Not So Casual [Part 2]

by Kelly Harper

  Bobby Thompson. I still remember his name, even after all these years.

  We met on the first day of camp and there had been an immediate attraction. Looking back, I now know it was a much stronger connection than I ever gave it credit for. It’s easy to be attracted to someone, it’s a different thing entirely when their simple presence is so strong that it warps the space and time around you.

  The romance started as just a shared interest in one another, but it didn’t take long for it to blossom into something else. In only a few days we went from hanging out every chance we got, to holding hands when we thought no one else was looking. A few days later, Bobby snuck me down a path through the forest he’d found. It led us to a part of the lake forbidden to us. That was where he first kissed me.

  After that, we couldn’t get enough of each other. We started sneaking out of our bunks in the middle of the night just so we could spend more time together. It was all innocent enough—we were only kids—but the experience shaped me, all the same.

  The romance wasn’t destined to last, and we knew it. That was part of what made everything about it so exciting. We knew that we were on a shortened timeline, and that every moment with each other counted. We knew that when summer camp ended and we went back to our real lives, the connection we had would fade into the background. We knew the magical enchantment of the hot, sticky nights in the North Carolina woods would melt and mix with all of our other childhood memories, but we were determined to make those memories meaningful.

  I never told Bobby, but he was my first kiss. And it had been the best first kiss a girl could ask for. I wish I could say the same about some of my other firsts…

  Maybe the problem isn’t the romances I’ve had. Maybe the problem is me. What had been so magical about that summer with Bobby was that we had always known it was going to end. It was a relationship with a defined expiration date.

  Maybe it was because of that expiration date that we were able to just be ourselves. We weren’t trying to act a certain way for one another. We weren’t critical of each other’s shortcomings. There was just acceptance. I took him for who he was, and he took me the same way.

  Maybe the problem with adult relationships is that there’s too much expectation. Maybe I’d wanted too much from the man I’d thought was the love of my life. Maybe it wasn’t his fault that my heart had been crushed. Maybe it was mine.

  A soft smile spreads across my face as I have a realization.

  I’d always thought that man was my first love, my only love, my one true love. But standing here in the reception hall, waiting for something new and thinking about something long gone, I realize that I’ve been wrong all these years.

  Bobby Thompson was my first love. In a way, he may always be my one love. Our relationship had been flawless. Maybe I should treat every other man that comes into my life as a temporary placeholder, because whatever I have with them will never measure up to what I’ve already had before.

  Feeling renewed confidence, my thoughts drift back to the way Wade Foster had looked on that stage—his presence, his confidence, his muscular physique. If he’s a temporary thing, then I’m sure as hell going to have some fun with him.

  I feel the wetness as soon as it appears between my legs and my smile grows wider. Wade had better show up quick, before I come to my senses, or he’s going to miss out on one hell of a good time.

  Chapter 12

  Sofie

  I linger in the reception area for what feels like an hour, but is actually closer to ten minutes. At first it’s easy to blend in with the crowd of people as they spill out of the conference room. Many of them seem to know each other, and they stand around to chat for a few minutes before parting to head off in their separate directions.

  The minutes on my watch tick by, slowly. After another five minutes there’s still no sign of Wade, and by now I’m one of the only remaining people in the reception area. How long am I going to wait on him? If he’s not here by now, then he’s probably not going to show up. He probably had something to do and left before the seminar even ended. By now, I’m probably just a distant memory to him.

  Feeling a little bit foolish, I make my way out of the reception area and back toward the lobby of the hotel. It’s going to take forever to find a cab at this hour, but there’s no rush. The only thing waiting for me back home is some leftover Chinese food from last night and the next episode of Parenthood—the latest victim of my Netflix bingeing habit.

  Suddenly, a couple spills out of a hallway bisecting my way to the lobby. I hop to the side, narrowly missing a full on collision with a model-thin blonde who doesn’t even seem to notice me. I shake my head in frustration and keep my eyes locked straight ahead of me. People can be so rude, that’s why I’d rather be at home having an excited three-way with my friends Ben & Jerry.

  But I don’t make it more than a couple steps before someone calls me out by name.

  “Sofie! There you are!”

  I slow and give a confused glance over my shoulder. When I see who it is, I come to a stop. The couple I nearly collided with is actually Wade and… some blonde. I’d been so focused on dodging out of the way and getting out of there that I hadn’t even realized he was the guy with her.

  Wade beams a smile at me while a similar smile on the blonde’s face wavers and then vanishes. He looks impeccable, just as he had during his presentation, earlier. She’s wearing a less-than-professional—according to my standards, anyway—business dress. I get the distinct feeling that she’s nonplussed for him to be talking to me.

  Aimee’s words from earlier echo in my ears one more time. But this time they’re more a warning than just a fun fact about the new guy around the office.

  “I didn’t think you’d still be here,” Wade says. If he notices the death glares his girlfriend is giving me, he doesn’t give any indication of it.

  “I ran into a couple colleagues,” I say, quickly, surprised by how convincing the off-the-cuff lie sounds.

  His smile broadens and he says, “New York seems to be a pretty small city tonight. The same thing happened to me.” He glances at the blonde and then back to me. “Sofie this is Rebecca. Rebecca, Sofie.” Following the quick introduction, to me, he says, “Rebecca is an old business associate from my days on Wall Street. We bumped into each other just a bit ago.”

  I give her a thin-lipped smile and a whispered, “Nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” she says, tightly. She has a distinctly European accent that makes her natural beauty even more intimidating.

  “You weren’t leaving, were you?” Wade asks, his tone sounding genuinely concerned.

  “I was,” I say. “It’s getting late…”

  The wavering in my voice makes the excuse sound even lamer than it already is. Lines appear in Wade’s forehead as he gives me an incredulous look.

  “Late? It’s not even six yet. What’s the rush, you got a hot date?”

  “No!” I say, defensively. Then I quickly stammer, “I mean… I just remembered some stuff I need to take care of.”

  His eyes narrow and I can tell he sees straight through the lie.

  “I’m sure it can wait. It’s Friday and we’ve been cooped up in a seminar all day—if that isn’t reason for a few drinks then nothing is.”

  My eyes dart to Rebecca and then back to him. She hasn’t said anything, but the scowl on her face is a message received loud and clear.

  “I wouldn’t want to impose…”

  Wade looks at Rebecca as though he’s forgotten she’s standing there, trying to rub herself all over him.

  “Actually, Rebecca was just leaving, she’s got an early flight to catch in the morning.” He turns and gives her a questioning look. “Isn’t that what you said?”

  A long moment passes before she responds to the question. She gives me more than a couple suspicious looks, but finally she tilts her head forward in a nod.

  “Yes, I should be on my way,” she says, finally.

&n
bsp; Wade looks pleased with the response, but I get the feeling that Rebecca is anything but happy to give it.

  Wade turns toward her and gives her a hug, saying, “Have a good trip. Let’s get together and catch up when you’re back in town.”

  As he goes to withdraw from the hug, Rebecca stretches up on the tips of her toes and kisses him on the cheek. Afterward she fixes him with the same cheery smile she’d had when she’d nearly ran me over just a few minutes ago.

  “I will call you,” she says. When she finally pulls away and looks to me, the scowl has already made its return. “It was nice meeting you.”

  Her words are cold and emotionless and she steps past me without waiting for a response. I pinch my lips together and stare at a spot on the ground until the clacking of her heels on the tile floor fade into the background. Wade spends the same time watching me. If he even glances her direction as she walks away, I don’t catch it.

  After she’s gone, he breaks the silence.

  “So, how about that drink?” he asks.

  The offer is tempting, but all the warning bells inside me are going off, telling me to stay far away from him.

  “Are you asking as my boss, or as something else?”

  I feel like the clarification is an important one. In fact, it’s probably the smartest thing I’ve said all day, even if I already know the answer. It would be just my luck to think he’s asking me on a date when he’s simply intending to get to know one of his coworkers a little better.

  “It’s Friday night,” he says, taking a step closer. “And we’re not in the office. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just a guy hoping a pretty girl will grace him with a little more of her time.”

  I turn my head to the side as a huge smile spreads across my face. It would have been impossible to stop it after hearing him say such a sweet thing. But still, it doesn’t remain for long.

  “I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to get in the middle of something…”

  My meaning is obvious, and to his credit, he doesn’t play dumb. I would know he’s a lying piece of shit if he did.

  “You mean Rebecca?” I nod. “There’s nothing there for you to get in the middle of.”

  “That’s not the way it looked when she kissed you on the cheek.”

  He lets out a little laugh and gives me a reassuring look.

  “She’s Parisian, it’s just something she does. It doesn’t have any more meaning than if it were a handshake or a wave goodbye.”

  The explanation fits. It sounds reasonable. But there’s still a seed of doubt that lingers inside of me. He must sense the doubt, because he tries to reassure me even more.

  “I’m not sure what it is you have waiting at home for you, but it’s Friday night and I’m certain that getting a drink with me will be more fun than whatever you’re so hesitant to return to. There’s no pressure, one drink, and if you’re not having a good time after that you can still be home before your carriage turns back into a pumpkin.”

  The Cinderella reference causes me to laugh, again. At first I just think it’s a cute thing to say, but then it turns into something more. Wasn’t I just telling myself earlier to expect my romances to have an expiration date? Isn’t that the exact same thing Cinderella was facing when she went to the ball? Maybe her night would have been even more magical if she’d gotten away in time?

  Like he said, it’s just one drink. Two if we’re having fun. And then I can return home, to my boring, comfortable life where Aimee will surely act like I’ve officially lost my mind. And I’ll be okay with it.

  “Okay,” I say, bobbing my head in consent. “One drink.”

  The smile on Wade’s face stretches from ear to ear.

  “Great,” he says. “I know just the place.”

  Chapter 13

  Calvin

  The Parlor is the name of the room that houses Club Addiction’s VIP lounge and is restricted to only the most elite of club members. It’s a place where they can go to have more quiet and intimate discussions while still being in a public setting. Members will often treat their business clients, or possibly even their mistresses, to some of the most exclusive parts of the hottest club in town. It’s a way of demonstrating their importance, of indulging their narcissism.

  The Parlor is a status symbol more than anything else. And my presence there is like a painter’s mark on his masterpiece.

  It’s mid-evening when I make my second round through the club. My heart is still beating hard after having just fucked Charlotte on my desk, and a tingling sensation is making its way up and down my legs. But, mostly, the encounter with Charlotte is already a distant memory. It wasn’t the first time I’d fucked her, and it probably won’t be the last. She enjoys our random hookups as much as I do—probably even more than I do—and that means that, no matter what she says, they’ll likely continue. For now, my focus is on greeting my guests, and checking to see if there are any VIPs that deserve, or expect, even more special attention.

  The lounges with their varying styles of music and ambiances are all beginning to fill up. I stop by a few of the tables and shake hands with both those I recognize as returning guests along with new faces that I’ve never seen before. As is typical, there are more than a couple hot twenty-somethings that make it obvious they’re willing to do whatever it takes to spend a little more time with me, and if I hadn’t just emptied myself with Charlotte, I’d be tempted to take one or two of them up on those unspoken offers.

  It takes the better part of twenty minutes to clear my way through the club before I end up outside of the Parlor. Darren, one of the more senior members of my security team, is standing just outside of the room. The visible security so near-at-hand gives my special guests a sense of comfort. These are powerful men of privilege, and they like to know that they’re being taken care of—and that they’re properly segregated from the “commoners” that avail themselves to some of Club Addictions other amenities.

  Having a trusted man nearby at all times also makes it easier for me to know what is going on in my club. And whether or not there are any matters of which I should be aware.

  “Good evening, Darren. How’s the night coming along?”

  “Mr. Black,” he says, nodding his head in acknowledgement. “Pretty quiet night so far. Only a few guests have been through here.”

  “Anyone I should be aware of?”

  He nods his head once.

  “Mr. Cross is here right now. With a date.”

  He adds the last part almost as an afterthought. Its meaning and significance doesn’t need further clarification.

  “Glad to hear it. Then I shouldn’t be here long.”

  Darren nods his head in understanding and then pulls back the purple privacy curtain that separates the Parlor from the hallway outside. Stepping beyond the curtains transports me into a much quieter and much more elegant world. The lighting in the Parlor is kept low, and the tables are spread far enough apart that the VIPs don’t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping.

  Giving a cursory glance around the room, I note that a few of the tables in the Parlor are occupied. I disregard all of the others when I see the man I’m looking for sitting in his usual spot. He’s displaying that level of charm that seems to work on most of the women in his life. Across from him is a girl with curly auburn hair. She doesn’t look like the usual type of girl I see him here with—but I’m not one to judge.

  Declan Cross was one of the first investors in Club Addiction, and he was also one of the first VIP members—a perk of his contributions to our ongoing success. I’ve known him for a few years, and he’s quickly become one of my most trusted confidantes in the city.

  A smile brightens his face when he sees me drawing near. He rises out of his seat just as I come to a stop at their table.

  “Calvin Black, the one and only,” he says, thrusting his hand out to me.

  I grasp it and give it a strong shake.

  “Declan, it’s good to see you.” I turn my smile to th
e girl—she’s even more attractive up close. “I see you’ve brought a friend…”

  “Calvin this is Annabelle.” To her he adds, “Annabelle, Calvin is the owner of this fine place, and a dear friend.”

  “It’s good to meet you… Mr. Black, was it?”

  She holds her hand out to me and I cup it in mine, ever so gently.

  “To you, it’s Calvin,” I say, lifting the back of her palm to my lips and pressing a soft kiss into it. “And believe me, the pleasure is all mine.”

  She’s quick to mask it, but I catch the beginnings of an embarrassed blush showing on her cheeks.

  “Easy there, cowboy. This one is staying with me tonight,” Declan says, only half jokingly.

  She cocks an eyebrow at him.

  “So much confidence…” she teases. “What if I like Calvin, here, better?”

  For a split second Declan actually looks concerned, but it disappears just as fast, replaced by one of his cocky, smug looks.

  “Then it would be your loss,” he promises.

  The trickiest part about glad-handing with the VIPs is knowing when to excuse yourself. This playful flirting between the two of them, at my expense, is the perfect opportunity.

  I grin and clap Declan on the back, keeping my eyes locked on his beautiful date.

  “I can promise that what he says is true,” I tell her. “Unfortunately, I’m too busy to be much fun to anybody, tonight.”

  Her head tilts in a mildly dissatisfied way and she diverts her attention back to Declan.

  “Looks like you’ll get more time to impress me, after all.”

  “I can assure you he won’t disappoint,” I say, confidently, then turn to face my friend. “You’ll let me know if there’s anything you need, yes?”

  We grip hands one more time and he jerks his head in agreement.

  “Your people know just how to take care of me.”

  “Good. Let’s get together soon and catch up, it’s been too long.”

  He agrees that we will, and I take my leave. It won’t be long before the club really starts filling up, and I need to put in some more face time out in the primary rooms. It’s my job to make sure that my guests have a memorable experience at Club Addiction, and I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to make that happen is for the owner to be present and willing to impress.