Bonnie
Across the table at the Deadwater hotel apartment, Genie stared at me. “I can’t believe this is where you’re living. He has, like, billions. I looked him up. Boy is loaded.”
Jessie tossed a wadded-up serviette at her. “That doesn’t mean he owns a house in every city.”
“No, but he could have stumped up for a decent rental. This hardly says he’s in it for the long run.”
I rolled my eyes. I’d invited my friends over for a catch-up, Elijah needing to head out for an afternoon of meetings. Now in our third week, we could spend four hours apart, and I was to meet him for dinner later. I’d already poured myself into a red bodycon dress and done my hair and makeup, wanting to wow him.
I missed him. So much. Even though I’d promised myself to stop being needy.
Plus I didn’t mind Genie’s line of questioning. She was only looking out for me, like I would her. “Why would he rent a whole house when this apartment is fine for us?”
Genie gestured around with her hand. “So what happens at the end of your month? Are you going to stay here, or is he taking you out of Deadwater altogether?” She tilted her head in concern. “Are you coming home? If not, I need to get another flatmate. Even with the new cheap rent.”
“We haven’t actually talked about that,” I confessed.
Except I did know why her rent was so cheap. Elijah had confessed what he’d done with buying out the building and subsidising our bills. That, possessive and controlling as it was, helped me. It helped Genie, too, and I hadn’t demanded he end it.
If I ever had big money of my own, that’s exactly how I’d want to use it. To make the lives of others that little bit easier. Not hoard it away.
Genie grimaced and rubbed her belly. “Sorry, wicked period cramps tonight. I would offer you more work, but that’s in doubt now, too.”
I paused over the cramps, my internal body clock ticking over the fact that I didn’t have any. Genie and I had been in sync for a few months, my period coming a day or two before hers. But I felt fine. No pain, no lower back ache. I dismissed the thought to get back to a more important point.
“Your topless waitress business? Why?”
My bold, brassy friend sighed, the fire gone out of her. “Tucker,” she intoned.
The name landed in the room like a bad smell.
Bile rose in my throat. “What about that penis wart?”
Jessie shifted in her chair, eyes flicking nervously between us.
Genie rubbed her temples. Despite her perfect red lips and smooth blonde ponytail, she looked tired. I should’ve noticed.
“I took another booking from him.”
I blinked. “You what?”
“I know.” She held up her hands. “Before you start. It was a corporate thing. Huge money. Enough to cover rent for months.”
“And?”
Genie laughed without humour. “And it was worse than the first time.”
Jessie nodded grimly. “Way worse.”
I switched my gaze to her, and a cold knot formed in my stomach. “You went back?”
Jessie ducked her head. “I wanted to be brave and try again. I realised that for all he’d said about me, I could’ve told him no, and that he would’ve had to listen, right?”
He absolutely wouldn’t. “What happened?”
Genie leaned back in her chair and exhaled slowly. “The usual, at the start. Drinks, rich men thinking they’re charming. Then they got… animated.”
“Define animated,” I said.
