Madison is gone.
But not for long.
“What the hell’sgot you so chipper?” Wesley asks when I step into the room to get changed for the night. I can’t bite back the smirk that tweaks my lips, but I honestly don’t even try.
“Was a good night,” I drawl as I pull my shirt over my head. Graves whistles when my body comes into view, and I roll my eyes at him. It’s the same thing every single time any of us gets undressed in front of him—the fucking slut. I quirk my brow at him as I drop my pants. “Shut up, you whore.”
Graves pulls his full bottom lip in between his teeth as his eyes blatantly drag down my body. “Well?—”
“Not a chance in hell,” I tell him with a smirk, before blowing him a kiss and pulling on a pair of sweatpants over my boots. With my back turned to him, I grab a makeup wipe and go about removing the paint from my face. It takes a few, and I have to scrub pretty hard, but eventually, I get all the white and black off my face, leaving me clad in only my white eye contacts.
I stare at myself in my reflection, blinking once, then twice.
Someone I barely recognize stares back at me. His eyes are alight with something burning beneath the surface.
Something…new.
I pull my contacts out and put them in their container, followed by my teeth, and then blinking through the dryness. I look away from myself to grab my phone, pulling up mine and Madison’s conversation again, just to taunt myself a little more, when I’m interrupted by Wesley’s loud ass antics.
“Kierra! What’re you doing back here?”
I freeze, locking my phone and shoving it in my pocket. I glance up as Kierra—our front desk girl—walks into the room, a sweatshirt hanging from her arm.
“Nothing really. Just thought I’d say goodnight and congrats to you guys before heading home.” Her voice is loud but gentle, and it demands everyone’s attention. We all murmur our thanks and goodbyes, and as she walks back out the door, she catches my gaze and lifts her dark brow. I feel my throat roll with a swallow, but she turns her back and continues out without a word.
I pull in a deep breath and grab my phone once more, bringing it to my chest like I can protect Madison’s number just by holdin’ it close.
“What’s got you holding your phone like that?” Kaser asks as they saddle up next to me. I jerk out of my reverie and nearly drop my phone.
“Nothin’.”
“Nothin’?” they mock me, accent just as thick. They lift their brow, lips pursed. “Or should I be sayin’ who?”
My heart thuds heavily in my chest—and I don’t fuckin’ like it. “No,” I snap, shoving my phone in my pocket and turning away from my best friend. I can feel their eyes staring into the back of my head, but I ignore them as I gather my shit in my backpack and sling it over my shoulder.
“I’m headed home,” I mumble, not giving Kaser my eyes again.
“Mhm,” they hum, eyes still glued to me.
Their observation makes me uncomfortable, but I decide to ignore it as I walk out of the room and away from everyone because what the fuck else am I going to do? Confront them? Tell them I broke a rule and got a client’s number from thesystem for my own personal use? Lose my fucking job because of it?
I don’t fuckin’ think so.
Not that I think Kaser would snitch on me. They would never.
But this…he…is my little secret. One I plan to keep all to myself.
I stareup at the darkened ceiling, at the roll of the lights across the flat surface, unable to sleep. It’s been hours, and I can’t get my little treat out of my head. He hasn’t texted me back, and Iachefor him to… but also, I’m glad he didn’t.
It makes me wonder if he’s dreamin’ of me.
If my texts scared him enough to infiltrate his subconscious and now, as he lies there, his mind is filled of me and what I did to him. What Iwilldo for him again.
I inhale deeply, eyelids fluttering closed as I practicallysmellMadison’s urine all over again. It was subtle, but his fear was not. He was absolutelytremblingwith it, but he endured it all so beautifully.
I’ve never seen someone last so long, tolerate so much, and for what?
He could’ve used his safe word. So many people would have, but he didn’t.
