17. Jealousy
Jealousy
I changed into my little black dress, the rustling of the material echoing in the immense washroom.
Jack could easily have split this room in three and gotten himself a washroom and two more rooms. Still, I had to admit the huge shower with multiple sprays looked inviting.
The large counter had one sink, and the toilet was a standard one; nothing too special about those.
Although, the space made my bathroom back home look miniature.
I was relieved there was no bathtub in here since my mind was already fixated on the one in the basement.
Would he show me what it looked like when he put a body in there?
A shiver shot down my back, and I did my best to finish my makeup.
Not too much since I wasn’t going to the nightclub to party, but I wanted to fit in at least a little.
I stepped out of the washroom and back into the main area. Jack strode forward, slipping on a black t-shirt with the word security written beneath the logo of the club. He stopped in his tracks, his gaze raking my body.
“You look ravishing,” he said in a husky breath. He closed the gap between us, then slid his finger along my chest until it stopped in the collar dip of my dress.
“Thank you.” I swallowed hard at the way he looked at me. As though he wanted to devour me where I stood. And in that moment, I wasn’t sure I’d mind.
Reminding myself I was supposed to keep this professional, I quickly took a step back, clutching my purse against my abdomen. “You look pretty good yourself,” I said with a smile.
He dropped his hand, and for a split second, I thought I saw a gleam in his eyes. “Thanks.” He went to the door that led to the garage and opened it. “My shift starts in around thirty minutes. We should head out. Have everything you need?”
I glanced into my bag, making sure I had my notebook and pen, then nodded. “All set.”
It didn’t take as long to get back downtown since there was barely any traffic at seven o’clock in the evening. He parked in a staff-only space, and we got out of the vehicle. It was hotter than the days before, and I welcomed it since I’d be outside for most of the night.
A line formed in front of the club, and we walked past until we reached the entrance.
“Jack, finally here,” the man at the door boomed. He wore the same t-shirt as Jack but was a bit shorter, although bulkier. The flashing lights overhead reflected against his shaven head as he grinned. “Thought you were going to leave me high and dry tonight.”
“Never.” Jack motioned to the man. “This is David Beauchamp.” He turned to his co-worker. “David, this is my darling girl, Jill.”
My whole body seemed to combust as I shook David’s hand. All the while, Jack watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. “Nice to meet you,” I said, hoping the night hid a bit of my blush.
“Same.” David nudged Jack in the ribs with his elbow before grabbing someone’s ID and letting them in after collecting the entrance fee. “Come on in.”
Jack grabbed a stool and placed it where one of the doors was kept locked so people couldn’t enter that way. “Here.” He helped me up, and I wished I wouldn’t feel so hot and bothered.
“Why...did you introduce me like that?” I almost hissed.
He arched an eyebrow. “Should I have told him why you’re really here?”
I opened and closed my mouth, trying to find an argument, but none came to mind. My shoulders slumped; of course he didn’t really think of me as anything else. He just had to find a way to introduce me. “Well, you could’ve warned me.”
He just grinned. “I have to go clock in. David here will keep you safe in the meantime.”
“You know this isn’t my first time at a nightclub, right? I can take care of myself.”
He leaned close so his lips brushed against my ear. “Judging by the favors you were exchanging and the drug addiction you used to have, I don’t doubt that at all.”
I lifted my hand, wanting nothing better than to smack him, but he grasped my wrist before I even swung.
He pulled back a bit, darkness swimming behind his brown eyes as he stared at me.
“But things are different now. No one touches you because if they do, you’ll get a lot more gifts inside boxes from me. Understand?”
My eyebrows shot up, and I just nodded before he kissed the top of my head and vanished inside the club.
David let a few more people inside, then turned to me as I took my notebook out. “Was this his idea of a date?” he asked with a laugh.
“No. Just wanted to hang around him while he worked. I can study in the meantime.”
“You’re a student?” He eyed me as though unsure what kind of student I was and whether he should call the cops.
“Doing my master’s degree at uOttawa.”
Another few IDs checked, and he nodded. “That’s impressive. Never thought I’d see Jack with someone. He always ignores all the people who flirt with him.”
The thought of people flirting with him infuriated me. Not that it should since we weren’t a thing and never would be, but just... I didn’t like it. But I was relieved to hear he usually ignored them.
Was I a special case, then? Or maybe he just never flirted with the patrons... maybe he had sex often. I nearly groaned out loud at my own stupidity; I hadn’t even made sure he’d used a condom when we’d fucked. I’d had my tubes tied five years ago, but that didn’t protect against STIs.
Jack came back outside, and I busied myself with writing all the information I’d gathered since he’d brought me to his home. From the upstairs to the basement. And from the paintings to the bathtub. I trembled at the thought but did my best to keep my emotions out of it.
Hours passed, and from time to time, I’d glance up to see how Jack acted with others. He was professional, almost never smiling despite the number of women who did, in fact, flirt with him. I wanted to throw them in Jack’s tub.
“Go take your break and pay attention to your girl,” David said while slapping Jack on the back.
Jack gave a curt nod, then turned to me. I slid off the stool and lost my footing, my legs having gone numb. He caught me and helped me stand as I winced. I hadn’t even noticed, but now it was as though they were filled with the static of a television.
“Sorry about that,” I said, trying to pull away, but he just held me closer.
“I get my meal break. Come on.” He wrapped an arm around my waist, and we walked inside the club.
The music blared as rowdy people screamed, bouncing around to the beat.
Despite the crowd, he managed to push through with ease.
The lights flashed from white to red, occasionally plunging the place in an eerie glow.
We pushed past people until we got to the back door and entered an employee’s only room.
“Am I allowed in here?” I asked, biting my lower lip.
“Don’t worry about it.” He pulled me inside, and all the sounds went back to being muffled.
We sat at a table, but instead of sitting across, he took the seat next to me. He grabbed one of the menus and handed it to me.
“What would you like to eat?”
“Oh...” I glanced at the prices, and my stomach dropped; I knew after-hour places were more expensive, but this was ridiculous. “I didn’t―”
“Whatever I order is covered on my tab, so don’t worry about money if that’s what you’re about to say.” He pointed at the name of a sandwich. “I recommend this if you enjoy Montreal smoked meat.”
My mouth watered at the thought. I almost joked I’d prefer his meat but pressed my lips together and just nodded. He got up, then walked back out. The techno music blasted for a second before the door shut again.
We finished eating, and I sighed, leaning back and rubbing my abdomen. “I haven’t eaten this much in... well, ever,” I said with a giggle. I got to my feet and grabbed both plates before making my way to the sink.
“You don’t need to―”
“I don’t mind. Need to stretch my legs, anyway.” I motioned to him. “You’re the one who was standing for hours... getting flirted with the whole time.”
He straightened in his seat. “And ignoring their advances.”
“I know,” I said, finishing washing the dishes. But the audacity of some people. He was working. Flirting was unacceptable. I hated the sting of jealousy, especially when it didn’t make any sense.
“Do you ever have sex with any of them?” I blurted out the words before I really thought of what I was asking.
Way to stay professional.
He stood and walked toward me slowly, as though he was taking a leisurely stroll. “And are you asking for yourself personally or to write in that notebook of yours?” Although his voice was calm, nothing about his gaze was; a storm brewed behind them.
“Both,” I breathed.
With only a foot separating us, I had to arch back to look up at him.
“My hobbies relax me. If I need something more, I pay for it.”
“You mean sex workers?” I asked, surprised; I expected him to take the dozens of offers he’d gotten tonight alone.
He nodded. “And I pay extra because I have specific needs and wants.” He added, “And yes, I always use protection.”
I really wanted to write all this down but made mental notes along the way, not wanting to break the moment. He didn’t always want to share, and I wasn’t about to interrupt him.
“I imagine it comes as no surprise to you that I enjoy inflicting pain.” He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back.
I gasped, wincing as each hair pulled against my scalp. “Not even a little,” I bit out the words.
He chuckled and let me go before turning back toward the entrance. “I rarely need that, though. The rest keeps me more than satisfied.” He glanced over his shoulder at me, hunger dancing behind his eyes as he stared.
I swallowed hard.