Chapter 4 #2
A look of panic passed over his face. She could understand that with as wealthy as he was, he was right to be afraid someone in the neighborhood would take his stuff.
“Can I come in?” His eyes roamed over her and heated areas that didn’t need to be reheated, and it was then that she realized it would have been better if she had put on more clothes than the t-shirt and panty set she had on.
At least the shirt was long enough to cover her undies, but only by an inch.
“No.” There wasn’t going to be a repeat of earlier in the night. She was still sore, and he hadn’t liked it anyway. “Why are you here? I guess Enzo gave you my information.”
“I wanted to make sure you were ok.”
“I’m fine.”
“I also came to apologize for not putting on a condom and to let you know that I’m clean.” Yeah, she had recognized what had happened when she had gotten home and cleaned up. That had been what had floated around in the back of her mind.
“I’m clean too, and I’m on birth control.” There would be no little Dantes running around in her future. Which was good. She didn’t even want kids.
“Can you show me your pack?”
“My pack of what?”
“Your birth control pack.”
“Wow, distrust much.” She slammed the door in his face, went to get her control pack, and came back. He still stood there. “Here. I guess you want to open it to make sure I’m taking all my little pills.”
“Madison, I know this seems weird, but I have to protect myself.”
“Yeah, well so do I. You’re not the one whose life will be ruined. I can’t afford a baby.”
“But you have to take them on time. You missed today.”
“No I didn’t.” Her phone dinged. “Perfect timing, that’s my alarm now. You can watch me take it.” She took the pack from him, popped out the pill and dry swallowed it. “Is that better?”
“Yes.”
“Great.” Madison closed the door in his face.
Madison walked away from the door and surveyed her place, her mind whirled. He had gotten what he wanted and hadn’t liked it, so she didn’t expect to see him around and figured she would only have to deal with Enzo, which wasn’t bad.
She turned off the lights and padded down the hallway and back to her bathroom. She had already showered when she came home, so she would finish up her nighttime routine with her skin care regime.
She looked at her face, she dotted moisturizer on her cheeks and chin and then smoothed it up her face and into her hairline. She didn’t think she was ugly anymore, like her mother led her to believe. In fact she looked like a replica of her mother as she grew up.
Madison always believed her mom was beautiful. Even though she knew she looked like her mom now, she didn’t feel beautiful. She no longer believed she was ugly, but she knew her face was just her face.
She couldn’t change it. But she didn’t use it to get her stuff. She wanted to be known for what was on the inside. Her mother only cared for the exterior, but Madison knew it was what was inside that mattered.
She turned off the light she walked into her bedroom and pulled back the covers and slipped in. She didn’t fancy rumors around at the club that put her and Dante together.
People didn’t know she knew they called her the ice queen behind her back. It hurt that people called her that. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t have any experience with the opposite sex thanks to her mom.
She didn’t know how to act with men or what to do or say. She had no flirting skills, and so she chose to keep herself apart from those interactions and just watch instead. No one would leave her alone. Eric would be first in line if he found out. She turned out the light.
She also didn’t want people to think she slept with Dante to get on the schedule.
She already knew there were rumors she was using Enzo to not have to follow the club rules of thong string bikinis when on the floor for all strippers.
And she didn’t have to take whatever position the patrons wanted her to.
She pushed it out of her mind. She needed to get some sleep, so she could sketch ideas for her fashion week project.
****
Madison got a call a couple of days later while she sat at her kitchen table. She had her chin propped up on her knee, with her other foot curled underneath her butt and dress ideas swirled in her mind. She looked at her phone. It was Enzo.
“Hey, you got my schedule?” Madison’s shoulders relaxed, but something squeezed in her chest like disappointment. She kind of hoped it would be Dante.
“Yep.” Enzo’s voice sounded strained. “You’re to be the headliner Thursday through Sunday. Three sets and then you can bartend in between.”
“Oh wow.” That was better than she had expected.
Headliners made more than just a regular stripping gig.
“Great, see you Thursday.” Madison hung up and tried not to let Dante pop up in her head.
It didn’t help now and didn’t help last night either.
She dreamed of him and what they did. She was pretty sure she had at least one orgasm in her sleep.
At least with her new dance schedule, she would have more time to spend with Henry and be able to help out their father and still have enough time to focus on her fashion week design.
****
Madison walked into the hospital. Henry had been moved out of ICU and back to a regular room.
“Hey, you look good.” He was hooked up to less machines, and there were fewer wires attached to his body.
“Yeah. My blood cell counts look good, and they think I should be able to go home sometime this week.”
“That’s awesome.” She sat down in the chair that was already pulled close to the bed. “Did you have visitors?”
“Yeah, Dad and your mom came by. They left a few minutes ago to get coffee and a bite to eat.”
Madison’s mind shut down, and she looked at her watch. She had planned to spend a couple of hours with Henry, but if her parents were to come back, she didn’t want to see her mother. She would make some ridiculous request, and Madison wouldn’t be able to say no or they would gang up on her.
If her father hadn’t been so old and her mother unreliable she wouldn’t have had to be the sole caretaker of them and her brother. Henry’s mom had passed away from breast cancer when he was young before their dad remarried her mom.
With his cancer diagnosis, he wasn’t able to help with everything he needed to deal with, and before that he was too busy with his basketball career, so it left her to care for their elderly dad.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Henry sat up more in bed. “I don’t think they will be back.”
The room door opened, and in came her mother and father. Madison froze. She had nowhere to go. There was no place to hide. Madison was trapped. There was no way she could get out without them making a big deal that she was leaving. Anyway, she would have to go through them to get out.
Her dad was doing better, but the stroke had affected his whole left side and he needed to use a walker to get around. He had been proactive with rehab and had been able to avoid being wheelchair-bound.
Even her dad knew if he had to rely on his wife to get him around, she would put him in a corner and leave him while she ran off and did whatever she did.
“Oh, great. Madison is here.” Her mother air kissed her from afar.
“Hi, Mom. Dad.” She went to give her dad a hug and her mom side-eyed her.
“Madison.” Her mom poked her on the shoulder. “Can you be a dear and go get us a bite to eat? I found some money your father had stashed away, but it’s all gone now.” Her mom had a smug look on her face. She knew she had drained Madison’s account.
“Mom, I don’t have any cash on me.”
“You can give me one of your bank cards. I’ll bring it back.”
“I don’t have one. I had to close my account and open a new one. They are mailing me a new card.”
“Your father and I are quite thirsty. Milford, sit down. You must be tired and hungry.” Madison helped her dad sit down on his walker, chair combo.
“Madison, are you sure you don’t have any cash on you?” Madison’s head snapped up. “I know you went bartending a couple of nights ago.” Henry spoke up. His eyes implored Madison to help out.
Madison stood back up. “I only have a fifty and a hundred on me.”
“Oh, that should be enough,” her mom said, hand out.
“I’m sure Elaine will give the change back.” Henry nodded at Madison.
Madison kicked herself for not telling Henry that her mom had drained her checking. Although it wouldn’t have mattered. Her mom had every guy wrapped around her finger. They would do anything for her.
“Right.” Madison gritted her teeth and got her wallet out. “Here’s the fifty.”
Her mom plucked the hundred with the fifty and left Madison with an empty wallet. She would need to stop by her bank to get some of the extra cash out to last her until Thursday.
“Thanks, sweetie. We’ll be back.” Her mom air kissed her goodbye. And the door closed behind her. She hadn’t waited for Madison’s dad, who stood and shuffled after her.
“See, that wasn’t that hard.” Henry adjusted his blankets.
“Henry, she took all the money in my wallet.”
“You know they need the money. With Dad not being able to work and all. And I don’t have money coming in anymore, like I used to. We all need your help.”
Money that he went through like water. He didn’t think to try to help anyone else. But he expected her to help him out.
She believed she was guilty every time it popped up in her mind. Henry didn’t deserve her resentment. It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t good with money or that he had breast cancer and now needed a kidney.
She pushed it down like everything else she supposed wouldn’t pass the good person judgment test and went on like she always did. One step forward.
****
Madison was surprised when Sabrina called her to get together at a nearby coffee shop. She found her in the back deck section in the corner.