Chapter 7 - Picking Up the Pieces
Alex watched as the smoke swirled
around the club, pumped from smoke machines and people sucking on their
cigarettes. In the darkened surroundings, combined with the thickened air,
every person seemed a little more distant. Alex wanted to sink into those
shadows, just like these people were, hidden from reality.
He thought about that night over and over again. The words coming out of his
mouth. The expression on her face. The horror in her eyes. But the worst thing
of all was the silence. He knew what she was thinking, even without her saying
it. What are you?
The first night after, he headed for Giselle. They fucked, and then they hunted together. Alex tried to lose himself in the sex and the feeding. The next day, he was on the Concorde, heading back to the U.S. The two nights in New York were more of the same. He couldn’t distinguish between one woman and the next. They were food for his ego, but each bite left him feeling more empty than the last.
Eventually, the time ran out for him. Alex had to get back to California for the opening of Nighthawks. Monica had managed to track him down. Everything was on schedule, just like she had promised. Alex knew she was shivering with excitement at pleasing him. Even without having inducting her into his harem, Alex knew Monica was wrapped around his little finger. But best of all, she is the hardest-ass businesswoman around, and she brought the club in on time and under budget.
When Alex made it back to the coast, he stopped in on his CEO. Feeling the way he was, he considered bringing her over. She was so hot, sitting behind her modern desk, with her legs crossed under her super-short skirt. He could see her hard nipples poking through the sheer white blouse.
”It’s good to see you again,” Monica said as Alex walked into her office. “I’ve got the latest status report for you. We’re fully staffed, we’ve got all our permits, and the invites have been issued for the grand opening.”
He paged through the report idly. “This is great work,” he said without emotion. “I’m very proud of you.” He didn’t notice the flush in Monica’s cheeks from his compliment. “What about phase two?”
She swiveled in her chair to face her computer monitor. She pulled up a file and examined the information on the screen. “According to Ms. Rogers, the funding will be in place to go forward with the movie production in another couple months. If these figures are correct, we’ll also be ready to expand Nighthawks into adult business within a year.”
Alex came around the desk and stood behind his CEO. He put his hands on her shoulders, softly massaging her and making skin contact with his index fingers along the sides of her exposed throat. He felt her pulse race and he saw the goosebumps run down her flesh.
She looked up at Alex. “I’ve never had a relationship with my boss, but there’s something about you that makes me want to get fucked until I can’t think straight.” She turned again in her chair, this time to face Alex. “Do you think you can do for me what you did for Sara?” Monica began picking open the buttons of her blouse. She could see Alex was enjoying the show, as his prick was clearly hard against his slacks. Her fingers slipped between her tits, which were becoming more and more exposed as she undid more buttons.
”Stop.”
Monica’s eyes darted to his. She couldn’t believe he was telling her to stop. She needed to see his eyes to confirm what he really wanted. She saw that he wanted her to stop.
”This isn’t right. I respect you, and I need you too much in this position to ruin it like this.” He turned and walked away, so her desk was again between them. “I promise I’ll make this up to you.” He picked up his coat, and without another word, he left her office.
The next night, he was in the club. The place was packed, and the line outside was halfway around the block. Alex was sitting on a goldmine, and he knew it. His people had done everything right. After the previous night, he made good on his promise to Monica. When she arrived at work that morning, she found a box of roses with a card. Inside the card was a cashier’s check for $500,000. He received a very happy e-mail from her, letting him know that all was forgiven, although she added that her offer was good anytime he was interested.
Alex considered what would be the next step for him. Just as Lauren had suggested, he had started a business. He had seen the world. He had dared to fall in love. And just when it seemed he had reached his moment of triumph, it still felt completely empty.
One of the waitresses came over to Alex’s private table. She was very attractive, with well-rounded breasts spilling out of the bat-shaped bustier. He had sipped from her earlier, and she had a wonderful tang to her blood, sort of like cinnamon.
”Sir, you’ve got a message.” She handed him a small envelope. He took it from her, and as he touched her hand, he willed her to climax. He recognized the look as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body trembled slightly. It was certainly a perk of the job for these waitresses.
Inside the envelope was a card. He didn’t recognize the handwriting. It read, “There is someone here to see you upstairs.”
Alex headed for the private elevator, slid his card key into the slot, and pressed the button for the top floor. One of the special elements of the club’s design was a suite of private rooms on the roof, including one with a retractable ceiling and a hot tub. (He freely admitted stealing the idea from the ballpark in Phoenix.) Only big-time players and invited guests had access to the club-above-the club. Alex wondered why his “guest” had been admitted upstairs.
As the doors to the elevator slid open and the bell pinged for the top floor, Alex was stunned by who he saw.
”Surprise,” Misty said softly.