by Tia Siren
I watched him slink over to a group of his friends, all of whom were congratulating each other on being the richest men in the world. They made me sick to my stomach. I turned and walked over to the end of the bar, put down my tray, and straightened myself up. Another one of the girls walked up and did the same, looking at me and then over at Hurst.
“I see you had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Moneybags.” She laughed. “I heard what you said, and I have to say, you don’t give a shit. He tried to pull the same thing with me, but I was standing next to security, so it didn’t go as far.”
“I hate men like that,” I said, shaking my head. “They should be put down before they hurt themselves.”
“Absolutely,” she said. “I’m so happy to be working here through tomorrow night. I seriously need to talk with the agency. Gigs like these are bullshit.”
“I feel your pain,” I said. “I feel bad for the girls that have to work here full-time. I can’t imagine coming here every night and dealing with the bullshit.”
“Amen, girl,” she said. “All right, back on the floor to make that money.”
I smiled and watched her walk away. I knew there would always be some rich slimeball lurking around, but hopefully I would be able to lessen that considerably. Those guys were the exact example of what I hated, and jobs like these, they really got me motivated for the future.
Chapter 17
Mason
I clicked off my computer and stretched my arms over my head. It was Wednesday and a new record on how many days I had consecutively come to the office. It had been a long day, especially sitting in meetings pretending to support my father when I knew what kind of shady dealings he did. My whole perspective on my family and the business had changed. I was just glad the day was over and I could pour myself a glass of whiskey when I got home. Before I could walk out of the office, though, John called.
“Hey, buddy,” I said. “I was just leaving the office.”
“Wow,” he said. “I’m impressed. Three straight days in the office.”
“What can I say?” I laughed. “I gotta earn my keep at some point or another. So, what’s up over there in the banking world?”
“Not much,” he said. “There’s a new club that just opened down the street from your office. I was there last night, and it’s pretty sweet. They hired a bunch of fine-ass models to work as cocktail waitresses for the opening, and tonight is the last night they’re working. Hurst is who the owner finances through, so I’m always on the list to get in. You want to go grab a drink with me?”
I thought about it for a minute, not sure I was up for a club on a Wednesday night. Then I remembered who I was and realized how much I’d been ditching John lately. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have that whiskey around a bunch of beautiful women and get my best friend off my back about going out.
“Come on, man,” John said. “You need to unwind after a long day at the office.”
“You’re right.” I laughed. “I think I’ve earned a drink and some hot women. I’ll meet you over there in fifteen.”
“Sweet,” he said. “I was starting to think you were ditching me.”
“Never.”
I hung up the phone, and my smile quickly faded. I knew I couldn’t hide out from John for too long. He would definitely start to notice something was up, and the last thing I wanted to do was have any more conversations about Ava with him. He didn’t understand my draw to the girl and thought the only reason I was trying so hard was that she’d turned me down. There was a lot more to it than that, and though I was incredibly attracted to her, there was also a history there that needed to be amended. I felt responsible for her, like I needed to protect her, and I knew she wouldn’t want to hear that.
When I got to the place, it was already rumbling with rich men having drinks and congratulating each other on taking over the world. I was one of them. I couldn’t escape it, but sometimes I really hated being around them. I didn’t find the same kind of pleasure they did in crushing the small guy only to put a few more jets in my private collection, or my father’s private collection at that point. I met up with John, who was already talking to a group of girls standing to the side. I picked one and decided it was time to do a little flirting if I wasn’t too rusty.
“Hey there,” I said to the redhead on the end. “I’m Mason.”
“Alley,” she said, smiling flirtatiously.
We started talking, the normal bullshit conversation about what she did, who I was, and how big my bank account was. I had to hand it to John. He was right that the waitresses and the girls at this place were super hot. It was like the sexiest of New York had come out to the club for the night, and I was starting to think this might have been an excellent idea. Between the alcohol and the skimpy little dresses, I thought I had found my new place to hang out. It was even sweeter since I had actually done something with my day and was ready to relax and release.
“Isn’t your dad the owner of York Hotels?” Alley asked.
“He is,” I said. “And I work there right alongside him. I gotta learn the company since one day it will be mine.”
“That’s a lot of responsibility for one man,” she said, running her hand down my arm. “And powerful too.”
“I’m more than capable of handling just about anything,” I said, smiling seductively as I stepped toward her.
She was definitely sexy with long, bright red hair and pouty lips. From the way she was eyeing my body and leaning in toward me, I could tell she was interested. I was considering taking this girl home, if for no other reason than to get my mind off Ava for an hour or two. Just as I thought that, I looked up and saw Ava step out from behind the bar carrying a tray full of drinks. She looked so sexy in her tight little black dress, heels, and dark makeup. She was one of the models working the opening, and instead of feeling let down, I was definitely intrigued.
“I’m sorry. Could you excuse me?” I said, walking away from the redhead before she could even respond.
I stepped closer, standing there and smiling with my hand on my chin. Ava seemed pretty versed in the whole waitress thing, and I remembered she’d had a stint in that diner in Brooklyn when we were teenagers. I would go there and order milkshakes and watch her struggle across the room with giant trays. This definitely fit her better.
“You handle that tray like you used to those at the diner,” I said.
“Oh my god,” she said, shaking her head. “Of course you’d be here.”
“Aw, don’t be like that,” I said, chuckling. “You look amazing by the way. Though I am not understanding how you manage to survive in those heels. I remember a time when you and heels didn’t get along so well.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had some practice since junior prom,” she said, trying not to smile.
“You’re probably the hottest girl in the room,” I whispered.
“Hey,” John said, walking up to us. “Oh, man, don’t mess with this one. She’s got a fire under her ass.”
“Oh, yeah?” I laughed. “Why is that?”
“I don’t know, but she’ll run to the boss and cry,” he said, turning away from her.
“Only for scumbag assholes like you,” she barked back. “Who are you sexually harassing tonight, Mr. Hurst?”
“You should be lucky you still have a job, bitch,” he said angrily. “I can easily report you to the agency and let them know you don’t know your place.”
“Hey, hey,” I said, stepping between them. “John, knock that shit off, man. You’re acting like a real asshole right now. What’s going on between the two of you? You need to leave her alone, man.”
“Why? She’s just some dumb model at a new club. What are you, Superman now, stepping in for the damsel in distress?”
“No. I’ve known her my whole life,” I said, turning to Ava. “John, this is Ava Spencer. Ava, my friend John.”
“Why does it not surprise me that you’re friends with people like this?” she said. “Back in the day,
you would have rather chewed your own arm off than be part of a group of people who thought they were better than everyone else because they—or in his case his daddy—had a bunch of money. I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised. You’re definitely a different man than you used to be. That’s for sure.”
“Ava,” I said, feeling almost bad about what she was saying.
“Oh,” John said, laughing. “I know who this is now. This is Ava Spencer. Her dad used to own Spencer Hotels. I get it completely now. The two of you grew up together.”
“Yes,” I said, patting him on the arm. “We’ve known each other since we were in diapers.”
“Right, right,” he said, putting his hand to his chin. “This is the chick who turned you into the badass player you are now. I should thank you, Ava. You’ve created an excellent wingman, and the ladies of New York are very appreciative that you sent him out into the world the way you did. He’s definitely a favorite wherever we go.”
“John,” I said, shaking my head and turning to Ava. “Ava, he’s just joking. It’s not like that, I swear.”
“Save it,” she said. “I have work to do.”
She looked John and then me up and down and before walking away with pure disgust in her eyes. I just stood there, completely unable to find words. John slapped me on the back and laughed.
“Come on, dude. It was all in good fun,” he said.
“Yeah.” I brushed his arm off me. “You know, sometimes you can be a big douchebag. I don’t get why you think it was okay to talk to her like that.”
“Lighten up, man. She’s just another chick.” He chuckled and walked away.
I scoffed, watching her across the room. There was no way I could not apologize to her. My best friend had completely ripped up everything sacred about our history together. There had been a lot of turmoil between us and our families, but I had never, not even for a second, regretted the relationship we’d had when we were kids. It was probably the best thing about my youth. I walked over, chasing her down.
“Ava,” I said, pulling her over to me. “I’m sorry about that. John’s an asshole.”
“No shit,” she said, writing down an order. “You’re the one who made him your friend.”
“We’ve been through a lot, and I can’t just ditch the guy,” I said.
“Mason, not to be rude, but you can just ditch the guy. You did it to me,” she said, shaking her head. “You know what? It’s not worth arguing with you about it. I’m done arguing with you about things. I’m working, and it’s the last night, so I don’t want to lose the money because of you again.”
“Wait.” I jogged to catch up and walked beside her. “Who’s your boss here? I’ll buy out your contract, and you and I can talk like I wanted to when I called you. I don’t want this to end on a bad note, Ava. I didn’t come here even thinking you would be here, much less to insult you and make you even angrier at me.”
“Your friend, John, already tried that last night,” she said. “Besides, it’s apparent from the way you were with that redhead that you have no interest in giving up your evening for me. Go be a player over there. You’re getting in my way.”
I stood there and let her walk off, finally getting the hint that she wanted to be left alone. John had really gone and done it this time, saying something I could see really bothered her, even if she was trying to play it off. I sighed and walked over to one of the tables and watched John flirt with the same redhead I had flirted with earlier. I wondered if this whole thing would fuck up us meeting on Friday. From the looks of it, she didn’t even want to be on the same side of the room as me. Irritation took over, and I shook my head and turned to the door.
“Whatever,” I whispered to myself as I made my way out. “She’s not worth it.”
Chapter 18
Ava
I walked into my apartment and shut the door behind me, groaning as I dropped the giant bag of books I was carrying on the floor. I walked across the room, pulling my buzzing phone from my pocket. I looked down and saw Mason’s name on the screen and sighed. I walked over and sat down on the couch and held the phone in both hands. I knew why he was calling. He wanted to see if I was going over to his place so he could talk to me about whatever was so important that he had to see me face to face. I had a hard time believing he had anything that was that important. He probably wanted to get me alone so we could argue like we had at the studio that day, only this time I wouldn’t be getting paid for it.
Part of me was curious about what he wanted to say, but the other part of me wasn’t sure if I really gave a damn. I didn’t know if I wanted to go over there and immerse myself in his world again, not to mention that I would have to go to York Hotels and betray everything in me that told me to stay away from the place. It was a crapshoot. He would either have something good to tell me, or we would end up at odds like last time. Seeing him the other night at the club had not helped his cause at all either. I wasn’t sure if he’d been drunk, but he had been full of himself. I was actually glad John had no problem speaking his mind. He’d confirmed how much of a player Mason was. I knew he wasn’t a virgin when we’d had sex—he had told me—but the man he had become made me think maybe I was just another notch in his belt when we were teenagers. Maybe he’d used me for sex like he was going to use that redhead the other night.
I sat staring at my phone for a couple more seconds, trying to make a decision. At the last moment, I picked it up and put it to my ear. I hoped I was making the right choice.
“Hello?” I said.
“Hey,” Mason replied. “I didn’t think you were going to pick up.”
“I wasn’t sure I was,” I said. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to see if we were still on for tonight. I really want to talk to you about something,” he said.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m really tired, and to be honest with you, I don’t know what more there is to say to each other. Wednesday was a pretty big eye-opener for me, and I’m not sure I want to waste any more time fighting and arguing with you. Mason, you’re not the guy I thought you were, and I’m starting to question if that guy ever actually existed. You’re just like your friend John, arrogant and full of yourself because of who your father is. Why would I want to come and sit down in front of you and listen to even more of that?”
“First of all, I’m so sorry for John. I know you don’t understand why we’re friends, but I’m not sticking up for him,” he said. “What he said was wrong and out of turn. I may be different; I’m not going to try to act like the last ten years haven’t turned me into someone else. The guy you knew when we were kids is still here, though, I promise. Just come over and sit down and talk to me. I’m pretty sure you’ll recognize me when you do.”
“If I don’t see something from you,” I said, “something that makes me think talking to you is not a waste of time, then I’m going to get up and walk out, and I don’t want to hear from you ever again.”
“Fine. It’s a deal,” he said excitedly. “I’m in the penthouse suite of the York in Manhattan. I’ll call down to the concierge and have him bring you up.”
“Of course you are.” I sighed. “All right, give me a few minutes to change my clothes.”
“Take your time,” he said.
I hung up the phone and shook my head, not understanding why I couldn’t tell him no. I chalked it up to morbid curiosity and changed my clothes before heading over to the York. When I arrived, I stood outside staring up at the high-rise, swallowing hard. Well, I was already there. No use in turning around now. I walked inside, and the concierge escorted me to a private elevator and put his key in.
“The front door will be straight ahead when you get out of the elevator,” he said.
I smiled as the doors closed and clutched my purse close to me. When they opened again, the front door was propped open for me. I slowly walked in and looked at the dining room table, which was set with dinner. The place was gorgeous, and there were huge televisions ev
erywhere and speakers in every corner of the room.
“Hey there,” he said, wiping his hands on a towel. “I thought you might be hungry, so I fixed us some dinner.”
“I didn’t expect you to cook,” I said. “But thank you. I actually haven’t eaten all day and was thinking about one of those scary hot dog carts on the way.”
He laughed. “We can’t have that. Come on, sit down.”
He shut the front door and came back and sat down across from me. We sat in silence for a little while, enjoying the spaghetti he had made. He used to make that for me when we were younger. I didn’t mind eating dinner with him, but I really wanted to know why I had come all the way over here.
“This is great,” I said. “But what is all of this really about? I know you didn’t beg me to come over just to feed me spaghetti.”
“You’re right,” he said, smiling. “I didn’t call you over here to eat spaghetti. I have been working out of the office a lot lately, and what you said about my father in the studio stuck with me, so I did a little digging. I found your father’s hotel files in the file room in the basement of the building, and I went over every piece. There was the contract to merge as partners, all legit, and all of the other legal documents too. What wasn’t legit was the forged paper I found giving my father the right to sell off pieces of Spencer and hide the money in different accounts.”
“I told you,” I said, slapping my hand on the table. “I told you your dad was a horrible person. God, I knew I wasn’t crazy.”
“You’re not crazy,” he said. “And you were right. I knew my father was a terrible human being, but I never thought he would sink that low. All the dates match up to us being together too. Ava, I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am for what he did to you and your family. That may be the way he thinks, but that is not the York family way. My father fell off the truck somewhere along the way. I don’t know when or why, but he’s settled into a position where he feels business dealings like that are okay, and I’ll be the first to say they’re absolutely not. I’m determined to make things up to you and your family. They deserve retribution and justice for this, and though it might take some time, I want to make sure they get that.”