Page 51 of Frozen Hearts
Leaning in, he presses the sweetest of kisses to my lips. Our tongues dance, but we keep it light. “Go on inside before you get cold,” he murmurs, kissing my temple before handing me my coat and encouraging me toward the dorm with his hand at the base of my spine.
Wishing him goodnight, I step into the building, waving at him until he drives out of sight. The red rear lights of his car have only just faded into the distance when my phone pings, and curious as to who it could be, I pull my phone out of my handbag.
Logan
Us both getting off in the front seat of my car: 10/10
Hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
Chuckling, I text back.
What is this? What are you doing?
His response is instant.
Letting you know I’m still thinking about it.
I walk home with a goofy grin on my face. Not once do I feel the chill from the November air. I have the remnants of Logan’s touch keeping me warm.
An hour later, I’m curled up in bed when my phone goes off again.
Logan
Jerked off to the thought of you: 6/10
It wasn’t you.
That night, I fall asleep with a smile on my face.
13
GRAYSON
As I step into the club alongside my two best friends, the vibrant stage lights illuminating the dimly lit space and casting a kaleidoscope of colors along the walls, a rush of anticipation washes over me, and I am more than ready to let off some steam.
While I’d rather have hung out at home with my boys, I’m just glad to finally have a night off—even if Logan had to practically drag me away from the computer. Senior year has been grueling so far. The irony is, it’s not the workload that’s getting to me. The tests and assignments are manageable. It’s all the fucking shit I’m dealing with outside of college that eats up every spare second of my day and results in me working until the early hours of the morning more often than not.
No other student has to deal with the crap I do. They aren’t awake at 3 a.m. poring over contracts and agonizing over the hiring and firing of employees. They don’t spend their weekends holed up in an office doing paperwork, or their spare time between classes fielding business calls. All they have to worry about is getting good grades, wearing a rubber when they fuck some chick at a party, and ensuring they don’t piss off Mommy and Daddy.
What I’d give for such superficial problems.
To not feel as though I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.
To not be responsible for the livelihood of hundreds of others.
However, that’s not the hand life dealt me.
If I fuck up, it’s not only my life that will suffer, but those of my employees; of my investors. Of those who believe in me to sustain the family business after everything went to shit.
Admittedly, there aresomethings I wouldn’t change about my life—my friends, the control I have, the influence. And the aspects I wish were different… well, I can’t change them, but I sure as hell can drink my problems away on a Saturday night.
The thumping beat of the music fills my ears, enveloping me in its rhythmic embrace as I cast my eyes around the decadently styled interior. The low lighting creates an intimate ambiance, the soft glow of old-fashioned chandeliers casting a warm, golden hue across the room.
The walls are adorned with rich, velvet drapes in deep crimson, adding an erotic, heady aura. Taking up a significant portion of the floor space is a large, center stage, lavishly decorated with ornate carvings and elaborate gilding, with a spotlight overhead bathing the stage in bright light as performers move rhythmically across the stage in sensual, glamorous costumes complete with feathers, sequins, and tassels.
Heavy velvet curtains frame either side of the stage, ready to be pulled at the end of the performance, providing an opulence that likely appeals to the wealthy Halston clientele.
Peeling my focus away from the stage, I take in the rest of the room. The space is divided into various seating areas—small, plush booths along the walls are draped in gossamer curtains, providing the illusion of privacy. At the same time, round tables are decorated in satin tablecloths, and vintage-inspired velvet chairs are interspersed around the remainder of the room.
