Kevin, the bartender, gave us a slight nod, which seemed to tell Liv something. She walked us over to the back hallway where one of the girls, who I hadn’t met yet, was handing out the white masks.
“It’s showtime.” She squeezed my hand. “Here’s to a night of splendid tips and easy customers.”
I smiled, unable to resist her jolly attitude. I turned back around and watched as a hostess led two men to one of the seating areas in the center of the club. One of the men sat on the couch, while the other sat on the ottoman. They were deep in discussion, and one stood back up to take off his suit jacket before sitting back down. The hostess took it from him and walked back to the front.
“Do we need to go over there?” I asked.
“That’s not our section. Tonight, we’re covering the exterior booths.”
I nodded and she secured the mask over her face and I did the same.
“Too bad this doesn’t cover up my whole face,” I laughed.
“That’s the spirit,” Liv said, rolling her eyes. “Looks like our first table is being seated. Have any questions?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
I followed Liv’s lead and walked over to the large booth that now housed four men. Two of them looked to be in their early fifties and the other two maybe thirty? Guessing age was never my thing.
“Who do we have here, Liv?” One of the younger guys asked. He was dressed in a polo and chinos, and his blonde hair was slicked back. I smiled at him as his eyes fell along my body, and I instantly knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
“This is Hannah. It’s her first night, so behave,” Liv responded. The guys ate it up.
“Don’t we always?” the man asked, smiling. “Nice to meet you, Hannah. I’m Greg.”
“Nice to meet you,” I responded, commanding myself not to fidget.
“Your usuals?” Liv asked.
They all nodded, but Greg spoke up. “Make Jim’s a double.”
They all laughed and we walked toward the bar. “Not so bad, was it?” Liv asked.
“I don’t want to jinx it,” I laughed.
“Okay, so Greg drinks a gin and tonic. Jim drinks a White Russian, and the other two have Merlot. The gentleman with the white hair is Todd and the one sitting next to him is Barry. Got it?”
I nodded as I tried to commit their names and faces to memory as Liv waited for the bartender to make the drinks. There was a steady stream of customers and the music was nothing like I expected. I assumed it changed based on the theme of the night, but tonight was a nice mix of classical. Hearing the piano made my fingers restless as I thought about not being able to play my violin, having nowhere to play and no instrument.
“Drinks are ready,” Liv said, interrupting my thoughts.
I grabbed the tray and noticed a long-stemmed red rose placed in between the drinks.
“What’s this for?” I asked.
“Every night we pick a favorite at the table.” Liv caught my expression and her lips pressed into a thin line.
This was so gimmicky. It was hard for me to fathom that anyone fell for this. I followed Liv to our table and began serving the drinks, trying very hard to remember which name was paired with which drink.
“I think the new girl should pick her favorite,” Greg replied, grinning. I felt his eyes cascade down my body and was grateful I was buttoned up in my oversized shirt. I had no idea how’d I’d be able to do this in lingerie.
My stomach clenched and I smiled as Liv took the tray from me. I wrapped my fingers around the stem and held it out toward Greg, waiting for him to grab it.
He didn’t. Instead, he slid over in the booth and tapped the seat. I glanced at Liv, horrified, and she nodded, her gaze tightening on me. A wave of nausea swept through my body, but I fought it down and took a seat next to Greg. He smiled and sat back in the booth, finally grabbing the rose.
“I’ve always preferred blondes,” Greg said.
Preferred blondes where? In what context? I didn’t think there was anything like that going on here. My body began to warm up as fear pulsed through me. What were Greg’s expectations?
“So tell me about yourself,” Greg asked.
Sensing my unease, Liv slid into the booth across the table. The men moved down slightly to let her in.
“She’s from Ohio,” Liv answered for me.
“Is that so?” Greg laughed. “A small world. My sister lives in Dayton.”
Of course she did.
I smiled and nodded. “I lived up north in Akron.”
Greg nodded. “Well, I think you’re going to be a lovely addition around here.” He took a sip of his drink and handed me the rose. “You take this and keep it to remember me by. At least until next time.”
I smiled and took the rose back from him. Liv stood up from the table and walked over to me, grabbing my hand. “We need to put that in water then. Is there anything we can get for you before we do that?”
All the men shook their heads. “Only drinks for now,” Jim replied.
Liv’s grip was tightly wrapped around my fingers as she nearly dragged me off the floor and down the hallway.
“You have got to loosen up,” Liv commanded. “I know first nights are always uneasy, but you looked like you were about to pop.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to that type of—” I stopped myself. Whatever was about to tumble out of my mouth wouldn’t make sense. Not to someone who didn’t understand where I actually came from.
“Type of what?” she asked, pushing open the dressing room door.
“Interaction.”
“Well, you better get used to it and quickly.” She grabbed a vase, filled it with water, and shoved the rose in it. I took the vase from her and placed it near my bag.
“I will. I promise I’ll step it up.”
And I did. The rest of the night as the booths filled up and men were introduced, I turned myself into a commodity. I smiled. I laughed. I teased. I touched their hands. And by the time I left for the evening, I wanted nothing more than to take a nice long bath to rinse everything away. I only needed to do this for a few weeks at the most. It wasn’t that big of a deal. But it was.
“Nice work,” Liv said, as she followed me outside.
“Thanks. I told you I’d get the hang of it,” I laughed.
“You walking home?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Have a nice rest of your night. You did awesome,” Liv said, waving as she walked off toward her car.
I waved and walked over to the sidewalk. Even though it was late at night, the streets were surprisingly full. I glanced around looking for anyone or anything suspicious, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Just couples making their way back home and the typical groups of men and women winding down from a night full of drinking. As I made my way down the street to my temporary home, I decided to walk right on by the house and visit the beach. I’d been dying to visit it since I moved in, and now seemed like as good a time as any.
The crashing of the waves beckoned me over as I walked along the sandy beach. It was a beautiful, warm night, which made it difficult to believe we were in the month of March. Such was the life in California. Even though the sidewalks had been full of people, the beach was empty. Exactly how I wanted it. I set my bag down and kicked off my flip-flops. I felt the sand run between my toes. If I could only find peace in the middle of the night so be it. At least it hadn’t been completely taken from me.
I looked back toward the house and saw the lights from the top floor blazing and a shadow dancing along the wall. Mia must have been painting or dancing. Maybe one led to the other. There was something comforting about Mia, about my new home, no matter how temporary. I turned back toward the ocean and sat down on the sand, closing my eyes and listening to the waves crash gently against the beach, imagining that this was what my life could always be.
The sound of an engine running interrupted my dreams, and I turned around quickly to look behind me
. Had someone found me? My heart began racing when I saw a car idling in front of Mia’s house, my house. The headlights were blazing, which made it difficult for me to see what was going on or who was in the vehicle. I moved slowly, hoping whoever was there wouldn’t see me. When the driver’s door swung open, a large figure jumped out of the car with the engine still running. I heard him on the phone, talking about “finding the girl” and my chest tightened in horror. They’d found me.
Again.
I blocked the light from the headlights with my hand, hoping to glimpse a bit of the person, but he took off running toward the front door. My heart raced with fear, but instead of running away, I ran toward the door, toward the man. I couldn’t let anything happen to Mia. This was my problem. Not Mia’s.
Luke
Damn it! I had decided against going into Buttons on Hannah’s first day. I didn’t want to give her any reason to run, and my hunch told me she already had plenty of them. So instead, I turned into the guy hanging out in the parking lot to keep an eye on her. Something about this scenario had to change. This wasn’t how I operated, but I didn’t want to scare her. I might only have one shot to prove to her that I could be trusted, and I didn’t want to blow it. So, here I sat in the parking lot in the middle of the night to make sure she was all right. How was that not creepy, again? I changed the satellite radio away from rock to classical. I needed something calming.
It was a few minutes past closing, and I expected to see her walk out any second. I knew she didn’t have her truck any longer and planned on walking home, which did nothing to calm my fears about how this girl operated. She was on the run, yet she was still too trusting when it came to strangers. I think she actually thought if someone tried to attack her in public, a stranger would step in. Unfortunately, that wasn’t how it worked in our world.
The door opened and the bouncer smiled as two women walked out. My heart quickened when I spotted Hannah. She was laughing, carrying a bag and holding a rose. My stomach knotted with the thought of how she got that rose. Some man had already claimed her, and she didn’t even know it. Liv forced a smile as she appeared to be giving Hannah some sort of advice. Whatever it was, it made Hannah cringe slightly, but I doubt Liv even caught it. I wish I knew what Liv had told her.
Liv walked to her car as Hannah walked out of the parking lot. I waited for Liv to get in her SUV and pull out of the lot. I didn’t want to attract attention and Hannah wouldn’t be getting very far with the traffic signals around here. They were slower than molasses. I watched as Liv drove by, talking on the phone. I wondered who she was talking to in the middle of the night. Last I knew of she had no significant other, which was why Sean was her target of the moment, and I doubted he’d be willing to go down that path. It was too cliché. Club owner dating one of the waitresses, but who knew; he was apparently a changing man.
I pulled out of the parking stall as Liv turned down the street. Several cars were lined up at the stoplight as I inched my way out on the road. Scanning the sidewalks for Hannah, my heart began to race. I didn’t see her. There were more crowds on the street than I expected, but then again, all the bars and restaurants were closing so everyone was being pushed out. She had to be here. I gripped the steering wheel, cursing the red stoplight until it turned green. I continued skimming the sidewalks, my eyes landing on any blondes that I could see. And in California, they were all over.
Where the hell did she go in less than five minutes? I turned down the street that led directly to my sister’s house, my eyes still watching for any sign of Hannah. She had to be here somewhere. Maybe I’d passed by her. I pulled over and grabbed my cell. If I texted Mia, she’d know immediately that Hannah was the woman from Starbucks. I tapped the shifter with my thumb as I debated whether or not to text Mia. Maybe Hannah hadn’t walked home, maybe she had jogged home, which would make her there already. I looked in my rearview mirror, canvasing the group of bar patrons, still not seeing any sign of Hannah.
I let out a sigh and typed a text to my sister. It was bound to come out anyway.
Hannah back to the house yet?
Minutes ticked by and no response. She must be in the middle of one of her works, which meant the music was up and she was in her zone. There was no getting through to Mia unless she happened to glance at her phone.
It had been fifteen minutes since Hannah had left the club. Even if she walked extremely slow she’d be back at the house by now. I shook my head, knowing what I was about to do.
I put the car in drive and pulled back onto the road. If something happened to Hannah because I didn’t just lay it on the line with her, I would never forgive myself. If they got to her…
My foot pressed harder on the gas as I thought about the information I had found out earlier this evening. It was time to come clean with my sister. My car flew by parked car after parked car until the beach finally came into view. I was only a block away. There was still no sign of Hannah and the anger inside of me was beginning to boil over. I didn’t follow protocol, and I let my personal feelings for her overshadow her safety.
I pulled in front of my sister’s house and jumped out of the car. The lights were on upstairs so my sister was working. I reached for my keys to open the door when I realized I’d left the car running. My hand grabbed the door handle and pushed it open. Mia didn’t even lock it.
Wonderful. I was glad to see the security system had a chance.
“Mia,” I hollered, climbing the stairs two at a time. “Mia.”
The music was louder with each step I scaled. There was no way she’d hear me until I was right in front of her. Another thing we’d need to discuss. It wasn’t like our family was in the clear either. There was a reason she had an alarm system.
Her studio door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open the rest of the way.
Nothing would have prepared me for what I saw in front of me. I had to look away.
Hannah
That man was on a mission, whoever he was. My heart pounded as I climbed the porch steps two at a time, and I jumped into the entry. He didn’t even bother to close the door. I’d left everything on the beach and was completely empty-handed. I didn’t know what I thought I was going to do, but whatever it was, I couldn’t be without some sort of hard instrument. My fingers curled around a small iron sculpture tucked in one of the wall alcoves. It would have to do. I scrambled up the stairs, my blood on fire with each step toward Mia’s floor. Car still running, door wide open. Whoever was in here was being careless, guided by his heart, not his head. Was it an old boyfriend of Mia’s? Was that why her place was so secure? Who did she have after her and why didn’t I pay more attention?
Out of breath, I reached the top of the stairs, greeted by thumping bass from Mia’s studio. As I turned down the hall, I saw a man slowly backing out of her studio. His movements were unnatural, nervous—possibly angry. There was no sign of Mia. Then I heard it over the music, a woman’s voice moaning.
I quickly considered my options. Wait until he turned around and saw me and then lunge? Or hit him now and apologize later, if needed.
Second option!
I jumped toward the man, grabbing the back of his suit jacket, which threw him off balance only slightly. He stumbled backward as I swung the piece of metal toward the back of his head. Missing his skull completely, I plunged it into his neck. But it was too late. Before I even realized what had happened, he had me slammed against the floor. My eyes clenched shut with pain, as he pinned both of my arms above my head, his knee digging into my waist.
But then as quickly as he’d apprehended me, he let me go.
“Oh my god, Hannah,” the voice spoke, the voice that the heavens were built upon.
My eyes flashed open.
“Luke? What—”
He hopped off of me and knelt next to me. “Are you okay?” he interrupted. “I had no idea it was you.”
“Why would you?” I asked, rubbing the base of my head. My heart rate immediately began to calm as
I looked into his eyes.
He shook his head. “I’m so sorry.” He ignored my question. His fingers gently ran along my shoulder, sending the fear straight out of my body as an amazing pulse of electricity replaced it. “Let me get you some ice or help you to—“
“What about Mia? Is she okay? I heard...” The bump to the head was starting to pound.
His expression fell and he answered before I could finish. “She’s just fine. A little occupied at the moment.”
Was Luke her ex-boyfriend?
“Oh,” I said, realizing what he meant. “You didn’t—”
“I did. And I wished I hadn’t.”
I let out a stifled laugh, which brought a trace of a smile to his lips. “Well, you might want to go take care of your car. If someone hasn’t stolen it yet, they will shortly.”
“That would fit my luck tonight,” he laughed, helping me up. “You sure you’re okay to leave alone for a minute?”
“A minute? Yeah. I think I can handle that. I’ll live. Can you maybe grab my stuff on the beach?” I smiled.
“Sure.” He turned around and my eyes cascaded down his body. It was hard not to admire it. Squeezing my shoulder muscles to get the kinks out, I decided to follow him down the stairs as I thought about what just happened.
I went into the kitchen and grabbed a plastic baggie and filled it with ice. I’d do the same for Luke, but I wasn’t going to lie to myself. Whatever injury I had attempted to inflict on him, didn’t happen. But what in the world was he doing here? Mia’s last name was Dufort.
I smacked the baggie of ice to the back of my skull and took a seat at the breakfast bar as Luke walked into the kitchen.
“Car still there?” I asked, adjusting the ice.
“Amazingly, yes.” He smiled, and I couldn’t help but want to say something funny to keep that smile there. But I couldn’t think of anything even slightly humorous. He placed my bag from the beach on the floor.
“So you know Mia how?” I asked, watching as he made himself at home, grabbing a glass.
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