“What are you doing?!” I shouted as my perfectly waved style blonde hair was tossed around like a rag doll.
“Taking you home.”
He carried me through the club to his grey-colored Maserati Gran Turismo parked out front and tossed me into the passenger seat. The smell of mint and eucalyptus was embedded into the black leather. Upset, embarrassed, and frustrated, I began to go off on him once he sat in the driver’s seat.
“You can’t do this!”
Unphased, Emilio replied, “I believe I just did.” He sped off, driving as though he owned the road.
“This isn’t fair.”
“Saving you from embarrassment isn’t fair?”
“Saving me?” I spat out. “You’re the one who embarrassed me!”
“You should be thankful. Do you think no one knows who you are? I was approached five times by five different people about you being here. And I let it be. I never thought it would be true when I was told how you were behaving. If it were Luca there, how would it have gone down?”
Remaining silent about the information made me feel worse about myself. Emilio felt bad for me—I could tell. He should have interfered after the first person said something, but sometimes, he lets things slide as long as they don’t get out of hand. Looking out the window, the tears streamed down my face. I felt something on my lap. Looking down, I saw Emilio handing me a handkerchief. It was the square pocket he always had paired with his suit of the day. The kind act made me even more embarrassed.
“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be crying,” he said, trying to sound gentle.
“I don’t need your pity,” I sniffled.
“At least take this and wipe your face.”
Taking the handkerchief from him, I wipe the tears that wet my skin. “Who carries these anymore?”
“I’m old, remember.”
It made me laugh, but I still avoided eye contact and focused on looking out the window. We reach the house, and my stomach knots up. If Luca saw me walk in dressed like this, I wouldn’t hear the end of it. Anything too tight, short, or see-through was not optional wardrobe attire. I was lucky to have left the house after he had gone out himself.
“He’s not home,” Emilio said, reading my mind.
“It’s late. Where is he?”
“We all have needs, Bethany.”
It took me a moment to understand what he was telling me. Luca was with a woman.
“His car…,” I remembered, “I had driven it tonight and left it parked on the street.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Nodding my head, I get out of the car and go inside. The house was quiet as I walked through the foyer. The sound of my heels against the marble floor echoed through the house. Pulling my phone out of my bag, something fell out. When I pick it up, I realize it’s the business card from the sex party. All it had was a phone number. I knew I shouldn’t entertain it, but I couldn’t help myself. An ache for thrill coursed through me, and I couldn’t help but give in.
I dialed the number, and to my luck, there was a party tonight.
Chapter 5
The location was an abandoned warehouse, and the ambiance was completely different than the last time. On the outside, the building was run down and looked abandoned, but inside, it looked like a club. Stripper poles were placed throughout the floor, and the walls were all mirrors. The music was blasting and vibrating through the floor, sending chills up my body. Unlike the last party, where people stripped down before entering, clothing was removed along the way. Some people were naked, others half-dressed, and a handful, like me, were fully clothed.
I wasn’t sure what to expect or whether I would participate, but being here made me feel alive. Slowly walking through the place, I figured getting a drink would help ease my nerves. I ordered a shot at the bar and down it quickly.
“Let me get gin straight,” a man stood beside me ordering. “Can I get you a drink?” he asked me.
Interacting made me nervous, but there was no going back now. I was here, was there really any going back? Unsure if I could last here being sober, I smiled back and nodded my head to the man.
“I’ll have a gin tonic,” I tell the bartender.
