Page 4 of Dark Promises

Chapter 2

Daniel

After my early morningstroll with Sam, I saw that the limo had arrived and was waiting. I didn’t wait for anyone to open the door, I wasn’t that pretentious, but my partners were. When we’d finally gotten the business off the drawing table and it became a reality, and we’d paid off all the backers. We started making money hand over fist as the saying went. We needed to get around quickly without worrying about parking and parking fees. The way we worked it off we could save money by paying a limo service, or have our own limos on call. That proved to be a good business decision for more than one reason.

Then the pandemic hit, and we lost everything, and I became the sole owner of clubPluck the Cherry.Now, I was responsible for the firing and hiring, and this dog who didn’t want to cooperate with me.

Opening the door to the limo I hopped in with Sam. As I settled back, and attempted to buckle Sam in, the young man sitting behind the wheel with the dark blue suit, said, “You can’t bring a dog in here.”Oh, for fuck’s sake what now.

“The company I work for has a policy of not picking up anyone who has dogs. We have to clean the limos at the end of the day, and they will have to pay us extra, and they don’t want to do that. Things have changed.”

“For your information and your companies, everyone has a dog these days, even me.” I swung my disgruntled glance over to Sam. I thought about how my last lover, Cole, abandoned me and Sam, and under the disguise he had to go out of town on business, and never came back, leaving me with Sam who cried every night like a baby because he was, and I’d spent night and days taking care of him as if I was a parent. If I wanted a puppy and children, I could have had them, but I didn’t want this, but Cole convinced me that having a puppy would be life-changing, and it was.

That was two years ago, and I was stilling feeling the pain of Cole leaving, and from a broken heart. You’d think I would get over Cole, but even with counseling it didn’t seem to work. Over that one failed romance, I’d been paying through the nose with his dog and the counseling sessions I’d been forced to attend, because I couldn’t forget him.

The driver turned to me, and said, “I don’t have a dog.” He proudly announced and that took me out of my thoughts about my love-hate relationship with Cole and Sam. “I have a cat,” the driver announced. Sam started fidgeting when he heard the word cat. He always became uncomfortable when he smelled or watched cats from the window or television, and maybe it was because I threatened him with it by showing videos of cats. In my defense, that was the only way to control Sam sometimes.

After a few minutes of listening to the guy’s reasons, and Sam growling, then whimpering, I realized hewasn’tmy driver. Perhaps they’d changed him at the last minute. “Where’s my usual driver?”

“I don’t know, sir. I was sent to this address and told that I was to wait for Mr. Healy, and he’d be down—”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. I’m in the wrong car,” I huffed.

“Is that your limo over there? The one that’s leaving?” I remembered telling the service if I wasn’t ready by 7 a.m., I’d take a cab. When I glanced down at my watch, it was now eight thirty.

“You’ve made me late for my meeting—”

“Excuse me, but I wasn’t the one who made you late. If you didn’t spend your time arguing with me, and getting into the wrong car, then you would have realized you’d made a mistake, not me.”

“I don’t need you lecturing me or arguing with me about my dog. Do you know who I am?”

“No, and I don’t care. Do you know who I am?” I sat seething, waiting for him to give me his name.

“I’m your worst nightmare. I’m young and I’ve been through hell with my boyfriend, who reminds me of you, and I don’t give a fuck, you—”

“Did you say you will fuck me?” I sat up, because it had been a long time since I had anyone tell me that. Usually it was me who made the first move.

“No, I didn’t say I’d fuck you. You’ve taken my words out of context, and put words in my mouth, and if I was in the habit of fucking arrogant dudes like you who think they’re entitled, it wouldn’t be you. Besides, I would have stayed with my partner. You’re too difficult to get along with. Just look at your dog. He’s cowering at the sound of your voice.”

Sam wasn’t cowering, it was his way to make everyone think I was the bad guy, and he’d get a man’s sympathy, and make them think I was abusing him. When in fact, he was abusing me.

“Now will you please get out of my car, because the guy should be down any minute, because he paid for only his ride not yours. I have to make a living if it hadn’t occurred to you, and by the look of your suit and shoes, and that expensive dog, you’re waiting for a limo you can afford to pay for, but I can’t afford to lose my job because of you. You can get another ride to your fancy office.”

“It’s late already, can you drop me at my office and then you drop my dog at the dog training—”

“Were you listening at all. It figures. No, I cannot drop you and your dog anywhere, because my client will be down shortly. And if you’re wondering, you’re the one who needs to be trained. And I’m just the one to teach you how to treat people who you think are below you.”

Where the fuck did that come from? I was a working stiff. I’d never looked at anyone and thought they were below me. If he knew where I came from and how I had to work hard to afford to live in this neighborhood and wear these clothes, he wouldn’t believe me. And that was why I can’t tell that story and especially to this one here.

“I’m in need of a lot of things, and if or when you decide you’re in need of a man like me, I’m in need of training and I think you could use what I’ve got.” I licked my lips as he followed my tongue in the rear mirror. “Here’s my card.” I reached and pulled it out of my card case. “If you ever find yourself without a job, I have a job for you. Now can you drop me off? It seems your passenger isn’t coming anytime soon.”

“You never give up, do you?” He adjusted himself and turned to face me. “Will you make it worth my while.”

“I can do better than that. If you drop me off at my office, and take my dog to the groomers, I’ll pay you a week’s salary.” He glanced around and looked at the clock.

“I do have a little time, because I arrived here earlier than even I expected. I had a fight with my boyfriend, and well... it’s a deal.” Then, the guy pulled into traffic, and in a half hour I was stepping out of his car.

“Here’s the address where Sam’s going.” I reached into my pocket and realized that I didn’t have any money. “Pick me up at four, and I’ll pay you then.” I stepped out of the limo and left Sam whimpering in the back in a seat belt. He hated those things, but it was for his own protection.

---