Page 78 of Square Deal

I lowered my voice, though I wasn’t sure why. We were in a car. There were no prying eyes or eavesdropping ears. Isaac had raised the privacy partition between Alice and us. “I had a trust fund contingent on my behavior. If I wanted to have my college paid for and get it when I turned twenty-one, I had to play by their rules.”

“What happened when you turned twenty-one?” he prodded.

I smiled sadly. “I didn’t want to rock the boat, but I felt like I was being suffocated. I graduated, found a job clear across the state, and moved to the coast. I liked the distance, but I still played by their rules. I dated who they saw fit.”

Isaac leaned in closer, turning my chin with a crooked finger, so I was looking at him. His breath was warm against my temple. “And now?”

A coy smile played across my lips. “I’ve grown up a lot since I left and started living my life the way I want to, but it’s still hard to shake the things that were ingrained in me at such a vulnerable age. I’m cautious. I’m trying to let go—slowly. I’m figuring out who I want to be without going completely off the rails. Figuring out what I want in life. Who I want in life. I have a hard time opening up—you know—sexually. I have a difficult time exploring new things. ”

Our lips were a breath apart. Isaac’s large hand cradled the side of my neck. His thumb pressed against the place where my pulse raced like a hummingbird.

The car slowed to a stop in a dark alley and Alice opened the door. The moment shattered and we broke apart. Isaac got out first, adjusting his suit and offering me his hand. I straightened up and looked around. “Where are we?” I asked.

Isaac chuckled as he led me to an unmarked door. He didn’t even have to knock. A man opened the door, greeting us by name.

Isaac put his hand on my lower back, just above the slight curve of my ass, and led me through darkened hallways. Music floated in from somewhere, but I couldn’t quite tell what direction it came from.

“Isaac, where are we?” I asked again, looking around. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but nothing I could make out gave away our location.

Isaac paused at the bottom of a narrow staircase. He put his hands on my hips and pulled me closer. “You know, I’ve heard about that bar you go to, and I gotta say—I’m a little disappointed that you haven’t taken me.”

“That’s because you and I are a secret,” I replied, booping his nose with my finger. “Two-stepping and drinking whiskey with my friends isn’t exactly incognito.”

Isaac’s chiseled jaw flexed in amusement. “Well, I thought it would be a good idea to take you tomyclub.”

“Let me guess,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “You liked it, so you bought it?”

He let out a crack of laughter and led me up the stairs. “More like I came here so often that it was cheaper to buy, but yes, I own it.”

He opened a nondescript door and motioned for me to walk in first. When I crossed the threshold, I was floored.

It was like stepping back in time. Dim globe lights hung over black velvet booths. Crimson drapes spilled down the walls. A stage with gold curtains pulled closed was on the other side of the room. Gold chandeliers dotted the ceiling, dripping in crystals.

Servers dressed in period clothing from the 1920s hustled, doling out drinks to the guests seated at tables and booths.

“Not what you were expecting?” Isaac asked, closing the doorbehind us. We had come through the back of the club, directly into his private booth.

There was a tufted semi-circle couch for us to sit, with twin cocktail tables on either side. It was raised two steps from the floor to overlook the club. Velvet curtains in scarlet were pulled back with gold ropes, to be untied should he want privacy.

There was an orchestra pit with a live band playing jazz.

“I can’t say I envisioned you being a fan of cabaret.”

Isaac chuckled and took a seat on the couch. I was so awestruck by the opulence that he had to pat the seat beside him twice before I joined him.

Two drinks appeared on the cocktail table without ever being ordered—both old fashioneds.

“How’d you know?” I asked, tipping my glass toward him before taking a sip. “

“You seem like a woman who appreciates a well-made drink. I’ve seen your liquor cabinet.”

I smirked.

All around us, the lights dimmed as the show began. There was a stained glass banker’s lamp on the cocktail table beside Isaac. He leaned over and pulled the chain so we could see our drinks.

The stage curtains drew back as the show began. The brass section blared in glorious harmony. Saxophones played a sultry tune. A woman in a glamorous evening gown appeared on stage, snapping her fingers and swinging her hips. Glittering sequins covered every inch of her gown.

The percussion picked up, and the dancer spun. Her long dress fell to the floor, revealing a shorter, sexier flapper costume. There was polite applause from the packed house. More dancers appeared on stage. They moved as one, working their way through the crowd, dancing in sensual steps between tables.

---