It’s definitely him. Shit.
“You got another admirer.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Frankie, man. Go on. Looks like a live one.” With a hard nudge to my shoulder, Cort pushed me to the edge of the stage. I jumped off and met the man, pretending a nonchalance I didn’t feel.
“Hello.”
My heart pounded, and I was back in that alley with him, pushed up against the brick wall, his tongue down my throat.
“Don’t you remember me?”
Fuck.
“Uh…” I licked my lips, my nerves in overdrive, making me a bit light-headed.
“Sure you do. It’s Gordie. I remember you.Frankie.” His nostrils flared, and I took a step back. He followed me.
“What do you want?”
“What do you think? I want a lap dance. A private one in the back room.”
My brain cells finally kicked in. “I don’t think so, sorry.”
He took my arm. “You’re here to serve the customers, and I’m a customer. Let’s go.”
“What’s going on?”
Aaron stood beside me, arms crossed. For a moment, I worried about his response, but I had to put my faith in all he’d worked on these past months.
“Who’re you, his keeper?”
“No, I’m his boyfriend. And he said no.”
Despite the booming music in the club, I could hear his softly worded statement. I knew the strength it took Aaron to remain calm.
A cunning expression crossed Gordie’s face. “Guess he didn’t think about that when we had drinks and spent the night together a while ago.”
“The fuck we did.” I came back to life at the blatant lie. “Spent the night? I kicked your drunk ass to the curb. Literally.”
“Is there a problem here?” James stepped out from the shadows. “Frankie? What’s going on?”
Before I had a chance to speak, Aaron said, “This dude’s harassing him. Says they were together when I know he’s lying.” He slipped his arm around my waist. “Frankie’s never cheated on me.”
“Do you know this man, Frankie?” James’s gaze shifted from me to Gordie and then back to me again.
“When I first decided I wanted to start investing, I went to a bar by Wall Street to see if I could pick up some investment tips. I met this guy, and he said he could teach me about stocks. He got drunk. When we left the bar, he pushed me into an alley and tried to kiss me.” I pulled away from Aaron and knocked Gordie on his shoulder. “YouknowI didn’t want to kiss you. You forced me.”
“He did?” Breathing heavily, Aaron vibrated at my side. “Tell me more.”
The strength of Aaron’s anger pushed against me, and I grew cold with fear. “That’s it. I kicked his drunk ass to the ground and ran to the train. I never seen him since.”
“I don’t need people who manhandle others to get attention frequenting my business. Plus, you lied about my friend. Time for you to leave.” James impatiently flicked at his suit jacket. “Please escort the man out.”
Like twin sentinels, Hector and his assistant security guard, Rodney, moved forward. I wouldn’t want to meet either one in a dark alley, but especially not Hector. With tight lips, dark eyes narrowed, and six-foot-four frame straining the seams of his suit, Hector was a force.
“Don’t touch me,” Gordie said, red-faced and sputtering. “I’m ready to leave this second-rate club anyway. The guys are ugly, and the drinks are watered down.”
