Roxie smiled back, she couldn’t help it, when Wendy smiled, so did she. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Great, get the stuff and we’ll get started. I think it’s going to take a while to get some of this black out of your hair. I don’t know why you dyed it black anyway, you’re gorgeous, yeah, but I liked you blonde.”
It had been another part of her disguise but now her cover was blown. With Lincoln at least. For a moment, Roxie thought about Liam and June. June had been her best friend, the girl she constantly ended conversations with by saying; PS: I love you. She’d abandoned that friendship and the budding relationship she had going with June’s half-brother Liam, to start this new life. Would Lincoln tell them he’d found her? Would he tell them what she did for a living?
Not that she was ashamed, she thought while she gathered up the supplies she’d bought at the local Sally’s. She was proud of what she’d accomplished since that night, even if it wasn’t ballet and she didn’t live in a McMansion anymore. She’d made a life for herself, didn’t depend on anyone, well not until recently anyway, and she’d survived. That was better than the alternative.
“So, how did that dress suit you?” Wendy asked as she pinned a towel around Roxie’s shoulders and then began to brush out her hair. They’d experimented with each other’s hair for years now and they were both comfortable letting the other have a turn with buckets of bleach and tubes of dye.
“It was a little baggy in places, not tailored like Emily’s and her other friends were, so I think they probably knew it wasn’t mine, but who cares? Emily’s as good as gold to me, and I don’t give two fucks what those other women think.”
“That’s right, girl, fuck those other women.” Wendy began to part Roxie’s hair before she asked her next question. “So, you think he’s coming back?”
“Nathan? I hope so. But, also, I kind of hope not. I’d be out a shit ton of money, but he’s a liability, I think.” Roxie tried not to move as Wendy twisted and pinned her hair in sections, but it hurt a little, so she squirmed.
“Stop squirming.” Wendy barked but then laughed. “Sorry.”
Five minutes passed before Wendy spoke again. “You know, when he moved in with you I thought he was a good guy. He was handsome, didn’t have a drug problem, and that made me wonder. Was he after you for money?”
“Oh, you mean my good looks and job as an exotic dancer weren’t enough to entice him?” Roxie quipped, but she wondered now that Wendy brought it up.
“Not that at all, but there was something about him that made me wonder. Something that put me on edge. Well, it’s none of my business, I guess, but I just wanted to say, be careful. I don’t think he’s the kind of trouble you want.”
“It might be too late for that,” Roxie said with a sad note. She had to wonder now. Had he been using her for money all along?
9
Lincoln
Lincoln texted Chloe - Roxie, he reminded himself - the address of the building he’d taken an office in temporarily and waited to see if she’d show up or not. Myrtle Beach was a far cry from the financial center that New York City was, but he could have an office here too, he’d decided that night on the yacht. Why not open another office? He’d thought, most of his business transactions were done online now and his clients might like the change of pace that was the wonderful surprise down here, where they all became anonymous?
He was sitting in an office in an old historic building that only had three floors but still had a great view of the ocean and landscape. One of his assistants, Monica, had found the place, ordered rudimentary furniture, and had the phone lines and Internet connected with a few clicks of a mouse. He wasn’t sure what he’d accomplish down here, but maybe a change of pace would do him good. He’d become bored with New York City, but it had always been home. Until now.
Lincoln heard the elevator ding outside his office and went out to find a woman with sunglasses perched on her nose, dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans with combat boots and purple and black hair in his office. “Chloe?”
“I told you not to call me that.” She barked as she marched around looking for something. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Down the hall, to the right.” He directed, amused at the picture of flustered frustration she presented. He’d expected the black hair, not the ombre from black to purple that she currently sported, and a suit and heels, not combat boots, a well-worn t-shirt, and tattered black jeans. This was going to be fun, he decided.
He had a rebel on his hands and she wanted him to know it. When she didn’t have an urgent need for the bathroom that is.
She was soon back, the sunglasses now perched on top of her head, a grim look on her face. “What’s my name?”
Oh, he liked that tilt to her chin and the glare in her eyes. “Roxie.”
He couldn’t help a smug smile as he stared down at her, beautiful and badass suited her, even if he liked the sweet and innocent look on her too.
“Good boy. Now, what do you want me to do?” She looked around the office, obviously trying to gain the upper hand, but he’d soon work that out of her, he decided.
“Right now, I’d like some breakfast. Later, I need you to take my laundry to a dry cleaner, a good one. And can you find me a coffee machine?” He started a list of things for her to do but he had so much more.
“You want me to go get your breakfast? You gave me 150 grand and you want me to get your fucking breakfast?” She stood there with her arms wrapped under her very luscious breasts, one leg kicked out to the side. “Holy fucking moly, Lincoln, are you fucking serious?”
“That’s another thing, watch your language in here. You’re my employee, not my kid sister’s BFF anymore.”
“Whatever. What do you want to eat?” She rolled her eyes and he had a feeling she’d be chewing gum when she came back, just to piss him off even more. She was acting like a teenager, but he’d let it go for now. It was amusing him, watching this brand-new version of Chloe act out.
He told her what he’d like for breakfast, gave her a credit card to buy a coffee maker with, and handed her a bag filled with his laundry.
“I know a place for that, I’ll drop it off when I go home tonight.” She muttered as she took the bag from him.
He knew exactly where she lived and guessed she’d take the laundry to the place below her apartment. He knew a lot about Miss Roxie, but not as much as he’d like to know. She didn’t have an online presence at all, no websites, no social media, but he’d found out where she lived, and a few other things from Dylan James.
While she was out, he sent her another text to demand she go to his friend Kai’s house, where he was crashing until he found his own place and get the other cellphone he carried that he’d forgotten to pick up that morning. A few minutes later he sent another text to tell her to find a more permanent home for him while she was at it. She sent back a short reply.
“Do you want to wear your breakfast, or shall I just throw it away as it will be cold by the time I get back from all of this?”
He’d snorted out a laugh. She’d always been so easy to rile. He’d have her pitching a fit before long and he’d have her right where he wanted her: back to the old Chloe who’d need him.
He didn’t want to break her, but he did want to see a spark of the girl he used to know back in her eyes. She’d had it rough since she ran away from the fire and her parents’ deaths. He knew that, but did she always have to be so fucking…tough?
With little else to do but check how things were in New York, Lincoln found a local furniture store online and ordered more furniture. He’d bring down whichever of his PAs back in New York wanted to relocate and have them show Roxie the ropes, and maybe stick around. He’d bring them both down if they wanted to, actually. He didn’t really want to keep Roxie on as an assistant, he just wanted to have her around where he could keep an eye on her.
By the time Roxie made it back to the office, it was lunch time and all she could do was
glare at him. She handed him a bag of cold sausage biscuits with hash browns, a cup filled with cold coffee, and then disappeared. When she came back, she had a cellphone dangling out of her pocket, a coffee machine in her hands, and a stack of brochures from luxury apartment buildings in her bag.
“Right, well, since that took you so long, I’d like you to get my lunch.”
She just glared at him harder, if that was possible, and asked him what he wanted.
The back and forth went on for a few days until he was certain she was about to quit but he just loved pushing her buttons. Even when Monica and Tanya took a few days off in New York to come down and sort things out for him, he was still pushing Roxie.
He wasn’t even sure why he was still pushing her by the time the next week rolled around. Monica and Tanya went back to New York, with Tanya promising to move down if he was serious about staying. He’d noted how both his PAs glared daggers at Roxie, but she ignored them when they weren’t instructing her on something.
It was Monday morning and time for Roxie to come in. He already had a shitty day planned out for her, and he just hoped she didn’t quit on him before Tanya made it down on Wednesday.
“Lincoln, I’ve had a rough weekend and I really can’t take any more of your shit. I’m done, okay? Keep the watch, I’m done.” Those were the first words out of her mouth, and he knew he’d pushed a little too hard.
“I’m sorry, I’m just used to Tanya and Monica being so efficient. I don’t know what you’re good at, after all.” He mocked her and knew he’d smirked a little too much when her eyes narrowed and she took up a defensive position.
At least she wore a skirt today, even if it was denim and barely covered her panties. Red ones, he could see if he tilted his head right.
“Fuck you, Link.” She said with arrows shooting out from her eyes. She knew he hated that nickname, she’d figured it out long ago, even though nobody else had. “You can keep the watch; you can keep all of it. I don’t fucking care anymore. Fuck this!”
“Ch….” He started and winced. “Roxie, I’m sorry. Really. Come in, I’ll make us some coffee and we’ll talk this out. Don’t quit. Please?”
“No.” She shook her head and frowned at him. “I’ve been treated like trash before and I worked my ass off to overcome the circumstances I was in. And being around you? It just brings up memories I worked damned hard to forget. Things are creeping back in though, shit I don’t want to remember anymore, and I just…”
Roxie ran out of steam towards the end of her last sentence and he felt like a dick when he saw her swipe a tear away from her eye. Damn.
But he had to wonder, did she not want to remember that night they’d shared together?
“Come on, let’s have some coffee.” He nodded toward the small room that acted as the staff break room. He made two cups of coffee and made hers the way he’d noted she liked. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not all your fault. I guess you expected a woman who knew how to run an office. I could run a bar, a club, I can even do most of what Tanya and Monica showed me already, but this? With the pressure? I’m not used to that, Lincoln.” She turned away from him and he picked up on the fact that she didn’t want him to see her as weak. She was the furthest thing from weak, he knew that.
“I’ll try to ease up on you, I promise.” Although a little voice in the back of his mind said it wouldn’t last long. He liked seeing her on edge, just not so much that she’d quit.
“Thanks, that’d be good.” She answered and drank her coffee quietly.
He let it go the rest of the day and everything went fine. By the weekend, he was ready to let loose a little and Kai was in town. They both wanted Chinese food, but they’d had a few beers.
“We can just order delivery, Lincoln,” Kai said but inspiration struck Lincoln the moment Kai spoke.
Picking up his phone, Lincoln grinned a wolfish grin. “I have a better idea.”
He scrolled through and waited for the call to go through. “Roxie?”
“It’s the weekend, Lincoln. What do you want?” She didn’t sound happy at all to hear from him. What was that about?
“Listen, Kai and I want some Chinese food.” He started to say but she interrupted him.
“Then get it delivered.” She said, clearly annoyed when she sighed heavily.
“No, yeah, we could do that, but I don’t want ordinary Chinese. This place doesn’t deliver.” It had three Michelin stars and wasn’t on most tourist’s radar. You had to be rich and in the know to find this place.
Lincoln told her where he wanted food from, and she didn’t sound happy, but she agreed to bring it to them. Lincoln couldn’t help but giggle with Kai as they ordered almost the entire menu for Roxie to deliver.
“Dude, she’s going to hate us so much.” Kai snorted, reverting to their university days when Kai had wanted nothing more than to run away from his family and be a surfer.
“Too late, she already does!” Lincoln burst out laughing and went to get them more beers while they waited.
Lincoln was a little…tipsy by the time Roxie drove up to the beach house and stormed inside with her arms laden with plastic bags. “I can’t believe you did this to me, Lincoln.”
“What?” He asked and blinked his eyes innocently.
“My entire car is going to stink of Chinese food for a month!” She declared and stomped back out only to bring in more bags.
“I know you just did this to fuck with me. My car is going to reek of soy sauce and onions for ages.” She muttered as she came back in from yet another trip moments later. “I think that’s all of it.”
Kai and Lincoln stared at the mountain of bags she’d placed on the kitchen table and then looked over at Roxie. She just stared back at them, perturbed and wide-eyed. “Well?”
“Well, what?” Kai asked and blinked a few times.
“Is that all?” She asked with exasperation. “Can I get back to my own life now?”
“Oh, you don’t want to eat?” Lincoln asked and started to pull out boxes of food.
“I wouldn’t turn down some fried rice and maybe an egg roll, but I’ll take it with me.” She said, eyeing one of the bags.
“Nope. If you want to eat, you stay here.” Lincoln pursed his lips and nodded. He might be a little tipsier than he thought.
“Fine, pass me a bag. Are there chopsticks?” She sat down at the table and stared at the two men as they went on a scavenger hunt for chopsticks. They’d emptied every bag by the time they found the sticks and Lincoln caught the way she rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop a grin.
“Here you are, fair lady, chopsticks.” He presented the bamboo to her as if it were a prize.
“Thanks, Lincoln.” She muttered and opened a packet of soy sauce to dump into her fried rice.
They sat together eating, with Kai continuing to drink. Roxie had a couple of beers, but not too many. She had to drive home, she reminded him. Lincoln got up from the table and walked into the living room. The first floor of the house was open plan, so Lincoln felt Roxie’s gaze as he moved over to a piano in front of a pair of sliding glass doors. He sat down, inspiration taking over as he began to play Song Without Words.
“Kai can’t play, but he likes to have the piano in here for those of us that can.” He told her as he stroked the keys.
He’d seen Chloe dance to the song several times when he’d gone to pick his sister up from her house. She’d been graceful, magical, and was the only reason he’d ever watched a ballet. He wondered if it would inspire her.
The way the piano was positioned meant he could look out at the ocean or over at Roxie. He watched her as he began to play, saw how stiff she went, and could only smile when something came over her and she stood up. She kicked away her flip-flops and took up a stance.
10
Roxie
Roxie saw Kai get up and slip over to the couch, but she didn’t pay him much attention. He hadn’t seemed to recognize her that night on the boat and it
would seem Lincoln hadn’t informed him who she was. That was good.
She hadn’t done any ballet, not even practice, since the night of the fire, the thought of it only brought her pain. She looked up at him as she took a stance on her bare toes and saw Lincoln smiling at her with pure joy. She couldn’t help but smile back and began to dance. Luckily, the house was huge, open, and she had plenty of room to move around as her muscles remembered the movements, the steps she needed to make.
She whirled around the room, alive again, safe again, for the first time since she’d left him at that hotel. Maybe it was the two beers, maybe it was just him, but it didn’t matter. She was dancing, and it was like being home again.
Lincoln continued to play, and play beautifully, as she moved. She was older now, but she’d continued to keep herself fit with dance, just not ballet. She missed a few steps she knew she should have made, but it didn’t matter. She was dancing ballet again, for Lincoln, and it was like she’d been set free.
“Bravo,” Lincoln said with applause as he finished playing and she came to a sudden halt.
“Thank you.” She breathed as she noticed Kai was passed out, snoring on the couch.
“That was beautiful, Roxie.” Lincoln stood up and bowed to her.
“You didn’t play so bad yourself.” She answered and walked over to grab a glass of water from the kitchen.
“Do you still do ballet?” He asked as he sat down at the table.
“No, not anymore.” She shook her head and looked away from him.
“Hey, let me show you guys something,” Kai mumbled, making them both jump as he got up from the couch and wandered up a set of stairs. “Come on.”
“Where is he taking us?” Roxie asked as she followed beside Lincoln, up the stairs and down the hall to a room with a padlock on the door.
Dancing With Lies (Barre To Bar Book 1) Page 10