HIM
Page 24
"Good to see you again and Ali," Brady says.
He shakes Luke's hand then nods at me while looking at me up and down.
"You as well," Luke replies.
If only Luke knew what Brady did to me, he would never be so kind. I am still torn as to whether I want to tell him or not. Although I'm sure if he knew there would be an exchange of words right now or even some fists. Spoiling Barret's party in my team's and my honor is not part of the plan.
"I'm Troy, nice to meet you," Troy says as he shakes Luke's hand.
"Nice to meet you too, I'm—" Luke starts to say before Brady rudely interrupts him.
"Ali's boyfriend. Luke, right?" he says ruthlessly while giving me a sly glare and a wink.
I can see he's going to be an abhorrent prick tonight. Luke is being a gentleman and not feeding into Brady's crudeness. The look on Troy's face when he hears the words "Ali's boyfriend" is heartbreaking to see but not as hard as the look that he gives me next. I look at him with the biggest “I'm sorry” eyes that I have. I didn't want him to find out about Luke and me this way. Fucking Brady.
I am glad that Luke already knows about Troy and me. He doesn't seem to be bothered by having met him or that he is here, which is excellent. He has pulled me tighter to him, though.
"Can I get you two a drink?" Brady asks connivingly.
Why can't he leave me, better yet, us alone! Luke looks down at me; I smile up at him as I bring my hand over our hands that are interlocked.
"Sure, I will have a beer, and she'll have a-" Luke answers but is again interrupted by Brady's smug remark.
"I know what she likes," he replies curtly.
I roll my eyes and turn away from Brady and Troy, skimming the room for Ris. She is toward the back of the dining room near the windows, chatting with the ladies from work. That is when I see Barrett and his wife walking past. Luke hands me my drink that Brady bought; it's white wine, how ironic of him, I bet he roofied it too.
Chapter Sixty
The room's acoustics become louder as Barrett and his wife enter, everyone follows them from the bar into the dining room. We all take our seats as Barrett stands in the middle of the room. Brady and Troy sit at a table across from us, both looking at me, but with a different look in their eyes. It's very uncomfortable, to say the least because I know the meaning behind both.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight to celebrate one of the largest accounts that our firm has had the pleasure of landing. Our Commercial division is the heart and foundation of this company. All of you here tonight are the reason for our success, and each of you is greatly appreciated," Barrett says as he looks around the room of over twenty people.
"Ali, will you please, stand," he asks, putting me on the spot.
I look at Luke, smile, and stand from my seat. Ris grabs my hand.
"Ali has been with Facade for four years now. She came to us as an intern in college. We immediately saw her potential and knew that we had to keep her. Upon her college graduation, we offered her a Designer position, which she has taken to heart and has worked hard to fulfill. It's been four amazing years. You are truly an asset to Façade!" Barrett begins to say.
I'm starting to tear up from the kind words that he is saying about me. I love working for Facade and him. I can't imagine being anywhere else. Leaders like him are one in a million. He is an inspiration to me.
"We, at Façade, want to thank her for putting all her projects and clients first, making them feel important and that they matter, which they do. She builds strong relationships with every client, allowing them to place their trust in her and trust in us. We gain loyal customers and build a positive repetiteur. Tonight's celebration is not only to congratulate her on this account but also her achievements of the past four years," Barrett continues.
Everyone in the room begins to applaud. I smile and say "thank you" to Barrett. I feel very honored by his compliments, which are very genuine and sincere.
"I would like to say one more thing before we dive into the delicious meal planned for us tonight, as I can see, some of you look very famished. We have decided to promote Ali to Co-Senior Designer of Commercial alongside Brady Adams. Congratulations Ali! You deserve it! Keep doing what you do, and you'll go very far with us!" Barrett finishes.
My mouth drops wide open, and I cup my hands over it. I cannot believe my ears. This promotion was unexpected; I'm speechless. Looking around the room as everyone is standing and clapping for me is astonishing. Luke is here with me, making the entire moment and evening more special. Even Brady is clapping, he doesn't look too enthused but is standing and applauding. He has to do it reluctantly to come across as a team player. I turn to Ris, who is jumping up and down screaming. We embrace each other tightly. I look at Luke, he hugs me and kisses me firmly on the lips.
"Congratulations, beautiful. You deserve it. We need to have a special celebration tonight of our own if you know what I mean," he says all smiles and gives me a cute wink.
I know what he is hinting toward; however, I don't know if I am ready to engage in anything sexual with him right now. I want to, but I am not sure if I can stomach it or if I am ready to explain my bruises. I'm also not quite sure if he's truly happy for me or just pretending like he is. He's hard to read right now.
I need to focus on what Barrett just said and not worry about what may or may not happen tonight with Luke. Promoted to Senior Designer in only two years is impressive. I wish my dad were here to celebrate with me. He'd be so proud.
I'm so happy and excited, all tingly and jittery. I've been working hard to one day hit this level with the company. It took Brady over five years to reach it. Barrett hugs me then heads to his seat.
Before he sits, he says, "Enjoy your meal this evening and the endless wine!"
Bottles of white and red wine are placed respectively on each table as wait staff begin to take our soup or salad preference. They also ask if we'd prefer steak or fish as our main entrée. I choose a salad and salmon; Luke chooses a salad and filet mignon. He places his hand on my bare thigh, just under the slit of dress. I'm a little startled but welcoming of its presence. He tucks his hand farther down the inside of my thigh between my crossed legs. I look at him with a smile, and he smiles his dreamy smile back at me. I feel safe with him.
Everyone nearby our table personally congratulates me on my promotion. I'm still on a high from hearing it come from Barrett's lips. I'm glad he and his wife are at the table next to us, and thus, I was able to introduce Luke to them. I think they will hit it off well once we can socialize again after our meal. Luke fits in exceptionally well for his first corporate dinner.
After I finish my glass of wine, Luke pours me another glass as our salads arrive. I love Caesar salads, and the one here is delicious. It has Wisconsin's own parmesan cheese topped on it. We are very proud of our cheese.
Once our salad plates are taken, it does not seem too long until our entrées arrive. They are exquisite in their presentation. I almost don't want to eat mine because the plate looks so perfect. I take a bite of my caramelized brussel sprouts, an instant mouth-watering sensation, and it's only one of my sides. Luke's filet mignon looks scrumptious, with the exotic mushrooms and grilled onions draped across the top. I feel like devouring his steak too.
"Can I try a bite of your steak?" I ask Luke as I eye up the hunk of meat on this plate.
"Only if I can have a taste of your salmon," he smiles and winks.
"But of course," I say.
I bring a fork full of salmon to Luke's mouth, and he brings one full of steak to mine. Mmm. This steak is phenomenal; melts in your mouth.
"It's almost as good as yours," I fib.
I am talking with a mouth full like the classy lady that I am. Luke laughs, wiping the corner of my mouth with his thumb, then kisses me. I'm falling head over heels for this man. I felt I was before, but now I know it. The more time I spend with him, the more I feel myself. He casts some spell over me when he is near me.
Luke and I walk up to Barrett and his wife; she asks if I would accompany her to the ladies' room. I accept her invite and leave Luke to get acquainted with my boss. I follow Barrett's wife, Mandy, who is stopped many times on the way by people talking to her. She is so sweet and soft-spoken. She is a fine lady, and she truly inspires me.
We finally make it to the ladies' room.
"Ali, I'm so proud of you. Congratulations again on your hard work and promotion," she says sweetly.
She hugs me before stepping into the stall. I thank her and pee quickly, then check myself over in the mirror. I'm quite flushed, so the wine is kicking in. Mandy steps out from her stall.
"I love that dress you're wearing tonight," I say to her.
"Thank you, Ali. Yours is stunning on you. Though you always look beautiful," she replies with her kind eyes.
That compliment meant a lot coming from such a genuinely classy lady. I'm glad my dress doesn't come off trashy.
"Thank you!" I blush.
"Your boyfriend seems very charming," she adds to our conversation.
"Yes, he is," I reply.
I am so glad Luke has hit it off so well tonight and made an excellent impression on everyone who has met him. She continues asking me about how we met and so on as we make our way back to Barrett and Luke. I see Troy walking toward us, and I excuse myself to speak with him.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I wanted to tell you in person, but Brady beat me to it," I say to Troy with sad eyes.
He deserves an explanation, so I hope he takes it well. Troy keeps walking, not acknowledging me at all. I watch as he passes, then I turn to walk away.
"How long?" he asks sternly.
I turn back to him.
"How long what?" I asked, confused.
"Have you and him been dating?" he replies with disappointment and sadness in his eyes.
I feel bad and ashamed, but we were never really a couple.
"Before or after you told me that you weren't interested in dating anyone?" he asks as he looks me in the eye.
"After," I reply and look at the floor.
He sighs then walks away. I watch him for a bit before I head back to Luke. I feel awful that I hurt Troy; he's so sweet and such a gentleman. I never had that spark with him as I do with Luke.
Barrett and Luke are talking about classic cars when I return. I finish my third glass of wine when Barrett and Mandy excuse themselves for the evening and say their goodbyes to everyone before leaving. Others begin to vacate and those still wanting to stay out gather around Ris, Luke, and I.
It's quarter to eleven. Luke has his arm wrapped around me, and he is swaying a little. I've only seen him have three beers and a glass of wine with his meal. I'm sure he's not quite buzzing yet, well not even close to the way I am.
"Let's go to Site 1A then Lucid," Ris shouts.
She loves to party, dance, and get her to drink on. She's a total party animal, and I can tell she is a little buzzed. I ask Luke what he wants to do, and he says that he doesn't care. I told him I don't either, so we decide to go with Ris and the others. I will be leaving Milwaukee soon, Ris and I may not see each other for a few months, so it's a good idea to accompany her wild ass.
Chapter Sixty-One
We arrive at the Lucid Light Lounge, instead of going to Site 1A first. Lucid happens to be one of the hottest night clubs in Milwaukee. It has been known to have national celebrities make an appearance to enjoy the crazy nightlife. Ris's intern is here with her friends for a Bachelorette party, and they have a VIP Suite. The line is super long to get in, but Ris knows the bouncer at the door so, we won't have to wait.
The rest of our group piles out of an Uber and joins us at the door. Altogether, we have about six people from Facade, well four who work there, and Luke and another Designer's boyfriend. The look on Luke's face seems like he's not too excited to go inside, but I'm ready to dance from how buzzed I am right now.
Ris is her usual party animal self with her short, tight dress and loud, obnoxious voice. We finally get the go-ahead to enter the club. I feel kind of bad that we cut in from of all these people. I'm sure some have been waiting for an hour or so to get in. We all follow Ris upstairs to the VIP section, through the crowd of sweaty drunk people dancing their hearts out.
There are nine VIP sections, and Ris's intern has one of the larger sized ones. As we reach the VIP suite, I notice a very familiar face, it's Brady, and he's macking on her intern. Of course, he's here; he has a thing for interns at Facade. He went after Ris the first time when she was one. If I wasn't already buzzed, I'd tell Luke that I want to leave. Maybe it is a bad idea to be here since Brady is here, but I cannot let him ruin everything for me.
Ris's intern introduces us to her friends and vice versa. We order a round of shots and a few bottles of booze for the suite. Luke and I sit down on the bench; the lighting in our suite is going crazy to the music.
Our shots arrive; we all grab one and make a toast to the girl getting married and my promotion. Brady glares at me then walks off with some chick. Ris takes off with a group of people to go dancing. I sit back and stare at Luke, who is chatting with the dude next to him.
I can feel the shot of straight patron kicking in. I went from a good buzz to drunk in a snap of my finger. I get super giggly when I'm drunk. Luke's never seen me this drunk, and I've never seen him drunk. I'm sure he's buzzing now too after that shot. Luke has his arm around me, and I can't stop staring at him, he's so god damn good looking. I lean in toward him and lick his face, interrupting his conversation. He smiles and grabs me, then we kiss—a passionate kiss on his end, a playful one on mine.
He runs his hand up my thigh under the slit of my dress. I curl my lip and let out a sigh in his mouth. He rubs his hand over my panties, and I instantly become aroused. I want him to fuck me right now and hard. I wish we were back at my apartment, but right now, any place will do—even a swanky nightclub. I grab him through his pants and push myself against him as I massage his tongue aggressively with mine. I'm losing control.
"Settle down, Turtle, we're in public," he whispers in my ear.
"So—," I whisper back at him.
My co-worker, Jade, breaks up my steamy make-out and grope session with Luke to ask if I'd escort her to the ladies' room. I adjust myself, give Luke another kiss, then leave him with her boyfriend, who he seems to get along with quite well. I like that the VIP section has its own restroom, and it's close to our suite—I don't have to stumble too far.
I close the stall behind me, not wanting to break the seal but hover over the toilet and pee anyways. I can hear moans and groans coming from the stall next to me. Drunk and nosey, I grab my hair in one hand and bend down, looking under the stall. Not to my surprise, I see a pair of high heels facing the toilet and a pair of men's dress shoes facing the same direction behind them. There's nothing like getting fucked in the VIP bathroom at a nightclub. That should be Luke and me right now, I tell myself. I giggle and walk out from the stall over to the sinks.
"I think there are people having sex in here," Jade whispers to me.
I laugh and agree with her, then wash my hands. As I am fixing my hair, the stall of the two people who were fucking opens and out stumbles Brady. He unsteadily rests himself on the door of the stall as one of the girls from the Bachelorette party walks out under his arm, pulling her dress down. He smacks her ass as she makes her way over to look at herself in the mirror next to me.
Jade looks at Brady with wide eyes then to
me. She turns to the mirror to apply some lipstick. I freeze, hoping if I don't move, he won't see me as if he's an intoxicated T-Rex. Brady, however, spots me and makes his way toward me. He stops in front of me and raises his finger at me.
"How the fuck do you rate so high to receive a promotion?" he spits as he sways back and forth.
"Your mouth must have some magical sucking powers to have Barrett give you my position."
Not amused by his asinine comment and feeling invincible, I slap him hard for what he just insinuated.
"Fuck you, Brady! I deserve this promotion, and I didn't take your position, we're Co's. That means we have the same position. Now, get the fuck out of my face," I shout back at him.
He grabs the wrist of my hand I slapped him with, and I'm instantly reminded of the night at his parent's house. Fear begins to course throughout my body. I look out of the corner of my eye at Jade, who is watching everything unfold. Oh, my God! Not again. Why did I slap him? I know what it does to him.
"The fuck you do. I am the one who helped you get to where you are today. Without me, you'd be nothing. F-U-C-K-I-N-G- N-O-T-H-I-N-G!" he spews within inches of my face.
I turn my face away from his and tell him to leave me alone. He then grabs my neck as he slams me up against the bathroom wall, pushing his weight against me. I hear Jade gasp.
"You know I'm right, Ali," he growls.
"Get off me, Brady!" I shout.
His weight is way too much for me. I can feel tears well up in the corner of my eyes. I try to knee him and push him off me, but I can't. He puts more of his weight against me and kisses my neck. I am entirely trapped by him again.
"You're just jealous that I wasn't fucking your brains out in that stall. You fucking loved it when I pounded your tight little pussy the other night," he whispers through his teeth in my ear.
"Jade. JADE! Help me. SOMEONE! ANYONE!" I scream, but it seems like it's only a whisper.