Page 62 of Tease Me (Dark Odyssey 1)

Me the shy wallflower in the group.

“Mia, we can’t help who we have feelings for. You want me to tell you to stay away from him, or not to fall for him, or that you must have lost your mind?”

I actually think she means it and I nod. “Yes, I want you to tell me that. I want you to tell me exactly that.”

She disagrees. “No, I won’t. I wouldn’t be your best friend if I did. I would be no friend at all if I didn’t tell you to be careful. Am I okay with it? No, not so much. Quite frankly I’m scared and kicking myself for putting it in your head to go to The Dark Odyssey in the first place. Trust me I am. I feel terrible. But I think it’s too late to switch up now. If I had the money you need I’d give it to you in a heartbeat. You know I would. It hurts me that the money I gave you wasn’t enough, because I hoped you could find something in legal to do. But the question to ask yourself is this: if you had the money would that be it? Would it stop you from seeing him again?”

She holds my gaze and I honestly can’t answer.

I’m scared of what I might say.

She gives me a little smile. “Be careful Mia. I know how hurt you were after Chad and while you can talk to Miranda and be friends with her, close to how you used to be, I can’t. They both hurt you and that was something you never expected. Be careful now because maybe you don’t know what to expect with Nick, but the fact that you can’t answer me gives me an answer. Please be careful.”

* * *

I heedher words and remember them all day. Although I’m not sure how I’m supposed to approach this. Should I stop myself from feeling when I’m with Nick later?

Is that what I’m supposed to do?

Not feel?

I don’t know.

I’m thinking about Chloe’s question even as I walk into The Dark Odyssey. I’m early. I get there just before seven. Mimi hands me a red negligee this time, with heels to match.

I can see the grouchy receptionist that’s been here for the last few nights craning her neck to see what I’m wearing. Her name’s Jenna and I think she’s had a thing for Nick, or with him. There’s definite telltale signs in the horrible looks she’s always casting my way. It definitely seems like she’s jealous because she doesn’t know me well enough to look at me like that.

Back in college and high school I always got looks like that. People took one look at me and assumed I was a certain type. Blond hair and big tits always got attention in one way or another. Good and bad.

What I learned was to be focused and true to myself. It was why I worked so hard to become a lawyer. I pushed past what people expected from me and shocked them in my wake.

So this bitch can look at me like she hates me all she wants. I don’t care.

I don’t allow her to bother me. People like that are just details you have to avoid and push out of your periphery to keep going.

That’s what I’m doing tonight.

In my angst-filled mind today, I decided I was going to pay off Hector as much as I can. I’m going to do it.

The money I get here is enough to take care of the house and pay Hector.

What I’m also going to do though is continue my job hunt for something in legal. Anything.

I start work here at seven so there’s nothing stopping me from getting a job during the day. I figured just something to keep me in the loop with the legal world. I’ve already been out for far too long, with my eight months of job hunting. Being at The Dark Odyssey has taken off some of the stress of money so I don’t mind getting any old thing now, or maybe something specific in a niche area that would help forward my career in intellectual property law.

Whatever happens, I can’t lose sight of my goals or lose myself.

So that means potentially I could be out of here very soon.

With my hundred grand a year, I get a net salary of just over eight thousand three hundred. It means I can pay as much as I can and leave as soon as. Maybe even in six months, seven months. Whatever happens I’m determined that next year is gonna be different.

It’s September now and I hope to enter next year with higher hopes than January when I first found out how bad things were and got the threats from Hector.

I get dressed and do my makeup. Nick liked how I looked yesterday.

Jesus, the red negligee is see through and doesn’t have the coverings on my breasts that the gold one had yesterday. I’m wearing red lace panties so they cover me up but you can full on see my nipples and everything through the lace.

It’s actually probably more coverage than I saw on most people last night.

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