Obsession: Seven Vices Series

by Blythe, Emily

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lola

  What had gotten into Julian? And why the hell did he have such a problem with me being at the ballet with Cole?

  He was the one who kept showing up at places I didn’t expect.

  I settled back into my seat next to Cole, waiting for the production to resume after intermission.

  “Are you enjoying the ballet?” Cole offered me a gentle smile. Close-up, he was even more handsome than I’d realized. He was also softly spoken, a real gentleman. Unlike some others…

  “I am. I’ve never been to the ballet before.”

  “You haven’t?” Cole studied me. “I never would have guessed. You carry yourself beautifully, and I have to say it again… You look absolutely ravishing in that dress.

  “You’re very sweet.”

  Cole nodded graciously before turning his attention to the man next to him on the other side. It was his business partner and his wife, who he’d invited along to join us for the evening. While he was occupied, I couldn’t help but scan through the crowd, wondering if Julian was close by.

  I didn’t have to wonder for long. Julian stared back at me as he sat on the opposite side of the theater. It was easy to make him out. He was taller than most of the surrounding men. My eyes shifted to his date.

  What? My stomach roiled.

  It was Minty. At first, I hadn’t recognized her because of her elaborate up-do hairstyle. It was definitely her. I felt white-hot rage simmering in my clenched fists. He is here with Minty of all people, yet he has the gall to disparage me for being out with Cole.

  This guy was a complete narcissist. And as for Minty… Well, she was just doing her job… But I couldn’t help but feel betrayed by her. I wasn’t jealous. I just didn’t know why she didn’t tell me.

  Julian continued to stare. Why wouldn’t he stop looking at me? What was his problem?

  After the show ended, we said goodbye to Cole’s colleagues, and he took me to the bar next to the theater for a drink. He insisted on ordering for me—a sidecar cocktail. And it didn’t stop there. He ordered me several more cocktails, one after the other, while he sat on his whiskey for over an hour.

  We talked very little about him. He wanted to know everything about me. About school, my career aspirations, my background — but that’s where I drew the line. I was purposefully vague about my upbringing. I wanted to keep that small piece of my history private.

  As the evening progressed, Cole loosened up, commenting more frequently on my appearance. He kept saying how sexy I was and how much he loved my smile. With every compliment and every drink I consumed, he moved closer to me in the corner booth where we were seated.

  “It’s getting late.” He skimmed his thumb along the exposed skin of my shoulder, sending a shiver down my spine. Not the kind of shiver he was hoping for.

  I clutched my purse. “It is. Do you want to go?”

  Cole leaned back against the seat, not taking his eyes off mine. “I do. But only if you come home with me.” The corner of his lip picked up into a sexy grin.

  But it didn’t have the desired effect. “Well, now…” I tried to laugh it off with a gentle giggle. “You know that I can’t do that.”

  He took it well. “Okay. Then maybe another drink?” He signaled for the waiter, but I stopped him.

  “No, no. I’ve had quite a few already.”

  His friendly demeanor faded. He leaned back once again and just stared at me. “What will it take to get you to come home with me tonight?” His voice was monotone, almost cold.

  “I can’t. It’s not a part of the service I offer.” That was the most diplomatic answer I could come up with on the spot.

  His pupils narrowed. “So it’s about money, is it?”

  I shifted in my seat, creating more distance between us. I could sense that something in our dynamic had changed. His persistence was getting on my nerves.

  “It’s not about the money. I offer silver level service, which doesn’t include everything you might get from another escort.”

  “Well, we don’t have to tell Gia about it, do we?” He reached out to touch me again, and this time I whipped my arm away.

  “Come on, Lola. We’ve had a good time. I can give you an even better one. Don’t tell me you don’t do this with the other clients.” His hand crept under the table and slipped under my dress.

  I slapped his hand away as if it was a knee-jerk reaction. I jumped out of my seat, knocking over the cocktail in front of me. It spilled all over us both as I backed away. He gripped onto my dress, and I tried to pull it from him, stretching the fabric.

  “Come on now, you’re making a scene,” he gritted out.

  I yanked hard on my dress, and he released me.

  Expecting him to come after me, I ran like my life depended on it, out into the night. As I passed by the entrance to an alleyway, I heard a crack and then a sharp pain in my ankle as I went tumbling onto the sidewalk. My heel had broken off my shoe. I managed to get myself upright, only to come face to face with Cole, who had caught up with me.

  His jaw was pinched, and his eyes were black as coal. I looked at him and then back toward the dark alley.

  It wasn’t a good position to be in. He could trap me, drag me into the alley, and do God knows what.

  I should have listened to Julian. I needed to get out of there. Before I could think about what I was doing, I reached into my purse and pulled out a bottle of spray deodorant. I held it in front of my body in self-defense. Cole snickered as he’s stalked towards me in the dark, wanting me to go further into the alley with him.

  But that wasn’t happening. When he got close, I lunged forward, spraying him directly in the eyes with the deodorant. He howled and took several steps backward as he rubbed his eyes. “Fuck! You’ll regret this, you little bitch.”

  I knew this was my time to run, but it felt like I was standing in thick mud. I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed with fear.

  Cole snarled, and despite his stinging red eyes, he launched himself towards me. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact…

  But the impact never came.

  Instead, a familiar voice echoed in the night. “Get your hands off her.”

  I whipped my eyes open, hoping that the voice belonged to who I thought.

  It did. Julian was there, of all people. He had Cole by the collar, pushing him against the brick wall. He pulled his fist back, ready to punch him. All I could think about was the fact that Julian was going to ruin everything just to save me. I couldn’t let that happen.

  I ran up to him, intervening before he could hit Cole. “It’s not worth it. He’s not worth it. This wouldn’t be your first offense, do you really want to go back to jail?”

  Julian looked at me with a mixture of surprise and horror.

  Shit. We had never discussed his prison stint. I’d made a point never to bring it up.

  Groaning, Julian released Cole reluctantly and took several steps back.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Julian

  Cole, being the weasel he was, ran off while I was checking on Lola. It was a shame because I really wanted to give him what for, but making sure that Lola wasn’t hurt was more important.

  “I’m fine. Really.” Lola caught her breath, resting her palm on her chest. “I’m just…” She rose to look at me. “How did you… I mean, I’m grateful… I’m glad that you are here, but I’m confused.” She paused for a moment, as if she was considering her words. “Are you following me, Julian?”

  “No,” I wiped the sweat from my forehead. “Not you.”

  She was confused. And hell, I would have been too if I were her. I had really messed things up. What the hell did she think of me?

  “It’s a long story…” I studied her reaction.

  Her face dropped. Was she disappointed in me?

  The truth was, it wasn’t just a long story, but a painful one. No one knew the whole truth. But somehow, when I saw the mix of fear and concern in Lola’s eyes,
I had an overwhelming feeling that I owed her an explanation. More than that, I wanted her to know everything. I couldn’t stand the thought of her thinking poorly of me.

  What was this girl doing to me? It had been a long time since I’d felt that burden… of not wanting to let someone down.

  “I’ll explain.” The words fell from my lips without a second thought. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Lola, who was still dazed from the confrontation with Cole, slowly nodded. She was appeased with my response… at least for now.

  As we began to walk down the street to find food, Lola stopped dead in her tracks. She looked down at her dress, which was stained with orange liquid and almost torn to shreds in some areas. Her chest heaved up and down as she studied the damage, and a helpless whelp escaped her mouth.

  “Your dress is ruined…” I stood there awkwardly in front of her, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  She sniffled as she looked up at me, her eyes bloodshot red. Fuck. All I wanted to do was console her, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t know if she’d accept it…

  “This isn’t just any dress. This is for school. I need to submit it to a showcase tomorrow or I’ll fail my last semester.” She looked up to the sky, shaking her head. Her chest heaved harder as the severity of the situation hit her.

  I couldn’t bear it. I stepped forward and took her into my arms.

  She didn’t hesitate. Instead, she let the weight of her head rest on my chest. Her salty tears and inky mascara seeped into my crisp white shirt as she shook in my embrace.

  “It’s okay. I’ll take you home, and you can fix it. Maybe if you work all night…”

  She took a deep breath. “It’s not that simple.”

  As if waking from some hypnotic dream, Lola composed herself, and I released her.

  “I don’t have the equipment or the fabric,” she continued. “I need an embroidery machine. This embroidery…” She held up a piece of the dress that was still intact and ran her thumb over it. “I did this by hand. It took weeks. I need a machine to get this re-done by morning. Nothing will be open at this hour. I’m screwed.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair. “Shit.”

  I had to admit she was kind of fucked. I couldn’t help but wonder why the hell she would risk wearing the damn dress tonight if it was so important…

  No. The last thing she needed was judgment. What she needed was a solution. She needed fabric. She needed an embroidery machine.

  As Lola continued surveying the damage, I realized that this might be one situation where I could actually help. “If I can get you what you need. Can you finish it tonight?”

  Lola swallowed. A glint of hope and confusion flickered in her eyes. “Yes, if I work all night, I think I can.” She hobbled over to me, her broken shoe in hand. “What are you thinking?” She studied my expression.

  I pulled out my cell phone. “I’m thinking you’re about to have a long night ahead of you.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lola

  The man that Julian had called on the phone met us downtown. He was waiting for us impatiently outside an old warehouse that had been converted into office spaces.

  He was a thirty-something Asian-American man, who looked effortlessly fashionable, even though he’d just rolled out of bed. Although he wasn’t too happy that we’d woken him in the middle of the night.

  We climbed several flights of stairs and followed him to a door.

  “I swear, Julian, if you weren’t so cute, I would totally be hurting you right now.” The man yawned as he unlocked the door. “You know I need my beauty sleep.”

  Beside the door was a plaque with the name Anzai Aki inscribed on it.

  I looked at Julian. We couldn’t be…

  “Wait, this is the Anzai Aki office?” I asked.

  Julian’s friend nodded. “It’s one of our design studios. We make all the samples here.” We followed the man into the studio, and when he turned on the light, I had to stop myself from squealing.

  It was heaven. Bolts of fabric were stacked about the place in neat piles. Machines and contraptions of all types were set up and ready to go. It was a dream come true.

  “Does Anzai Aki know we’re here? How can we be here? I don’t think we’re meant to be here…” I muttered frantically. I could hardly believe my luck.

  Julian laughed. “Calm down.”

  “Sweetheart, Anzai doesn’t have a problem with it.” The man who’d let us in lazily walked over to a stack of fabric in one corner of the room and gestured for me to come over. “This will probably work, or maybe this.” He looked at my dress and matched it to some fabric in the pile.

  Was this happening?

  “You’re gonna let me use this?” My jaw fell open.

  The man cackled and walked back to the door where we came in. “Of course. You need to fix that gorgeous dress, don’t you?”

  I swallowed. “I do, but I don’t want to get anyone in trouble…”

  The man rolled his eyes. “It’s gonna be fine.”

  “How do you know?”

  The man offered Julian a sideways glance. “This girl asks a lot of questions, Julian.”

  Julian tried to suppress a smile.

  I glanced between them both. What was I missing?

  The man shook his head. “I am Anzai Aki. That’s how I know that it’s okay.”

  I gawked at him. “You’re Anzai Aki?” I took in his appearance more closely. I hadn’t realized it was him, without his characteristic, round reading glasses on. “I’m an idiot, sorry.”

  Anzai smiled. “You weren’t to know.”

  “You, know, I’m a huge fan of your work, Mr. Aki.”

  Anzai stepped out of the room. “Thanks, honey. I’m a fan of the dress.” He pointed to my ruined gown. “So do me proud. Okay?”

  He nodded at Julian as if to say goodbye. Before I could pick my jaw up off the floor, he disappeared into the corridor.

  “This is amazing.” My eyes darted all about the room thinking about where to start. “I can’t believe you know Anzai Aki.”

  “I guess there are a lot of things you don’t know about me…” He sauntered forward with a guilty expression on his face. He was right. He had some explaining to do. But first, I needed to get started.

  Ten minutes later, I was cutting fabric and pinning pieces together to replace the panels of my dress that were damaged. Julian sat mesmerized, watching me as I worked the material and manipulated tools of my trade like a pro.

  “You really know what you’re doing.” He nodded toward my work.

  “You think I just did three years of fashion design school and didn’t learn a thing or two?”

  He leaned back in his chair and continued to watch, but I could tell the cogs were turning in his mind. Was he going to tell me what was going on tonight?

  Why the hell did he try to warn me? More importantly, how did he come out of nowhere to save me from Cole, just at the very moment I needed help?

  If he wasn’t following me, then what was he doing?

  As if reading my mind, Julian spoke. “I guess I owe you an explanation.”

  “I guess you do.” I didn’t look up as I lined up a seam and pinned the fabric together.

  “I wasn’t stalking you, Lola. I was stalking Cole. I’ve been watching him for years.”

  I paused and stared at him. “You’ve been following Cole?”

  It was the last thing I was expecting, but now that he’d said it, it all made sense. Cole and Julian were so often in the same places. I just thought it was a coincidence that we dined at the same restaurant as Cole and Yasmin on our first evening together, but maybe it wasn’t.

  It came together in my mind. Julian had orchestrated all of it, so he could follow Cole.

  “But why?” I asked.

  Julian looked off into the distance for a moment before returning his gaze to mine.

  “That’s the long story part.” He picked up a sewing pin and turn
ed it over and over between his thumb and forefinger. “It has to do with my past.”

  “To do with Hannah?” I asked. I don’t know what gave me the courage to put that out there, but I had a feeling she had something to do with this.

  Julian tilted his head. “You read the letter, didn’t you?”

  The letter? Oh, shit.

  “The one in my wallet.” He looked at me suspiciously. “Tonight you mentioned that I had a first offense, so you know that I’ve been to prison and now you’re bringing up Hannah. No one knows about Hannah. That didn’t even make it into the tabloids.”

  I swallowed. “I did. And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”

  He seemed a little annoyed, but not as angry as he could have been given the situation. “Your right, it was wrong… but based on what I know of you, you probably couldn’t help yourself. You’re impulsive.”

  “Me? Impulsive?” I chuckled. “Says the man who almost beat the crap out of Cole tonight. If I hadn’t intervened, you would have--”

  “I know.” He nodded. “And I’m grateful that you did that.”

  I sighed and went back to pinning my fabric. “Well, go on,” I prompted. “If it’s a long story, you better start now. It’s not like we have all night.” My voice was laced with sarcasm.

  He considered my words for a moment before speaking. “Hannah and I met when I was eighteen. I moved to New York with my brother, Will, and we were living on the streets. We were naïve, stupid, and broke. This was before we went to live with my cousin, Oliver, who eventually gave us a place to stay.”

  He scratched at his stubble and then continued. “Anyway, Hannah was an escort…” He looked up at me as he said the word.

  She was? I put down my work for a moment so I could focus on what he was telling me.

  He continued. “The first time I met her, she was outside a hotel having a screaming match with an older guy. He was really going at her, raising his voice… the works. I hated that shit. I’d dealt with that stuff my whole life. My dad left my mum when I was a kid, and after that she had a string of failed relationships…” His jaw tensed. “I can’t stand it when a man yells at a woman.”