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“Shit!” I exclaimed. “I gotta go.”
“Go then, bestie.” Ally gestured to the hallway. “Fly. Enchant us all.”
“Will you stick around and watch?” I asked. I really needed her support.
“Not tonight.”
Not with Zack here, she meant, and I wouldn’t push her. A true friend wanted what was best for the other. I put her needs above my own, just like she usually did.
“Okay.” I let her off the hook. “I’ll see you later at home.”
“Are you up for IT Crowd tonight?” she asked.
“And popcorn.” I forced my lips into an enthusiastic smile.
“Absolutely.” She nodded, probably forcing enthusiasm of her own. “It’ll be good to get back to our routine. No more sulking in your room after work. Mr. Smooches and I will be waiting for you.”
Champion
“YOU DON’T MIND me showing up without advance warning?” I asked, following Mercedes into her office at Fantasy.
“You called on your way over,” she said.
Closing the frosted-glass door that had her name etched on it, she moved around her desk. It was white. Flowers were cut out of the wood, and each side contained three shelves full of books. I didn’t even know Mercedes liked to read.
“I’m actually glad you’re here.” Lowering herself into a white leather chair, she hit a few keys to shut off a live video feed on a dressing room. Her perfectly manicured hands fluttered in front of her.
“You don’t look glad.” I took a seat in the undersized chair on the other side of her desk. The spindly legs stenciled with flowers groaned beneath me.
“Well, this is the first time you’ve come to Fantasy. I’m surprised, I guess.”
Her actions were at odds with her words. She might not be pissed, but she was nervous as hell.
In all the time I’d known Mercedes, I only had seen her lose her poise twice. The first time was at a party Simon hosted in his loft downtown. That was when we met, and we started hooking up shortly afterward. The second was when Simon found out about us. He had called her, and I had been with her at the time.
“How was Saint Croix?” she asked, studying me closely.
“It was good. Better than good. At the beginning, at least. I met someone, but then I lost her.”
I refocused on Mercedes, failing not to compare her to Electra. The owner of Fantasy was beautiful with her auburn hair and curves. She was passionate in bed, but outside it, not so much, unlike Electra.
“I wanted to talk about that. Explain.” Feeling guilty, I rubbed the back of my neck.
This thing between Mercedes and me was no strings. We’d never agreed to be exclusive, had never really talked about that or anything else of significance, but I hadn’t been with anyone else until Electra.
“Can I go first?” She spoke before I could find the right words to end us.
“Absolutely.” Relieved, I gestured for her to proceed.
“Thank you.” She met and held my gaze, something working behind her eyes that I couldn’t read. “What do you think of Fantasy?”
“It’s very glamorous.”
Red velvet booths, dark ebony wood, crystal to refract what little light there was. I didn’t mind sharing my impression, but I wondered why she asked.
“You seem surprised.”
“It’s not like your house.”
