The club was filled with light since the club didn’t open for another few hours. Angie was at the bar stocking for the night and I gave her a quick wave as I walked toward my office. There were a few staff working to get the club cleaned before we opened and I saw that everyone was doing their jobs efficiently.
I was very specific in how I wanted the club cleaned every night. Everything had to be put back in its place after the club closed and then another crew came in the next day to clean and restock.
I spent the next few hours getting caught up on paperwork and getting payroll done. The club would be opening in an hour, so it was time for me to do my walk through and make sure everything was in place and ready. A knock at the door halted my mental checklist for the night.
“Come in.”
Frank, one of our male bartenders, walked in with a big grin on his face. Our gentlemen’s club catered to all proclivities, including men that were looking for man candy. Frank wasn’t gay, but he had no problem working the bar and flirting with the few men that showed interest. Frank had been trying to get me to sleep with him for over a year now, but I wasn’t interested. He was good looking, but I just had a feeling that he would fall short of fulfilling my needs.
“Vira, baby, how are you today?”
“Busy. I was just about to go walk through the club.”
I had to admit, he looked good tonight. His black hair was slicked back and he wore black slacks and a black dress shirt that had been left open two buttons. However, the gold chain around his neck was too much and left him looking like an Italian mobster. He was a little on the short side for me, probably about 5’10”, but he definitely said all the right things.
“You look damn sexy tonight. If you wear that in the club, all the men are going to think you’re on the menu.”
“They all know better than to try anything with me.”
He stalked toward me and crowded me against my desk, his chest just inches from mine. He brought his hand up to brush my collarbone, running it up my neck lightly before grabbing a tendril of my hair.
“I wish you would give me a chance, Vira. We could be so good together.”
My breathing hitched as I considered his offer. He was a handsome man and I should be attracted to him, but I just wasn’t. I hadn’t slept with another man since Sean a year and a half ago. I just allowed him to think I was sleeping around because it was easier to keep him at a distance. But I had done too good a job of that and Sean walked out this morning without so much as a goodbye.
All I wanted now was to not feel anything for Sean. I wanted to ease the hurt in my chest that was now there from my own stupidity. I leaned forward and lightly brushed my lips against his. He didn’t waste a minute as he crushed his lips to mine. His hand snaked into my hair, pulling lightly as he guided my mouth the way he wanted me. I felt nothing. There was no spark, but I pushed through my negative thoughts, hoping that if I tried, something would happen.
His hands roamed my body and slid down to the hem of my short, black dress. When I didn’t push him away, he slid his hand up my thigh to my panties. I wasn’t even close to being wet, but I needed this. I closed my eyes and imagined Sean’s hands on me.
It was Sean’s lips that caressed my skin and burned a hot path along my neck. Suddenly, I was moaning with desire for the man I truly wanted. I could feel Sean’s fingers on me, caressing me and giving me exactly what I needed. His whispers of my every desire rang in my ears as I came all over his fingers.
Then my dress was pushed up and my panties pulled aside. In one hard thrust, he was inside me, pounding into me and telling me how hard I made him. His warm breath tickled my neck as he pushed me higher and higher. I repeated his name over and over in my head as I slipped over the edge into oblivion. I felt him still as he grunted his release.
My breathing slowed and I finally opened my eyes, disappointed to see Frank and not the man I truly wanted. My eyes pricked with tears and I closed them before they could fall. I pulled away from Frank and put myself back together as I got my emotions under control. I couldn’t be upset that Sean had left me this morning. I had pushed him away one too many times and he finally took the hint.
“Vira, baby. That was fantastic. Let me take you out sometime.”
“Sorry, Frank. I don’t do dates and I don’t sleep with anyone more than once, but thanks for the release.”
I patted his cheek with a smirk and walked away. I could do this. I could move on and be the woman I had always been.
✯✯✯✯✯
“So, what’s going on with you and Sean? I thought you two were over?” Cece asked as we lay getting our massages.
“We are.”
“Then why did he leave with you the other night?”
“I guess he hadn’t had his fill yet.”
“Vira, you know I love you, but you have to stop this. He’s loves you and you’re stringing him along.”
That got my back up. I wasn’t stringing anyone along. Cece knew me better than anyone and one thing could alway be said about me, I was always honest with men about what I could give. I turned my head toward her and scowled.
“That’s bullshit and you know it. I never lead any man on. I told Sean from the beginning that I couldn’t offer him more and he still came back to me. And let’s not forget that you were the one that wanted me to seduce him in the first place so you could use him to get information on Logan.”
Hurt crossed her face, but I didn’t feel bad. I wasn’t going to take all the blame for what happened between the four of us last year. I may have come up with the ideas, but she was a willing participant.
“I just mean that you know he loves you, yet you keep sleeping with him. It’s not fair to him or you. You know he’s going to keep coming back for more and the longer you accept him in your bed, the more it’s going to hurt him.”
“Sean’s a big boy and he can make his own decisions. If he wants to come warm my bed, that’s his choice. I’ve told him in every way possible that it’ll never be more. What more do you want me to say?”
“I want you to stop sleeping with him.”
“Why do you suddenly care so much about who I sleep with?”
“It was different before. We didn’t know these guys, but now that I do, I don’t want to see any of them hurt.”
“But it’s okay if I get hurt?”
She looked at me in confusion. I hadn’t meant to say that last part. Crap. I didn’t need her knowing how I felt about Sean. It would only turn Cece into some kind of matchmaker. I didn’t even truly know what I wanted from Sean, so how could I even explain it to someone else?
“Why would you get hurt? You don’t even care about Sean.”
“Just because I don’t want a relationship with him doesn’t mean I don’t care about him. I would never do anything to hurt him and I don’t want anyone else to either.”
“Then you should do the right thing and stop seeing him. He deserves to find someone who wants the same things as him and as long as you’re in the picture, he will always want you. It makes it impossible for him to move on.”
My brows furrowed as I thought about what she was saying. She was right. I could never give Sean more, and even if it hurt to let him go I would have to. My indecision would only make things harder on him and would eventually hurt me when I finally did cut him loose. I knew my heart was more involved than I cared to admit, so staying away would be best.
“Unless you’ve changed your mind about not wanting more with Sean.”
Her words snapped me out of my thoughts. “No. Of course not. You know me, I don’t ever settle for one cock.”
She didn’t look convinced, but didn’t say anything more. We finished our spa day and then went to grab a bite to eat. There was a cute little restaurant on the outskirts of town that was fairly new, so we decided to try it. We pulled into the parking lot of Grannie’s Kitchen. It was supposed to be a restaurant that served comfort foods and we were very excited to try it after
our day of relaxation.
After getting a booth, Cece and I sat and talked about how things were going at home with her son, Archer. She had Archer a few months ago and he was getting so big.
“Logan was happy to stay at home with him today. He knew I just couldn’t take it anymore. I love that kid so much, but he’s been so difficult lately. I think he’s already cutting teeth. He just screams nonstop.”
I had no desire to talk about babies. I loved Archer so much, but I wasn’t a mother and I didn’t find baby teeth an interesting topic of conversation. Still, she was my best friend and I would do anything for her, including listening to her talk about her son for the umpteenth time today.
“He should stay home with the rugrat. You need a break, too.”
“He’s been working long hours, though. I feel bad that his one day off, he’s at home taking care of Archer while I’m at the spa.”
“Honey, you have to get that nonsense out of your head. Just because you’re not earning money doesn’t mean you aren’t working. You’re the cook, the maid, the daycare provider, and the wife all rolled into one.”
“I know, but I still feel guilty sometimes. I was actually thinking about going to see if the guy renting Drew’s property needs some help with the horse’s.”
“What would you do with Archer?”
“Well, my mom and Logan’s parents would probably be willing to help out some. I don’t know. Maybe I just need to give it more time. This might just be a phase. I mean, most of the time I love staying home with him. I’m just so frustrated right now.”
“Honey, that’s why Logan sent you on a spa day. He knew that you needed a break. Just enjoy it and forget about all the rest for one day.”
“You’re right.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “So, what’s going on-” She was looking over my shoulder like she was trying to see someone. I turned around and saw a woman in cute jeans and a plain top. She was pretty, but didn’t dress anything like I did.
“Who is that?” I asked as I turned back to Cece.
“That’s the woman from the bar the other night. You know, the one Sean was hitting on before he went home with you?”
Crap. That was the last thing I needed.
“I should invite her over to eat with us. She’s actually very nice, even if she is naive.”
“What do you mean by naive?”
“Let’s just say that she’s more inexperienced than most of the people we know.”
“Wow. She’s got to be in her late twenties. Why hasn’t she done the horizontal mambo yet?”
“She’s twenty-eight. Apparently, she’s waiting for marriage. She believes pretty strongly in that, so I could definitely see why she turned Sean down.”
“I can’t believe that Sean even went after her. He’s not usually one to go for the innocents.”
“He doesn’t know. It was only by accident that we found out. Here she comes. I’m going to ask her to sit down with us.”
I groaned.
“Be nice.” She chided. “Lillian, hey. It’s Cece from the other night. Why don’t you come join us?”
Lillian. What kind of name was that? A virginal one for sure. I could just see her sitting at home with her cats while knitting a sweater.
“Hi, Cece. It’s good to see you again.” She turned to me with a smile. “Hi. I’m Lillian.”
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
She smiled again. I’d like to wipe the smile off her face. Damn. When did I become so bitchy toward other women? Lillian took the seat next to Cece which on the one hand was good because then I didn’t have to sit next to her, but on the other hand, now I had to look at her face through lunch.
“I didn’t meet you the other night at the bar. You were the one that left with Sean?”
“Yes. I am. My name’s Vira.”
“Vira?”
“Well, it’s actually Elvira, but that’s too long, so I go by Vira. A little more badass.”
She gave an uncertain smile and turned to Cece. “So, what are you ladies doing today?”
“We were having a spa day. My son is driving me nuts, so Logan sent me on a spa day with Vira.”
“That was really sweet of him. He seems like a great guy.”
“He’s the best.”
“So, Lillian, are you seeing anyone?” I asked.
“Um, no. I was dating a guy, but I’m not after the other night. That’s when I met everyone.”
“What happened the other night?”
“Some guy was hitting on me and he just sat there. Harper came over and got rid of him. It was so embarrassing. Everyone in the bar was staring at us.”
“Sounds like you need to get some backbone and learn how to deal with jerks by yourself.” I sniped.
“Vira!” Cece admonished.
“No, she’s right. I don’t know how to handle myself with men. The way I was raised was very sheltered, so I really don’t have much experience in dealing with jerks.”
Now I just felt bad for the poor girl. There was nothing worse than not being prepared for the outside world. I was all too familiar with the world at that age. My parents had tried to marry me off to a man that was not only a cheater, but was a known abuser. They didn’t care that he was a bad man. They only cared about his financial connections that he would provide our family.
“Just hang around with us. You’ll pick up a few tips for sure,” Cece said.
Great. Now Cece was inviting the competition to hang out with us.
“Order for Lillian?” A woman asked as she approached the table. Upon recognizing Lillian, she smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Lillian, dear. I thought that was you. Not staying for lunch today?”
“No, Mrs. Waller. I have a lot to get done today.”
“Well, you enjoy this and stop by next weekend. I really enjoy our scrabble games.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Lillian stood and smiled at us. “Thanks for the chat. I’ll see you later.”
“It was nice to see you again, Lillian,” Cece said as Lillian picked up her food and walked away. I watched her walk out the door before turning back to Cece.
“Scrabble? Seriously? Did we just walk into the 1950’s?”
“Be nice, Vira. She lives a very different life than us and I get the feeling she doesn’t have too many friends.”
“Not our age anyway. Who plays scrabble with little old ladies on the weekends?”
“You have no idea what her life is like. I think she’s nice and I would like to hang out with her some more, so please be nice.”
There was nothing I wanted to do less at the moment. Not only had she caught Sean’s eye, but she was the exact opposite of me. What did that say about me that someone so boring could catch the eye of such a gorgeous man? Would he pursue her? Doubt began to creep in my mind for the first time that perhaps my life was not quite as brilliant as I thought I had made it.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sean
WHAT A GODDAMNED pain in the ass this day was turning out to be. I got called to the school on another drug related incident and found a few baggies of weed in a seventh grader’s locker. What seventh grader smoked weed? The kid walked into the principal’s office and totally freaked out when I showed him the baggie of weed. Within a few minutes, I knew the name of his supplier and where they met up.
I called in another officer to take the kid down to the station while I contacted his parents and spoke with the principal. We set up a time for another drug search and then I went out to my car to run the dealer’s name through the database.
Carlos Ramirez came up as a known drug dealer that had been in and out of prison over the last ten years. He had just been released six months ago. I put out a BOLO for his vehicle, a red 2014 Chevy Camaro. I made a few more notes on my computer and was just about to pull out of the parking lot and head back to the station when a car plowed into the back of mine.
Swearing, I got out of my car and went to see th
e damage. My whole back end was smashed in. Fuck. I looked up at the other driver to see a scared girl behind the wheel, probably no older than sixteen.
She climbed out of the car shakily and walked over to the front of her car.
“Oh my gosh, sir. I’m so sorry. My car started making this weird noise and then the car started doing this floppy thing and then there was this ‘WHEE’ noise. I got scared and let go of the wheel.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and asked for patience.
“Why would you let go of the wheel because you heard a noise?”
“Well it was loud and it hurt my ears, so I let go to cover them.”
“So, you thought it was more important to cover your ears from a loud noise than steer the car to someplace safe and park?”
She wrung her hands together like she was nervous. “Well, I just panicked. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Janie, are you okay?”
I turned to see the sexy teacher from last week standing on the sidewalk with a concerned look on her face. She was even sexier than the last time I’d seen her. Her dark brown hair was once again pulled up in a tight bun and she still wore her glasses which probably meant that she wore them at all times. She had on another pencil skirt, this one cream, with a lavender blouse. The killer was her shoes. They were old fashioned looking, like something out of the forties. Damn, they were sexy as hell.
She came running over to the student and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.
“What happened? Did you lose control of the car?”
“She let go of the wheel to cover her ears because the car was making a noise.”
She looked at me like I was lying, but I just raised an eyebrow at her. “Janie? Is that true?”
“Well, it was loud and it scared me.”
Sean: A Love Triangle Romance (For The Love Of A Good Woman Book 6) Page 4