Page 21 of The Lawyer
“What plans?”
“Another personal question, Landon. What has gotten into you?"
He looks back at his work. "You should probably check your own mouth before questioning mine, Willow." His hand waves me off, dismissing me. “Don’t come back in here unless there’s an emergency.”
“As you say, Landon.” I mock curtsey before leaving his office. It’s quite fun being in on the secret. Although, as I sit back at my desk, I realise that there could be a path to disaster in front of me if I’m not careful.
~
For the next couple of days, I keep up the conversation between me and Landon. His schedule seems to have morphed into a tangle of meetings, and I’m up and down to his office a hundred times a day. He looks more and more stressed, and as the days tick on, he's also grown more severe and less open to any advance of playful banter. It’s a shame, as I thought we’d started to find some common ground at least.
Tonight, I have to go to The Priory. Jackson always wants me for weekend shifts, but I do the minimum he’ll allow. This weekend was one of them.
Work done, I head home to change, trying to work out why Juniper hasn’t had another invitation from Landon. It's infuriating, but considering his mood this last week, maybe it's understandable. Still, the disappointment is real.
My routine was as always—get ready, arrive, change, perform, leave. But my performance doesn’t excite me tonight. It feels flat. It doesn’t matter how many anonymous people I conjure in my mind; none of them give me the same thrill as performing for Landon. He's real. Not only is he real, but he's handsome and solid and everything a girl like me might dream about. In fact, does dream about. Frequently. And God, I bet that mouth of his gets really dirty.
I smile as I weave out through the throng of other dancers, imagining that night, and his body under those suits, and the way he'd hold me if I got close enough to let him.
Jackson is waiting for me when I get to the double doors. “We’ve got to talk.”
“Not now.” I brush past him and into my changing room.
“Get your ass back here. Behave. With what you're being paid, and what I’ve set up for you, you should show some fucking respect.” He grabs my arm and pulls me back to him. It’s the first time he’s ever got close to being hands-on. His fingers ease the pressure on my arm, and I search the intent behind his eyes. “I could end all of this for you, June. Don’t forget that.”
And he's right.
“What did you want to talk about.” I school my displeasure.
“The client wants another meeting. He’s agreed to the same demands, although offered double for you to reconsider them.”
“When?” I tap down the smile that’s itching to blaze across my face.
“Tomorrow. And he wants to make it a more regular appointment.”
“On top of what I have here?”
“Yes. Thursday.”
“If I’m going to do this regularly, you take a smaller cut. Or, I drop one night here.”
“No. How about you give that guy what he wants, and I see just how much money I can make off you,” he says, running his hand up my arm.
“What the fuck, Jackson? You’re not my fucking pimp, and I’m not a whore.”
“Well, maybe I’m fucking pissed that you do seem to have a price, huh?” He squeezes hold of my arm and pulls me back towards him, this time wrapping his other arm around me and holding me to him. “What’s your price, June? For me, what do I have to do?”
“Let. Me. Go,” I grit out with my teeth clenched, “or I walk away.”
“No.” His voice smooths out as if he’s charming me. “I know you. You like it too much.” He runs his eyes up and down me, studying my face while his steel arms hold me to him. I wish his words weren’t true, but he’s right.
“Last warning, Jackson. And, just so you know, my price and rules are the same for you. If you want what you see, set it up,” I whisper in his ear.
I don’t know what’s come over me, but I do know I have to diffuse the situation quickly. Jackson likes me, but after all these years, he’s never done anything like this.
He finally obeys, and I take a step back. “Don’t ever touch me again, Jackson. You can look, but that’s the line, just like everyone else. Jealousy doesn’t suit you. And after that little stunt, I’m having the weekend off.”
“No, you dance the least of all the girls.” He shakes his head, but I'm not going to miss the ball. This is as good a reason as any to force my refusal this weekend.
