Page 109 of Tease Me

“I’m going to catch you, and when I do, you’ll be out of here so fast your head will spin.”

“Look, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”Keen toput distance between me andNeedledick, I walked around the counter and strode toward the elevator.

“The karate gave you away.”

Faaarrrkkk. I jabbed the button a million times, and every second I waited, Needledick’s dagger eyes pierced right through me.

The doors opened.I jumped in and pressed the button for my floorover and over. The second the doors closed, I clutched the railing, hyperventilating enough to become dizzy. Tears stung my eyes, and by the time I reached my floor I could barely breathe.

Through my blurry vision, I made it to my room, opened the door, threw my bag on the table, and then flopped face-first onto my bed. I pulled my spare pillow to my chest and squeezed the life out of it as my tears flowed.

When I couldn’t cry a moment more, I rolled off the bed, plucked my phone from my bag, and flopped onto the bed again.

I rang the only person in the world who could help me.

Lolita answered on the first ring. “Hey, babe.”

“Needledick knows.” A deep sob released from my throat.

“Oh, babe, don’t cry. What does he know?”

I told her everything from thewonderfulkiss with Henry to the very last words Needledick said to me.

“Oh, shit.”

“Yes. Oh, shit. I’m in trouble.”

“Okay, let’s think about this.Hehas no proof, right? Otherwise, he would have said so.”

“He’s going to watch me like a hawk now.”

“And how’s that going to change anything?”

“If he catches me as Memphis again . . .” My mind whizzed around at the endless possibilities, butnot one of them was good.

“Babe, you know what?”

“What?”

“Even if he does catch you, what would be the worst that would happen?”

“Oh, you mean besides ultimate humiliation?”

“Yes, besides that.”

I huffed. “I’d lose my job, of course.”

“Really? I don’t think so. You wouldn’t be the first person to have sex with a customer.”

I mulled over her statement. It was probably true. “But how does that help me?”

“I don’t think they could fire you for it. Hell, even Bill Clinton didn’t get the sack for screwing with that Lewinski woman.”

“Ummm, I think he did.”

“No.Hegot the sack for lying about it. Not for doing it.”

“So, what’re you saying? As long as I don’t lie, I’ll be fine?”

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