“Mr. Cantrell.”
We both turn to Ellie, looking gorgeous as ever in a nude colored dress with sequins over her breasts and down between her legs, everything else is see-through. Her beauty stopsMr. Cantrellin his tracks.
“I can only apologize on behalf of our wait staff, she’s new and still learning. Please allow me to get your table some complimentary champagne and we will of course pay for any dry cleaning.”
It’s hard not to let my mouth fall open, or be hurt that Ellie could say something like that about me.
“Max, three bottles of our best champagne please.”
“So long as she doesn’t bring it over.”
“Of course not,” Ellie turns to me. “Please go in back and wait for me.”
“I hope you’re going to fire her ass.”
Ellie just smiles and links her arm through his walking him away. Max is busy getting the champagne and calling over one of the other girls.
I’ve never felt so stupid. And not because of what happened with that bastard, I never thought Ellie would treat me like that. So stupid that my heart hurts.
Instead of standing here waiting for people to ask questions, I turn and head to the back, dodging around people so I don’t bump into anyone else.
Damn it, I can’t believe I’m going to lose everything, when I was so damn close, because some idiot can’t admit that he was in the wrong. Or that I ever thought anyone was going to have my back.
Just the way it has been for the last decade. Dumb, he’s right. I really am.
Instead of going to the office to wait, I head to the dressing room to get my things. I’m not hanging around to be fired. My hand hurts when I pull my bag out of the locker and I wince, only just noticing a cut and blood running down my fingers.
“Charley? I told you to wait in the office.”
Ellie’s tone is sharp. I quickly hide my hand and she eyes my bag and frowns.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting my things.”
“Why?”
“You said…”
“I said what I needed to. I didn’t want that fucking twat causing a scene. Do you really think I would fire you?”
“I… You were very convincing.”
“Something I’ve learned over the years. If you think I would take his side over yours, then you don’t know me very well.”
“You're kind of hard to read sometimes,” I tell her honestly.
“His father is important. The Cantrell’s are working with the club.” When I frown she shakes her head. “The Disciples, not Elegance. That means we don’t rock the boat. Sometimes, the best way to diffuse a situation like that is to give the man child what he wants. In this case, to feel important. He wanted you fired, I let him think it would happen.”
“That’s smart.”
Now I feel even more stupid. This isn’t my world though, I’m still not used to it.
“Is that blood?” she looks at my wrist and pulls a face like she might get sick. “That fuckingasshole.”
She takes out her phone and texts someone while I set my bag down and go to one of the tables to grab a tissue and clean up the blood. There is a lot of it. Shit, the wound is deeper than I thought.
A few minutes later, Walker comes into the room and Ellie tells him to look at my hand It’s throbbing now, I guess the adrenalin of feeling like no one gives a shit about me, and I was about to lose my job is wearing off.
