Page 17 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
Too quickly, I plaster a smile on my face and rack my brain for an acceptable response. “Nothing! I’m just excited to get home and tell my sister about how great my first day was. Thank you so much for welcoming me in today. It means a lot.”Layingit on thick, huh, Lil?Shit. But it’s not like I could come right out and say, ‘Nothing’s wrong, except for the fact that your friend was one of two men who fucked me senseless on Saturday, and for a split second, I wanted him to do it again.’ Not a chance.
“I’m glad to hear it, and we’re all looking forward to working more with you. Here’s your key card. You’ll need it to get upstairs tomorrow.”
He hands it to me and just as I’m about to thank him, I sense Aiden and stiffen.
Without a word, he brushes past us and enters his office. It stings a little, even though I know it shouldn’t. Kaleb acts confused too, and I take that as my chance to collect my things and get the hell out.
“Thanks, Kaleb. I’ll see you in the morning.”
The scent of roasted potatoes and sautéed mushrooms envelopes me as I enter our apartment. Where I excel at baked goods, Calantha dominates in the main dish department. We’re obsessed with watching the Food Network and trying out at least one new dish a week, depending on our budget.
As soon as she notices me, she grabs a bottle of champagne from the fridge and two glasses.
“Awe, you know you didn’t have to do all of this.” She really is the world’s best sister. And I’ll have to remember it later when she falls apart laughing at my incredibly embarrassing day.
“Oh, shush. We don’t turn down a reason to drink good champagne, Lil. You know that. Now pop this sucker and spill.”
I untwist the tiny metal clasp and remove the foil before carefully twisting the cork free. This part always looks so damn cool in the movies, but for whatever reason, it freaks me out.With my luck, I’ll end up taking someone’s eye out with a wayward cork.
Thankfully, there are no injuries, and I pour us each a glass while Calantha checks the food. Good. I’d rather she stay distracted than give me her full focus.
“I’ll start at the part I know you’ll love. They have a freaking pool on the main floor of their building, Calla. And a gym, juice bar, and sauna. It’s surreal!”
“No fucking way,” she says, turning the burner down and grabbing her glass of champagne.
“Yup. And I even confirmed that you’re allowed to use it. As long as I’m with you.”
She squeals, clinking her glass to mine. “Best. Company. Ever. Are bikinis allowed, or do I have to cover up the goods?”
I laugh and picture us swimming laps while wearing full body water suits. Until I remember Aiden, and my mood quickly sours.
Noticing the shift, she asks, “What?”
“Hmm? Nothing. What seasoning did you use on these potatoes? They smell incredible.”
She ignores my attempt to change the subject and serves me with her bestnice trystare.
I down the champagne and pour myself another, refilling hers for good measure. Then I take a sip, wasting more time as if I’m completely clueless to the eye-daggers she’s impaling me with.
“God, Calla. I don’t even know where to start. The company is amazing, and I really think I’m going to enjoy working there. Everyone was really nice and welcoming, but…”
“But what, Lil? You’ve literally not said a single bad thing so far. What happened?”
I inhale, ready to share every detail, and then I drain my glass of champagne instead.
“Lily!” Calantha says, her tone grating with annoyance.
“One of the guys from Club Rapture owns the company.” There. I said it. Out in the open with absolutely no taking it back.
She just looks at me, blinking, and then the worried expression which lined her face only seconds before shifts, curling into a traitorous grin.
“No. Wipe that look off your face, Calla. This isn’t good news!” I all but growl the words. There’s a small part of me, the part that doesn’t care about consequences and throws caution to the wind, that relishes the idea in the same way that I know my sister does, but I’m not that girl. I might have been at Club Rapture, but not here in real life.
Calantha rushes toward her laptop on the coffee table and opens it. “What’s his name?”
“You’re not seriously going to look him up, are you? Ugh, Calantha, this isn’t a joke. I could lose my job.”
Ignoring me, she types away and shouts, “Got it!” before scrolling through the Google Image search of Exalta Solutions’ two owners. “Damn, they’re both hot. Which one? And really, Lil, if he didn’t fire you today, he’s not going to. Plain and simple.”
