agreed to.
“Have a great evening.” Hanging up, Razor left her to think about what she’d just agreed to.
Razor sat there for a moment, his fingers still gripping the phone as the call ended.
His heart raced in a way he didn’t expect.
This was it. He had done it. But now that it was over, the adrenaline of the moment made him feel a strange mix of accomplishment and uncertainty.
He wasn’t used to second-guessing himself, especially when it came to things like this.
He’d made his move, taken the plunge, and now Lottie was on board.
But the ease with which she’d agreed, her hesitation slipping into acceptance—there was something there he couldn’t quite pin down.
She was playing it cool, but the way her voice had trembled just slightly told him she was as rattled as he was.
His smile faded into a thoughtful frown. There was no denying it now; they were about to cross that line, the one they’d been flirting with for so long. And Razor knew that once he crossed it, there was no going back. She had said yes. Fuck it, he thought. It was happening.
Firing up the bike, he pulled back onto the road feeling relaxed.
* * *
Back at the clinic, Lottie sat motionless, her thumb still in her mouth, staring blankly at the floor as the phone call ended.
Her chest rose and fell with a rhythm that betrayed her calm exterior.
That fluttering feeling in her stomach—had it been there all along?
Or had it only just appeared, now that Razor had asked her out?
She replayed the conversation in her head, trying to make sense of everything. Had she been too quick to say yes? Should she have thought it over longer?
For months, she’d fantasized about Razor asking her out. She had spent hours wondering what it would be like to go beyond the banter, beyond the teasing touches at the clinic, the playful glances, the dangerous chemistry that danced between them whenever they crossed paths. But did she want it?
The problem wasn’t with him; it was with her.
Lottie had never been the kind of woman to get tangled up in something that felt too much like a game.
She had already seen enough of that in her world.
But this was Razor. He was the man who wasn’t afraid to take charge, who didn’t hesitate when it came to getting what he wanted.
But now that he had asked, Lottie was left wondering—was he just another player in a game that had already been decided, or was this something more?
And then there was The Red Door. God, she hoped he didn’t know about that.
About her, the private requests, the Black Velvet room.
Had he been watching? Had he put the pieces together?
What if he was only asking her out because of that?
What if he wasn’t interested in her as a woman, but only as some fantasy to indulge?
Chewing her thumb, she had to admit she was curious.
Curious about him, curious about them. But also terrified.
There was a part of her that worried it would all fall apart the second they stepped into something real.
Relationships didn’t come with guarantees, and she wasn’t about to risk everything for the chance of a night out with a man who could take her apart with a look.
Still, as the minutes passed, her mind settled. She didn’t want to run from it. She couldn’t run from it.
“Okay,” she whispered to herself, a breath escaping her lips. “Let’s see where this goes.” She’d agreed. And now there was no turning back.
* * *
Later that night, Razor sat on the edge of his bed, pulling up his phone again to review the details of the date he’d planned. The details would matter. He wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. This was his opportunity to show her something she hadn’t seen before…something real.
But as he typed out the text message, part of him couldn’t stop thinking about The Red Door. Would it come up? Would she even bring it up? And if she did, was he ready for that conversation?
It was too late to back out now.
He hit send; the message delivered with a single tap.
The date was set.
And now Razor was left to wonder: Would this be just a night out, or was he in way deeper than he thought?