by H. Q. Frost
"I'll get you the Killian's," the waitress tried to recover but Lilith was already walking away from the table.
"Fuck," Justin muttered.
Him and Ian stood.
"I didn't mean any disrespect," Jody tried to claim.
"Check?" Ian asked annoyed.
"Uh." She reached into her apron pouch pulling a few out.
"You know what?" Justin grabbed his wallet and threw a fifty onto the table. "That should cover it." They walked away leaving the waitress stammering. "El," Justin called out while they jogged toward her.
"Lily." Ian grabbed her arm, stopping her from
walking.
She was shivering and her hands were in her pockets while she bounced on her toes trying to get warm. "I want to go home."
"What do you want to eat? I'll get you something to eat."
"I'm going home." She looked at Justin. "To my
apartment. I need sleep."
"Why aren't you coming to the condo?" Ian was offended.
"Because I don't want to be with either of you at the moment. Can I get a minute to myself?" she snapped. Her gaze pegged Ian before Justin.
Neither knew what to say or do so they let her walk away. They waited until they saw her enter the parking garage then turned in the opposite direction toward Ian's car.
"Maybe her period," Ian muttered.
"It was the fuckin' waitress's fault and I tipped her way too much."
"We should go back for your change." Ian chuckled.
"We should go back and get the bitch fired."
"Or we can just make a huge mess, complain about everything and ask to speak to a manager."
They went on talking about scenarios to ruin the waitress's day while Lilith went to the apartment, sliding out of her dress and getting under the cold covers. She felt guilty for lying. Guilty for be angry at them. Guilty for hiding it. But Luxe needed money and she was committed to just a few more weeks. Sleep was her means to peace.
After midnight, Ian text Justin.
JACKS: She there?
BORG: Nope. I tried to call. No answer
JACKS: Let me know if you talk to her.
BORG: We should just go to the apartment
JACKS: Go right ahead. I don't want to lose my balls for bothering her when she "needs a minute alone"
BORG: It was "a minute to herself"
They both chuckled.
The next few weeks were on repeat. Lilith saw the boys only in the evening hours and often she was too tired to say more than a word or two to them. She'd go to the condo one week, then stay with Justin the next.
"Headed out?" Ian huffed while Lilith changed in the Vanity room.
"I…" She glanced around.
"We know you're still fucking dating, Lilith." He couldn't keep it in.
They both had been waiting for her to stop or admit it, but she thought she was hiding it from them.
She sighed and dropped her head. "I'm sorry."
"You have to stop. Baby, I haven't seen you more than five hours for the past two weeks. You don't need to be working like this."
"Yes I do. I have no idea what Karen did last year but right now, Ian, you're seventy grand in debt. We're seventy grand in debt! From what I see, you were spending way more than you had. I don't know what you guys did. Me working as much as I can right now is the only thing that will save us. You're going to have to sell the villa too." She looked away and he let out an annoyed
laugh.
The villa she referred to was her Christmas gift from him and it sat in Barbados waiting for her to get the time to take a vacation to the home she'd yet to see.
"I'm not fucking selling it. I bought you that. I bought it with my money, not Luxe's!"
"Ian," she huffed looking at him with tired eyes while she painted her nails red. "I need your help. It seems you're always trying to work against me. I need you on my side."
"I am on your side!" He threw his arms up. "Lily, that was my gift to you. We'll sell the fucking boat before that villa."
"Ian." She rolled her eyes, never going to agree to
selling her Christmas gift to him. "You know that boat didn't cost a fraction of what that house cost. I'm going to be late. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It's only for the month of January." Sorrowful eyes looked up at him, seeming to be begging not to tell Justin.
"How long's your date?"
"A couple hours."
"So you'll be home at a reasonable time today?" He looked at his watch; it was ten in the morning.
"I'm meeting with your accountant at seven tonight—"
"For a date?" he snapped.
"No! To get the money situated. He doesn't have any time but he said he can meet me tonight and tonight's the only night." She looked down to put black heels on.
The stress her packed schedule was bringing her was obvious.
"Cancel the date, Lily."
"I can't, Ian. I won't."
"I'm calling Borg about this." He opened the door and Lilith let out a challenging laugh.
"You two are delusional if you think you're going to team up and tell me what to do."
"It's not right, Lily!" he screamed at her.
"What's not right?" She stood, slowly approaching in a stalking manner. "Me saving this fucking company?" she snarled. "Me taking care of you and me? Me working myself to exhaustion thanks to your fucking ex-girlfriend?" Her voice was gradually getting louder. "You know what's not right, you son of a bitch?"
The idea to close the door so the others in the office couldn't hear her had him reaching out but he was afraid to touch her to move her out of the way.
"Your complete lack of compassion that you've run this company into
the ground like your father did! The comical fact that you let some bitch steal
money out from under you and you knew." She chuckled. "I know you fucking knew but you turned a blind eye to it because she was managing the company." She rolled her eyes. "The love of your life," she snarled. "You pathetically gave that woman everything and she took more than you had, and now!" She let out another disgusted laugh. "Now I'm left to pick up the pieces! The pieces of you! Of your company! Everything! I'm fucking lying to both the men I love about this because they're both too stubborn to understand why I'm actually doing it. Get the fuck out." She pushed him through the doorway then slammed the door.
Fighting back tears of exhaustion, tears of guilt, tears from feeling like her life was spiraling out of control, she trembled. With a shaking hand she finished doing her makeup and her phone began to ring. Justin's face was illuminated on the screen and she let out an annoyed chuckle, knowing he must have spoken to Ian. This was making it harder for her to compose herself and not break down to let out the building emotions.
"Lily?" Tash softly knocked.
"Come in!"
"Mr. Teppert is here," Tash said carefully. She had heard them screaming at each other and was the one to escort the other girls away so they couldn't hear exactly
what was being said.
"Thank you," Lilith exhaled.
"Are you okay?" she whispered.
"I don't have time not to be okay."
"If you want I'll come up with something elaborate and we can reschedule the date."
"I can't." Lilith chuckled. "Tash, I need these dates to end. I just want to finish out the month and be done with it. Plus it'll help me get my mind off them."
Tash softly smiled, knowing Lilith was reaching her breaking point with exhaustion. "What can I do while you're gone?"
"Stay perfect." Lilith hugged her. "Look fine? Everything's in place?" Lilith felt to make sure her earrings were in.
"Look great. He's going to love you."
"He better or we're gonna have some problems."
"Doug Teppert loves Luxe." Tash chuckled. "His wife, not so much."
As they chuckled Lilith was feeling more at ease.
"Lily," Ian called out while she walked past his office; she didn't stop
.
Tash helped her pull her coat on and hurry to the elevator. The doors closed just before Ian got to the lobby.
"Who's her date with?" he snapped.
"First deputy mayor's son."
Ian huffed; he was going to cancel the date last minute and take her home
so they could talk everything out, but he couldn't cancel on Doug Teppert's son. Luxe was a private business and anything to do with the politicians of the city had to run smoothly or Luxe would be shut down with possible arrests made.
"Mr. J?" Veronica carefully said as he turned to go back to his office. "I have Corgy Popper on the line," she whispered.
"Fuck," Ian grumbled.
Another of Lilith's projects was Corgy Popper and his men starting in a week.
"Put him through," he barked with the hopes maybe Corgy was reneging.
This was the first and only date that Lilith didn't have a Luxe driver for. Aaron Teppert wouldn't allow it, and being who he was, he ran the show.
A man in a suit opened the door to a limousine and escorted her in.
"Mrs. Luxe." The handsome man grinned, taking her hand while she sat. He observed her nails, red as requested. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"You too, Mr. Teppert." Lilith let his hand go.
"Call me Aaron. I figured we should probably be on a first name basis." He let out a haughty laugh. "After all, I don't think you screaming out 'Mr. Teppert' will be as arousing." He laughed a little harder and Lilith forced one of her own.
"I don't do sex dates, Mr. Teppert." She managed a pleasant tone, but she already didn't like him and wished she wasn't requested for the date.
"Hmm, yes, well, I've heard good things about you. Not just good, but amazing."
"That's always good." She kept a smile plastered to her face.
"Yes." He looked her over. "I suppose it is." His eerie gaze went out the window before shifting back to her. "We're going to get some lunch first. I don't want you fatigued."
"Lunch sounds pleasant, but I'm not sure what you don't want me fatigued for, Mr. Teppert?" Her eyebrow cocked and he smirked.
"Our date of course."
"I assure you, a simple date around the city won't get me fatigued."
The man was already on a dangerous line and she
she was losing her cool, not to mention highly uncomfortable because he didn't seem to be understanding it wasn't a sex date.
His eyes narrowed as he glared at her. "Are you questioning my knowledge of the human body, Mrs. Luxe? I am a med student."
She wasn't prepared for that. "Not at all, Aaron." Shifting her sweet smile
to seductive, she leaned in a little. "I'm sure you know your way around the
human body quite well."
"Fuckin' right I do," he snickered looking out the window again.
Lilith silently exhaled; it was going to be the longest four hours of her life.
Through lunch he falsely entertained her with stories of his frat boy days. She giggled and touched at all the appropriate moments making him swoon. She actually found him ignorant and the more he talked the less attractive he became. By the end of lunch his laugh irritated her almost to violence but she was excellent at pretending. That was why she was the most requested woman at Luxe.
All she could think about was going home and apologizing to Ian then spending the night in bed with him. Talking things out with both him and Justin. Getting her life situated because January was almost over and she would have fulfilled her dates and made the money she needed.
As they got back into the limo there was a man waiting inside. He looked about the same age as Aaron and judging by his smirk, just as cocky.
"Lilith, this is a friend. Trent Iv—"
"Trent's fine," he interrupted.
"Nice to meet you." Shaking his hand she managed to
mask the confusion as to why he was there.
LILITH's swimming in their eyes
I keep smiling even though I'm not sure why the friend is here.
"Harry, circle the block a few times," Aaron says to the driver into an intercom.
Why are we going to circle the block? I almost audibly huff but I control it. If these idiots want to get high or something I'm really not up for this.
"Come sit over here, Lilith." Aaron rubs the seat next to him.
As I shift from sitting across from him I keep my head down while I roll my eyes. The other one, Trent, grabs my ass! I quickly sit and look at Aaron who's grinning. Trent's wearing the same grin and it churns my stomach. Realization as to what is going on hits, and for one, I don't do that. Secondly, that was not paid for. We are not having a threesome. I open my mouth to protest but Aaron puts his hand over my lips and pulls me closer.
"He only wants to watch," he says in my ear then drops his hand as my grip on his wrist tightens.
"That wasn't paid for, Mr. Teppert. I don't do sex dates," I say very quietly so Trent can't hear me.
"You know who my dad is?" He's still holding
me pressed to him and he's looking at me with a threatening, challenging look while his fingers dig deeper into my skin.
"I'm well aware of who your daddy is," I snarl quietly, trying to give him that challenging glare right back; he reels back slightly.
I need to pull it together, I can't piss this man off. I lift my right hand and
slide it into the collar of his shirt to the back of his neck. My stare has softened and I bite my bottom lip. Men seem to like when I do that and same goes for him. That disgusting grin is back on his face and the fingers he was digging into my flesh have softened. I still don't know how to get out of this.
"Take your coat off. It's a little flush in here, wouldn't you say? I paid good money to look at those
curves."
I briefly close my eyes then suddenly lose the option to react for myself when he yanks my coat down my arms. I'll survive his grinning myrmidon watching as long as it's only a conversation he wants to see. Aaron forcefully shoves his hand into the V of my dress and cups my breast with a cold hand. I sharply inhale and close my eyes while grabbing his wrist.
"Mr. Teppert," I'm almost begging and it may be stupid, but I can't believe this is happening.
"Let me see you. I want to see your eyes," he says as he's biting my chin.
He pulls my bottom lip between his teeth; I could vomit. My lack of retaliation is pissing him off and he jerks back from me with a threatening scowl.
"Are you denying me, Lilith?" he scorns.
I need to distract him until I can get to my phone. Being raped or having Luxe shut down. The decision shouldn't seem that hard but it is. Regardless, I'm still choosing not to be violated.
To distract him I pull him to me so he can't see me reaching for my purse.
"Not at all."
He grabs my face hard and slams me back into the
seat while kissing me and this moves me farther from my purse. I'm relieved when he lets go of my face but he's still biting and pulling while he kisses me and his intent is to cause pain, and not in a good way. His hand is on my knee now just below the skirt of my dress and it's rising. I've gotten myself into some real trouble and all I can think about is I should have listened to Ian and I never should have betrayed Justin.
His hand is almost to its destination and I squeeze my legs closed. It was a mistake to deny him because now he forcefully jabs three fingers into me. I let out a yelp and he laughs into my mouth.
"You like that?"
I squeeze my eyes closed tightly and I'm trying to
grab his hand so he'll ease up while at the same time grab my purse.
"Please," I whimper in pain. I didn't want that to escape but it did. He wants it to hurt and he wants to dominate me. "You can't do this, Aaron."
"Beg me, bitch, fucking beg, you whore. Beg for me not to fuck your pussy." he snarls.
I squeeze my eyes closed tightly, fighting back tears. When I open my lids
the surroundings out the
window are familiar; we're by Justin's office.
"I don't hear begging," he says tauntingly. "Do you hear begging?"
"I don't hear the bitch begging," Trent says.
The only way he might ease up is if I beg. "Please," I squeak having a hard time holding in tears.
"What?"
"Please stop. If you stop, I won't press charges." I'm on the verge of tears.
He stops abruptly and looks at me. "Charges?" he gasps and the two men look at each other before belting out laughter. "How many times do I have to remind you who I am?" He grabs my face again.
He's a sadistic son of a bitch who thinks his daddy can get him out of anything and he's about to rape me. All I can think about is how I betrayed Justin and Ian and this is my
payback.
"Are you going to cry?" There's too much excitement in his voice.
Not answering was a mistake and he reaches out slapping me as he grips my face tightly.
"Answer me!"
"No!" I sound pathetically scared.
The driver takes a turn and it pushes him into the door so he let's my face go. Now he's really pissed and he slams his finger into the intercom button.
"Harry! Park it!"
Trying not to show the fear is useless because he can probably hear my racing heart. I can hear it, loud and clear. He tugs my dress down then grabs my nipple and uses it to pull my breast out. An involuntary whimper comes out and tears spring to my eyes while I try to lunge for my purse. As I do this it causes his teeth to clamp and he bites hard enough that he draws blood. When I cry out and realize I have no idea where my purse is, he laughs.
"Am I being too rough?" The harsh tone is gone but I know it's a cat and mouse game. "Lilith?" He runs his finger down my cheek then pushes my chin up so I'll look at him. "Aw, look at that." He's grinning and swipes his thumb under my eye. "I got a tear." A putrid grin contorts his lips and he looks at his friend that I haven't spared a glance at. I can only imagine the disgusting look on his face as well. "Now, Lilith, answer me. Am I being too rough?" His calm tone is nauseating.
I don't want him to hurt me again but I really don't think it matters. "Yes," I breathe out.
"Good enough." He grabs my hips and pulls me onto his lap, settling his erection on my ass.
From his yank I drop back to lean against his chest and the limo comes to