Page 66 of Allure
You will not be allowed in if you do not have the passcode.
Syra was a ball of nervous energy as she went over the checklist about a million times. Everything was in place; she knew that. She had great staff working tonight. She and Delilah had gone through a very long hiring process. She had finger food out for the main lobby along with ready-made mocktails and wine for the guest’s two-drink maximum. They had been undecided on whether they wanted to serve alcohol. Neither Syra nor Delilah wanted their guests to get sloppy drunk and become a problem for Sirens, but Katrina and Marco had suggested the benefits of offering one or two drinks. To them it was easier to use as an ice breaker within the main lobby for anyone looking to find a partner to play with but wasn’t ready to take it to any of the main rooms. Asli had been their tie-breaker. He voted for the two-drink maximum.
She watched everyone run around and get last-minute things situated. She saw Isaac holding his own meeting with their security team, which he helped hire. Asli was standing beside him, and when he saw her staring, he winked at her and blew her a kiss. She felt herself smile, and her body flushed at the reminder of how they had started their morning. Asli coaxing her into a slow but powerful climax, while Marco watched with his morning coffee.
They had fallen into an easy relationship. She thought it would be harder, but they kept the lines of communication open and respected each other enough that even if they fought, they fought clean. She loved them, and being around them felt right, just like being in Sirens. It felt like she was finally where she was supposed to be.
She watched Delilah move around, adjusting things on the little end tables they had around the lounge area. She was all smiles and cracking the whip to get things going, but Syra could see she was still working through what happened to her two years ago. Delilah didn’t tell her or Katrina what happened with her and Colton. Syra had her ideas, and once she was ready to talk shop again, she brought up moving the location of Sirens. They didn’t need the constant reminder of what happened that day. Delilah voted against it, of course. She didn’t want to be pushed out. She wanted to build over it and make new memories in this safe space.
Syra felt warm hands wrap around her waist before the press of lips touched the side of her neck. “Stop worrying, estrellita.” Marco’s breath fanned across her neck. “The soft opening will be a success, and Delilah is strong. She’ll be okay, but trauma and grief aren’t linear, some days she won’t be and that’s okay too.”
“I wasn’t worried.” She heard the unsteadiness in her voice. She was worried. She felt like everything was riding on the success of Sirens, and even though Delilah had a knack for coming through any adversity she faced, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a storm that couldn’t knock her down. Isaac told her sometimes people wanted to be okay, but their mind liked to play tricks on them, and she didn’t want to miss any signs because Delilah always had a smile on her face.
Syra’s smartwatch buzzed against her skin. Her alarm was going off, and she started clapping her hands excitedly. They were five minutes out from officially opening the doors to Sirens Pleasure Club.
Marco kissed the side of her head just as Kat and Delilah walked over to her. They linked arms as they made their way through the front door.
“You ready?” Kat couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.
“Born ready,” Delilah responded, the happiness in her words infectious.
“Let’s do this then!” Syra’s smile was wide as she opened the doors to the line of people waiting outside. “Welcome to Sirens.”
Six months later…
Delilah sat in the main lobby of Sirens trying and failing to feel something—anything—other than the gnawing emptiness in the middle of her chest. She looked around, smiling when Syra caught her eye, but she wasn’t sure if her smile looked genuine enough. She couldn’t drum up the affection she should have felt at seeing Sirens Pleasure club fully opened and packed.
After two years of setbacks—both personal and financial, thanks to Joel and Colton trying to take down Garrison Inc—Sirens had finally come to fruition, and it should have made her elated. She should have been celebrating with her friends, should have been smiling and laughing, watching people mingle in the main lobby, but the only thing she could muster up was complete exhaustion.
“It still doesn’t feel real.” Katrina hooked her arm around Delilah’s, pulling her close. “I really didn’t think this was going to happen after everything.”
Delilah glanced down at the scars on her arm; they matched the ones on her inner thighs and the rest of her legs. They were a permanent reminder of what she had gone through. Those memories seemed to stay fresh in her mind, a constant loop no amount of therapy could shake. It was why she stopped going.
Nothing was working anymore.
She couldn’t find her joy, couldn’t focus on the happier things, but her mind had no problem rehashing that night or any of her darker thoughts.
He didn’t give you the easy out. You know what you have to do.
They’ll be better off.
“Hey.” Kat tugged on her other arm. “Where’d you go? You okay?”
Delilah nodded, not bothering to hold her gaze. She knew Kat felt responsible for what happened to her, and no matter how many times she reiterated that it wasn’t her fault or that Delilah would have still felt like shit if it had been her, Kat seemed to not let it go.
“I’m going to make some rounds.” She unhooked herself from Kat’s hold, giving her a tight squeeze before she left to walk around the main lobby. She didn’t bother with her usual check in routines, all she wanted—needed—to do was get away from everyone. It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe when she was around her friends. It wasn’t their fault. It was as if her mind refused to give her peace, and every little thing was used as an attack on her.
Delilah turned, heading for the elevator to take her up toward the top floors, knowing tonight they would be empty. She stopped short when whimsical laughter floated up toward her ears. She turned toward the sound, and it took her back out to the main lobby, right toward a couple huddled close together on one of the couches.
The red dress was a dead giveaway. It was the same one she wore that night at Orchard Tree. It should have gotten Delilah to go back toward the elevators and away from the temptation that was close enough she could practically taste it on her tongue, but her feet wouldn’t move. She was rooted in place, mesmerized by the smile that was on Brooklyn’s face.
“Still beautiful,” Delilah whispered under her breath, but her voice carried and Brooklyn’s head snapped toward her.
Surprise filled Brooklyn’s eyes as she slowly stood up, leaving the arms of the man she’d been sitting with. She made the short walk toward Delilah, hesitating like she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Delilah felt like she could breathe a little. Her heartbeat returned to its normal pace, and her headspace was clear.
Brooklyn’s lips pulled back into a knowing smirk. “What are you doing here, Delilah?”
