by CJ Thomas
Rolling onto my side, I raked my fingers over Kelly’s pillow. It still had an indentation of where his head had been resting. And though his spot was cold, I wondered how long ago he’d left. “You should have kissed me goodbye,” I whispered into the darkness, making myself giggle.
I laid there in bed, wrestling with my racing mind. I thought about everything from Kelly, to my rapist, to my family before drifting back to Alex and Nash. Soon night turned to dawn, and I knew that finding any kind of rest again tonight wasn’t going to happen. I kicked off the covers and headed for the master bath. It was there I found a note from Kelly, along with a new outfit.
Bella, sorry I couldn’t stay. Work robbed me of sleep and I headed into the office. Stay as long as you need. Here is a fresh outfit for you to wear. Food is in the fridge. Yours truly, K.
My lips curled at the corners as I set the note off to the side. Turning my attention to the black backless slip dress, I held it out in front of me and lifted my eyes to the mirror.
Angling my body from side to side, I knew that I would look good in it. Kelly constantly surprised me with his inherent sense of style. He knew what he liked and, even better, he knew what I would look good in. And because he’d chosen the color black once again, I couldn’t help but laugh. But before I put it on and got ready to take on the day, I padded my way to the kitchen.
Opening the fridge, I found nothing but health foods waiting. There was oatmeal, fruits, and vegetables. Whole grain breads, humus, kale juice, and eggs.
I shook my head and clucked my tongue.
It wasn’t that none of that sounded good. In fact, I appreciated his desire to eat well and keep in shape. But despite him gifting me another gorgeous outfit—one which I truly loved—I wasn’t starting today off great. I was still feeling low, reeling with the last bits of my nightmare, and if I knew anything about myself, it was that when I felt like this all I craved was junk food.
And junk wasn’t anywhere to be found.
Closing the fridge, I looked around for alternative options. Nothing sparked my interest so when my phone dinged with a message, I naturally went straight for it.
Morning doll. Meet me at my office in an hour. Don’t be late. It’s important. ~Madam
Setting my phone down, my shoulders curled over. Suddenly, I wasn’t as hungry as I thought I was when I’d first rolled out of bed. Making my way back to the master bath, I dragged my feet over the hardwood floors as I thought of excuses on how to get out of having to go see the Madam.
I knew what this was about and I wasn’t interested. I told her that, too. But she never listened. And if it wasn’t for my debt to Alex, and for me finding Kelly through Madam’s indirect introduction, I would be breaking my contract today and telling her to go stuff it.
But I owed it to more people than just myself to keep going. So, I took a quick shower, slipped on my dress, and was out the door on my way to meeting my Uber pick-up a couple blocks from Kelly’s.
“Seriously?” I said, opening the door and seeing who it was. “How do you keep making this happen?”
“Now that is a question I should be asking you.” His fantastic white smile filled his face.
It was the same driver from Uganda as I’d had two nights ago and so many times previously. Closing the door and buckling in, I said, “I feel like if we keep having this happen, then I should at least know your name.”
“Lucky.” His eyes found me in the rearview mirror.
“C’mon? Really?” I cocked my head. “Your name is Lucky?”
He nodded.
“If that’s true, then I would love to know what your last name is.”
“Charm,” he said without missing a beat.
I shook my head and huffed a disbelieving laugh. “Lucky Charm.”
When we stopped at a light, he pulled his driver’s license from his wallet, and showed it to me. “See. It even says it here.”
I pinched the card in the corner and read his name. Lucky Charm. Just like he said. Unbelievable. “And your parents gave that name to you?”
“Who else?”
“Okay.” I showed him my palms. “Well, nice to meet you, Lucky. I’m Kendra.”
“Kendra. I like that name.”
“It’s okay.” I turned to look out the window, realizing we had just pulled into Madam’s neighborhood. “Certainly not as cool as your name.”
“I guess I was just lucky.” He laughed and it was the kind of laugh that made you naturally want to join in on the fun.
When he pulled the car in front of Madam’s building, I set my hand on the back of his chair and leaned forward. “Ever been here before?”
He leaned across the middle and took his time taking in the red bricks that seemed to be glowing today. Slowly his head shook as he frowned. “No. I don’t recall ever being here.”
“No worries.” I opened the door. “I was just curious.”
“Sorry.”
“Would you mind waiting for me? I shouldn’t be long.”
“For you? Of course.” He smiled.
Slipping my arm through the shoulder strap of my handbag, I thanked Lucky before scurrying up the stairs. Janine lifted her head and greeted me as I passed her desk. I mumbled a quick hello back and continued on. When I rounded the corner, naturally Kelly filled my head with thoughts of the first time I met him. Without allowing myself to overthink things, I found Jerome standing with a wide stance and his hands folded in front.
“Hello, dah-ling,” I teased him with my impersonation of the Madam. Flipping my hair over my shoulder in a dramatic fashion, I said, “A bit early for us to be working, don’t ya think?”
Jerome cocked a brow and flicked his wrist. Glancing at his gold watch he shook his head. “Nope.”
“Well, you’re no fun,” I said, stepping past his bulk and heading directly into Madam’s office.
She lifted her head with bright eyes and smiled. Her red lipstick made it hard to focus on any other part of her face as I took the liberty to plop my butt down in a chair directly across from her. “Kendra, baby. It’s good to see you.”
Curling my fingers toward my face, I glanced at my nails. “What can I do for you on this fine morning?”
“You could start by telling me where you got that dress.” She folded her hands on top of her desk and straightened her spine.
I cast my gaze down the front of me. The hem had ridden up my thigh and I liked how I felt like I wasn’t wearing much at all. “Do you like it?”
“I do.” She angled her head and gave me a thin-lipped smile. “It has Kelly’s name written all over it.”
“Funny you mention him.” My gaze rolled up to meet hers. “He’s the one who gave it to me.”
Relaxing her otherwise stiff posture, Madam’s attitude was nonchalant. “How is he doing?”
“Good. Great. Busy.” I barked off everything that came to mind.
“Are you enjoying your time with him?”
Her line of questioning was making me nervous. Suddenly my nerves were raw as I flashed her a questioning look. “I am.” My words were slow to roll off my tongue.
“That’s wonderful, dear.” Her smile seemed forced, and that alone had me anxiously waiting to see where she was taking this.
We stared at each other without saying anything. I could hear the clock ticking on the wall and if it weren’t for that, I would have thought time had stopped all together. Then, finally, I said, “Did you think I wouldn’t?”
“No. I didn’t.” Her eyes flickered like a candle. “The questionnaires I had you both complete didn’t align.”
“Oh?” I cast my gaze to my lap and picked at an imaginary piece of lint on my thigh.
“Based on your answers, your interests conflict.”
“Well,” my brows raised when I looked up at her, “I guess you’ll have to update your questionnaire.”
She cocked a brow.
“It seems to be flawed.”
Madam turned her head and cackled
. “You think so?”
I shrugged. “Well, yeah, I mean—”
“I meant what I originally said about Kelly Black.” Madam’s voice grew stern. “You don’t know him the way I do and I ask,” she looked down long enough to center herself, “because I don’t want either of you to walk away from this month together feeling disappointed.”
“What is it I should know that you’re not telling me?” My lips pursed. “Does he have other women in his life I should know about?”
Madam’s face was stone as she stared back at me. Her lips were sealed and I wasn’t surprised by her lack of desire to share what she knew about Kelly. “It’s not my place to tell you those things.”
My chin tipped back slowly as my eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “But you took the liberty of telling me that Sylvia was receiving death threats?”
“You trusted me to look out for you, and that’s what I did when I learned of what was happening with Sylvia.”
“Shit!” I slapped my thigh. “Then what makes Kelly different?”
“Kelly can tell you that,” she wet her lips, “but only if he wants.”
I turned my head away, growing frustrated with how the Madam picked and chose which news was important enough to share with me and which wasn’t. I heard something heavy fall to her desk and when I turned to see what it was, my jaw dangled on its hinges. “Oh, fuck no,” I said, staring at the envelope I knew was full of cash.
“Oh, fuck yes.” Her eyes glimmered like she knew I didn’t have a choice. “As long as I have you under my wing, you’ll do whatever it is I ask.”
My mouth snapped shut and my jaw twitched as we stared each other down.
“Don’t think I won’t tell Kelly about your past.”
Reaching to the table, I snatched the envelope inside my hand with nostrils flaring. Standing, I turned to the door without saying another word.
Inside, I debated which was worse: Me telling Kelly about how I was raped, or him finding out from Madam that my pussy was far from being pure. And no matter how much I tried to convince myself that I didn’t care, I did. But I also knew that I wasn’t ready for Kelly to know my secret, either.
With one foot out the Madam’s office, she said, “Oh, and Kendra darling?”
I stopped, tipped my head back, and sighed before turning around.
“I’ve spoken with Emmanuel.” She stood, balancing herself with five fingers firmly pressed onto the top of her desk. “Let me know if he misbehaves. I’d hate for him to get the wrong idea about you.”
19
Kelly
I set my cell back on the empty table after reading the text from the Madam.
Stroking the sweat dripping from my cold glass of sparkling water, my mind went back to thinking of Kendra. Mojito wasn’t open to the public but since I had Wes coming to meet Colin Cobbs, I was let in early by the bartender preparing the place to open for lunch.
My lips pursed as I blew out a weighty sigh, unsure what to do about Kendra.
Like last night wasn’t already heavy enough, now she had to go to the Madam with questions she had about me? Our relationship was unraveling quicker than I’d imagined it could. It was balanced on a thin wire.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins, paranoid she could discover something she might not want to know. It wasn’t like I had tons to hide. But what I was keeping from her was for her own good.
Lifting my glass to my lips, I sipped a healthy gulp back and slammed the glass down much harder than I intended.
I still couldn’t make sense of what happened last night. Why Kendra started crying or what got into her head with wanting me to say those things to her. It was fucked up and twisted but, hell, I wasn’t going to tell her no. God, she was doing so well meeting my demands but now, with her digging into my past, she was asking for a fight.
Glancing to the door, I wondered when they were going to arrive.
My knee bounced beneath the table and I continued to work on my drink.
The truth was, I didn’t know what the best approach with Kendra was. When things were good I wanted to fuck her, tie her up and continue easing her into the submissive lifestyle. But now I had my doubts that she was cut out for it.
I rubbed my face inside my hands and grumbled with uncertainty.
Leaving her last night was the best choice for both of us. This meeting that was about to happen was huge and, not that I wanted to discredit the way she was feeling, but I knew that I couldn’t let her be a distraction when mentally preparing for today.
Rolling my neck, I could only hope that that was the best decision—knowing that would be what I would have wanted if it were me. Inside, I hoped she would recognize it, too. Except, instead of being alone—like I wanted her to be—she went running to Madam.
“Fuck.” My muscles twitched.
None of this had gone as I’d hoped. Kendra was too delicate and if we were to continue moving forward in our relationship, it was important that I didn’t move too fast. We were barely into our month together, and the last thing I wanted was for it to end now. At least until I understood what was actually going on in that head of hers.
“He the man you’re waiting on?” The bartender pointed toward the door.
I glanced up and saw Colin pressing his face against the glass. “Yeah, that’s the one.” I stood, moving to let him in.
“Kelly Black.” Colin threw one arm around me. “Good to see you, man.”
I pulled back, smiling, and patted him on the shoulder. “How was the drive?”
“Excellent.”
I waved for him to follow, and together we strolled lazily back to the table. “Did you find this place all right?”
“On Rodeo Drive, are you kidding me?” His enthusiasm crinkled his eyes. “But I would have liked to see your office.”
We slid into our chairs and settled in. It didn’t take me long to realize that Cobbs had aged considerably since the last time I’d seen him. The wrinkles around his eyes and across his forehead were deep and defined, complementing his once-brownish, now-greying hair. Though I could still see that youthful spirit shining in his eyes when he looked back with a satisfied grin.
“I would have loved to show you the lab, but,” my hands folded on the table in front of me, “with the secrecy behind this plan I’m going to further explain to you today, I just couldn’t risk you being seen there.”
“I’ll admit, all this talk about the big plans you have,” he laughed, “is half the reason I agreed to come.”
“And here I thought it was because you wanted to see your old college buddy.” We shared a laugh before I continued. “There’s someone else I wanted you to meet.”
His brow arched.
“Speak of the devil,” I said, catching Wes walk through the front doors over Cobbs’s shoulder. “Here he comes, now.”
Cobbs turned to look over his shoulder, and together we watched Wes walk in wearing a bright white three-piece designer suit, holding Kami on his arm. She was in an ocean blue loose fitting dress that fell all the way to the floor. They looked incredible.
“C’mon.” I pushed back from the table. “Let me introduce you.”
Cobbs followed me to the front and watched me first greet Kami with a soft kiss to the cheek before turning to hug Wes. “Wes, this is my old friend, Colin Cobbs.”
Cobbs extended his hand, offering it to Wes. Wes shook it and said, “So you’re the one Kelly has been talking about.”
Cobbs glanced at me. “I guess so.”
When Wes released Cobbs’s hand, Wes turned his attention back to me. “Have you been here long?”
“Long enough to enjoy my first drink.” I winked.
He glanced toward the bar and nodded at his employee. “And what about food? Who’s hungry?” He clapped his hands together and circled the group with his eyes.
“Wes owns the joint.” I turned to Cobbs. “Mojito has some of the best food in town.”
“Not to mention drinks.” Wes nodded
. “Make yourselves at home and I’ll go put in an order.”
Cobbs and I watched Wes and Kami stride toward the bar holding hands. I could tell Cobbs was working through something inside his head as he stood there stroking his chin. When I glanced at him with an arched look he said, “I’ve seen them both in the papers.”
“Wes’s empire stretches across industries and beyond LA.” I nodded. “He’s Hollywood royalty.”
Then he turned to me and whispered, “You doing all right?”
With hands stuffed into my pockets, I turned to face him with a quizzical look.
“The accident.” He frowned. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since.”
I reached out and laid my hand on his shoulder.
“I should have asked you when we spoke yesterday, but with everything going on in my own life—”
“I get it.” I nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “I’m doing just fine. Don’t you worry about me.”
It wasn’t worth reliving the accident or what happened afterward. That was a long time ago, and with Cobbs having to worry about his own wife’s health—while managing to keep his firm running—it was best we focused on the matter at hand rather than shit that in the past.
“Kelly,” Wes called over from the bar. “Let’s move to the back. More private there once we open.”
I nodded and turned to the table I had taken up residence at and began quickly gathering my things. Cobbs walked by my side to the table Wes now occupied.
Our drinks were served, Wes and Cobbs with a bloody Mary and me with my iced sparkling water. Cobbs never did mention me not drinking alcohol, and I liked that I didn’t have to explain myself. We settled in and made more small talk before we jumped into discussing the reason I’d called everyone here today.
“So, before we begin, I would just like to remind everyone that whatever is discussed today stays between us.” My eyes darted between the two men.
They both nodded, understanding the implications if someone were to leak information. But when I saw Wes keeping one eye firmly on Colin, my eyebrows drew together.
Wes’s bartender served us our food and as soon as he left, Colin asked with a thumb pointing over his shoulder, “Should we worry about him?”