Hard Ball

by Heather Stone

  “What’s going on in there? Tell me why you’re so hell bent on running. It’s not like I’m asking you for a fucking commitment. We fucked. Who the hell cares?”

  She considers this for a second. “I feel cheap. Who lets their boss do the things I just let you do to me? I’d be a whore if I didn’t feel this way.”

  This whole scene is ridiculous. One minute Bailey is this tough as nails, I-don’t-have-a-care-in-the-world girl, and the next she looks utterly broken and small. What the hell is she hiding?

  “Stop, Bailey. You’re not a whore, and I won’t let you talk about yourself that way. We’re both consenting adults. This is fun, right?” She gives me a small nod. “So there’s no reason to be shy, feel embarrassed, or make this something that it’s not. I’m not going to tell anybody. This can be our little secret.”

  She goes from wounded to pissed in point two seconds.

  “Go to hell, Reed. I’m not your call girl, and I’m definitely not your dirty little secret. I’ve been there and done that, and I’m not interested!”

  “Calm down, killer.” I go to grab her and she smacks my hand away. I don’t even have a chance to say another word before she’s out the door.

  Fucking Christ.

  I was stranded in my office the entire night. Damon had to run the employee meeting before opening. Thankfully he can run the place just as well as I can. As luck would have it, things ran smoothly, and I went uninterrupted. Damon called up to the office at 4:45 am to inform me he was all cleaned up and leaving.

  “Did Bailey already leave?”

  “She left right after leaving your office. Didn’t even stay for the meeting. She stormed off in a bit of a huff. I’m not even going to ask what you said to piss her off.”

  “Smart move. Go on and get out of here. See you tonight.”

  I hang up the phone and sigh. I’m too tired to drive home, so I make my rounds, checking that everything is locked up and the lights are off, then make my way back to my office to sleep. The couch is comfortable and has been my bed many of nights.

  Bailey enters my mind and I immediately shut her out. I don’t have the patience to solve that riddle tonight. My eyes grow heavy and I succumb to sleep.

  I awake to something or someone stroking my cock. What. The. Fuck? I open my eyes to find Monica on her knees leaning over me. “Monica, what the hell are you doing here? Better yet, how the fuck did you get in?” I glance at the clock to see I’ve only been a sleep for twenty minutes. It’s a little after 5:00am.

  She doesn’t stop stroking me. A traitorous moan gives her the wrong idea. “Stop,” I say while grabbing her hands. She looks puzzled. I know it must be a shock.

  “I still have my key from when I opened the bar for Damon a month ago. I waited for him to leave and I came in. He sat in the parking lot forever talking to someone on the phone.” She smiles a huge Cheshire cat smile. She clearly is impressed with herself. I, on the other hand, am not. I’m still tired. I just want to go home, shower, and then fall into my own bed for a couple of hours.

  “Monica, you’ve got to go. This isn’t happening today.”

  She huffs but finally gets to her feet.

  “I’m not leaving. I stayed out all night waiting for him to leave so we could have alone time.” She whines.

  “I didn’t ask you to do that. Get the fuck out. I’m tired and you’re pissing me off.” I grate through my teeth. She holds her hands up in a defensive motion.

  “Okay, I’ll leave, but I’m going to be looking for a rain check soon, lover.”

  I roll my eyes. “Whatever you say. Now. Out.” I point toward the staircase.

  Monica runs her red nails down my chest before kissing my cheek and sauntering off. She makes a display of swaying her ass as she goes. Typical Monica, never getting the hints that this ran its course a month ago. She’s already down the stairs when I realize I didn’t get my key back.

  I yell down the stairs, “Monica, I want my key back!”

  Silence.

  I hear the door slam. She heard me but she didn’t listen. I have to remember to get that key. A worry for another time.

  This is a prime example of why I never fuck my employees. Clearly, I have not learned my lesson.

  Bailey

  Four Hours Earlier

  I ran out of there so quickly, it was like my ass was on fire. Well, in my case, it kind of was. Hours later and I can still feel him inside me, stroking the orgasm out of me. My body pulsating around him. My cheeks flush. God, I’m a hot mess. My boss had me lying flat on my stomach as he fucked me within an inch of my life and I’m already craving more. I’m already daydreaming of when, and where.

  I need help.

  My phone beeps in my purse.

  Damon: Where the hell are you? Is everything okay?

  Me: Everything is okay, I’ll text you later. I’m sorry.

  I slam the phone back into my purse.

  I’ve been walking the streets of New York since I high-tailed it out of there. My legs are killing me but I needed air. Lots of it so I could think. I left the club a little after 4:00pm without even notifying Reed or giving Damon any reason for my departure. I won’t have to quit. I’m going to get fired for that. I mean who skips out on an employee meeting? Internally panicking at the thought, I pick up my pace. Even if being fired is what’s best for me, it will undoubtedly mean the end to my days in the city. I am out of options. Going home means fessing up to my parents about my past. The thought makes me ill.

  As I’m walking though Union Square, about to get to Park Avenue, I see someone waving to me and shouting my name. My initial thought is to put my head down and get my ass home.

  “Bailey.” The voice and my name together have me stopping dead in my tracks.

  Shit.

  “Wow. How long’s it been?”

  The answer came quickly. I knew exactly how long it had been. Two years. I had not bumped into Tyson since the night I found myself wandering the streets of Jersey at 4:00am looking for another hit. The night I hit rock bottom.

  “Two years.” I nod, scanning the area trying to plan my escape.

  “What the fuck are you doing here? I swear I thought you died. One day you were there and the next day poof. Gone.”

  “Yeah, I just needed to lay low. I did some stupid shit and needed to become invisible for a while.”

  “Damn, girl, it really is good to see you.”

  My skin crawls as his gaze runs up my body. I feel dirty. I don’t want to think about what thoughts Tyson has running through his head. Just being this close to him makes me want to numb the voices, reminding me of what a slut I was. How pathetic I was.

  “Good to see you too,” I say, but I can’t hide the disdain in my voice.

  “Where you off to? Any crazy parties to hit up?”

  “Nah. I was just taking a walk before heading home. I had to work tonight.” I lie in hopes he’ll get the hint that my days of being reckless are over.

  “Where do you work?” I cringe at his question.

  Telling him will only make it seem like I’m back to my old habits. It will have the opposite effect of why I lied about working to begin with. He’s like a parasite. He’ll find a way to breach his way into my life, and before I know it, I’ll be spiraling out of control. Again. He raises his brow and I spit it out.

  “Club L.E.X.”

  “Oh shit, I hear that place is hot. I totally need to go. Do you think you can get me and a few of my buddies in? I’ll throw in the party favors.” He winks.

  My palms grow sweaty and my heart rate accelerates. “I really can’t,” I reply quickly, my voice shaking as I speak. I knew it. I fucking knew he’d try to worm his way in. Typical fucking Tyson.

  “It’s really good shit. I got it from Seth before I headed up here. Pure.”

  The need I’ve been trying to silence rushes at me like a freight train. I have to get out of here. If not, I’ll be making my second mistake of the night. One bump and I’d be fly
ing.

  “Nah, sorry, Ty. My boss is strict. I could get fired.”

  “Come on, Bae. You owe me.” His voice cuts through me like a knife. Then he does the worst thing. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a plastic bag of the white powder that owns me.

  And I want it.

  The entire night floods my mind and the realization that I will be headed home, jobless and broke has me panting for the cocaine. I need to drown the intense sadness I feel.

  “Okay. I’m going to head home and clean up. Meet me in the front of the club at 2:00am. That’ll give you one hour until close. It shuts down at 3:00am.”

  “Cool. I’ll hook you up mad. See you soon.” He leans down and places a kiss on my cheek. I hate it, but I don’t react.

  Without another word, I turn and head toward my place. I’m walking slower than normal as a million thoughts run through my head. One bump, just one, and I’ll never do it again.

  My mind is made up and I speed up my pace. I don’t have much time. I look at my phone to see what time it is and I notice a missed text from Leah from earlier in the night.

  How’s work going? I just want you to know I’m so proud of you for already being promoted. You’re a rockstar! Xo-Lea

  It’s like a punch to the gut. I’m just starting to get my shit together. What the hell was I thinking telling Tyson I’d get him into L.E.X.? How do I even plan to do that? I practically got myself fired tonight. Typical irresponsible Bailey at her finest. Cocaine rules the world and with it I can too. That mentality has almost gotten me killed. I cringe at the low point I’m finding myself in. I’ve come so damn far only to crush it within one minute with Tyson.

  Pulling out my phone, I quickly google the nearest location for a meeting. Mine is too far away, and if I don’t make it to one stat, I’ll be bending over a table again but this time not for sex. Fuck. Nothing until tomorrow. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my old sponsor’s card that I keep in my wallet in case of an emergency and dial quickly, hoping he’s still awake.

  Ring.

  Ring.

  Ring.

  “Hello,” Jeff says, and it’s quickly followed by a yawn.

  “Hey, Jeff, it’s me, Bailey. I’m so sorry for waking you.”

  “It’s okay. I was just falling asleep. What’s going on? I haven’t heard from you since you moved to New York.”

  “I’m freaking out.”

  “What happened?” he quizzes.

  “I-I fucked up.”

  “Shh. Breathe, Bailey. How did you fuck up?” I stay silent despite the fact that I called him for help. “Talk to me.”

  “I did something stupid. Okay, I did a lot of stupid actually.”

  “Start from the beginning.”

  “I got a job at a nightclub.” I cringe as I say it, knowing what he must be thinking.

  Idiot.

  “Bailey, you know that’s not okay for you. That has trigger written all over it. Why you’d put yourself in a situation with that much temptation? What else happened to set you off?”

  “It was a bad move, but I had no choice. I was about to get evicted. There were no more options for me. My sister called in the favor when I told her I was probably going to have to move back home,” I try to explain, but it’s no use. I know I was dumb to take the job.

  “Why would your sister do that?”

  “She doesn’t know anything about my past, Jeff. None of it.”

  “That’s not healthy, Bailey. Your family should be helping you to keep on the straight and narrow. If you don’t have them, who is helping you on the day to day?”

  “I’ve been handling things on my own. I know it’s not the preferred way, but it’s the only way that works for me,” I say defensively.

  “Nobody can do this on their own. It’s a daily struggle for me, and I’ve been clean for ten years, Bailey. My family helps me through it. You should give yours a chance. Tell them.”

  “I–I slept with my boss,” I say, hoping to change the subject from my family. “And then if that wasn’t bad enough, I bumped into Tyson, my old clubbing buddy.”

  “Bailey, don’t let your past control you. You’ve done so well. I’m proud of you.”

  His scripted reply makes me cringe. “I know all of this, Jeff. So what should I do?”

  He sighs. “First things first, you need to quit your job and find a new one. I know you think you aren’t capable of doing that much, but I assure you, you could get a perfectly fine job in an office that would be a lot better for you. You can’t keep putting yourself directly in the line of things that will make you stray. You haven’t been sober long enough for that. Baby steps, Bailey.”

  He’s right and I know it. “You’re right. I’ll quit tomorrow.”

  “Remember you can do this,” he coaches.

  “Thank you. I’m going to let you get back to sleep. I’m sorry for waking you again.”

  “I’m always here for you. Remember that.”

  “I will. Thanks again. Good night,” I say as I hang up the phone. I finally let out the breath I was holding, and my shoulders slouch forward as the feeling of dread passes. Tomorrow, I will call in and quit my job.

  No more temptation.

  No more Reed.

  I pull up Tyson’s phone number by memory. It was deleted some time ago, but old habits die hard and I have that phone number on speed dial in my memory. I go to text, but realize that if I do he’ll have my number and that won’t end well either. My only option is to ditch him. He’ll never find me anyway once I get back home. I throw myself into bed hoping to forget the events of tonight. Sleep comes easier than I thought it would.

  I wake the next morning with a new resolve. No more Club L.E.X. I will head over this afternoon and put in my notice if I even need to. After bailing on work last night, I’m sure I’ve been fired. Calling isn’t the mature way to handle this, and I don’t want to be any more unprofessional. I could totally make it two weeks if that’s even necessary. I’m sure he can find someone suitable to help with his books or whatever I was supposed to do.

  I walk in and square my shoulders. Standing extra tall, I see Reed standing by the bar in front of the register. Does this man ever look bad? Focus Bailey. Two-weeks notice and not a minute longer. Crap, maybe he will just let me leave now.

  As I start to walk toward him, my cell vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out to check the message.

  Hey, I never heard back from you last night. Everything okay? I was wondering…could you possibly pay back some of the loan? If not, no worries. It’s just that the wedding bills are piling up and I hate to ask Mom and Dad for more money and I am NOT going to ask Cal’s family for any more. I guess I’m as proud as you. hehe.-xo Lea

  Fuck.

  Reed

  This night won’t end. I have a headache from hell, and Bailey is just about to send me over the edge. She sauntered in this afternoon all piss and vinegar, walking past me without a word. I wanted to shake her. She’s so baffling, and honestly, I’m not cut out to deal with it. I don’t chase women. Period. I don’t need drama tonight, and with her, I just didn’t know what I was going to get. So I do what any grown mad would do.

  I avoid her like the plague.

  I’m making my rounds in the VIP rooms, rubbing elbows with the high rolling regulars. I grew up with a lot of these people. New York high society. A bunch of spoiled ass pricks. Not that I have room to talk. The only difference between them and me is I actually like to work for my money. These guys lived off of their cushy trusts.

  Take Edward Price. His dad is worth hundreds of millions. He started some direct sales company that peddles smoothies. Now you see them sold in malls and kiosks all over the United States. Eddie was a sophomore in college when Daddy hit it big. He immediately dropped his business degree and took up residence on the family yacht. He’s done literally nothing with his life since.

  The second room contains a pop princess and an NBA basketball bench warmer. They were all cozied up.
Since the paps aren’t allowed in my club, Ms. Bubblegum probably brought her second-rate ball player here so nobody knows she’s slumming it.

  I approach Jace’s room for the night. The curtains are drawn, so I decide against stopping in. God only knows what I’d walk in on. As I pass, I hear some girl hacking up a lung. I pull back the curtain to see if she’s all right, and the scene that unfolds in front of me renders me speechless.

  Jace is bent over the table snorting lines. I’m immediately transported to another time. One I’ve tried to forget every day for the last two years.

  “Reed come play with me,” Lexi calls to me from the other room. Her whiney draw would usually grate on my nerves, but I’m already high as fuck. Nothing and nobody can hurt me right now. I keep shuffling the cards in front of me.

  “Reed, get your ass in here and do one more line with me.” The girl is out of her mind. I’m fucked beyond belief, but even I know my limits.

  “Lex, I’m out this round. I need to sleep sometime tonight.” I can hear her sigh in resignation.

  I contemplate calling in some food, but Lexi came in tonight ready to be fucked. I’m thinking I need to deliver. She’s annoying as hell most days, but one thing’s for sure, nobody fucks better than Lexi Morgan. The girl’s a freak. She likes it hard, and I like to give it to her.

  I walk around the corner in time to see her take another bump. She sits there for a minute before slumping forward. I make my way over to carry her ass to bed. When I get to her side, I try to pull her up but her body is limp. I kneel beside her, and that’s when I realize she’s not breathing. I frantically check her pulse. NO. No, no, no! But it’s too late. She’s gone.

  I shake myself back to the present. “What the fuck!” I scream, trembling from being so fucking pissed.

  Jace slowly looks up, completely unfazed by my outburst. “Lighten up, man. Nobody saw us,” Jace says with a lazy smile. I want to beat the fuck out of him.