by H. Q. Frost
"Exactly. Listen, I'm sure we can work something out. A raise maybe—"
"Mr. J! I'm not going to blackmail you! I knew it though." She giggled. "I knew you two had a thing for each other. How long?"
"Tash, I—"
"You owe me that much. Tell me how long."
"We haven't had any sexual relations until today."
"I witnessed your first time!" she excitedly shrieked. "She said she loved you."
"Tash, you just witnessed a big mistake. I cannot express enough how this cannot get out to the other girls."
"Mr. J, your secret is safe with me, but a raise wouldn't hurt, and I'm a little insulted you think I believe you when you say I witnessed a mistake. You let her come in this morning and fire the new girl. You've had something going on," she said tauntingly.
"Tash," he huffed. "Please."
"I like my job. I want my job. And I like Lily, more than Karen anyway."
"Thank you. I'll compensate you for your loyalty."
"Later, Mr. J." She hung up giddily.
"Ian," Lilith breathed full of worry.
Pushing her phone back into her hand he said, "She won't say anything and we'll give her a raise." He softly kissed her.
"God. I don't want to be the whore you were fucking behind Karen's back."
"You're not a whore. Let me get my things."
Lilith walked toward the reception lobby and her phone beeped causing her heart to skip a beat. She was certain that was the moment she'd get Tash's blackmailing text.
JUSTIN: I've just been informed through a very comical email that you are now offering sex as one of your services. A little disappointing I have to say ZP.
While shutting the reception computer down, she muttered, "Ugh."
EL: I don't think you're in a position to be disappointed in me. No offense to you Mr. Borg but the approval of my clientele is the least of my concerns.
Lilith looked up as Ian walked around the corner smiling. She wanted to scream 'How can you be smiling?', but he airily asked, "Ready?" and she felt some solace in his lifted mood.
"I ordered the elevator lock to be rekeyed for the floor. He said it'll be done Monday morning, so I guess you'll have to give Tash a new key." She stepped into the elevator with him.
"Well now that you're in charge, you make that call."
With an apologetic gaze, she tried reassuring him, "Ian, I'm not trying to take over. I was angry before and you've really spiraled things into a mess here."
"I need your help, Lily. I should have asked sooner but I was afraid you'd leave me."
"What?" she snapped. "Why would I leave you?"
"Because there's the potential I will lose the company over this. She can still leak everything."
"I won't leave you if you lose the company. If anything, I would have left you for not telling me you're losing the company." She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to help, baby. We'll make it through this." She grabbed his hand but when the doors opened, she pulled away.
Her phone beeped as they stepped off the elevator and Ian asked, "Who's that?"
Knowing whom it was, she muttered, "Probably Ashley."
"Did you eat?"
"I did. Stop and get yourself something. I want to go home and change, maybe watch a movie? I want everything to slow down for a minute," she quietly said.
"I'll get you popcorn." He smiled at her and almost leaned in to kiss her, but she saw it coming and pulled away before the building security guards caught it.
"Have a good night, Mr. Jacks," the security guard called with a wave.
"Night, Ronan." Ian waved and ushered Lilith out the door.
"Ian, please be more careful. This isn't over. We still need to be discreet."
"I know, baby. I know."
"It's going to remain this way for a long time."
Feeling his eyes drilling into her, she didn't look at him. He kept his mouth shut and got her into her car. Lilith exhaled then pulled her phone out.
JUSTIN: To start with Ms. Tudor, I am NOT Mr. Borg. That's my dad. And to conclude, I am no longer a client
The text made Lilith's stomach flip in a bad way, a terrible way, and her finger hit dial before her brain registered the outcome.
"Crap," she whispered.
Before she could hang up, he cockily answered, "I get a personal phone call? I like that."
"What do you mean you're no longer a client?" Lilith blurted.
"Let's discuss the Mr. Borg thing first. Mr. Borg is my dad. I'm Justin. You can call me a variety of other names, but don't call me Mr. Borg."
"Does asshole fall into that category?"
"First you ignore me, now verbally abuse me. You're a cruel woman, El."
"Justin," she huffed. "Why aren't you my client anymore?" The hurt she struggled to maintain seeped out when she feebly asked, "You're dropping me?"
"You dropped me!" The shouted words echoed through the phone.
His angry retort stunned her into blabbing, "I did not!"
"I received an email stating you could no longer be my escort. As I was first reading it I was kinda like 'cool' 'cause I thought maybe it meant something else, until I got to the end where I read I shouldn't contact you at all. Then today." He expressed his annoyance with a chuckle then goaded, "Today I got the delightful, mass Luxe clientele email that you've opened up…your legs that is."
"I did not send you that email saying not to contact me! Was it from me?"
"It was from Luxe, your title."
"Justin, I didn't send that."
"Lily, someone did," he mocked her. "I was going to get my dad involved so I could get an answer as to why, but then I thought, hey no big deal, if you don't want to see me anymore I get it, not surprising."
"That's not true! I don't know why that was sent. It must have been a mistake, or perhaps Karen. There's been a lot going on around the office. I did not send that. I do want you as a client."
An awkward silence buzzed in her ears.
"A client? That's it?" he finally asked.
She bit the corner of her lip and backed out of the parking spot in the garage. Knowing she shouldn't say it, the word, "No," meekly left her lips.
Sounding wounded by her neglect he asked, "Then why haven't you contacted me all week? I got the email and thought it was you, but now you're telling me it wasn't, but you still didn't contact me. I think I'm more hurt you haven't gotten ahold of me."
"I've been really busy. I've had a client every day this week."
"When you open your legs to the world, I can see that happening."
"That just happened today and—"
He pushed his fingers into his hair realizing how he was acting and with no right, so he quickly interrupted, "None of my business, I guess. I was just giving you a hard time and I thought I'd address the uh, elephant in the room. That apparently was only in my room because someone's been fucking with your schedule."
Ian was the first and only person that came to mind as she replied, "Yeah, I have to figure that out." Her uncensored thoughts blurted from her mouth, "I'd love to see you," and she recoiled, squeezing her eyes shut.
With a tinge of hope he asked, "Now?"
"I can't now. I'm going to be really busy for a while and your best bet to spend time with me is a date. My rates have been lowered and any chance I get to see you as a friend, I will. Just text me first from now on. Don't think I'm only trying to solicit business."
"Hey, I understand you need to make a living. You should probably bring it to Ian Jacks' attention that someone may be fucking with your clients."
"I'll get it straightened out," she said softly. "How have you been?"
"Dealing with work. Little depressed a really cool chick blew me off after an amazing weekend."
"I promise you it wasn't me. Contact me personally before booking a date, okay? If I'm free we'll go out, not through the company. I thought maybe after what I told you Saturday you didn't want to see me again."
"What'd you t
ell me?"
"About the cutting," she answered with shame.
"El, that won't detour me from you. There's shit you don't know about me too. Can you make some time for me tomorrow?"
"Um… Can you make a date? I'll be in the office tomorrow."
"Yeah, I can. I'll send an email request right now if it lets me."
"It'll let you. I'll go home and make sure of it."
"Cool."
"I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Hey, ZP."
"Yeah?"
"What do you want to do tomorrow? I didn't really have anything going on."
Lilith smirked, she had never been asked what she wanted to do on a date. Her and Ian never had the chance to go on dates because of their secret, and Sloan had never asked her what she wanted to do.
"Movie?"
"I haven't been to the movies in a long time." He smirked.
"Yeah, me either." Her father came to mind, remembering the last time she went to the movie theater was with him. "Justin, when you book the date can you just say golf outing or something."
"Sure, ZP." That raised a few flags, but nothing he wanted to address at that moment.
"Night."
"Night, El."
After arriving home, Lilith demanded Ian tell her what was going on with Karen. Telling her about the seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars he agreed to pay Karen was nerve-wracking. And divulging all the debauched information Karen had that could ruin Luxe was nauseating. Ed Jacks could be ruined if it got out he had hired an underage girl years prior. He had paid off her family and that started the financial descent of Luxe, which was when Ian stepped in and pulled Luxe from bankruptcy. Lastly, Karen could publicly reveal Luxe was not the cosmetic firm it was thought to be.
Even after a few hours, Lilith still had so many questions that went unanswered.
"Can we move on from Karen, please?" The more he talked, the more he could see her stress being contained by only a thread of composure. "Look at me." He pushed her chin until she was looking at him. "She's gone, baby."
Lilith exhaled. It didn't feel like Karen was really gone. Her looming presence in Ian's life kept her a predominant threat.
Ian unzipped his messenger bag and pulled out a marriage license application. Seeing her face contort to hurt that he was bringing their life together a step closer without telling her, he softly smiled.
"I've been so busy, baby," he offered as explanation.
"I know." Her eyes stayed fixed on the paperwork in front of her while her heart thumped rapidly.
"You just have to sign." He pointed. "I filled it all out."
Moving quick so he didn't notice her trembling hand, she picked up the paper work. As she looked over the completed application, a smile grew across her face. He had her information filled out already. Questions she didn't realize he knew were answered, like both her parents' full names and where they were born. It was comforting he knew her; after all, she was marrying him.
She blinked, seeming to come back from bliss. "Baby, we need to talk about something, but I don't want to fight. Justin Borg received an email from me stating I no longer wanted him as a client."
Ian looked at her oddly and she narrowed her eyes.
"Why'd you send that?"
"I didn't!" he insisted. "Lily, I didn't. He's our best customer. I hate he's infatuated with you but I didn't do that. His father knows mine. My dad would have my balls if he heard something like that."
"Who do you think did? Karen?"
"No. There's no reason for her to do that." He stared at the table in thought before he muttered, "Tanya. She's tried to steal other girls' clients before—"
"But I'm doing her a favor and taking her clients!"
"I don't know she sees it as a favor. She doesn't like you, baby. I don't know what you did to piss her off."
"What I did!" she scoffed. "She's pregnant with my best friend's boyfriend's baby!"
"I figured it was something to do with that. I'll talk to her. It doesn't matter though because soon she won't be working at all."
"I fucking hate her," Lilith grumbled, wandering to the bathroom.
"Damn, Lily." He never thought he'd hear such abhorrence from her and hoped it was just her fried nerves and exhaustion turning her so cold.
Lilith rushed out of the elevator and around the corner into the reception lobby, bumping into Caesar.
"Shit, bitch, slow your roll," he grumbled.
"I'm sorry, honey. How are you?"
"I got your mass message last night and I just wanted to say congrats because you're obviously takin' shit over at Luxe."
"I'm trying to get things straightened out, not take over. I miss you." She hugged him.
"I miss you too. Listen, sweet lips, I'm not trying to start any shit and I'm telling you this because I love you." He glanced toward the hallway then leaned closer to Lilith. "Did you know Ian's been seeing Heidi?"
"What?" she snapped, quickly looking toward the hall. "What?" she repeated in a calmer manner but her spiked heart rate was threatening a breakdown.
"He's had lunch with her three times this past week. Every time I've tried to talk to him about it he's blown me off. I hear from Renee that Heidi's been saying she's gettin' close to him. This can't get back to Renee because I told her I wouldn't say anything."
"Close how?" Lilith urged.
"I don't know. I didn't ask questions. I know you two have a fucked up relationship and you fuck whoever and he fucks Karen, but I thought it was only Karen."
"He's fucking her?" she asked on the verge of tears.
"I'm not saying all that, but from the sounds of it, he ain't talking makeup secrets with her." He compassionately rubbed her arm.
"Caesar." His name breathed from her lips like she were crushed.
"Lily, talk to him first. I could just be hearing two fucked up girl versions of something completely platonic."
"Yeah, I will," she uttered while her gaze dropped to the floor.
"You want to go for a drink, doll baby?"
Her eyebrows raised and she looked into his face. "It's nine in the morning on a Saturday."
"Why are you telling me this? I said you wanna get a drink. I didn't ask the damn time or day."
When a grin began to creep along her lips, he smiled, she was considering it.
"Let me get something done here first."
"Time you working till?"
"Whenever." She shrugged, marching over to the desk.
"I'm coming back for you when I get off at one." The wicked grin on his face made her chuckle with excitement and fear.
If Ian wanted a war, she was ready to battle. She hadn't seen him since six that morning when he got up to head in. She wanted to sleep for an hour longer because her restless sleep left her with a migraine.
His office phone line was lit up for hours. At ten after one, Caesar strolled in. She was going to decline, but he wasn't accepting no for an answer.
One drink turned into four, and when Justin called Luxe to set up a date with her, she didn't get the call. When Ian called her around six, she didn't get his call. When Ashley showed up at seven, four drinks turned into enough that inebriation challenged walking on her own and Caesar was carrying her out of the bar at ten o'clock.
When she woke the following day, the last thing she remembered from the prior evening was when Ashley arrived. Waking in her own bed was a relief, but Ian wasn't there, and when she caught the time she sprung from the bed, which had her darting to the bathroom.
It was well after five before she felt she may be done vomiting from her stupid decision the day prior. She was in bed and asleep by seven, before Ian even left Luxe that Sunday.
Monday morning the office was tense, not on Tash's behalf, but Lilith was paranoid. Not to mention, the other girls were up in arms, wondering how the hell Lilith jumped to the position she was in.
"Tash, can you get all the girls and security guys into the office this afternoon?" Lilith stare
d at her.
"Sure, but why?"
"I'd like to have a meeting, answer any questions."
"Any questions?" Tash approached the reception desk.
With a huff, Lilith rolled her eyes discreetly then let Tash show her a few things she hadn't figured out on her own yet.
"Lily," Ian's crisp tone snapped through the reception lobby. "I want to see you in my office."
Lilith didn't miss the smirk pulling at Tash's lips. Releasing a loud sigh, she headed for Ian's office.
"Close the door," he demanded.
"Ian, I don't have time for this," she quietly reprimanded.
"What the hell happened Saturday?"
They hadn't spoken since Friday and she had no desire to talk to him after what Caesar told her.
"Have you been seeing Heidi?" she barked, getting right to the point of her avoiding him.
When his eyebrows shot upward she misconstrued the expression and started backing up toward the door. That wasn't a truth she could handle at the moment.
"Seeing her?" He stood. "I saw her a few times last week. She had a favor to ask."
With her hands at her back, resting on the door knob, she narrowed her eyes. "Like what?"
"She wants to use my dad's yacht for Ashley's birthday party. Lily." He headed for her. "Is this really why you've been acting like this for two days?" His hand landed on her hip.
"I haven't been acting like anything." She batted his hand away and harshly whispered, "Don't do this in the office."
"You're pissed that I met up with Heidi to discuss Ashley's party?"
"She does know it's your birthday too, right?"
"I don't know." He shrugged, uninterested. "I didn't tell her. Our meetings were brief." His guilty expression backed him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Last week was such a cluster fuck."
"Ian, stop," she scoffed. "I don't care. I don't want to think about it, and I'm going to kill Caesar."
"Caesar? He told you I've been seeing her?"
Avoiding eye contact, she nodded.
"I'm going to kill Caesar. Drama queen," he grumbled.
At four o'clock the entire staff gathered in the bright, window-lit conference room.
"Is this going to be fast? I have a client at five."
"Yes." Lilith sweetly smiled at the unfamiliar girl who bitchily sauntered through the reception lobby.