Page 2 of Yearn

“What about Daisy?”

Noah was a DJ who played at local clubs and always seemed to have a new girlfriend trailing him. I called them groupies, but he’d been dating Daisy for a few months now, so I hoped she was sticking. I really liked her and was always super careful of who I got attached to or trusted. She was sweet, fit in perfectly with our group, and was obviously crazy about Noah. She was in nursing school and it was nice to have someone around who didn’t want to make it big in acting, social media, or modeling. God knows, we all needed a nurturer around us. Too many of us were like hungry vampires, feeding off attention and likes.

“She’ll be there,” Max said.

“Cool. Don’t invite anyone else, okay? The last time everything fell apart and I’m not in the mood tonight.”

Max cranked his head around. His thick hair was mussed where I’d dug my fingers through the strands. “I was being nice, Landon. Gabby’s new and asked to come. How’d I know you’d lose your shit?”

My famous temper flared. “Maybe if you used your real brain instead of the little one, you’d know I didn’t want to party with someone who was trying to flirt with my boyfriend. That’s a trash move.”

Irritation flickered in his eyes, but instead of snapping back at me, he gave me one of his famous grins. “Jealous, baby? You know I’m not into anyone else.”

I hated when he got all flirty and tried to gloss over an issue. “I’m not jealous, I’m annoyed. Just respect my wishes for once. I don’t want strangers in our group.”

“Fine. But I think youarejealous. Sure you don’t want some of this before you head out?”

He shifted his hips, full nakedness and erection on display. I rolled my eyes at his arrogance, then made sure to drop my gaze to take him all in. I slowly licked my lips, then smiled slow.

“No, thanks. See you later.”

I slammed the door behind me with satisfaction.

I wasn’t jealous because I knew I had more to offer than the new waitress who was probably out for a quick bang. Max would be an idiot to give up what we had to scratch an itch that regularly got scratched from me.

No, it was other things that bothered me. Things I didn’t want to think about.

Dark thoughts that twisted deep inside and threatened all the good things I was building with Max. Forbidden, dirty secrets wriggling up to escape and explode.

I couldn’t let them win.

Ever.

Chapter Two

Landon

Listen to Me and My Girls

by Selina Gomez

Iheaded out of my apartment building, jumped into my Uber, and rode downtown to the Chelsea district. When I arrived at Red, there was already a line out the door. I knew most guests wouldn’t get in since reservations were booked out for months. In a city full of Michelin star restaurants and hot clubs, Red was a mix of both, but for the younger crowd.

Converted from an old warehouse in Soho, the place had been the best kept secret until the New York Times did a piece on the hip, hot, single crowd and Red was featured. A combination of gourmet pub food, high art, and an after-hours night club drew in an eclectic crowd, but it became best known for the private clientele past midnight.

Three nights per week, the club closed for an invite only party. Shrouded in secrecy, I knew it was pretty much a fancy sex club for the rich and famous, but no one knew many details. Thestaff who worked it were kept separate and never gossiped. After the article, Red became the most talked-about place in the city.

A big win for me. My salary tripled, and my waitress job turned into a profitable hustle I intended to ride out.

I walked into the separate door marked for staff, enjoying the sense of exclusivity working at Red gave me. The girls waiting on line looked at me with sheer envy, their hungry gazes taking me in and judging my looks and style within seconds.

I always passed muster, and was dismissed quickly as too much competition. Most women left me alone and rarely challenged my ranking in groups. It was another benefit to my looks.

Sometimes, I wondered what would happen if I lost my beauty, but then quickly dismissed the worry. I needed constant perfection in the career I’d chosen and I’d do whatever was needed.

I made my way to the back of the restaurant, greeting people along the way. Red was set up so a customer walked into the main dining area, which was decorated with red chairs, roomy booths, an open kitchen, and a display of artwork adorning the lipstick red walls. Local artists showed off their wares, from bold watercolors, metal sculptures, to ceramics. It always gave me an impression of walking into a trendy art gallery but you got to eat, drink, and admire the scenery. The ceilings were high and an array of twisted chandeliers in different materials like wood, copper, and glass hung in scattered intervals.

The lounge was attached, where appetizers and cocktails were served. A giant bar with a blue stone countertop snaked around the wall and low-slung red couches and chairs catered to the late-night crowd. A stage was set up for live bands and DJs with themed club nights. The dance floor was small and always packed. More art was hung in the lounge, mostly naked statues and erotic paintings, giving it a naughty vibe everyone loved. I’dseen some of the stuff that happened on the dance floor, and it was an eye opener. Even though I didn’t work in the private club, confidentiality was a huge thing for the servers, and I was pretty used to seeing couples going at it, probably hoping to get caught. Now, I barely blinked and kept shuffling drinks.

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