5. Chapter 5
Two Weeks Later
Bambi spun around the pole. Her movements were fluid enough, but they lacked precision. The studio lights highlighted the tension in her muscles. She was good, no doubt about it. But she wanted better. I stepped closer.
“Your grip is too tight. Loosen up a bit. Let the pole guide you, not the other way around.”
She nodded, biting her lip in concentration, and tried again. This time, her movements were more controlled and smoother. She was determined to get it right and increase her cash flow at the club.
“That’s better. How about we work on spins?”
She took a deep breath and adjusted her stance. She launched into a spin, her body arching as she twirled around the pole. There was stiffness in her movements. She rested a minute, and I approached the pole.
“Relax your shoulders,” I instructed, demonstrating the motion with my body. “Like this. See how it flows?”
I mimicked her movements from earlier as she studied my body. I hopped down and notched my head to the pole.
“Your turn.”
This time, her spin was nearly perfect. And from the smile on her face, she realized it as well. I moved to the center of the room.
“Transitions are up next. Your form is improving, but you need to make the movements between tricks smoother as well. You have a disconnect the minute you leave the pole.”
She followed me, and like a sponge, soaked up every piece of advice I offered. I demonstrated a series of transitions, breaking them down step by step. She watched intently, her focus unwavering.
“Got it?” I asked, stepping back.
She nodded, taking her position. This time, each motion blended into the next, and she found her groove.
As she practiced, I leaned against the wall, watching her progress.
The music pulsed through the speakers. My eyes caught movement at the door, and I stepped away from her. Maddie, our receptionist, approached.
“I’m sorry, she insisted. Mentioned an emergency.”
Sighing, I walked over to where she was standing in the lobby. As I approached, Hannah took that as an invitation to advance. She had a look of extreme disgust on her face as she glanced at the pole Bambi was swinging on. It had been two full weeks of blissful silence on the Hannah front.
What the hell was she doing here now?
“I can’t believe this is what you’re doing with your time now. Your father would be so disappointed. What happened to the man I used to know?” She sneered.
My jaw locked. I struggled to maintain my composure as I ushered her outside. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Chase asked me to stop by. He and Lisa never got your RSVP for the wedding. Are you coming?”
“That’s the emergency?” I shook my head in irritation before turning back to her. “Yes, I’m not sure why he didn’t receive it, but I’ll text him. Is that all?”
“We have the dance routine to work on. We should set some time aside to practice, with us not seeing each other anymore on a daily basis I want to get it right. Lisa and Chase deserve the best. We need to be ready.”
I narrowed my eyes. “The routine isn’t that difficult. I’m sure I’ll nail it. I always do.”
“Very true,” she purred, taking me by surprise.
What the hell was wrong with her? One minute I was a piece of shit, disappointing my poor deceased father, and now she was flirting? I shook my head and turned to leave, but she pulled my arm.
“There is something else we need to talk about.” She stepped closer.
“What is it?” I asked, feeling a sense of foreboding in my gut.
“Us. We need to talk about us. We belong together. We were perfect before all of this,” she said, waving her hand toward the studio.
I heaved, the pounding behind my eyes signifying a headache coming on. “We’re not doing this. And things weren’t perfect before Kinsley.” I put a name to it.
“How can you say that? We were engaged, going to have a family together. We should be practicing our own first dance. Are you fucking her?” She inclined her head toward Bambi, inside.
“If I was, it wouldn’t be your business,” I sighed when she smiled.
Maybe I should have told her the truth. And the truth was, I fucked who I wanted, when I wanted. Being a card-carrying member of a sex club had that added benefit. But the less she knew, the better.
“Then maybe we could, for old times’ sake.”
“I’m good. Look, I’ve learned a thing or two since we split. We broke up for a reason, and that was only one of them.”
The smile she’d been forcing faltered. Her jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, and her fingers curled against her sides until the knuckles whitened.
“Are you saying I was bad in bed?”
“I’m saying we weren’t compatible is all. Look, I don’t want to keep doing this with you. You deserve to move on.”
“You’re really going to look me in the face and tell me the five years we spent together meant nothing?”
Aiden made his way toward the studio next door. Our eyes met, and a question formed in his eyes. He shook his head and disappeared inside. Lucky fucker.
“As I said earlier, I’ll text Chase about the wedding.”
“No, that’s not good enough. Answer the question. Look me in the face and tell me what we had meant nothing.”
“I’m not doing this with you. What we had was in the past.”
“Don’t brush me off like that. Answer the question, Pavel,” she sneered. She planted her hands on her hips. “I thought this was a small break?”
Was she fucking insane?
Our taking a break was forever ago. We hadn’t done the on again, off again for months. Was she losing her mind? Living in a delusion? I couldn’t count how many times I’d said or texted the actual words ‘we’re over’.
“Well, let me make this clear. If you want to think of it as a break, go ahead, but do me a favor and consider it a permanent one. I am done.”
She closed the space between us and looped her arms around my neck.
“And if I don’t accept that answer?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to tell you,” I snapped, disentangling her and trying to hold her at a distance.
Striving for patience, I reminded myself that it was pointless to continue the conversation. I wanted to avoid the mind-fucking shit-storm that she was. Inhaling deeply, I calmed my breathing, and then exhaled.
“I get this is difficult for you. I wish you nothing but the best in your life. I’ve got a client waiting. I’m tired of going around in circles with you. I have work to do. The best thing you can do is move on, trust me.” I moved to step away, but she grabbed my hand and pulled me back.
“Wait—did you lie about earlier? Is that why you’ve gone so cold? Are you with that girl? I deserve to know,” she demanded.
My frustration reached a whole new level.
“You are, aren’t you? I can’t believe it.”
“I’ll repeat myself only once more, Hannah. I’m not doing this with you, not anymore. You need to leave.”
“And you need to stop stalling and tell me the truth,” she hissed. “If you’ve moved on, I deserve the right to know.”
“You’ve asked this and I’ve answered it. Perhaps you need to learn how to listen better. Another one of our issues that bled into our bedroom more times than I care to admit.”
“You’re lying though. I know, I was with you for far too long,” she screamed. Heads turned up and down the street. “What is her name?”
“Get a fucking grip. Talk about being a disappointment. You need to get control of yourself. You’re making a scene.”
“It’s Kinsley, isn’t it?” She smiled like she’d uncovered a dark secret. “Is she inside? I’ll bet she will admit it. I’ll ask her directly.”
“No, what you’ll do is stay the hell away from her,” I said low enough only she could hear. “If you know what’s good for you, that is.”
“Is that a threat? Are you afraid for the world to know you’re another one of her fuck boys?”
“I mean it, Hannah,” I roared, feeling a surge of anger inside me. “I’m not playing around. Keep away from Kinsley.”
The realization that the woman I had planned to spend my life with was a complete stranger hit me hard, and the crazed look in her eyes made me nervous for the first time. If she so much as pulled a strand of Kinsley’s hair, I wouldn’t be able to contain her men.
While I’d never seen them deal with a woman in our Death Squad business, I had asked one time where the limit was as far as men and women were concerned. Their resounding answer was there wasn’t one.
And while Kinsley wasn’t a delicate flower, she was na?ve and trusting. If Hannah were to lure her, the thought twisted foreign and ugly in my gut. Kinsley had been through enough in her lifetime. This was the last thing she needed.
In five years together, I’d never seen this side of Hannah. Or maybe I had and simply failed to recognize it for what it was. Unease consumed me in the span of seconds. I flattened my hands against my legs to keep them from curling into fists.
Without thinking it through, I lied. “I am seeing someone. It’s not Kinsley. Not that you’ve ever believed me anyway.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Who is she? Do I know her?”
You could cut the tension between us with a knife, and I struggled to maintain my composure. But Hannah wasn’t satisfied, wouldn’t be until she got an answer. Isabella stepped into my line of sight.
How long had she been listening? With that quiet determination she always had, she strode over to me, and her presence instantly calmed the turbulent storm within me. She turned to face Hannah.
“He’s telling the truth. It’s not Kinsley. Never has been. It’s me. We’re dating,” she stated firmly.
Her words hung in the air between us. Hannah’s expression shifted from disbelief to frustration. Before she could respond, Isabella looped her pinkie through mine and then took my hand in hers.
With a firm squeeze, she let me know she had my back. She leaned her head against me and sighed. Hannah’s reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened in shock before narrowing into slits of disbelief.
She was taken aback by Isabella’s boldness. For a moment, the three of us stood around, staring at each other. Then, to my surprise, Hannah let out a sigh, her shoulders slumped.
She gave a harsh laugh. “I guess I should have seen this coming.”
Isabella and I exchanged a wary glance, unsure of how to respond. “I get it’s difficult, but sometimes things aren’t meant to be,” I said.
“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking about coming here. I’d wish you good luck, but, yeah…”
Then without warning, she turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing on the sidewalk as she took off down the street. Only time would tell if her acceptance was real. I could only hope it was.
Isabella had a grip still on my hand, and even though Hannah had disappeared, she hadn’t let go. I hadn’t expected her to step in. I definitely hadn’t expected it to feel so right. Neither of us spoke. Finally, she exhaled and pulled her hand away.
“Well, that was…something. Aiden told me you guys were fighting,” she said, breaking the moment.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the flush on her cheeks.
“Thanks for saving me.”
“Anytime,” she said. “Try not to make a habit of it though. Or I’ll have to charge you.”
“Well, here’s to hoping she took the bait and won’t be back,” I said.
She grinned. “I should get back inside. I’ve got a client coming in for a cover-up.”
“Oh shit, I forgot Bambi,” I stammered.
“Wouldn’t want to keep her waiting. Better hurry,” she teased.