Page 13 of Dark Seduction

Chapter 8

Daniel

It hadn’t been busyat Pluck the Cherry for a few days, and perhaps some of the suits in the building had given up drinking for a few mornings, so they wouldn’t have to give it up forever. Or it could have been because Jay, who was popular with that crowd, hadn’t been in to flirt and promise more than he could deliver.

I knew Ryan could handle everything if he didn’t have Jay distracting him. Jay with the way he dressed, his tight black pants and those outlandish tees with brazen sexualized words printed on them, and because he’d dye his hair in hot pinks and greens, or whatever the color struck his fancy that day. Even the kind of tee shirt Jay wore each day reflected his mood. One night he strutted into my club after a fight with Ryan, wearing,I’m Open for Anything, Do Your Worst.

He was indeed popular that night. Too much so when Ryan called him into his office to request that he change his shirt, a row broke out, and I had to separate the two and stop the ruckus, then remind them of where they were.

When I left them and told them to kiss and make up, I noticed that they had been gone for a long time, the place was getting crowded, and I needed them on the floor. I discovered them in my office with their pants down, with Ryan bending over my desk and Jay surprisingly topping him. That was a sight I’d never forgot, and every time I sat at my desk, I had to clean it and pray they hadn’t had a fight that day.

Since I hadn’t heard from Cole, I grabbed a cab home with the intentions of cooking something for him, since he was late and had to get up early and I didn’t. I knew he would have to take his work home many nights because of the nature of his business, therefore, I didn’t call him or question what he was doing.

I didn’t call my limo service, because after the bad news of the loss of thousands of dollars on one party, and there were questions of how long the other companies in the building would be there whom I depended on for holiday parties, such as Christmas and New Year. At this point it appeared I couldn’t depend on that income either. The only thing I could depend on was people who liked to drink in good times and bad times.

I thought I had gone through the worst of it when it came to my business. Or had I?

Riding home, I had time to think and figure out what I had to do next. I had to either cut back or borrow money, or wait for Sidney to sell our father’s property. I loved that cabin in upstate New York, and I wanted to purchase it and pay him for it, but now I didn’t think I could do that. The whole thing taught me a lesson. One, never let Ryan or Jay handle any business unless I’d signed off on it, and especially not Jay.

I hadn’t been in the door two minutes before I got a call. I had to either ignore it or answer. “What is it now, Sidney? You and Cole’s buddy aren’t getting along?”

“It’s not that. I called because I want you to turn on the news.” I breathed out, and rolled my eyes, then I lumbered over to the small TV in my kitchen.I could watch the nonsense as I prepare a late-night snack,I thought.

“Okay, Sidney, it’s on. There’s nothing I would be interested in, especially now. And since you’re calling, what have you done with the property because I need some cash, because I’m having a cash-flow problem.”

“I knew you would. You kept Ryan on. It’s not Ryan but his partner, Jay. Bad news all around. I knew about him when he was fucking or being fucked by every loose man around—”

“Wait a minute, Sidney. That’s none of your business unless you’ve wanted his ass, but he didn’t want you.”

“Why would you say such a thing. I’ll have you know I’m a great catch.”

“In your dreams, Sidney. You’ve been living with our father, and you’ve pissed away every cent he gave you, now let’s talk about the property and when can I get my half.”

“I’ve got a buyer and we’re going to make a lot of money off the building, and you don’t have to run that club. You could let me take it over and you pay more attention to your lawyer, because right now he’s on the news.”

“I’ve been watching and turning the channels looking for breaking news. So far there isn’t anything... what did you say?”

“He’s on THZ, you know the station that brings you all the Hollywood news.”

“You know I don’t watch that shit, and why would Cole be on something like that?”

“He’s an entertainment lawyer. Hello.”

“He’s a lawyer. It just happens to be in entertainment.”

“Well, turn on the station and you’ll get lots of entertainment. You might find out more about your partner than you care to.” I didn’t know if I was afraid to look, or I didn’t fucking know what I would learn about a man I’d been committed to for better or worse . No, there was nothing to discover about Cole except the two years he’d spent away from me. He was young and honest with me, and I couldn’t say the same about myself.

I never told Cole about the other man in my life who had been more influential than even Cole. Julian Page was my deep dark passion and my deepest secret.

“Describe it to me because I don’t want to see it.”

“Do you mean you don’t want to be confronted with the truth. Well there he is with a drunk Charles St. John slumped over his shoulder—”

“Who’s Charles St. John?”

“See, you need to get out more or watch television, and get out of that club, then maybe you’ll learn something about what the younger people are doing these days, or Cole will teach you a thing or two.” I didn’t need Sidney lecturing me, because I’d been places most men hadn’t, and done things most men never could imagine.

Sidney continued with his blow-by-blow description. I’d asked for it. “There’s Cole in front of St. John’s apartment building and you should see it, and he’s holding Charlie, as his fans call him, over his shoulder, and the camera is panning and there’s a picture of Charlie’s spectacular ass, and you can clearly see Charlie isn’t wearing his Calvins under those jeans. He’s gone commando and how I love a man who does that. Now there are more close ups on that dude’s pert ass. Boy, is he hot—”

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