LISA
..
"Just get me the numbers. I'm not having this conversation again."
I hang up on Simmons. I know he's hesitant, and that my father wouldn't approve of my choice. But he's not here, which makes this decision mine. I've spent the morning putting out fire after fire. That little spitfire, still fast asleep in my bed, is causing more of a headache than pleasure for me.
It's been years. Dammit, possibly forever since I allowed someone the ability to make me lose my composure the way I did last night. I told myself no. I warned myself if I touched her the way she wanted, there would be consequences. But that mouth. She had no boundaries when it came to disobeying me. And that made me snap.
I only meant to scare her. Bring her to the brink and walk away. My plan was to cause her such distress, she would retract all the things her little mouth was spewing. Using those brash words, just last week she found offense in. I wonder what changed in her. What made her want what I was forcefully pushing on her.
Last week, after Fredrick threw her out, the days that followed were unbearable. No one bypassed my wrath. Staff was fired at the drop of a hat, members were pulled, and still, I felt the need to destroy. I went in search of a warm body—someone willing to submit to me and take the built-up aggression I was drowning in. But I couldn't bring myself to enjoy them. I ended up getting my rocks off by my hand with the mental visual of one little mouthy girl.
I knew the moment she walked into Exquisite last night. The phone tracker notified me. She was still carrying it around. When she arrived, and not alone, I saw red. How dare she enter my club with someone else. A boy, no less. I watched through my mirror as she dragged him onto the dance floor. I saw right through her intentions with him. The way her body didn't react to him the way I've witnessed. There was nothing there. Just deceiving intentions. Little did she know, I don't fall for child's play.
I asked Fredrick to finish the rest of the member tours and went downstairs to drag her and her boy toy out of my club. Not to mention the little brats trying to get drinks at the bar. But again, her mouth infuriated me. She thought she was going to make me jealous. Toss her little boy toy at me, as if I thought for a second she would let him touch her. She wouldn't. That was a given. Because I knew what she really wanted.
I wasn't going to give it to her.
But I did.
And as I stare at her still sleeping, naked and barely covered by the sheet in my bed, I debate over waking her with my cock in her mouth and my hand across her ass. Maybe tie her to my bed and fuck her in places my darkest desires ache to be.
I fucked her hard. And I can't stop thinking about doing it again. And again. Her perfect little cunt submitted to me in the sweetest way. I knew having her in my mouth was going to test my patience, but when I snapped and shoved my dick so deep inside her, it felt like heaven. Her moans of pain and pleasure sifted through my eardrums like music. She was so tight. So wet. So willing.
She was a big fucking headache.
I swipe my palms down my face, trying to pull my eyes away from her perfect tits, exposed and taunting me. I should put my dick between them and fuck her until I blow on her chest. Come in her mouth and make her lick me clean. Jesus. I turn away from her. But not before noticing the faint bruises just above her hip bone. Pleasure mixed with guilt fill me. She is little. Delicate. I shouldn't have been so rough with her.
But she loved every fucking second of it.
Fredrick watched me drag her off the dance floor. His tone this morning while giving me the breakdown of what I missed last night was more than telling. He disapproves of what I'm doing. He's stated on more than one occasion he feels Ruby is nothing but trouble. And I completely agree with him. She shouldn't be in this club. She can ruin everything my father built. Everything I've worked to maintain since the day I took over. But for the first time since I took the reins of Exquisite, I'm feeling a sense of clarity. And it's all because of her. She makes me remember the person I was before I landed here. Before I became the woman I am now.
She allows me to remember what freedom tastes like. Because that's how I feel when I'm with her. And maybe that's what makes Fredrick so on edge. He sees it in me too.
He knows damn well what my meetings with Simmons are about. He's been smart to keep his mouth shut and his opinions to himself. But with each meeting, I can sense his urge to confront me. And after last night, he sees I'm slipping in my sternness to run this club—something my father would never allow to happen if he were still alive.
But it's a good thing no one tells me how to run things. I'm the one who makes the rules, not Fredrick. And I don't give a rat's ass if my father would approve or not. He's buried so deep, his opinion on the matter is just that: dead and void.
I'm still staring down at Ruby when the realization fully hits me. It's her who's going to give me the push I need to finally walk away. She's the breath of fresh air I needed to finally think clearly. My savior. I see such life in her. So much of my old self that I know I can be that person once again. I see myself being that person with her. Holding a camera once again, capturing life's beauty as I once embraced it. Having her flawless skin fill my screen. Whisking her away to all the beautiful places in the world, which wouldn't hold a candle next to her. Never return to this town. The place that has destroyed my youth.
Hard realization hits me. She's still in her youth. She has her whole life ahead of her. Why would she leave everything for a woman like me?
She's just going to have to be convinced.
I toss my phone on the chair and pick up the file Fredrick dropped off this morning. Ruby starts to stir, and her hands wipe away some drool from her chin. She flips, now laying on her stomach, her cute little ass cheeks on display.
I smile, and the reaction feels foreign. I fucking smile at the way this girl just sprawls out in my bed, as if she just got the best night's sleep. Then again, this is the second time she's slept like a baby in my bed. My smile fades, thinking about what kind of beds she's forced to sleep on in those dorms.
Her little groans let me know she's starting to wake up. She begins to stretch, pulling one leg to her chest, exposing that sweet pussy of hers.
She lifts her head, her hair a complete mess. "Shit, what time is it?" She's looking for a clock, which I don't have. I stand there and wait for her to remember she's naked and gets shy with me. My smile is back on my face at the confusion growing on hers. Then it happens. She squirms to grab the sheet, covering herself. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to pass out. I'm getting up." She sits up, clenching the sheet for dear life, looking for her clothes.
"Good. Be dressed and ready to go in five minutes." I walk away just as a pillow hits my back.
"Seriously, are you ever not a prick?" I turn to her and offer my deviant smile.
"No." I wink at her, then head toward the kitchen for coffee.
..
It doesn't take long before she's dressed, and the stomping of her feet echoes across my tile floor. "Thanks for the ride last night, asshole." She walks past me, then stops. "Oh yeah…and here's your stalker phone." Pulling it out of her purse, she sets the device on the counter. She goes to leave when I stop her.
"Where are you going exactly?"
She twists to face me, her eyes throwing daggers. "Uh, I'm leaving, as you so rudely requested."
I toss the file I'm holding on the long counter, forcing her to catch it before it falls to the ground. "I told you to get ready. I didn't tell you to leave."
"You said be ready. Pretty much same thing."
"Correct, because I want to show you something. I'd hate for you to walk through the club naked…unless that's what you prefer now that you've earned your naughty stripes." I can't hide my smile. Her blushing cheeks please me like no other. She doesn't know what to say, which makes me even happier. About time I found a way to shut her up.
She loses our little stare down battle and brings her eyes to the folder. "What is this?" She opens the file and scans the documents inside.
"It's the numbers from last night. Total capacity, bar totals, private room fees. Profit and loss. I want you to look at it."
Her head snaps up. "Why?"
"Your major is business, isn't it?"
She returns with a peculiar look. "Yeah, but I know nothing about running a business."
"You know enough to point out the club is over capacity. The bar is losing money. The private rooms are lacking toys." I throw the last one in to mess with her, and her eyes go wide.
"I know nothing about—"
"I'm kidding. Now, if you're ready, walk the floor with me." I place my coffee mug on the counter and escort her to the main floor. I start reading off the information I know from what I scanned earlier.
"You're right in your observations. The bar is losing money. Since the increase in membership over the last two years, the place is overbooked. We're packed every night. That's even after allowing the headcount to go over capacity by three percent."
I walk Ruby through the closed bar area. The bar is so different in daylight. If I didn't know what really took place at night, I would easily mistake this club for a normal establishment. But after all these years, the things I've seen…endured…the person it's turned me into, I won't change my decision, and I need someone from the outside I can trust. Fredrick has shown his true colors as of late. I need someone who will give it to me straight. Besides Simmons, there are very few people I trust to handle this. And strangely enough, Ruby is one of them. I want out, and she's gonna help me do it.
"So, I'm still confused. What exactly is it I'm looking for?"
We walk across the empty dance floor to the other side of the club, and I lead her into the conference room off to the side. I had Fredrick retrieve all documents showing the figures from the past six months—another issue he pushed back on. "I want you to tell me where the profit and loss is within the club. What the total worth of this club is to a buyer."
Her eyebrows go up, offering me another curious look, but doesn't respond. Once she sees all the paperwork laid out neatly in stacks, she nods and gets down to business. I sit on my phone and return messages while I watch her work. When I had Fredrick find anything and everything about her, I learned about her scholarship in business. The program only handed those out to five of their top elite applicants—and she came in second on that list. Her test scores were close to perfect. Her high school GPA was a 4.0 with honors. She was top of her class in math, ranking seventh in the entire district of her state. She could have gone anywhere and been accepted.
I gave her the tools she needed. She sat on Excel for the first hour, punching in numbers and highlighting specifics: room fees, bar tabs, liquor orders. Curiosity had me at a standstill, wondering what she possibly could find that my men, even Simmons, couldn't. Another hour went by and she still hadn't lifted her eyes away from the computer. Once we hit the third hour, I begin to get restless. The last hour is spent staring at her lips while she mumbles numbers. I can't stop imagining my cock in her mouth, working me…those small whimpers that leave her lips as she sucks me off.
"It's getting hard to work with you staring at me. And kinda starting to creep me out, to be honest."
I snap out of it, realizing she's looking at me. "Yes, well…how much more time do you need? It's past lunchtime and I'm starving." I want to say for her sweet cunt, but the fact guilts me. I have yet to offer her food and it's nearing one in the afternoon.
"Right. I'll just get out of your hair then. It shows that—"
"Ruby, I'm planning on taking you to lunch." I shake my head at her. I guess I haven't done a thing to lead her to believe I want her in my presence. The way she satisfied me last night, I'm not sure I'll ever let her out of my sight.
"Oh. Got it. Right. Lunch. I'm actually really hungry. Starving…" she trails off. Back is the uncomfortable shy girl I first met.
I suggest we table her findings until later and head to a highly sought Asian restaurant in the heart of downtown. I need to get her in a public setting and shut down the urges telling me to make her ride me right here in the conference room, then take her back upstairs and fuck her in every single crevice of my loft. My mind takes me to a dark place at all the things I want to do to her. All the things I want to teach her, train her, discipline her.
"I'm not the lunch, am I?"
She's dressed in a fitted white tank top, accentuating her perfect tits, and an even tighter pair of yoga pants. I sent Fredrick out before she woke to grab her some clothes since I trashed hers. She looks absolutely edible. The things my mind already has me doing to her. I'm not sure a simple lunch will ever cure the appetite I have for her. The way she stirs the beast inside me is alarming. I'm a sexual man, with very strong restraints, but with her, my mind struggles to set limits.
I snap out of my dark haze. "Excuse me?"
"You've gone quiet. And the way you're looking at me makes me think I'm the lunch."
Feasting on her would most definitely fill me, but she wouldn't be my lunch.
She'd be my dessert.
..
..
RUBY
..
Lisa takes us to A high-end sushi restaurant in the busy part of the city. Sitting at a secluded table in the back, the staff, who seem well acquainted with her, keep putting plate after plate of weird stuff in front of us. Some of it looks like it's ready to get up and crawl away. "So, any chance you're going to tell me why you have me doing work that someone more qualified should be doing?" I ask, picking up my chopsticks and attempting the safest looking roll on the table.
"There's nothing to tell. I want your opinion. Therefore, I'm asking for it." An unattractive snort leaves my lips, and I quickly throw my hands over my mouth. "And what's so humorous about that, Ms. Jane?" she asks, lifting her ceramic cup of sake to her lips and taking a sip.
"My help?" I laugh. "I'm a college student. First year, at that. I highly doubt my opinion's going to help whatever it is you're hoping for." Lifting my own cup, I take a large sip and instantly choke, almost sputtering it back on the table. Bad move on my part. "What in God's name…" I cough some more and grab for my water to wash down the nasty taste.
"It's sake. And you don't get offered a full scholarship to one of the top business colleges if you don't know what you're doing. You have almost all perfect test scores. Second chosen out of five in the program, not to mention seventh pick in all the district. Do you still think you're not qualified to evaluate my business, or should I go on? Maybe discuss your science fair trophies—"
"Okay! I get it. Geez. What'd you do, hack my high school records?" The last thing I want to do is talk about how big of a dork I am. Damn love for science. "For real, how do you know all that?"
"I don't involve myself with anyone without doing my research."
Wow, good to know since I know absolutely nothing about her. Does knowing how amazing she is in bed count? How she smells like sandalwood and masculinity. How she makes my heart race anytime she's near me? That my skin tingles at her touch or the butterflies who've taken permanent residency in my belly any time those eyes capture mine. My body seems to know her very well. But outside of the physical, I know zilch!
You know she's not a serial killer.
That's still just guessing! Serial killers could be great in bed too. So back to not know anything about her—I desperately feel the need to fix that.
"Well, I feel like I know nothing about you," I start, trying not to sound first date cliché and all. Since this is not a date.
"What is it you think you want to know, Ms. Jane?"
I don't know. Hobbies, favorite food, why she owns a sex club? I normally make it a thing to know more about the people I'm sexually involved with—oh wait, that's like one other person. Either way, I would prefer to know more than a few simple details.
"What did you go to school for?" Really, Ruby? Way to do a crappy job at fishing for the answer to the real question of—
"You mean, how did I become the owner of a sex club? I believe that's what you really want to know."
Damn, she's good.
"No. I wasn't—"
"Exquisite was my father's legacy. His creation. It landed on me by inheritance."
Hmm, interesting. Not every day you hear the family business is a sex club. I nod with interest. "And where is your dad?"
"Dead."
"Lisa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—" I take a long sip of water to avoid the sudden awkwardness. I should have stuck to her favorite season or music preference. She remains stoic, indifferent. But there's no denying the way the grip on her wine glass tightens.
"Don't be. It was a long time ago, and he got what was coming to him. Why did you come to Chicago? You could have gone anywhere."
Dammit with the topic change. I take another hefty sip. "Well, it wasn't my first choice. I got accepted to Columbia in New York. They also offered me a pretty sweet scholarship. A better one than UIC. But Jisoo, my best friend, didn't get accepted. So, we came to Chicago. Which is fine too. Chicago is a great place for arts and science too. I mean, nothing like New York, but I was okay with it."
"Tell me more about the art."
"It's mainly photography. I love it. The dreamer in me wants to become a professional photographer. Be able to spend each day capturing people's most intimate moments, the beauty of the rising sun, the blossoming of life, architecture…but that's a passion. Realistically, I want to open my own business. So, learn the ropes first, decide what to open after." I stop talking, realizing I've gone off into a childish tangent about my silly dreams. For someone who is successful in probably everything she touches, I'm sure I've put her half to sleep.
My eyes fall to my glass of water as I take a sip but realize it's empty. I go in search of the waitress in major need of a distraction. Whenever Lisa looks at me, it's like she's looking at me. Not in a simple connection sort of way. More intense. As if she's trying to get below my skin. Read me from the inside out.
Unable to stall any longer, I bring my eyes back to hers. And the second I do, I know I've made a mistake. Those amber flames burn into me, making it impossible not to get lost in her tantalizing gaze. I wait for her to reply, follow up with anything to my babbling, but she doesn't. And her stare continues to do something to me down below.
She's clearly a professional at the stare off game, because the room becomes a billion degrees hotter and my clothes suddenly feel too heavy over my now flushed skin. A second longer and I'm going to rip my shirt off and beg her to use those lips of hers to cool me down. I call it quits and pull my eyes away from hers. I hear a soft chuckle from across the table, but I don't dare make eye contact. I scan the room, searching for anything that won't trigger my hormones at the way her lips were pressing against the antique cup or the way her throat was contracting as she swallowed the sake. I shove what I believe to be a California roll into my mouth for distraction. Chewing down the gigantic bite, I can't help but think about how damn sexy she looks in her casual pair of jeans and a crisp white Henley. To think I even tried to convince myself she was nothing to call home about. A muffled laugh travels up my throat and echoes throughout the restaurant. I quickly cover my mouth, not meaning to laugh out loud.
"Now I feel like I'm missing out. What's so funny?"
"Um, nothing. Was thinking about…uh, school and—"
"The truth, Ruby."
Dammit.
My mouth opens and closes, and I lift my eyes to hers as my belly immediately tightens. "I was admiring your beauty." There, I said it. And…what in the hell did I just say?
Lisa lets out a soft chuckle. My face heats to a deep shade of red. She refills her sake cup and empties it in one swallow. Setting it down, she picks up her napkin and taps at her wet lips. Jesus, I want to be that napkin, pressed against those lips, feeling them on my skin. My sake cup is up, and I take an unladylike chug. Again, I choke. Man, didn't I learn the first time?
"I believe you're the beauty here."
And… I choke again. It's not every day that a sex god compliments me and calls me a beauty. So, excuse me while I suffocate on the meaning of her words. Not to mention the disgusting drink.
"Are you all right?" She reaches over, handing me her napkin.
I cough again, clearing my airways. "Yeah, fine. Sorry, your joke…good one." I cough one more time. "And you don't have to do that. There's no reason to wine and dine me. Literally. I signed the contract. Unless you want to void it, there's no need to fabricate things just to—"
"Don't discredit me," she cuts me off.
"I'm not. I'm just saying, I think calling me beautiful is a little much, don't you think?"
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it."
I stare at her.
She stares back.
I bust out laughing. "Oh, please! You don't think I'm gonna fall for this, do you? Capturing me with those sexy eyes, luring me into believing I'm some beauty and giving me some bullshit courage so I fall at your feet…trust me, it won't work. I know what I look—"
Lisa abruptly stands and tosses her napkin on the table. My mouth hangs open, startled at her sudden move.
"Get up. Let's go."
Shit.
"Why? I didn't mean to—"
"Now." She steps away from the table and stands next to me, towering over me, until I remove the napkin from my lap and rise from my chair. Lisa throws a wad of money onto the table and grabs my hand, escorting us out of the quaint restaurant.
Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut. Let her do her thing and feed me lies. Allow me to believe I'm beautiful. Now, not only have I made her mad, but I'm sure I just succeeded in getting our contract voided.
We step outside, and I turn toward where her car is valeted, but she pulls me in the opposite direction. I open my mouth to ask where we're going, but in a few short steps, she's opening the door to a fancy shop next door.
The bell above the door dings as we enter what seems to be an elegant dress boutique. "Lisa, what are we doing here?" I ask, looking around. She doesn't answer me. She's yet to release me. Looking at the array of lavish gowns, Lisa tugs me toward the back, forcing me to step onto a raised platform, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling mirrors. "What are we—"
"Look at yourself. What do you see?"
"What?" I scan my image in the mirror, then my eyes catch hers. "I don't under—"
"It's simple. Tell me what you see."
I return to my own reflection. I don't know why she's doing this. Maybe it's her way of reminding me who I am. Who she is. I'm nothing compared to what she can have.
"I see a boring girl with nothing to offer. Is that what you want me to say?"
She rolls her hips, presses the front of her chest into my back sending shivers down my spine. "No, I want you to stop being childish and tell me what you really see."
"I am telling you," I say, my voice laced with annoyance. What does she want me to say? "What? You want me to say I'm plain? I have nothing you could possibly want or find attractive? God, I'm probably just a huge joke to you—whoa!"
Lisa's hands wrap around my hips, her rough grip searing into my skin. With force, she jerks my butt into her. She's hard. My cheeks light with color as the feel of her dick presses between my butt cheeks. The slow buzz begins to spark at the heat building inside my belly. I can't help the way my body comes alive whenever she touches me. It makes me feel wanted. The way her hands envelop around me make me feel I'm all hers. Slowly, her head dips, and her warm breath hits the base of my neckline. "I don't think you understand what I'm asking, so I'm going to point it out for you." One hand releases and she drags her open palm up my back. My breath catches, unsure what's happening. Her large hand reaches my shoulder and brushes my hair away. Her fingers latch around my thin shirt and pull the material away, exposing my bare skin.
"See this part of you? Your skin is smooth and pale, like porcelain. Perfect canvas for any man to mark you. Or a woman like myself." Her lips find my skin. Her mouth is gentle as she sucks on my flesh. She then pulls away, leaving a red mark in place of her mouth.
Her hand is on the move again, fingers trailing up my neck and brushing along my lower lip. "These lips…if I were a better woman, I would only confess that your smile gets my dick hard. But I can't deny what these lips can do. The image of them wrapped around my cock…it's fucking beautiful." She presses down on my lip, causing them to part. Her hand moves up the side of my cheek until her fingers thread through my hair. She gets a good grip on my hair and tugs, forcing my head to pull back. Bringing her lips to my ear, she continues. "There is nothing plain about the way your silky hair feels wrapped around my fingers. The thought of what it does to me to take control of you, ride you, fuck you…it makes me want to bend you over and fuck you right here, in front of this mirror, just so you can really see."
Her mouth wraps around the bottom of my ear and nips at my lobe. She sucks a bit harder than she did to my shoulder while her fingers are still locked to my roots. She pulls back a bit more, extending my neck. My head falls on her shoulder, and I close my eyes, lost in the way she's making me feel. The visual she's created causing my skin to flush.
She pushes herself into me again. If possible, she feels even larger against me. I'm trapped under her hold. Her spell. Her words that make me feel more powerful than I ever thought possible. "Do you finally see? Just how beautiful you are?"
My body is on fire, needing her to show me with her hands. I shake my head. I'm not beautiful. I'm nothing. "Why are you doing this?" I ask bluntly. It's the question everyone's dying to know—especially me. "We both know I'm not your type. I have no experience. Shit, I'm not even worth the trouble."
Lisa removes her left hand from my hip and brings it to my front. She cups my sex just long enough for me to squirm under her touch.
"You are very correct, Ms. Jane." Her hand travels up, past my navel, over my ribcage, until her large hand cups my right breast. "You're nothing like what I normally indulge in, nor have I any idea what's gotten into me to think this is a good idea." My stomach drops at her confession. This isn't starting off as good for my ego. "I should've sent you on your way the first night you stumbled into my club." Don't cry. Don't cry, I beg myself, hoping I can save the shame of my tears for when I'm alone. "But you've captured my attention. Even more so, my appetite for curiosity. And you've made me extremely ravenous."
I stop fighting back the tears of rejection at her last statement. "Wait—"
"I'm trying to tell you that you're a bad idea, Ruby. But I can't seem to convince myself you're also not a great one."
My head lifts, catching the fiery blaze in her eyes. "So, you don't want to rip up our contract and go on your way?"
A sardonic laugh echoes throughout the store. "I'm far from being done with you." She spins me around, our chests colliding. Her lips dip to press against mine as the bell to the boutique rings and an array of voices fill the room, but I don't care that we're in public. That the customers who just walked in will witness us boldly kiss. I don't care that—
"Oh my God, Ruby?"
I freeze in Lisa's arms.
There's no hiding the rigidness in my body from Lisa at the sound of Rosé's voice.
"Ruby Jane, is that you?"
I inhale a deep breath and pull away from Lisa. I ignore her questioning stare, but don't miss the flash of confusion, and perhaps anger, in her eyes. "Wow, fancy meeting you here," I say, trying to figure out how I'm going to talk my way out of this one.
"Sure is, considering this is definitely not your kind of place." Rosé laughs, along with her entourage. I recognize Sana and Mina, but the other two are unfamiliar to me. "Speaking of place, what happened to you last night? You were supposed to introduce me to—"
"Why wouldn't this be a place for her?" Lisa steps forward, placing her hand on my lower back.
Fuck.
I wish she would stay out of this. Maybe leave and let me handle the mean squad.
Rosé's eyes light up, fully acknowledging the person next to me. "Oh my, and who are you? I didn't realize Ruby knew such…such…yumminess."
Oh, give me a break.
My eyes can't roll farther into the back of my head. I take a step away from Lisa, not wanting Rosé to get wind of who Lisa is. "No one who concerns you," I reply. Too bad she ignores me.
"Well, never say never." She walks right up to Lisa, practically pushing me out of the way, and sticks out her hand for Lisa to take it. "Hello there, pretty," she purrs. Lisa doesn't move a muscle to grab for her hand. "My name's Rosé. You must be Ruby's new friend. The one we've all been dying to meet. She's been keeping you all to herself. But you know what they say about destiny and us meeting like this." She eliminates even more space between them, her voice lowering to just above a whisper. "I assume Ruby's already mentioned me, and my interest?"
Her hand goes up to touch Lisa's chest, and my natural instinct to karate kick it away is in full effect, but Lisa beats me to it and snatches her wrist before she makes contact. "I asked you a question." Lisa squeezes tighter, but it does the opposite of scaring her off. It eggs her on.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She giggles, and Lisa drops Rosé's hand as if it's on fire. "Well, we are in a dress shop, aren't we? Pricy one at that. And come on" —she turns to me—"we all know this is out of Ruby's realm. Honey, you're too…how shall I say, scrawny."
Her entourage bursts out laughing, and my cheeks flare crimson with embarrassment at the insult right in front of Lisa. My mind starts racing with a million scenarios at once. Murder in a dress shop. Clawing her eyes out. Letting her win and ball my eyes out for once again allowing her to make me feel so inadequate.
Before I have a chance to do anything, Lisa encroaches in Rosé's space. Even with her heels on, Lisa hovers over her. "What a vile mouth you have on you, little one." Lisa leans over her, and latches her hand around a loose curl, putting Rosé's hair between her fingers. "One thing is correct. This place doesn't fit her."
Rosé's smile is a kick to my stomach. I pull away from Lisa, knowing this is my cue to leave before I break down and cry, but her hand grabbing mine stops me. Lisa drops the curl in disgust and reaches for something inside the pocket of her coat jacket.
"Excuse me, can I help all of you?" An older woman approaches, clearly an employee of the store.
"Yes, you can." Lisa pulls out a business card and hands it to the seamstress. "I don't see anything in this store worthy enough for my girlfriend. I must say, I thought this was a high-end boutique. I want you to reach out to your in-house seamstress and have her call my private line. Have her come to my office and exclusively measure and fit her with the finest fabrics. Stop at no expense. She deserves the best."
Everyone's mouth practically drops to the floor, including my own. The employee slowly reaches out and takes the card from Lisa's tight grip and she nods, bringing her searing eyes back to Rosé. With a calm intensity that brings a chill to the room, she speaks. "Again, thank you for pointing that out. Ms. Jane is far too rare to be caught in anything this store carries." She turns to me. "Are you done here? We don't want to be late for the appointment at the jewelers." She locks her arm around my waist and presses me to her side. While all the girls stare in disbelief, she takes it a step further and presses a gentle kiss to the base of my neck. Showing a sign of ownership. She's telling them that I'm hers. My tongue is locked in my throat, so I don't say another word as Lisa leads us out of the boutique. Stepping onto the sidewalk, she drops her hold around my waist and guns it for her car.
"I can explain," I blurt out, trying to keep up with her fast pace. Rosé couldn't make it any more obvious she knew who Lisa was. She practically threw herself at Lisa.
"You don't need to explain anything. I clearly understood the situation." She doesn't bother to stop and face me while responding. I'm unsure why she's so mad. Was it because others know about the club? Are we really in a hurry for a jeweler's appointment?
"I kinda do, though. And are we really going to a jewelry appointment? I don't need anything. Seriously, you don't need to buy me—"
She halts, and whips around, causing me to slam into her chest. "I wasn't planning on it." My face falls, and while I quickly try to school my features, I know I do a terrible job at hiding my reaction to her hurtful reply. She sighs loudly and runs her fingers through her hair. "That's not what I meant. If I thought that's what you truly wanted, I'd buy you the goddamn store. But you don't need any of that fancy shit. It doesn't suit you. Your beauty outweighs all that material bullshit." Neither of us says a word. She closes her eyes briefly and reopens, taking in a deep breath. "Are those the twits who have been sending you those nasty messages?"
"Huh?"
"That girl. Rosé. It's her. The one who holds your friendship hostage?"
She stares down at me. She's angry. Her eyes light with that fury I've come to recognize. I just can't figure out why she's the one so upset. "Yeah…but it's fine. I have her handled."
She sarcastically laughs. "Looks like it."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" I tug at my wrist she has yet to let go of.
"It means, if you gave those spoiled little brats half the pushback you give me, you wouldn't be dealing with them. I just thought you were better than that. I would never have thought someone as strong-minded as you could be pushed around by a less than average twit."
This time, I jerk hard enough, and she releases me. Her words sting worse than anything Rosé has thrown at me. I am strong. She has no right to label me. "You have no idea who I am."
"I beg to differ."
"What? Because you've had sex with me?" I spit out.
"Sex can tell a lot about a person."
"Well, it tells nothing about me. You know nothing about me." I move out of her way and walk past her, but she reaches out, clasping her fingers around my bicep. "Let me go." I whip around, offering her the same angry glare she's giving me.
"I know way more about you than you think. Is your anger at me or the truth I speak? Would you have continued to allow those girls to cut you down if I didn't step in?"
"I didn't need you to save me."
"I know. You don't need anyone to save you."
I open my mouth to tell her she's right, but her ringtone breaks the moment. She lets me go and reaches for her phone in her jeans pocket. Her eyes darken even more, and she answers.
"What is it? When? Put him in the conference room. I'll be right there." Ending the call, she pulls her eyes away from me. "This chat needs to be tabled for now. I'll take you home."
And just like that, she shuts down. Gone is the attentive woman who whispered such powerful words in the dress shop to make me feel whole inside. Gone is the angry woman who wants me to admit my fears. Disappointment is far from the way to describe how I feel.
She drops me off without another word, leaving me so confused and hurt. I'm accustomed to being by myself, but suddenly, lying in my quiet dorm room, I've never felt so alone. Everything in my life is spiraling. My friendship with Jisoo. School. The predicament I've found myself in with Lisa.
I would do anything for Jisoo and our friendship, but sitting in my bed, my doubts weigh heavy on me. If I sat here and put some real thought to it, has it really ever been a two-way street for us? Or has it always been Jisoo asking and me always saying yes. Has our friendship ever been real to begin with?
I swipe at the fallen tear, realizing my answer. It's always been about her. Our wingman status was never about us sticking together, thick and thin. It's been about me tagging along to parties I was never truly invited to while she ditched me the second we walked in for her current crush. Helping her get out of trouble with our parents when she drank too much, taking the blame because we knew my punishment would be way less than hers. The homework. The essays I wrote. I can go on. All the giving I did and taking she took. But what did she give in return?
A small sob escapes my lips. She gave me the only friend I've ever truly had. And maybe deep down I knew what she was doing the whole time. And I accepted it because I needed her in my own way. She may not have returned the favors, but she stayed my friend. She gave me that someone who listened when I needed to vent about our family struggles. My parents always fighting. The fears they would split. I'd never go to college. Would I ever truly kiss a boy?
I laugh at that knowing the answer now.
But that brings me to the most confusing part of all. Lisa. What am I doing with her? Why am I sticking around? Because she makes you feel. But is the risk worth the reward? She will hurt me in the end. If she hasn't already. This won't end like those fairy tale endings do. We won't ride off into the sunset together while she confesses her deep and ever dying love for me. I'll be just another toy as she claims I am to her. Then, walk away Ruby. See, that's the thing. I can't. I'm the foolish girl in this story who loses in the end.
I go to bed, snuggled under my covers, alone and even more confused. I feel like I have so many decisions to make. Do I fight for my friendship with Jisoo? Do I stand up to Rosé and tell her I'm not going to be her little punching bag anymore? Do I stand up to Lisa and show her I'm not some little girl, who doesn't know what she wants. And that I may just want her?
..
..
..