Page 14 of Dangerous Contract: Part 1

She’d known there were no business trips. She’d known his secretary hadn’t called his phone late at night to brief him on an upcoming meeting. She’d known her frequent UTIs were from his community dick. Especially since she hadn’t had another one since the divorce.

She’d known he was lying to her.Women always knew.However, she’d pretended they were still in love and had stayed with him because of fear. Fear trapped her in the marriage, not the man. Not love. Not lust. Not hope for a better tomorrow. Fear.

Whenever she thought of leaving, fear reared its ugly head and reminded her that she’d never lived alone in her life. As akid, she’d lived with her parents. In college, she lived in the dorm and had roommates.

She’d married her college sweetheart, and they’d gotten their first apartment after graduation. So, even when she’d considered leaving, the thought of being alone had scared her, and she’d tossed the idea out.

She’d also been afraid of what her strict family and the people from her gossiping hometown would say if she’d left him. She’d feared the stigma that would’ve been placed over her head.

She’d already had people talking about her because she didn’t have kids. She hadn’t wanted to add divorcee to that. So, she’d stayed and prayed for things to change. And they did change. Instead of her leaving him, he’d left her.

And all those things she’d feared happening had descended upon her like a plague. Her worst fears had come to life. And she’d almost buckled under the weight of them. But her friends had helped her remain standing.

That same fear had almost made her not go out with her girls that night. It had also almost made her not step into the Cattaneo Casino and Resort. Thankfully, her friends hadn’t taken no for an answer.

And tonight, Monique was having the time of her life. Monique smiled at a guy walking past her. Yeah, she was glad she hadn’t let fear hold her back. She hadn’t stopped smiling since she’d stepped into the casino.

The lounge area was packed with people who were there to mingle and have a good time. There were no kiddos doing dances that would make her knees snap, crackle, and pop. She was around grown folks.

This was her vibe. This, she could handle. Seated on a settee, wedged between her two friends, Monique sipped her third Long Island iced tea. Usually, two was her limit. Tonight, she needed a little liquid courage to do what her friends had dared her to do.

“Come on, Monique,” Meka rushed her. “It’s time to pick a guy. There’s plenty here who are alone.”

“No, there’s not,” Monique complained, staring around the room. “They may not be with a woman, but a lot of them are with their friends. What if one of their friends is actually their boyfriend?”

Toya chuckled. “The more, the merrier.”

“Latoya!” Monique exclaimed.

“What?” Toya shrugged. “There’s nothing wrong with a menage.”

Monique leaned closer to her friend. “Have you ever had one?”

Who was she kidding? Of course, Toya had. Toya stared from Monique to Meka.

“Don’t judge me,” Toya said.

That meant yes. Monique giggled and swayed a bit. Those Long Island ice teas were starting to kick in.

“No more drinking,” Toya ordered, taking Monique’s cup from her. “Pick a guy. All you have to do is go up to him and flirt for a full minute. One minute. Now, pick someone before I pick for you.”

“Do I have to do the dare?” Monique groaned. “How about I pay for the drinks?”

“You almost messed up club night,” Meka reminded her. “You have to do the dare. Rules are rules. Do you want me to choose someone for you?”

“I’ll do it,” Monique said, irritated.

She hadn’t flirted in years. But how hard could it be? The hardest part would be finding the right guy. The guys seated in the lounge area were with their ladies. Her gaze drifted to the bar. Some of those guys were with their friends. She didn’t want their friends eavesdropping and witnessing her embarrassment.

“There’s another bar here, right?” Monique asked. When her friends said yes, she told them, “Let’s go to that one.”

It took her a full minute to convince them to leave. They took the elevator to the next bar area. It was nicer and bigger than the other. There was actually a dance floor and all. She started over to a chair to sit down, but her friends grabbed her and made her remain standing next to them.

“Find a guy,” Toya insisted. “No more stalling.”

Toya would’ve said more, but a dark-skinned guy with long dreads approached and began talking to her, pulling her attention from Monique. Monique’s gaze flitted around the room before landing on a tall, white guy who was approaching the bar.

His height was the first thing she noticed. He towered over others. The second thing she noticed was his build. Though he was sporting a suit, she could tell he was ripped underneath it. He oozed sex appeal.

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