Page 45 of Truth
“Thanks, Dad. Hey, I have a conference in your neck of the woods next month. Let’s do dinner?”
“I would love that. Give your mom my love.”
“Will do, Dad. Bye.”
We hang up and I check the time. Fuck, it’s only been twenty minutes. I can do this; I can make it without losing my mind. I need to pass the time quickly, so I grab my laptop and dig into work. Work always has a way of making me lose myself. When I look up, an hour has passed. I shut down my laptop and try to calm the nerves that are compounding.
Double-checking my apartment to make sure I have everything I need, I lock the door and head out, making my way down to the street to hail a cab. I open and close my purse, triple-checking for the skeleton key. The whole evening has a surreal feeling, I want to pinch myself, but I’ll leave that to King. I haven’t been this happy since the first night we were together. He’s given me my opportunity, and I have no intention of spoiling this chance.
The closer we get, the more flips my stomach does. Leaning forward, I look up into the rearview mirror and check my face. I’m so ready for him. He has no idea how ready. My nightly dreams have been so wet, I expected my body would fall into a coma in the hopes I never had to wake from them. Dreams to reality is what I’m hoping for.
We pull up outside of Church, and I basically toss cash at the driver as my door is opened. It’s everything I remember. The aura starts from the outside. While the building itself is unassuming, it has afeeling. Maybe it’s the scent of sex escaping between the posts and nails. It’s sobering; it makes you stop and recognize that once the door is opened, there isn’t any going backward.
I walk up the steps, and with each step I’m even more resolute in my commitment to King. The door opens, and I can hear the faint sounds of music coming from the main room, drawing me in like a dark siren’s call.
“Do you have a key, ma’am?” the massive guard inside the door asks.
“Oh, yes.” Opening my purse, I search and find it quickly.
“Thank you. Please don’t lose your key. You may enter.”
Here we go.
I realize I don’t know where I’m supposed to go. All the card said was 9:00 p.m. I look around for someone to ask, but I’m alone. So, I head to the main living room where we first met. The room is full of people all in various forms of conversation, against a backdrop of dim lighting and plush walls. Some are enjoying drinks and engaging in voyeurism, some sharing whispers and roaming hands, while others are obviously past the flirtations and seem headed for straight downstairs. I walk to the bar and order a bourbon, scanning the room, but nothing. No King in sight.
I’m lost in thought when I’m interrupted by the feel of someone’s arm brushing my own. It makes me jump, and I immediately smile politely at the gray-haired gentleman and look away. I’ve only been here once before, but I have a gut feeling this man didn’t accidentally brush my arm. A couple slides in next to me and begins to make small talk. I don’t want to be rude, but I’m fairly certain they are looking for a third, so I drop “my boyfriend” an embarrassing amount of times before the husband asks, “So, lovely, where is this boyfriend?”
“Well, funny you should ask. I’m meeting him here. I just don’t know where.” Saying it out loud makes me a bit embarrassed, but his wife left the house in pasties, so I figure they aren’t judging me too much. I look at the man as I finish my sentence, and he looks to his companion worriedly.
“This isn’t the kind of establishment you let your girlfriend meet you at. You might want to find a new guy. I’m happy to put my application in…” Oh god, I can’t. Rico geriatric is never getting this girl.
“I’m sure he’s just running late, but I’m flattered. Completely uninterested but flattered nonetheless.”
The lady friend giggles and pets his chest, leaning across to whisper conspiratorially, “Maybe he’s downstairs? In the rooms? But you need a special key to get down there.”
My interest is immediately sparked. “Wait, what kind of key? I thought the key was entry into the club itself. What’s yours look like?” I open my clutch to rummage for the key while the hubby pulls out his key. It’s a skeleton key with aCin the center.
“Oh, my goodness.” I look down to my key. “Mine is different. Look, the entire top of the key is a set of snakes intertwined. Thank you!”
I can barely contain my excitement as I hop down from my barstool and excitedly retrace my steps from our first night, making my way to the stairs that lead down. There’s an unassuming guard at the top, who stops me in my tracks.
“Key.”
I pull out my key and show him, and he nods for me to take the stairs. My feet carry me faster than I even expect to the door. Our door. It’s just as intimidating as it was the first time. My heart is beating out of my chest. There’s so much to say. I want to take back every word I said, but I can’t, so I’ll kiss all the wounds I left on him if he lets me. I put my key into the lock and twist, hearing the click.
I push the door open slowly. The room is barely lit, creating the sexiest ambiance.
“King,” I call out as I walk in. The room is the same, but it feels empty without him here. I walk around, running my fingertips over the leather chairs and testing the cuffs on the wall. I make my way over to the bed and sit on the edge, hoping for something to start making sense, when I see a black envelope on the bed.
I reach out and touch the paper gently, tracing my name written on the front before I pick it up and open it. There’s a single card inside, and I pull it out to read, a smile spread across my face.
The room starts to spin, and I drop the card. Everything thing seems to move in slow motion. I watch the card float down to the ground, and there’s a buzzing in my ears.He’s using my own words against me.I wanted to explain, make him understand, but he’s set me up to pay me back. This is fucking payment for his heart. He gave it freely, and I treated it carelessly. A breath escapes my lips, and I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I’ve hurt him, and now he wants us even, but I’m not backing down.
I love him.
Standing up, I tear from the room and down the hallway, back up the stairs. There’s no guard to be seen, and I head straight to the bar. It doesn’t end like this. We aren’t done until I say we are.
“King! Now!” My voice echoes through the room, causing more than one person to turn their head as I slap my hand down on the bar top. Except the people I’m yelling at. They’re ignoring me, which makes me think they’ve been told to. Ridiculous! He knows me better.
