by Keke Renée
“Wait! You’re the guy who’s running for mayor,” Bobby said.
“I suggest you figure out something else. Otherwise, you’ll be seeing this place disappear. Elina marched out of the club, and I chuckled as she threw a tantrum, throwing her things in her car. I stopped her with a whistle.
“I’ll take that.”
“I can carry my own bag, Julian.” Her hands planted on her hips.
“I’m sure you can but just to make sure you follow me to my place, I’ll hold onto it for now.”
Elina pursed her lips and pushed her bag against my chest.
I smiled and held her car door open as she got inside.
Chapter Four: Julian
ON SATURDAY NIGHT, I ordered food while Elina was in the shower. I turned my phone off so we wouldn’t be interrupted while we talked. Elina thought I was playing about her dancing, but I needed to show her that Bobby wasn’t anyone she should be associated withsts. So much underhanded shit in his background, I didn’t want Elina going down with him. I would continue working on getting her to quit and find alternative methods. No woman had ever caused this type of reaction from me and tonight, I planned to put it all out on the table and let her know how I felt. Since dinner at her parents’ place was the next day, I didn’t want to go another minute holding in my feelings.
I set out a bottle of wine and poured a glass for each of us. From the corner of my eye, I saw her come out of the bathroom, wearing my robe and drying her hair.
“What’s all this?” she questioned.
“Sit. I got us something to eat.” I patted the seat cushion next to me. My house was two stories high, and I lived in a quiet neighborhood with mostly families. All of them tried to hook me up with someone they knew. I had just gotten out of a situation a year ago and briefly dated here and there.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” She came around to sit next to me on the couch.
“I don’t have one.”
“Who decorated this place? It’s nice.”
“You thought I would only have a chair and a bed in my place?” I chortled, and she shrugged, giggling and picking up the plate of quesadillas.
“Mmm... this is good.”
“Thanks. It’s my favorite Mexican restaurant near the office.”
“Seriously, you have a nice place. Last time I saw it was about a year or two ago.”
“Yeah, you’ve been hiding from me.”
“No, I haven’t. Just busy, and you have a girlfriend.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Since when? I thought you were seeing Sonya something.”
“Sierra and I broke up a year ago.”
“Why?”
“I’m the one who should be asking the questions.”
She got comfortable on the couch and sat back. Her robe slightly opened, showing a little cleavage.
I gulped down the red wine and poured another glass to help calm down before I had her on her back, moaning my name.
“Are you trying to be my daddy now?” she taunted.
My eyes darkened as I studied her body, from her toes to her legs, her breasts to her lips. “I’m not your daddy.”
“Then who are you to me?”
“You need to quit working at the club, Elina.”
“No.”
“Your brother got photos of me inside the other night when you performed.”
“What?”
“You know he’s my lawyer, and I’m still running for mayor. He’s on top of finding anything that could potentially hurt my campaign.”
“Did you tell him?” she questioned.
“No, but I think you should.”
She put the plate down and stood. I grabbed her hand and pulled her into my lap.
“Julian...” Her breathing increased, as I caressed her cheek with one hand, down her left arm, and rubbed her thighs.
“Can I kiss you?” The need to hear her speak again, just having these few moments, was everything to me.
“Are you really not seeing anyone?” she inquired, and I blew out a breath, not liking that she didn’t trust me.
“I’m single, baby. I did have a few flings in the past after Sierra, but nothing in over six months.”
“You haven’t had sex in six months?”
“No, and I’m not expecting it tonight. I want you, Elina, the real you.”
“I’ve wanted you too.” She covered her face in embarrassment.
“Let me see those eyes and that beautiful smile.”
“You know, I’ve had a crush on you since I was thirteen. Hell, I used to write in my diary that I would be Mrs. Easton,” she confessed and laughed.
“You’re not the only one making confessions tonight. I wasn’t beating up those guys because I was treating you like a sister. I didn’t want anyone near you that would capture your heart and make you forget about me.” I kissed the side of her chin and buried my face in her neck. She hugged me around the neck.
“I found out that Missy is dating my brother,” she blurted out, and I laughed.
“He told you.”
She pulled back to look into my face.
“Wait, you knew?”
“He told me a year ago.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“That’s his business, and she’s grown.”
“Ugh, I can’t stand you.” She tried to get out of my lap.
I tightened my hold around her waist.
“Stop playing. Lie here with me.”
“Don’t you have some mayor things to do?’
“I do, but it can wait. I want you to come with me to a fundraiser for my campaign.”
“As your date?”
“Yep.” I slid my hand inside her robe and felt her soft, smooth skin. She tossed her head back and gripped the back of my neck. I sucked on her neck.
“What about my brother?”
“What about him?”
“He’s going to throw a fit about us.”
“I can handle your brother.”
“I’m not planning to dance forever. I’m saving to open for my own dance studio.”
“I can give you the money.” She stiffened in my hold and tried to move.
“I don’t need your money, and I’m not looking for you to save me, Julian.”
“Baby, I understand but working at the club is a no go. Plus, you need to tell your family.”
“I’ll tell them at dinner, but you’re not giving me the money.”
“Then you’re not going to the club again.”
“Let’s finish eating, and you can tell me about your plans for the mayoral race.”
Elina thought I was playing about her dancing. What she didn’t know was that one phone call to the inspector about the club’s liquor license, and it’d be closed for a while. I’d give her time to tell her folks, but I wouldn’t wait forever.
I POPPED MY EYES OPEN and scanned the room. The bed was made up on the side that Elina had slept on. All we did the night before was talk, eat, and catch up on old times, like when her brother and I chaperoned her to the prom. On top of that, she talked about her relationship with her mother and how things had gotten strained lately because her mother wanted to marry her off to one of the doctors at her dad’s hospital.
I sat up and checked my cell for any missed calls or messages, and the only thing that popped up was Mrs. Murphy sending out a group message about dinner that night. I tossed the phone on the bed and headed to the shower to change. It was going on noon, and I still needed to get some work done and stop at my folks’ place.
Thirty minutes later, I arrived at my parents’ house in jeans and a t-shirt. On the weekends, I was more laid back, compared to the suits I wore during the week.
I knocked on the door, and the butler opened it and stepped aside as I strolled toward the sound of my dad loudly talking to someone.
“He’s running, and you should feel honored to endorse him, Jim,” Dad said. He was sitting in his chair with t
he game on and the newspaper spread out on the coffee table.
I lifted my chin.
“Let me call you back, Jim. He just stepped in the living room,” Dad replied, and I removed my jacket and sat on the couch.
“Son, you look like shit,” Dad stated, and I chuckled as he reached over to give me a handshake.
“I appreciate your honesty, Dad.”
“You’re welcome. How are things going with the campaign?” he asked.
When I made up my mind to run, I didn’t want any of his help, and he promised to let me handle things, but I still found little things going in my favor like getting interview requests from news stations or getting some of his big corporate donors to finance my campaign. The campaign I was running was all about the people and getting the regular person to believe in what we could do.
“Slow but steady.”
“I heard about you at Club Sensual the other night.” He turned the TV down and glanced at me.
Since my dad was the governor, I wouldn’t have put it past him to have someone following me, but EJ would have told me about it when he came to my office the other day. I cleared my throat, waiting for him to continue talking.
“I know you’re thinking I should stay out of your business, but you carry my last name, son.”
“I went to unwind.”
“At a strip club!” he hissed.
“I’m a grown man.”
“Which means you should have enough sense to know that going to some strip joint while you’re running for mayor isn’t a good look. Hell, at least take some bimbo to a hotel,” he fussed.
“Mijo, you’re home.” My mother held her arms out for a hug.
I stood and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her to my chest. She was only around five-two, compared to my father’s six feet. I was grateful for getting the tall gene; I took after my mother with everything else: eyes, nose, full lips, and quiet personality—until someone pissed us off.
Well, according to Elina, I was the devil growing up, but she only saw one side of me because of the situations she got herself into when she was trying to grow up too fast.
“What’s up, pretty momma?” I bent down and kissed her cheek.
Mom didn’t look a day over forty, but she was in her mid-sixties and still had smooth, rich, taut skin.
“Margarita, the food ready?” Dad asked.
“Another ten minutes, baby,” she replied, pulling out of my arms and going to sit on my dad’s lap.
I’d gotten my protective streak from my dad growing up. He was always about making sure that his home life was protected and safe. When I was born, my mom was a stay-at-home wife and mother, raising me while my dad went out campaigning. As soon as he became a household name, she wanted to go to school and get into baking—something she loved to do around the house—and eventually, my dad caved and let her open a restaurant. Now, she had her own chain of restaurants in Seattle called Julian’s—a place she built on her own, without my dad’s help, besides the startup money for the first place, which she paid him back. It was comical how he grumbled about her being gone a lot. He’d have preferred it if she were like other wives and did nothing but shop and have his meals ready. But the second anyone met her and heard her story, they’d see why she hustled so hard without asking for a handout. I saw a lot of my mom in Elina after I talked with her about the stripping.
“JJ, when are you going to bring me some grandbabies?”
I checked my watch and looked at the time to avoid her stare.
“Julian’s too busy right now for things like that, Margarita,” Dad responded, rubbing a hand on her... thigh.
“He can balance both. We did,” she answered.
“Right now, work is taking up a lot of my time. If I plan on winning, I must be focused on the campaign,” I told her.
“I don’t see why you don’t go into a restaurant with me.”
“I didn’t go to school just to end up working for my mommy,” I joked, and she smirked.
“My boy takes after his father. Leave him alone and go check on the food please,” Dad asked, pecking her lips. Mom stepped over to me and pinched my cheek before strolling out of the living room.
“EJ got the photos taken care of, but you need to be more discreet,” Dad said.
I nodded and rose from the couch.
“I gotcha, Dad.”
“Are you headed to the Murphys?” he questioned.
“Yeah, you guys should come.”
“We have to finish packing and get ready to head out for our trip.”
“Be safe and have fun. I’ll send them your love.” I shook hands with my father again and went into the kitchen to kiss my mom goodbye.
THE MURPHYS’ HOME STILL looked huge to this day. It was a fifteen-thousand-square-foot, oakwood mansion with a large, circular driveway and a four-car garage. I remembered sneaking out with EJ to go to parties on the weekends whenever I spent the night.
I got out of the car and jogged up to the front door. I saw Elina and EJ’s cars there already. Normally, she was the last to show up.
“Mr.Easton, nice to see you,” their butler said, reminding me of the Benson character from the old TV show. Same spitfire personality and smart.
“How are you, Beckett?”
“Still hanging in there, son.” Beckett tapped me on the arm and shut the door as I walked further into the living room.
“Where is everybody?”
“In the dining room sitting down.”
“I made it right on time.”
“Mrs. Murphy is her usual self, so be careful,” he rolled his eyes and whispered, like she was driving him crazy once again with her demands.
“Thanks for the head’s up.”
I walked through the off-white marble kitchen with the new island they’d installed, as the chef continued cooking. I waved at Annabelle, the cook they’d had the longest since Beckett’s wife retired.
I heard a conversation going on, and I pushed the dining room door open. I saw Elina wiping her eyes.
“What’s with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing! Julian, please talk some sense into this child of mine. I don’t know where we went wrong,” Mrs. Murphy said. Missy was rubbing Elina’s back, and EJ had this harsh grimace on his face.
“Did you know about this?” EJ asked.
“Know about what?”
“Elina’s a fucking stripper,” EJ shouted.
“EJ!” Missy fussed back.
“Man, whatever. You’ve been lying to me this whole time.”
“It wasn’t my place to tell,” Missy said.
“Little girl, why are you here?” Mrs. Murphy said, and Elina glanced at her mother.
“Missy’s my friend, and I wanted to support her,” Elina stated.
Her mother blew out a harsh breath, then smacked her husband on the arm. “Are you going to say something to your child?”
“Elina, we didn’t raise you like this. You could have been a doctor, a lawyer, hell, even an accountant,” Mr. Murphy explained.
“I’m a dancer, and I’m planning to open my own studio. Being a stripper doesn’t define me. I like the money and the people I’ve met,” Elina said.
“So what, you’re going to open a chain of strip clubs now?” Mrs. Murphy poked out her lip.
Elina pushed back at the table to get up, and I held a hand on her shoulder.
“Look, EJ, I found out by accident, and I made her quit. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, at the end of the day, Elina’s an adult.”
“Who the hell cares what she is. That’s my child, and she’s going to do what I say,” Shannon balked, pointing at Elina.
“EJ, are you saying you don’t like the stripping profession? Because I recall you sniffing up my ass just the other night,” Missy announced.
His eyes widened, and he spat water onto the table. Their parents gasped in shock, and I chortled at everything blowing up in his face after he thought he could keep his secrets safe
.
“You’re sleeping with her?” her mother asked.
“Missy, let me talk to you in the living room,” EJ said.
Missy shook her head, sat back in her chair, and folded her arms under her breasts.
“I’m fine right here,” Missy replied.
“I need to leave,” Elina said. Grabbing her purse, she tried to run out, but I grabbed her around the waist, took her keys, and put them in my pants.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Ride with me.”
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders as we walked out of the house, still hearing her mother yelling about her child being a prostitute.
Chapter Five: Elina
The stillness in his apartment was all I needed to calm me down. I hated leaving my car there, but our parents had a spare key that Missy could use to bring it to our apartment. The look of disappointment and disgust on both their faces was too much to bear. I had to leave before it got even more heated.
Then I was there in his house, with his strong hands running up and down my back. My head was tucked between his shoulder and neck, as my tears finally slowed down. Mom really wanted to disown me, and I felt like my father was just going along with her once again, so he wouldn’t rock the boat. Seeing the look on my brother’s face hadn’t helped either—which was interesting because he was seeing Missy, and she worked at the same club.
I pressed a kiss to Julian’s neck and pulled back to stare into his eyes, as he ran a hand through my ponytail. Julian’s eyes raked over my body, and I felt self-conscious. Even though I was covered up, I didn’t like to be this vulnerable in front of him.
“Why are you crying?” he asked, pulling the rubber band off my hair and running a hand through its strands.
I shook my head, wiping the tear that started to fall down my cheek. He kissed the side of my neck.
“They hate me,” I said.
“They’ll come around. Give them time.” He kissed the top of my forehead, and I gripped his jacket and smelled his scent.
“What are we doing?” he asked.
“Make love to me.”