“Of course I do.” I grab her hands and give her a grin. “You deserve this, you really do. I hope you get it.”
“It does mean that I can’t come into work tonight though. I can’t be out until four in the morning and then up for a nine AM interview.”
“Oh yeah, of course. Did you want me to tell the boss?”
“No, no, I’ll ring in. It just means you’ll have to go there alone.”
Oh God. I don’t know if I’m prepared for this. Jumping in the deep end without a net to catch me, that isn’t a good feeling at all. I mean, I suppose it isn’t that bad since I’ve already done one shift, but the idea still scares the living hell out of me. Still, I have to support Jenny, I have to be a good friend. Even if her plan leaves me in the shit, I still want to be there for me.
“I don’t mind that, I can go there by myself, it’s only a short walk.”
Jenny pulls me in for a hug. “You’re a great friend, I really do appreciate you.”
The sense that everything is changing in a terrifying way overwhelms me and I can feel tears stinging my eyes. All the excitement that was inside me only moments ago when I thought about Ben is long gone, now I’m just scared. I feel like the anchor has been yanked out from underneath me and I’m about to float around aimlessly.
“Right.” I pull back and pat her on the arms, trying to hide my almost tears. “You go and get some rest, get yourself ready for the big day tomorrow. I have work to do.”
Once we say our goodbyes and I make my way out the door, I gulp down the thick ball of emotion that lodges itself firmly in my throat. I haven’t been in the big city without Jenny, and I didn’t think I’d ever have to be. Maybe that just shows off my naivety. Of course people move on with their lives, no one will stick around just for me. I don’t even expect them too.
“Hey, Summer,” one of the other girls calls out as I walk through the door to the club. “Glad to see you back again.”
“Erm, it’s Serena, actually...” I reply, but I don’t even think she’s listening.
As the girls stand around plastering more make up and fake tan on their bodies, it becomes even more acutely obvious how different I am from them all. I’m happy to be pale and natural. I have a little make up on my eyes but that’s it. I’ve run a brush through my hair, but I haven’t styled it like these lot. I just don’t think I can do it without Jenny. If she gets the job, I might have to leave the job as well as the apartment. I might have to go back home after all...
“Jenny is sick, huh?” the boss, who’s name I’m not even sure of, demands. His tall, muscular stature makes him a little overbearing and terrifying. “What’s wrong with her.”
Obviously she’s lied, I need to keep up with that, just in case. I have confidence in her that she’ll succeed at her interview, but she’ll need this as a back up just in case. “Oh yeah, I don’t know exactly.” Are my cheeks going red? Am I giving the game away without even meaning too? “She’s just been throwing up all day long.”
“Not pregnant, is she?” he replies in a gruff, uncaring manner. “Can’t have her here if she’s pregnant. Health and safety and all that.”
Oh well that’s just lovely, isn’t it? What a nice man. “No,” I say firmly. “She isn’t pregnant.”
“Good. Don’t want to be worrying about that again.”
As he walks off I screw my nose up in disgust. Aren’t there laws protecting pregnant women? I’m sure there are ways that people are supposed to behave, but that seems to have escaped the notice of CeeLow. Urgh, I need to get out of here.
I turn on my heels and stalk into the bathroom to grab a moment alone before I have to start this shift. I don’t want to do it, I want to walk out now and call the temp agency to have them get me some more work instead, but the image of the massive bundles of cash keeps filling my mind and it drags me forward even if I’m resistant. Now more than ever I need some money, nothing else will keep me going.
Once inside I lock myself in a cubicle and I put my head between my legs to keep my breathing steady. I don’t like this lack of control, it’s terrifying. The fact that my fate lies in the hands of someone else, and I won’t discover the truth until after Jenny, is scary. I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep my head on my shoulders tonight.
Right, it’s time, I finally decide with a glance at my watch. Time to get to it. Just get through this shift and then worry about everything else later...
I push myself off the toilet and I make my way through the doors. Luckily because I’m so different I blend into the background so no one turns to look at me. That gives me a moment to pull myself together which is good because the first clients are through the door in a second. People seem to be really keen about this place, there’s something very attractive to the rich.
“Come on, Summer,” the same girl from before calls out to me. “Time to get to it.”
At first I sort of hang around on the outskirts, just trying to keep myself looking busy. I don’t want to dive in until I find the right customer because I don’t want to end up in the same position that I did last night. And by right customer I of course mean Ben... not that I would ever admit that out loud.
“Miss?” someone eventually comes to me. “Can I get a round in?”
I nod and take the order, my eyes scanning over the bar the entire time. I can barely focus, it’s really hard to keep any concentration on anyone when I’m waiting for someone who might or might not come in. I take note of the drinks but I already know that I’m not going to stick to this table tonight, not unless I’m forced to.
“Right, I’ll grab those drinks for you and I’ll be back in a moment.”
As I walk I think it’s kind of pointless to have the shot belts on. I hardly sell any drinks from it, I spend most of my night heading back and forth to the bar. I’m pretty much a waitress in revealing clothing. That’s the role I have here.
“Miss?”
I almost role my eyes as someone else tries to grab me. I turn on my heels and try to plaster a fake smile on my face but that soon turns into a genuine one when I realise that thankfully something has gone right. As shitty as this day has been so far, it’s about to get a whole lot better.
“What do you mean, Miss?” I push him playfully. “It’s good to see you again, Ben.”
The fizzling sensation sparks at my lips as the memory floods my mind. His mouth against mine, the wonderful kiss, the feel of his hands against my hips...
“It’s good to see you, too. I hope you don’t mind me turning up again.” He looks a little awkward, as if he isn’t sure which is adorable.
“Not at all. I’m glad to have you here again. Let me just sort this guy out then I’ll be at your table, and at your service.”
Thank God.
Chapter Nine – Ben
I take a seat at a table in the corner of the room, not even bothering with the veranda today. I’m not here for business or networking, I’m simply here not to be interrupted so I can spend the shift with only Serena. I know I’m going to have to spend a lot of money so the manager of the club doesn’t get pissy about her spending a lot of time with only me, but I don’t mind that.
I’ve earned this money, now is the time to spend it as I please.
As Serena comes back into the bar and she spots where I’m sitting, her face breaks out into a genuine, warm smile. That look causes my heart stop skip a beat and again leaves me questioning my feelings for her all over again. I already know that I like her more than I have done anyone else, certainly no one that’s come before her has made such an impression on me, but what does that mean? Can I really be considering teetering into the scary relationship type territory? I guess tonight will be the only way for me to tell.
“Hey there, Ben.” Her sweet tone almost makes me want to sing. “So, now that you’re here, what can I get for you?”
“Can you get me some champagne? The most expensive bottle?”
“Ooh, champagne, are you celebrating something?�
�� She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, which makes me think that maybe the shyer version of her is slipping away even further. At least around me. I like that she can be different with me, it means she trusts me enough to reveal something new. “May I ask what?”
“You can, actually.” I lean back in my chair and run my eyes up her body. “I met the most amazing girl last night and we shared a phenomenal kiss.” Maybe I’m being a bit cheesy, but it looks like Serena likes it. “I’m hoping that she might let me take her out sometime.”
“You are?” Her eyes widen in surprise. I guess I’ve thrown her now, she clearly wasn’t expecting me to actually want to be with her. “Wow that’s... I mean, that’s awesome. I think the girl you met last night would love for you to take her out sometime.”
Yes! And with that, I know we can become something.
Serena walks off to get my drinks and I watch her ass as she goes. I can feel another pair of eyes upon me, so I follow where they are to see one of the other, much more obvious girls, winking at me. She twirls her hair between her fingers and pushes her boobs out to me. Clearly she wants me and if I think back she might have made that obvious before, but now I’m less interested than ever. Now, I don’t want to think about anyone but Serena. To make that point obvious, I grab my cell phone out of my pocket and I start fiddling around with it, putting up my barriers.
That leads to some work emails catching my eyes, but only for a moment. Once Serena is back, the office can wait. The business that I’ve spent my entire existence building no longer seems quite so important. I can’t believe those words have even fluttered through my head, but they have. I must be changing...
“So.” Serena sits by my side and she looks at me curiously. “Are you going to be asking the questions tonight, or am I?”
“Hmmm.” I act like I’m thinking about it, but really I’m not. “I think we should do a bit of both. I think we should just have some time talking.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” She nods slowly. “So why don’t you start by telling me more about your company. I know that you’re obviously very successful, but what is it that you do?”
“It’s very boring,” I warn her. “I work in finance.” When she doesn’t say anything, I take it as my cue to continue. “I guess when I was in school I noticed that I was good with numbers. Much better than the other kids in my class anyway, and because we didn’t have much when I was younger I already knew that I wanted to do something big, so I decided to follow that. I decided to work with companies to restructure their finances when they get into trouble, or even before they get into trouble, just to help saving them money.”
“So, you’re like the angel of debt,” she smiles brightly. “But you swoop in quick to stop debt becoming a problem. That’s really cool. I bet you’ve saved many asses in your time.”
I love that she’s focusing on the cool side of what I’ve done rather than the boring side of working with numbers. Not many people get that, especially not people who I hang out with in any sort of romantic sense. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. I like it. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. I started with nothing and now I have a lot.”
“That’s good. So... you didn’t have much growing up then?” She looks like she might be overstepping a mark, but she’s not. I don’t like to talk about it much but I did bring it up, and to be fair she’s revealed a lot of herself to me. It’s only fair.
“No... my dad passed away when I was just a baby.” My tone automatically turns morose. “I didn’t ever get to know him, so I don’t know anything about him really. Mom talks about him a lot, but still... it isn’t the same as knowing someone, is it?” Serena doesn’t say anything, but her ashen face speaks volumes. “He was hit by a drunk driver while coming home from work, and left me and Mom with nothing.” I shrug sadly. “Mom worked a few jobs to keep us afloat but we still never had much. That’s why I worked my ass off to make something of myself.”
“Wow... that’s really impressive. To have such direction and motivation, to be so ambitious. That’s so cool, I really like that.”
I smile at her, wondering how she sees herself. I can tell that she isn’t keen on the free-spirited label, or that she doesn’t see herself that way, but that’s exactly what she is. She doesn’t have a solid plan, she doesn’t need a definite direction to go in. She’s happy to take one day at a time which is admirable to me. We’re like complete opposites. I just hope not too different.
“What about your family? Any drama with you?” I try to make light of the situation but quickly realise how insensitive that might sound. “I didn’t mean it quite like that...”
“No, no, it’s okay. No drama with me. It was me, Mom, Dad, and my much younger brother, Ethan, that’s all. Nothing to tell really, just a very normal, boring, small town life.” She gives me a grin. “That’s why I’m here, looking for excitement.”
I can’t help noticing that there’s something very morose about her expression, behind all the smiles. I can only see it because I’m really looking at her. “Is everything okay with you?” I lean in and ask her quietly. “You don’t look like you’ve found your excitement.”
She doesn’t look at me for a moment and I wonder if I’ve overstepped the mark. “You haven’t even touched your champagne yet, do you not want a glass?”
She must be changing the subject for a reason, so I go with it for a moment. “Oh yes please. Would you mind pouring me a glass. Get yourself one too if you would like.”
A thick silence clings to us as Serena leans across the table to pour just the one drink. I wait for her to say something, I don’t think me speaking would be the best idea for either of us. If I want Serena to open up to me I need to be patient. I can do that for her.
“I’ve just found out that my roommate might be leaving me, that’s all. She’s been my best friend for as long as I’ve been in the city, so I’m a bit sad about it. That’s all.”
I rub her back as she sits back down. I’m probably touching her more than is allowed – although I’m certain the manager turns a blind eye as long as no one is kicking off and the money is alright – but Serena clearly needs some reassurance right now. It must be hard for her to lose her one constant in her ever changing life.
“That sucks, Serena, I’m sorry to hear it.”
“I know I’ll survive it.” She shrugs at me. “But it’s just a bit of a shock, that’s all.”
She grabs the glass of champagne and takes a drink for herself. Actually, she glugs the whole thing back and then she leans across again to pour a drink for me. I chuckle to myself, enjoying her boldness.
“Well, you have me as a friend now,” I say, probably in a silly way. “I’ll still be here even if your friend does end up going.”
“Until you get bored of me...” She doesn’t sound angry about this, just curious. It’s almost as if she’s trying to work out how I really feel about her. I smile, glad of the chance to explain myself, or at least the amount I understand.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of you.” I tug her in a little bit closer to me. A chemistry circles us and it’s highlighted by the fact that we can’t do anything about it. The tension is thick, the sexuality is high in the air we’re so close but so far. It’s almost taboo which is very exciting. “There’s something about you, Serena. Something that lures me in and thrills me. I will be honest with you, I haven’t ever felt this before and I want to know more.”
She breathes in deep, almost as if it’s gotten stuck in her throat which makes me want to kiss her even harder. Damn it, if she lets me, when we get out of here I’m going to do all kinds of wicked things to her. I’ve been patient, but now I’m starting to struggle with it and judging by the way that Serena is wiggling in her seat, she’s feeling it too.
“I want to know more about you too,” she insists breathily. “I think you’re awesome.”
Her hand rests on the top of my thigh for only a brief second, but it’s enough to set me on fire. She wants me. I
can see it. My eyes automatically glance down at my watch and it kills me to see the time. We still have ages to go until her shift is over. Hours of flirting, of desperate sexual tension, of needing to just drag her into a cupboard somewhere and fuck her...
It’s going to be really hard to resist, but I respect Serena enough to do it.
“Okay, so tell me some more about you,” I say gruffly trying to talk through the thick lust in my throat. “What’s your favourite colour?”
“Yellow,” she replies in a heart beat. “What about you?”
“Red. Are you a dog or a cat person?”
“Dog, definitely. I mean, I like cats well enough but I would much prefer a dog. They’re just so loyal and welcoming.”
Okay well that’s something we have in common. It’s good to have some common ground when we’re clearly very different. It might only be a gossamer thin thread, but it’s something. “Yeah, me too. I’ve always wanted a dog. Maybe I’ll get one someday soon.”
“That would be so cool. You should get a Pug, they’re so damn cute.”
“Maybe I will.” An image pops into my brain of me and Serena with a dog between us, cementing us. “Maybe I will...”
Chapter Ten – Serena
Oh thank goodness it’s time to leave,” I gasp as finishing time rolls around. The club empties out and I sigh deeply with relief. “I thought this shift would never end.”
Me and Ben have been desperately flirting all night long and it’s been killing me. Admittedly it’s been a while so it doesn’t take much to put me on edge, but now I’m about ready to beg him to take me right here in the club. When I came to work tonight I had no intention of ending the night taking Ben home with me. I didn’t even think about anything past just looking at him and spending more time getting to know him, but now I know that I have to. I just hope that he wants to as well...
“Do you have any plans now?” I ask coyly. “Anywhere you need to be?”
“The only place I want to be is with you.” He slips his fingers through mine and gives me a knowing look. His deep penetrating eyes sends a shiver racing up and down my spine. “If that’s what you want, of course.”
The Most Eligible Bachelor Page 44