Contrasting Lives

by Leah Dempster

  * * *

  Chapter Nineteen

  It was well after midnight by the time Matt got into bed, emotionally and physically spent. Even when he fell into bed, he couldn't sleep. He'd spent an hour or so, tossing and turning, but sleep continued to elude him. Paula's words nagged at him, making him think hard on what was best for Courtney. What was best for all of his children?

  With a heavy heart, Matt pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt and headed back downstairs, formulating plans, making decisions. A quick glance at his watch confirmed it was a little after two in the morning, and leaving a note in case Gina or Paula woke up, he slipped out of the front door and got into his truck, quietly reversing out of the driveway.

  Twenty-five minutes later, he pulled up outside Salacious and unclipped his seatbelt. For a few minutes, he leaned back against the headrest, wishing he didn't have to do this, but knowing it was the best thing for Courtney. What he wanted – what Emily wanted – none of that could matter anymore.

  He'd decided he couldn't continue seeing Emily. Telling her was something he didn't look forward to, in fact, it was one of the hardest things he'd ever contemplated, but after the mess he'd made of things, he owed it to her, to tell her face-to-face. Inhaling sharply, he pushed open the door and slipped out of the truck.

  The interior of Salacious wasn't what he'd been expecting. He'd never been in the place, but the interior could only be described as classically elegant, which came as a surprise. He'd imagined a seedy dive; instead, when he pushed through the front doors he found a discreet foyer, decorated in mahogany and brass. In one corner next to polished mahogany double doors was a magnificent reception desk and he approached the suited man who stood behind it.

  “May I help you, Sir?” The man was tall, slimly built, with short grey hair and a neatly clipped mustache. He was immaculately presented in a dark grey suit and Matt noticed the crisp English accent when he spoke.

  Matt leaned his elbows on the desk, a casual glance taking in the neat work area, the carefully concealed computer screen. They obviously took privacy to the highest degree here, the filing cabinets behind the desk had the kind of security locks on them he'd only seen in government departments, and roller shutters were visible, retracted into the ceiling space while the club was open. Clearly, their member records were kept highly confidential, which was understandable given the nature of the club. “I'd like to see Emily Coulter.”

  “Are you a member, Sir?”

  “No.” The doors to the interior of the club were swept open and a group of four people came out, laughing and chatting. Matt thought he'd seen just about everything in his police career, but this took the cake. Both men wore loincloths, for want of a better description, their muscled bodies oiled and sleek under the subdued overhead lighting. Behind them, wearing decorated leather collars and nothing else, came two beautiful women, one a tall blonde with perky tits and a shaved pussy, the other a voluptuous brunette who had a thin gold chain leading from heavy rings in her nipples down to another ring that protruded from her clit. Matt hoped to Christ that he could keep his jaw from dropping to the floor.

  “Good evening, gentlemen; ladies. I trust you have enjoyed a pleasant evening at Salacious?” The guy in the suit greeted them with an air of nonchalance that amazed Matt. “Let me get your coats.” He snapped his fingers and a young woman appeared from a doorway beside the filing cabinets. “Libby, Mr. Drayton and Mr. Parton and their subs are leaving for the evening. Please bring their belongings.”

  “Wonderful, Mr. Lawford. Another outstanding evening, thank you.” The smaller of the two men responded to the guy in the suit and caught Matt's eye, throwing him a knowing wink. “You like my sub, oui?” He inclined his head towards the blonde girl and she eyed Matt with blatant interest.

  “She's a pretty girl,” Matt agreed. Despite his uneasiness, he wasn't going to let this guy know he found this whole damn situation surreal.

  “Claire enjoys being shared. Would you like to borrow her for an hour? We could go back into the club and allow you to play. Claire has a penchant for tall, well-built, authoritarian types.” The man's gaze lowered meaningfully to Matt's crotch and he swallowed heavily. “And so do I.”

  Claire licked her lips, raking her eyes across Matt's torso and he swallowed heavily. “Thanks for the offer, but I'm meeting someone.”

  The man pouted. “Such a shame. Perhaps another time?”

  Matt smiled. “I'll keep it in mind.”

  Libby reappeared, carrying coats for the four guests and Matt watched as they slipped through the front doors. Before Claire left, she turned and winked at Matt, blowing him a kiss and he couldn't help but grin. The idea that Emily worked here, lived here, was mind-blowing. In his wildest dreams, his craziest fantasies – he'd never imagined Salacious would be like this.

  “Sir?” Matt turned back to the desk and found Lawford watching him with undisguised amusement. “Your first time at Salacious, Sir?”

  “It's that obvious?” Matt offered him a dry grin.

  “New members tend to all wear the same look of bemusement, Sir, when they first meet some of our clientele.”

  Matt shook his head. “I'm not a member. I'm here to see Emily Coulter.”

  Lawford shook his head. “I'm sorry, Sir. It isn't possible.”

  “Look, I know she's working, but this is important. I have to see her,” Matt didn't want to do it, but he would pull his badge if he had to, in an effort to get into the place. It wasn't exactly protocol, but he was determined to see Emily tonight. He hated the idea of breaking things off with her, but there was nothing he could do to avoid it. And after leaving her hanging for over a week without a word, he was determined to see her tonight.

  “As I said, Sir, it isn't possible.”

  Matt frowned. “Listen, Lawford. Cut me a little slack will ya? I know Emily's working in the bar here, she's bound to be working on a Friday night. I just need ten minutes of her time. Please.”

  Again, Lawford shook his head. “I'm very sorry, Sir. Miss Coulter isn't working the bar tonight.”

  Matt sighed. In some ways, knowing Emily wasn't working was a blessing. If he was going to tell her he couldn't see her again, perhaps it was better if he could do it in the privacy of her apartment upstairs. It would be kinder, knowing she wouldn't have to go back to work afterwards. He wasn't certain how she felt about him, but if it was anything similar to how he felt about her, it wasn't going to be easy for her to hear he was breaking it off. Maybe he was being egotistical, but he thought he knew Emily enough to know she'd be upset. “Could you call up to her apartment? Let her know Matt Pendleton is here? It's imperative that I speak to her tonight.”

  “I'm very sorry, Mr. Pendleton. Emily isn't on the premises tonight, she had another engagement.”

  For a long moment, Matt stared at Lawford and tried to assimilate what the dapper man was saying, with the Emily he'd been getting to know. He was jumping to conclusions, thinking the worst. Shit, she could be out with friends, at a party. There had to be a dozen things a beautiful young woman could be doing on a Friday night, other than what he suspected. “Another engagement?” he questioned, already dreading the answer.

  “Yes, Sir. Miss Coulter is with a client and isn't expected back until the morning. I can leave a message for her, if you'd like.”

  For a minute, Matt remained silent, trying to ignore the churning of his gut.

  “Sir?” Lawford prompted. “Do you have a message for Emily?”

  Matt shook his head slowly. “It doesn't matter.” Turning away, he shoved through the doors violently and stalked out into the cool night air.

  ≈≈◊◊≈◊◊≈≈

  Bud Spencer pulled up outside the Fairmont Olympic Hotel early the following morning and turned off the ignition, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the electronic beat pumping from the MP3 player. Right on time, he watched as Emily walked elegantly down the front steps of the hotel, still dressed in the chic red dress s
he'd been wearing when he dropped her off the previous evening. She walked across to the car and slipped into the front seat beside him, automatically reaching to turn down the music. “Honestly, Bud, you're going to end up deaf.”

  Bud grinned as he turned the key in the ignition and pulled out smoothly into the early Saturday morning traffic. “Hasn't hurt my hearing so far.”

  “There's still time,” Emily said dryly.

  “Everything okay?” Bud pressed the volume button on the steering wheel, raising the volume a notch.

  Emily frowned at him and nodded. “We had dinner, then sat and watched a couple of movies. Henry loves those old musicals, Gene Kelly and Ginger Rogers.”

  “Boring as bat shit,” Bud muttered. “Give me a good action movie any day.”

  Ignoring Bud's comment, Emily smiled. “After the movies we went to the casino and Henry shot craps for about three hours, then we sat up on the rooftop and watched the sunrise.”

  “A typical Henry Austin appointment, then?” Bud shook his head. He didn't understand why a guy would spend five hundred bucks an hour for a beautiful woman like Emily and be happy to watch movies and play craps. “The old guy must be fucking crazy.”

  Emily reached into her small purse, to check her phone for messages. “He's lonely, Bud. Since his wife died he doesn't have anyone around and he and his wife didn't have any children.”

  “He did realize he could have screwed you for the eight grand he paid, didn't he?”

  Emily turned to glance at Bud. “Henry's impotent, has been for about ten years.”

  Bud's eyebrows rose. “You're fucking serious, aren't you?”

  A small frown crossed Emily's forehead as she confirmed there were no messages on her phone. Again. She'd hoped to hear from Matt, but it seemed more obvious with each passing day, it wasn't going to happen. Mandy had told her there had been some sort of crisis with Courtney, but Matt hadn't been back to work since their phone call, so Paul knew little about what was happening. Slipping the phone back into her purse, she pulled bobby pins from the blonde wig and dragged it off, dropping it onto her lap. “Yes, I'm serious. Henry has never had sex with me. In his case, he just likes to have a pretty girl on his arm, someone he can tell his stories to. It's the only reason I agreed to take the appointment.”

  “You're really gonna give up the escort work permanently?”

  Emily nodded tiredly and laid her head back against the headrest. “Yeah.”

  “This guy is really that great?”

  Emily smiled softly. “Yes, I think so.”

  Bud grinned to himself and they settled into a companionable silence. When he glanced across to Emily at traffic lights, a few minutes later, he saw she'd fallen asleep and he turned the heater on to keep her warm.

  When she'd been rescued by Paul and brought to Sally's, Bud had stepped up to the plate to provide her with security whenever she needed it. An ex-marine who'd had drug and alcohol problems, Bud had cleaned up his life after his third wife left him and he'd been dishonorably discharged from the Army. Like so many others at Salacious, he'd arrived at the club and never really left. He'd originally been a steady visitor at the club, his own particular kink including a desire to dominate which his ex-wives had never understood. In Salacious, he'd found an outlet for his desire, playing often with other members of the club. As time went on, during which he'd been kicked out of the club more than once for his drunkenness, he'd realized the problems in his life were caused by the alcohol and drugs. After hitting rock bottom, losing his career, his third wife, and access to his five kids, his options had reduced to peering into the bottom of an empty bottle, committing suicide, or cleaning up his act. Fortunately for him, Sally had taken him under her wing, offering him employment as a bouncer at the club and providing contacts that could help him get clean. It had been five years since his last drink and he was sober, drug free, and head of Salacious' Security. He was also deeply committed to the safety of Sally and her other employees and had developed a soft spot for Emily, keeping a fatherly eye on her and making sure she was safe.

  Not that it was ever really a problem. After escaping from her previous relationship, there'd never been a sign of trouble. The Dom who'd brutalized her so badly, the man who'd professed love, but wanted complete and utter acquiescence had disappeared after Paul rescued her, never to be seen again. Bud kept an eye out for him, relied on Paul Meccelli's contacts to ensure he never visited Seattle, but he was reasonably confident the slime ball had crawled back under whatever rock he'd come out from underneath. Bud sure as hell would knock his ass back to San Francisco if he ever showed his face around here. When Emily had first appeared at Salacious, she'd been deeply traumatized, physically and emotionally. William Collado was a piece of work, hiding behind a veneer of respectability, he treated his subs like crap, relying on his money and name to keep him out of trouble and using his charm to lure young women like Emily into his trap. Using psychological mind games, he convinced the subs in his life of their utter worthlessness, degraded, and humiliated them at every opportunity. As far as Bud was concerned, he was the worst kind of Dom, one who should never have a sub in his care and certainly, William Collado had never considered the cardinal rules of BDSM. Nothing that bastard ever did was safe, sane or consensual.

  Emily murmured softly in her sleep and Bud's hard expression softened as he glanced at her. Her head had lolled over towards him and her long dark lashes lay over her cheeks, resembling tiny fans. Shit, he couldn't believe ol' Henry Austin couldn't get a hard-on for a girl as beautiful as Emily was. Without doubt, if Bud himself ever got to the stage where he couldn't get it up – he was just gonna have to shoot himself.

  ≈≈◊◊≈◊◊≈≈

  Bud turned into the employee car park at Salacious and gently shook Emily awake before they both walked inside. All Emily wanted was to go to bed; she was utterly exhausted after spending the night with Henry, and was working a shift in the bar tonight.

  The interior of Salacious was lit up in the early morning, the cleaning staff was busy, and the sound of vacuum cleaners hummed in the expansive room. Emily was surprised to see both Sally and Lawford sitting on stools by the bar. Usually by this time of the day, they would have both disappeared upstairs to sleep through the morning. Sally and Lawford had a sexual relationship, as well as a working relationship and were close companions, although Sally still happily played with other guests at Salacious. Lawford was a long-established sub, but only ever played in private with Sally.

  “What's up?” Bud obviously recognized something was out of the ordinary, as he strode across the room to where they were sitting. Sally glanced across at Emily with a sympathetic smile and Emily glanced from her to Lawford.

  “Did William turn up?” It was her greatest fear, worrying that one day William Collado would return to claim her again.

  “No, of course not,” Sally soothed her with a reassuring smile. “It's nothing to do with that hideous man.”

  “What then?” Bud questioned impatiently.

  “I'm so sorry, Emily. It's entirely my fault,” Lawford began, pulling at his tie anxiously. “Matt Pendleton turned up last night and I didn't realize who he was.”

  Emily frowned. Matt had come to Salacious? Of all the nights he could have visited the club, he chose the one when she'd gone out with a client. Although it had been completely platonic, she squirmed a little at the thought of Matt catching her out when she'd promised to stop the escort work. She should have telephoned him in advance and told him what she was doing, but after the abrupt end to their last conversation, and what she'd heard about his problems with Courtney, she'd decided she should wait until he rang her. “What did he say?”

  “He wanted to speak to you, and as I say, I didn't realize who he was at first…” Lawford brushed his fingers across his mustache, smoothing it nervously. “When I told him you were with a client, I'm afraid he got somewhat annoyed and left the premises immediately, without allowing me to explain.”
<
br />   Emily pulled her cell phone from her purse and flicked through her received calls until she found Matt's number. “It's okay, Lawford, you made an honest mistake. I'll phone him and clear it up.”

  “Em, he may not understand,” Bud warned her quietly.

  “He will,” Emily said confidently. He had to understand. She'd only kept the appointment because she had a soft spot for Henry and he'd begged her to come visit him one last time. He'd been phoning Sally every day for a week or two, after she told all Emily's clients she would no longer be providing her services to them. Emily liked Henry, and couldn't see a problem with spending the time with him. But she understood why Matt might not see it the same way.

  ≈≈◊◊≈◊◊≈≈

  He answered on the second ring after staring at the phone in disbelief. He couldn't believe she would have the gall to telephone him. “Hey.”

  “Matt, hi. It's Emily.”

  “I know,” he responded, slumping against the kitchen bench. He didn't want to deal with this, didn't want to hear her lousy excuses.

  “There's been a misunderstanding, Matt—”

  Matt rubbed his hand across his face tiredly. After leaving Salacious last night, he'd driven around for more than an hour, trying to cool down before he came home. He'd had no sleep and was dealing with a thumping headache. The last thing he needed was some fucked-up justification from this woman as to why she had gone out and turned a trick, when she thought he wouldn't know about it. “I don't think it's a misunderstanding.”

  “You don't understand—”

  “Yeah, I think I do. You're a fucking whore, and you screw men for money. I knew that going into this, but I believed you, when you said you were giving it up while we figured out what we might have together,” Matt retorted bitterly.