Page 13 of Velvet Sin
She cleared her throat.“I just needed a second to process things.Let me guess… you sell memberships at a high premium.”
“Very… though women are allowed a one-time pass without having to commit to a full membership.”
“Not men, though?”
“There are too many sick fucks out there.Statistically, we’ve never had issues with our female guests.”Besides, beautiful women brought in money.Men in a position to do so spent through the nose for a membership, knowing there was always a chance of fresh pussy waiting to be played with.
“And you run clubs like this in other cities?”She finally sat on the sofa, her gaze never leaving my face.
“Correct.Now you know why I don’t make it a point to share the details of my life.Personally… privacy means eliminating a lot of complications.”
“No, I get it now.”She sounded distracted like my secrecy was now an afterthought.“And you said people wear masks?”
“Over the years, I’ve refined my approach, taking what works and discarding what doesn’t.Patrons have the option to go without a mask, but I find more and more of them prefer to have their faces partially covered.People in positions of power.”I finished my drink and checked my watch.“Doors open in forty-five minutes.Several of my investors will be here tonight, along with clients I have flown in from New York and LA.It’s going to be a long night.There’s no better time for you to learn the ropes.”
Arching an eyebrow, I asked, “Do you think you can handle it?”
“You’re not asking me to, like, participate or anything…” When I shook my head, she offered a tiny shrug.“I mean, there’s no reason for me to turn you down… unless you pay peanuts,” she added.
“Not at all.”From a folder on my desk, I withdrew a contract.“You’ll see the terms outlined there.If it all looks good, sign it, and I’ll take you on a brief tour downstairs before handing you off to Chloe.”
“This can’t be right.”She pointed to the salary line.“That’s a typo, isn’t it?”
I glanced at the page and shook my head, holding out a pen.“No, that’s correct.”
“For standing at the front desk and greeting people.”
“There’s more to it than that.But at the end of the day, sure.You’re the woman standing at the front desk.”And we were running out of time.“The clock is ticking, Lenny.”
“Eleanor,” she grunted.
“Quit stalling.We both know you need this.”
“You don’t know what I need.”
“I think I do.No, I know it.You need a steady job that pays enough for you to have a fresh start.I want that for you,” I concluded, and I meant every word.Whatever it took, so long as she was out from under Cameron and never, ever questioned whether she should’ve stayed with him.I didn’t know the specifics and doubted she would’ve given them if I’d asked, but the Lenny I knew never gave up on a sure thing.She needed a comfortable, secure life, and wouldn’t have taken the chance of walking away when she had nothing of her own.He must have done something to fuck it all up.
“I hate how right you are.”Snatching the pen from my outstretched hand, she signed on the dotted line before thrusting it my way.“Here.”
“Smart girl.”I left the contract on my desk and checked the time again.“We need to get moving.I have a few things I want to check on before the doors open.”
“This is a little overwhelming.You’ll have to excuse me for needing time to catch up.”She stood as I headed for the door, then teetered on her mile-high heels.I doubted she had an excuse to wear them often.
But what they did was give me the excuse to catch her so she didn’t fall, taking her by the waist to hold her steady.Heat swelled in my chest and in other parts farther south, compelling me to pull her closer, inhaling the lavender clinging to her hair and the bright, floral perfume she wore.The scent was enticing enough that I leaned in before I knew what I was doing, hoping to catch more of it.
“Whoa, there,” I murmured against her ear.This was the second time in twenty-four hours I had caught her, preventing a fall.The thrill of putting my hands on her body hadn’t lessened.If anything, it was more intense since she was fully conscious and aware.
“I’m fine,” she snapped, pulling her head back and glaring defiantly up at me.
Until the look changed.Something washed over her face, making it go slack like she had received a great shock.“Oh my God.It was you.Wasn’t it?”
“What was me?”I asked, still holding onto her.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Her slim throat worked.“Los Angeles.Three months ago.I went to a club like this one.And there was a man…” Her voice trailed off until she went silent.
No.It was impossible.“She was blonde.”The words were barely out of my mouth before I realized how stupid they sounded.
“So was I for about five minutes,” she retorted.I sputtered, stunned, while she added, “The whole time I was sitting there on the sofa, saying to myself, it’s not possible.It was all coincidence.A club in LA, the masks, the one-night memberships for women.No means no.Then I sat there thinking what would his face look like if he was wearing a half mask?”
