Page 51 of Friends with Benefits (Club Risqué)

ChapterThirty-Seven

Trinity sprawled over the sink in the private washroom off the employee's lounge. It was quiet and rarely used, like the lounge itself, which was why she had chosen it.

Closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths, Trinity thought back to the woman in her office and the fact that she had left her there unattended and abandoned. Oh, well, that was too damn bad right now.

A moment later, she jolted, her stomach roiling again when a hand settled at the base of her spine and a cold, damp cloth was pressed against her forehead.

Dragging in a settling breath, she opened her scrunched up eyes and raised her head to see Micah in the mirror. He said nothing while he rinsed out the cloth and reapplied it, dabbing across the rest of her face first before handing her a bottle of water.

Trinity took it gratefully. "What are you doing here?' she croaked, her throat feeling raw and acidic. She took an appreciative sip of the water.

"One of the club subs mentioned that she'd noticed an unfamiliar woman snooping around your office and you were nowhere in sight, so I asked around and my inquiries led me here. Are you up to sitting down in the lounge?"

Trinity nodded and Micah supported her until she was settled.

"The woman in my office, don't let anyone allow her into the club," Trinity rasped. "She's a sneaky one. She'll take herself out there if she gets the chance."

"Don't worry," Micah reassured, "I had one of the subs offer her refreshments to keep an eye on her. Now what's all this about? How has she upset you?"

"Who says she upset me?" Trinity asked belligerently. "Maybe I'm just ill."

"And maybe I'm the pope, but then we'd both be deluded!" Micah retorted. "Now spit it out!"

Trinity sucked in a breath and looked at the ceiling, willing the tears to stay out of her eyes as she answered him. "She says she's Christian's wife."

Micah sat bolt upright and swore. "Did she give a name?" he demanded.

"Of course, she did." Trinity’s laugh was humourless. "She gave her name as Bianca Knightley, what else?"

"Well, that explains how she got past the front desk," Micah reasoned. "They only have an alert out on the name Bianca James."

"What do you mean? What alert?"

"Before Christian was even granted a guest pass, there was an alert out to this, and every other club that was prepared to take note, not to allow membership to a Bianca James. Logan has always made sure it was enforced at this and the other Club Risqué."

"That doesn't make any sense, Micah," Trinity replied tiredly. The effort of putting a brave face on things had taken its toll and she felt suddenly deflated. "If she knows she's banned from membership, why would she try to sneak in here…I mean, I know why she'd want to do that under other circumstances, but not while Christian is here to challenge her story. And she knew he was going to be here. She didn't deny they'd been separated, but she claims the divorce was never finalised and they’re recently reconciled. She said she wanted to surprise him."

Which didn’t gel with everything Christian had told her, Trinity realised, now she was thinking straight.

Didn’t mean things hadn’t changed though.

"You're right," Micah considered. "Something certainly isn't adding up. Maybe I should give Logan a call."

When the call connected, Trinity listened to one frustrating half of the conversation, which didn't shed much light onto the situation. She managed to ascertain that Logan wanted them to keep Bianca at the club but keep her in the office area until he arrived.

Micah cast a couple of contemplative looks her way and listened to a bunch of stuff she couldn't hear, but Trinity got the sinking feeling Logan was aware of Bianca's claim that she and Christian were still married, which surely meant it was true.

At the end of the call, Micah just stared at his phone for a long moment and it seemed like he was avoiding her gaze, causing Trinity’s stomach to twist all over again.

"It would appear Logan is aware of the marital situation between Christian and this woman," he finally told her. "Whether or not there is any truth in the suggestion that they have reconciled, I'm afraid I don't know."

Trinity felt the blood drain from her face and her stomach roiled all over again. She blinked her eyes rapidly in a vain attempt to keep the tears at bay, but the brutal emotions buffeting through her were battering her down, regardless of her will to stay strong and composed.

Micah thrust the bottle of water at her once again, and she whimpered as she took a grateful sip.

"I think you should go home and get some rest, Trinity. It's clear that this whole business has upset you quite significantly."

"What?" Trinity recoiled in shock at the suggestion. "That's it? That's all I get… a pat on the head and sent off home without an explanation, so I’m out of the way and can't interfere?" she shrieked, her voice rising with every word.

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