Chapter 37
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SEVEN
ELODIE
Alex leads the way, holding the door open for me, which I’m grateful for, because I don’t think I would be able to open it myself at this point. I’m half tempted to turn back around and run out of here.
Fuck the contract.
But then I remind myself that the money is life-changing. It can do things for me and Alex that nothing else can. This life doesn’t hand people like me many life-changing opportunities. I need to hold on with both hands, gripping it tightly, and only when the contract is done do I let go.
Stepping into the bar area, I look around and wince. There are naked people everywhere. They’re all passed out. The bar is quiet, and I can’t help but wonder what I’m going to find in the bedrooms.
I decide that I don’t want to know, at least not yet. They all need to wake up and get the hell out of here—namely, Coast. Hopefully, I won’t see him. I’m hoping to avoid him for a year, but I don’t know if that’s possible.
“I’m going to start in the bathrooms,” I announce, holding up my cleaning caddy.
Alex lifts his hand, waving it as he turns toward the kitchen. “I’ll do the kitchen first, the bar next. Hopefully, some naked people will clear out by then.”
“Hopefully,” I murmur.
As I walk toward the bathrooms, I wonder what I’m going to find. The very first cleaning was a nightmare, but it’s been better since then. And today isn’t any different. It’s a bit messy, a bit dirty, smells a bit like pee, but it could be a million times worse.
It only takes me about an hour and a half to have the rooms sparkling again. When I’m finished, I look around, proud of the work I’ve accomplished. I would seriously love to gut this place and have everything redone. It would look so good because it seriously needs a refresh.
“I see why he hired you,” a woman’s voice calls out from behind me.
Spinning around, I flick my attention up to meet hers. She’s leaning against the doorjamb, her arms crossed just beneath her boobs. She’s wearing nothing but a pair of panties. I arch a brow as I look at her, unsure of how she wants me to respond to that.
“Wrath,” she states. “You’re beautiful. I see it now.”
I have about a million questions but decide that I’m not going to ask any of them. I can tell by the way her eyes are searching mine that she’s not just looking at me, she’s trying to read me. I don’t like it at all. But I’m not going to tell her that.
“I’m not sure what he’s said,” I begin, but she interrupts me before I can continue.
“He hasn’t said anything,” she states. “But he didn’t hire me, which means you’re different.”
The entire conversation already confuses the fuck out of me. I don’t say anything, though, because I have a feeling this woman would have some kind of comment about that, and honestly, I don’t need the commentary or judgment or whatever the hell she’s got going on.
“Hire you?” I ask.
She shrugs a shoulder, staying where she is, which completely blocks my exit. I wish I could walk right past her, but I am stuck where I am, staring at her face and wishing she had some damn clothes on, because as much as I want to hate her right now, she looks absolutely amazing.
“Usually, the most senior club girl is in charge of the clubhouse, cleaning, laundry, and food. All the things that encompass the daily running of the club.”
I bite my bottom lip and worry the flesh there, wondering how I’m going to get past her and out of here. I want to go. Far away. Actually, I want to finish this job and get home so I can crawl into bed and sleep.
Hopefully, I can sleep a lot—so I don’t eat my feelings.
Because I know there is at least one chocolate cheesecake, one box of macarons, and a pint of gelato in the freezer, all of which I want to devour immediately. And if they were here right now, I would eat it all… every damn bite.
“Club girl,” I whisper.
“Yeah, you know what that is, don’t you?”
She is smiling and loving this, loving every damn second of it, and I want to slap her right across her fat head. I don’t, though. Because none of this shit should matter to me at all whatsoever, even though it really does.
“Does it matter?” I ask.
There is a brief moment of silence, then she laughs softly as she pushes off the doorjamb and takes a few steps toward me, her hands falling from her chest. Her tits are bare and far too close to me.
I wish I could push her away. I don’t know this woman, but I can already tell that I do not like her.
“It does if you want to be with Wrath,” she murmurs.
“Why would you being a club girl or whatever matter?” I ask.
I’m pretty sure I should not ask this question at all whatsoever, but the words came out anyway, and now I’m staring at her, waiting for her to break my entire fucking heart with it. Because I’m pretty sure the way she’s smiling at me, she knows that’s what she’s going to do.
“Because you’re going to have to accept the fact that when he’s here, we fuck or he fucks some of the other girls, but regardless, he fucks.”
“What?” I gasp.
“This is a Vegas lifestyle. Don’t ask, don’t tell. Whatever happens here, stays here, and that includes everything. Every single thing.”
I already hate this girl, and I don’t know anything about her. I want to slap the shit out of her. I don’t do it, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to, because I very much do.
“Good for you,” I grind out.
Taking a step to the side, I begin to walk past her. She calls out to me, but I ignore her. I don’t care what she has to say, because it’s only going to make me feel worse. And I already feel bad enough as it is.
I walk down to the end of the hall so I can get started on the bedrooms, all the while trying to forget that woman and her naked boobs and her amazing body. How on earth does Coast go from her to me and want me?
He didn’t. He used me. I was a conquest of sorts, but I can’t even figure out why or how, because I’m not special. I don’t look like her or any of the other women walking around this place.
And clearly, I couldn’t hold his attention either, because he came running right back here. Even though I haven’t seen him, I know that’s exactly what he did.
God.
I’m pathetic.