Page 121 of Hot Summer Nights

I stretch and roll out of bed and get ready for the day. I pick up my phone from the charger on my way to the bathroom and see that I have a missed text from Oliver. I smile as I click on it and read his words.

Oliver:Morning, Love. I had to head into work early and I didn’t want to wake you. I arranged for you to have a relaxing day down at the spa. Head down when you wake and they will have everything set up. See you tonight, Oliver. XOXO

I send back a thankyou and my own hugs and kisses before I head into the shower. I’ve never been to a spa before and I’m not sure what to expect. I dress in some jeans and a t-shirt with my flip flops and grab a banana as I make my way out the door. I hit the button for the floor with the spa on it and the elevator starts to descend.

As soon as the doors open, I feel calmer. The spa is down in serene colors like pale blue and cream and there is some soft music floating from some hidden speakers. As soon as I step off the elevator the girl behind the desk smiles at me and asks for my name. As soon as I say Harper she straightens even more and I can tell she knows about my relationship with Oliver. I blush slightly as she calls for my masseuse to let her know that I have arrived for my appointment.

My masseuse, a friendly older woman, comes and leads me back to a room a couple of moments later. I spend the next hour and a half getting the best massage of my life and then I’m led to the salon where my hair is trimmed and my fingernails and toes are painted. By the time I leave, I feel like a million bucks. I’ll have to think of a way to thank Oliver for setting all of this up.

I make my way back to the elevator and as I walk back down the hallway I bump into Lila. I haven’t seen her since my interview and I feel bad that I never got back in touch with her. We were never super close but she was still the only person that I would really consider a friend.

“Hey, Lila. How have you been?”

She givesme a surprised look and I start to get an uneasy feeling.

“Wow, must be nice.” She says.

“What must be nice?”

“Getting to have everything you wanted, spending the day in the spa, and having the run of this place. I never thought you would be one of those girls who spreads their legs to get what they want.”

I’m shocked by her words but as they start to sink in I wonder if that’s what I have been doing. I slept with my boss after knowing him for twenty-four hours and I moved in with him just as quick. Is that what people think? It must be. It’s what I would think if I were in their place. But that’s not how it’s really like. We have a relationship.Then why hasn’t he told you that he loves you,that annoying voice in my head asks? All of this rushes through my head but Lila isn’t done.

“You’re not the first girl he’s done this with. It’s more convenient for him to keep a girl. Probably cheaper too. Plus, then they all know the score. It’s just sex and he doesn’t have to worry about any silly girl getting hopes in her head about marriage and babies.”

I don’t have a response for that and I realize that I had been thinking about marriage and babies with him. I can feel the tears starting to burn the back of my eyes and I have to get out of here. I have to go back and pack my things and leave. I can’t stay here anymore. I push past Lila and run to the elevator. I hit the button for the penthouse and try to hold it together as the elevator rises to our floor. His floor, I correct myself.

The elevator doors finally open and I go to step out only to see Oliver standing there. He smiles at me and takes a step towards me and I feel the tears spill onto my cheeks. I watch his face as his smile drops off instantly and a worried look replaces it. He takes a step towards me and I can’t bear to have him touch me. I feel so stupid and betrayed. I love him and he was just using me for sex. I was nothing more than another girl in a line of women he has just used for sex.

I dart down the hallway and into our bedroom. I hear him call my name and run after me but I turn and slam the door closed behind me, locking it and then leaning back against it to try to calm down a little. I hear a thump as he runs into the door and the handle rattles behind me, spurring me to run to the closet and grab my bag. I rip the clothes that I brought with me off the hangers and out of the drawers and shove them all into my bag. I don’t know where I’m going to go but I can’t stay here. I hear Oliver shouting my name and begging for me to tell him what’s wrong and to let him in but I just can’t do it. I just want to get out of here.

As I leave the closet to grab my things out of the bathroom the door shudders and then bangs against the wall. I stand there, shocked, as Oliver stalks through the doorway. He kicked the door in, I realize. He uses my moment of surprise to pounce on me.

He takes the bag out of hand and throws it back into the closet before he lifts me up into his arms and walks us over to the bed. As soon as I realize where he’s taking me, I start to fight. All he wants me for is to warm his bed and I’m not doing it anymore. He pins me to the bed, holding my hands above my head and lays his body on top of mine so that I can’t get away from him.

“Baby! Baby, calm down. Please calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”

For the first time,I notice how scared he looks. Probably worried about having to find a new girl I tell myself as I start to try to push him off me. I remain silent and try to lift my hips to push him off me but he’s too heavy. He reaches one hand down and cups my cheek gently.

“Hey. Tell me what’s wrong. I’ll fix it. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“I know!” I scream into his face. I can’t wait for him to try to explain his way out of this.

“Know what?” He looks genuinely confused.

“I know that this is just about the sex. That you’re just using me for sex and that this is just what you do but I don’t want to be a part of it. Not anymore so go find yourself another “assistant”.” I use finger quotes around the word assistant but I’m not sure how well they come across with both my hands still pressed together over my head.

“It’s not. This isn’t just sex and I’ve never had anyone like you. Baby, where is this coming from? I thought that we were good?”

“Lila told me. She told me all about what everyone is thinking about me and how having girls live with you is more convenient so you can just come up here and fuck them whenever you want to.”

“Lila? Who the hell is Lila? Baby, none of that is true. I’ve never lived with anyone before and anytime that I have had sex I have been in a relationship with that person. I would never just use you for sex. You have to believe me, baby.”

“Why would I believe you? I’ve known Lila for a year. We were in foster homes together and she’s the one who helped me get this job, only I was interviewing to be a cocktail waitress.”

“Why would I have someone that I’m just using for sex meet my parents? Why would I move you into my home? Into my room? That’s not what this is, Love.”

“Then what is this, huh?”

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