by T. L Smith
I even have a cook who also cleans, her name is Jessica. Though, most days I send her home. She still gets paid, thanks to my father.
“This isn’t my money,” I explain.
“Ohhh,” she says like she knows. “You have a sugar daddy?”
My eyes go wide at her words. “What? Oh my God, no.” I shake my head adamantly. “No. Absolutely not.”
She throws her hands up in the air. “Hey, no judgment if you do.”
“It’s my papa. It was one of his conditions for me moving away that he got to pick where I stay.”
“Ohhh… sorry.” She says it with such sincerity I know she means it.
“Thanks. Now what should I wear?”
“Gosh, I can’t wait to see your closet.” Storm walks straight into my room which is located on the first floor. I have a hidden staircase behind a wall that leads to the second level which overlooks the lake. It’s quite beautiful up here. The white marble flooring continues with dark furniture, again, courtesy of my father. My room is the place I spend most of time and the one place I ask Jessica not to touch, the rest of the apartment still appears like a showcase home. Clearly, I don’t spend much time out there just to look at the lights at night.
“Oh gosh, you certainly live in here, that’s for sure.” She chuckles at my clothes which are scattered all over the floor, and she moves past them to open my closet. It’s full of stupid dresses I’ve never worn.
“Oh my God… you do know I work at a fashion magazine, and this is like a wet dream.” She touches a vintage Chanel dress I love but haven’t found a place to wear it.
“You can have whatever you want.”
Her head whips back to me. “You don’t want any of these? You have thousands of dollars in dresses here.”
“Have one. What do I care.” I reach for my drawer, pulling it open and grabbing out my black leather pants. Sliding my work pants off, I get into them quickly. Reaching for a baby blue top on the floor, I take my bra and shirt off, sliding it on. This shirt requires no bra.
“I’m fine with what I have on, but shit damn, Olympia, you’ve got style, girl.” She manages to step away, and when she does, she turns to me. “And a killer body, by the way.” She winks as we walk back out of my apartment.
“So, where are we going?”
“The boys are going to the club. Usually Falcon works from there but tonight we’re celebrating something.”
“Oh, what?”
“Falcon proposed to Ariel last night.”
“She’s the one with the black hair, right?” Storm nods her head. “And he’s the one with the mouth.”
She giggles. “Yep, that’s him all right.”
She walks straight back out to my elevator and turns to look to me.
“You like him, don’t you?”
I know who she’s talking about, Darby, but I play dumb. “Who?” I ask. I don’t know how I feel about him, I’ve only just met him.
“Darby. He’s so mean to you…” she pauses as the elevator comes to a stop, “… but he also stares. It’s weird.” Storm shrugs her shoulders.
“Do you know him well?”
She shakes her head. “Not as well as Ariel, she grew up with them. And, I guess El, she’s close to them as well. Since Creed doesn’t talk much, she seems to do a lot for him.” Storm laughs as we get back into her car. I contemplate her words and how tight-knit they all are for a moment. How she knows exactly about their dynamics, yet I can’t even seem to find a friend in this city.
We pull up to a stop out the front of a club, and Storm parks her car, changes into sky-high heels, and takes her red hair down so it cascades down her back. She turns to me and smiles. “Why the blue hair?”
I run my own hand through my hair which is shorter than hers. “Defiance,” I say smirking. “My father hates my hair colors, and I’ve been doing it since I was a teenager. It’s my own way to rebel, and I guess it’s always stuck with me.”
We walk to the door and are allowed inside, then her hand clasps around mine as she pulls me to the private area at the back where everyone’s seated. Echo stands and pulls Storm to him, his lips smashing against hers. El, who’s sitting next to Creed, smiles and offers me a small wave as she sits sipping her drink. Creed keeps a possessive hand on her thigh. Falcon is making Ariel laugh at something he’s said. But over everything, there’s one set of eyes watching me. They go over every inch of me, assessing me, and so I make my way over and sit right next to him, getting in his space. His whole body locks and goes stiff at my nearness and I smile.
“You look the same,” I say reaching forward for the bottle of vodka and pouring myself a large glass.
A loud crash is heard. A waiter has dropped her whole tray and tears are streaming down her face. Before I can get up, Darby’s there lifting some of the broken glass and placing it on her tray. I look around and everyone’s going about their business and aren’t staring or questioning his motives. Is this normal for him to help? I assumed he was selfish, but maybe I’m wrong. He brushes off his hands and comes back to sit next to me. When he speaks again, I’ve almost forgotten what I just said.
“You look…” He doesn’t finish his words, so I turn back to gaze at him and notice his eyes are firmly on my back. The shirt I’m wearing showcases my whole back, which in turn reveals my tattoo of wings over my shoulders. “Different,” he manages to get out before looking away.
“Would you like one?” I ask, gesturing to my drink.
He turns back to me with a scowl on his face. “No.” Then turns away again.
“Rude,” I say knowing we aren’t at work and I can speak however I choose.
Darby’s head whips back to me still with the scowl on his face. “Excuse me?” he asks louder than I would have liked.
“I said, you’re rude. You didn’t need to speak to me like that, all I was doing was offering you a drink.”
His chocolate eyes bore into mine. “And… I… said… no. What out of that answer made you think I was being rude.”
I straighten my back and turn my legs so I’m facing him more. His eyes flick to my knee, which brushes up against his, before they land back on mine. “You have a stick up your ass whenever I’m near you. Would you like me to pull that out and relieve your pain?”
Someone coughs, someone laughs. I don’t care right now, I like the way he’s staring at me—anger mixed with something else. It makes my smirk touch my lips and my eyes twinkle in delight.
Tonight might be fun after all.
9
Darby
The nerve of her, the way she speaks to me as if I’m no one—she can’t talk to me in that manner. Olympia puts the glass to her lips, drinking the vodka. Who the fuck invited her anyway, and when the fuck can I leave? I want to leave. Right now. But I’ve been roped into attending, and I’m happy for him. Whoever thought Falcon would propose? Sure as shit not me. He was the manwhore, plain and simple, and now all he can do is talk about Ariel. It’s sometimes sickening.
“Olympia, we should dance.” Ariel reaches for Olympia’s hand. Olympia looks back to me before she accepts it. I forget she knows all of them, not as well as I do, but Olympia’s been working while I wasn’t.
“Dancing, I can do,” she says as she finishes her drink, placing it down right in front of me and winking before she gets up to leave. My eyes track her all the way out to the dance floor. I’m unable to look away like the fucking train wreck I am. Ariel leans over and whispers something in her ear, and Olympia’s head falls back and her mouth opens as she laughs.
“You plan to hit that? I can tell you want to.”
I cringe at his choice of words, but that’s Falcon for you. He’s a no-holds-barred type of person.
“Oh, I’m getting the silent treatment, am I? What would you say if I went down there right now and placed myself between the girls, my hands running up and down Ariel’s ass while your little blue number over there grinds herself against me.” He rubs his hands together a
s he looks at the dance floor where both girls are dancing holding hands. “No reaction, hey? Well, maybe you aren’t deep enough, yet.”
“Nothing to be deep about.”
He laughs, dropping his head back. “It’s like the start of a wreck, it creeps up slowly, ever so slowly… then boom! There’s power in it and you better watch the fuck out. I remember what it’s like. Have fun with that and try to handle it better than I did. I almost missed my most important stop. Will you?” He gets up and walks to where the girls are, pushes himself between them and gazes back over his shoulder to me then winks. He reaches for Olympia’s hand, Ariel smiling as he does, but Olympia shakes her head and walks off in another direction.
I sit back in my seat. Creed sits there, his leg bouncing as he watches El who’s next to him.
“My father gets here in a few days,” I tell Creed. The girls and Echo seems to be in a discussion, and even though Creed doesn’t speak much, he understands me better than most.
“You told him,” he says.
“It was time.”
He nods ever so slightly. “It’s time he sees where you live.”
He’s right, he’s never come out here, and it will be weird when he does. He will hate it, it isn’t his type of place at all.
“Who sees what?” Echo leans over asking us.
Creed doesn’t say a word as he turns back to El, his hand back on her leg. She covers his hand with hers.
“Who, D?” he asks again.
“My father will be here soon.”
Echo sits back, his eyes wide. “Wowser, the farmer in the city. I’m sure there’s some sort of reality show called that.” He shakes his head. “Seriously, the big man Mr. Knox is coming? He coming to meet Charles?” I nod my head. “So, you told him about your son? I wasn’t sure if you were going to.”
“It’s his grandson, he has a right to know.”
“Are you even sure he’s yours, though?”
Fuck! That comment… that comment makes me so fucking mad it takes everything in me not to strangle him where he sits. My fist clenches next to me, and I have to look away. “Get the fuck away from me, right now.”
Echo stands, hands up. “You’re always so particular, it’s unlike you not to double-check everything first.”
“He’s mine. He will always be mine.”
Echo nods his head looking down at me. “I get it. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“You did. Now fuck off.”
Echo walks over to where Storm is seated, and I know now it’s time I fucking leave. Falcon and Ariel are on the dance floor with their bodies connected, so I walk down to where they are. Ariel sees me first and smiles, pulling away so she isn’t stuck to Falcon, making him groan as he looks over his shoulder. I pass them an envelope for their engagement and walk away. It’s time I’m gone.
The minute the cold air hits me, I pull my jacket closer and my collar up.
“You don’t like the cold, big man?” a voice comes from behind me. Turning, I see Olympia leaning up against the wall with her phone in hand as she types away.
I glimpse back to the club then to her. “Why are you out here?”
She shrugs her shoulders, not glancing up at me and not answering me either.
“Miss, the cab is going to be another hour. There was an accident and they’re cut off,” security tells her making her look up. She offers a kind smile, her eyes flicking to me before she checks her phone.
“You’re waiting on a cab?” I ask her.
“So it would seem…” She still doesn’t look up.
“Why aren’t you in there? Why leave?”
“I don’t really like people. There’s too many in there.” She giggles softly.
“You do know you work with people and your job is to serve them.” This time she glances up, sliding her phone in the back pocket of her skin-tight black pants while she crosses her arms over her chest and stares at me.
“It’s my job, I play nice but nothing deep with them.”
I nod, reaching for my keys. She doesn’t look away now, and I wonder which one I preferred, the stare or her ignoring me. She’s waiting for me to say something, but I have no words, so I walk past her, smelling vanilla and something else sweet, and head toward my car. Just as I round the corner, I close my eyes and shake my head. Stepping back so I can see her, she’s staring down the road the opposite of where I am so I can fully appreciate the view—the view is one which makes me want to do things, things that I shouldn’t fucking want to do.
“Olympia…”
Her head whips back to me, and I wave for her to come. “I’ll give you a ride.”
She shakes her head. “It’s fine, I’m waiting for a cab.”
“I can give you a ride.”
“What if you’re a serial killer?” she asks in all seriousness.
“I’m not.”
Her hands cross again over her chest, pushing up her tits.
Fuck! I wish she would stop fucking doing that because my eyes track her movements.
“But you could be.”
I groan loud enough for her to hear. “Last chance, Olympia, get in my car.”
She throws her hands up in the air. “Gosh, serial killer, all you had to do was ask nicely.” She dazzles me with a smile as she walks straight past me to my car and waits at the door for me to open it. I do so, and she slides in, shutting the door behind her, and I wonder for a moment if I could kill her without anyone noticing.
Maybe then I could go back to my normal life, instead of picturing every woman I dream about with bright blue hair.
“You don’t talk much, do you?” she asks as she directs me to where she lives, which as it turns out, is pretty close to my place. Ma is watching Charles again tonight and told me to stay out all night, but it’s not something I can do, not yet. I miss him. He’s my constant, and I don’t want to miss anything when it comes to him.
“What do you want to talk about, Olympia?”
“Anything is better than this uncomfortable silence.” She fidgets in her seat.
“Do I make you uncomfortable?” I turn to see her staring at me.
“You make me… unsure.”
“That’s a new one. I’ve heard scared, intimated, turned on, but never unsure.”
“Well, they’re lying to you.” She says it matter-of-factly. I chuckle at her words.
“Hold up, did you just laugh? No fucking way! Did it feel good? Or did it cause an ulcer because it’s so foreign to you?” She’s now completely turned to me. Her legs are up on my seat as she watches me.
“You think you’re so funny.”
“I do what I can.” When I turn to look at her, she winks. “This is me.”
I come to a stop at a place I know costs more than she can afford on what I pay her. She glances at me, seeing if I will ask, but I don’t. “Thanks again, this was—”
“Bye, Olympia.”
She gets out of the car, and I can’t help but stare at her ass when she does. Before she shuts the door, she leans down, showing me her cleavage, and I have to think with my head when I glance back up to her eyes. “Did you want to come in?” She’s serious. I can tell because she has a small crease in her forehead and by the way she’s scrutinizing me.
“No.”
Olympia doesn’t appear shocked or hurt by my answer, she just shrugs her shoulders. “Your loss.” Then she shuts the door, walking away to the doorman who opens the main glass doors for her as she walks in. I watch her until I can no longer see her, and I really fucking wish I went in with her, because I could do with a damn fuck. And I have a feeling she’d be a hell of a lot of fun. But the last time I did that, I had a pregnant woman turn up at my doorstep telling me she was carrying my baby. Not really something I want a repeat of.
Even if I do love Charles, he’s enough. And more than I can handle by myself.
10
Olympia
I asked him if he wanted to come up. What was I thinking? I put my head
down when I walk into work two days later. Hopefully he isn’t in today. Darby isn’t always in, but lately he has been. I wonder if that has something to do with that gorgeous baby I held. Obviously, it’s his child, but I haven’t asked any questions regarding him. It’s not my place to ask why he’s bringing him into work. And where is the mother? Is she really okay with him doing that?
Falcon’s standing at the bar when I walk in, pouring himself a drink. He tips it to me with a big smile. “Heya blue, you have fun partying with the big boys the other night?”
I laugh at his words and push him out of the way so I can start getting ready for tonight’s club activities. “I’ve had better.”
He places his hand over his heart. “That hurts, blue. That really hurts. You know we’re the best in the business, you won’t find better partiers than us.”
I roll my eyes at his words. “You really put yourself up high on that pedestal, don’t you?”
He nods, not having any shame in his words whatsoever. “Of course, I do. Just remember, no one is going to see you as good as you see yourself. So, do it. Place that fucking pedestal a foot away and step on it.”
“Oh Lord, is Falcon giving his pep talk bullshit? Now he’s all wified up he thinks he knows everything,” Echo says hitting him on the back of the head with the papers in his hand.
“Please, I’m a guru. I know shit. Just ask blue here, I just gave her some sound advice.” They both look to me.
“At least, this time he didn’t tell me I needed to fuck someone.”
Falcon takes a sip of his drink that exact moment and then spits it out. “I never told you that.” I raise an eyebrow at him. “Oh fuck, yeah. Well, carry on. And you should, you know… fuck someone.” He winks before he walks away.
“How he landed Ariel I will never know,” Echo mutters, sitting down at the bar. I start doing my work, ignoring he’s there, when he stops me with a question. “You left with Darby the other night?”