Nobody's

by Rhea Wilde

  “Very good,” he whispered to me. “You follow like you’ve been doing this for years.”

  I smiled politely at him, half-concentrating on the way he was holding me so that I could continue to follow.

  “Have you given any more thought to my proposal?” he asked me.

  The suddenness of the question caught me off guard and for a second, I stumbled just a bit.

  “I’m sorry,” he said to me. “I suppose now isn’t the right time.”

  “No,” I said. “It’s my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  I nodded to him and we once again began to move around the floor.

  “I’m not sure,” I said. “I’m still weighing my options.”

  “Options? This isn’t an option, Angel. It’s an opportunity. Your contract with Thomas is almost up, is it not?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, now you don’t have to worry about finding employment when he’s done with you. In this job market, in this economy, rarely does someone get another offer before their current contract is up.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Of course. I don’t mean to pressure you. It is your decision.”

  The song came to an end. We stood in the middle of the floor while everyone else clapped for the band. Anthony leaned in and whispered to me.

  “My offer still stands. All you have to do is say yes. You’ll get every dollar and not a penny less.”

  When he pulled his head away from me, I could see the seriousness in his eyes. Then he smiled at me and nodded. Before I had a moment to react, the loud sound of clapping interrupted the tension I was beginning to feel.

  “Well done,” Thomas said as he approached the two of us. “It looks like you really did learn something from Marcus.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Livingston,” I said, half-embarrassed as the three of us stood in the middle of the floor while the next song started.

  “Anthony, if you don’t mind…” Thomas said to him.

  “Not at all, my friend.”

  Thomas offered his hand to me and he quickly took me into his arms as Anthony made his way off of the floor. The way Thomas held me was noticeably different. His grip wasn’t nearly as firm but it was still solid enough to let me know that it was there. His hand caressed the bare skin of my back. The rigidness of his hands felt good against my flesh.

  He led me around the dance floor with almost little effort. It helped that he didn’t say anything to me to distract my focus. I pressed my body up against his to try and get the rhythm of where I should follow. When I looked into his eyes, I felt hypnotized and no longer able to think about anything besides this dance we now shared together. It was beginning to get so easy that I didn’t need to focus any longer. I was back in the dance studio and doing everything Marcus had taught me. Only now did I understand what he was getting at.

  The last thing I saw was Thomas’s eyes as I slowly started to close them. I tilted my head back slightly. I could feel Thomas’s breath upon my neck and a sigh escaped from my lips. The sound of it was lost underneath the music and conversation surrounding us. As I continued to dance with Thomas, I found myself beginning to sink more and more into him. My body rested in his arm and pressed up against him. My feet were following without thinking. Slowly, the sound of the people all around us, the band playing their music, even the other feet on the glossy wooden floor, all of it was beginning to disappear. My eyes were closed and all I could think about was the closeness I felt with Thomas. We had danced before but never like this. It had never felt this way before. It was like moving in a dream.

  The song finally came to an end and we stopped moving. The sound of the polite applause returned me to the reality that I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back to. Slowly, I opened my eyes and Thomas was standing there in front of me, a slight smile on his face. I wasn’t sure of what to say or what to do. Thomas just stood there, in some sort of silent appreciation.

  “I haven’t seen you here before.”

  I turned to the side and observed an older man walking toward the both of us. He was bald, liver spots and blemishes occupying the top of his wrinkled head. His body drooped underneath his tuxedo and thick glasses sat on his face.

  “Mr. Barnes,” Thomas said. “I’d like you to meet Angel. Angel, this is Steven Barnes. An old business acquaintance of mine.”

  “Yes, yes, enough of that,” the old man said. “Why have you not told me about her sooner? The way you moved around the floor, young lady, it was quite the spectacle.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Barnes,” I said to him.

  “If you would do me the honor of this dance,” he asked me.

  “She would be delighted,” Thomas interrupted before I had a chance to answer.

  He winked at me and I softly nodded to the both of them. The old man took me into his embrace as he whisked me around the dance floor. The smell of the old man was unpleasant but not enough to cause me extreme discomfort. I guess it was the fact that he had such a lascivious look in his eyes that made me so uncomfortable. You would think that I would have been used to it by this point but that wasn’t the case. I had been with older men before. But Thomas had done something to me.

  As I watched him at the edge of the floor, engaged in a conversation with his friend Anthony, I felt something I hadn’t felt before. It was a longing to be closer to him. I knew it was wrong of me to think that way. I thought about it and considered that perhaps it was only my desperation to get away from the old man who currently had me in his clutches.

  The song ended and I couldn’t get off the dance floor soon enough. But just before I reached Thomas, another man insisted he dance with me. I looked at Thomas and he motioned with his hand for me to continue dancing. Remembering that I worked for him, I did as I was told. I soon became more and more accustomed to the wood than I expected to be. Each man asked, some of them practically begging, just for a dance with me.

  When they all danced with me, they spoke to me about how elegantly I moved and how they had never seen me before. They talked about how nice my dress looked and how beautiful I was. This was later followed by what they did for a living and how much they made. Promises to whisk me away to some place where you could forget about all your troubles and cares. Each of their attempts to woo me inevitably ended with me telling them that I was in Thomas’s service and disappointment on their end.

  By the time I managed to get off the floor, after excusing myself to rest my now suddenly aching feet, I had lost track of Thomas. Even Anthony was nowhere to be found. I looked around the grand ballroom but still there was no sign of them. I would have noticed if they were gone. A man like Thomas stood out like a sore thumb, even among his well-off brethren.

  I stood next to the entrance of the grand ballroom, wondering where Thomas was, when William greeted me.

  “Miss Angel, how are you doing this evening?”

  “I’m doing fine. Um, where’s Thomas?”

  “Mr. Livingston informed me that he was retiring for the rest of the night and I’m to escort you back to the hotel whenever you’re ready.”

  “I’m ready now.”

  “Very good.”

  Thomas had left me there and didn’t even say anything. I was confused. I was upset. I was even a little disappointed. I almost wanted to confront him as to why he had just left me there but thought better of it. I was still his employee and it was his prerogative.

  When I got back into the suite, I still couldn’t find him initially. I eventually discovered him in the bedroom, already undressed and prepared to sleep. He laid in the bed peacefully, his expensive suit gone and nothing but his rigid body on display. I sat on the bed and looked down upon him, all kinds of thoughts running through my head.

  “Did you enjoy yourself?”

  My body jerked back. His eyes were closed and I expected him to be sleeping already.

  “Yes, I did. You didn’t tell me that you were living.”

  “You looked like you were having a goo
d time. I didn’t want to interrupt you. I suppose I could have told you but I couldn’t object to you doing what you were doing. And neither could you.”

  “Is that what you would have me do? Dance with other men while you run away to the hotel suite?”

  He slowly opened his eyes and stared at me.

  “Yes, Angel. Is that a problem?”

  “No. It’s just… I thought that I was going to dance with you. That’s why I was taking those lessons.”

  “We did dance. It’s not a problem for me to have you dance with someone else. Angel, is there something wrong?”

  “...No,” I sighed. “I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”

  I didn’t want to tell him what I was thinking when I was out on the floor. I didn’t want him to know that I wanted to dance with him instead of everyone else. I didn’t want to make this anything more than a business arrangement.

  “I spoke to Anthony again,” I said. “He told me that the offer was still on the table. As soon as our agreement is up, he’s giving me the opportunity to work for him. And for only one night.”

  “It’s a great opportunity, Angel. You can take it right now if you wanted to.”

  “I know… But I want to finish out the final days of our agreement before I make that decision.”

  He scoffed at me for a second then looked down at my dress.

  “You look beautiful tonight,” he said to me.

  “Thank you, Mr. Livingston,” I grinned at him.

  I leaned in closer to him and kissed him upon the cheek, pressing my body up against his. Slowly working my way up the side of his face, I whispered into his ear.

  “Will you be having me tonight, Mr. Livingston?”

  “We still have a few days together. For now, I’d just like to spend the evening in peace and silence. I think you’ve worked enough today. Besides, you have to wake up early tomorrow.”

  “As you wish,” I sighed, remembering that I had another lesson with Marcus early in the morning.

  I just wanted to enjoy this moment with Thomas. I rested my head upon his chest like I always did. Still in my evening dress, I realized how tired I was. After a long day, I didn’t have the strength to change. So much had happened and I was still trying to understand it. Life with Thomas was never boring but now there were only a few days left before he would be done with me.

  Chapter 19

  I started to get into a routine. I would wake up early for lessons with Marcus. Then I would take a break during the day and later that evening, Thomas would whisk me away to some extravagant gala where I was given the opportunity to demonstrate everything I had learned.

  The flattery never ended. All of the men I danced with complimented me about everything. But it wasn’t just about my new talent. They told me how great I looked in my dress. They told me how much elegance and class I seemed to have. They told me how beautiful I was. If I wanted to, I could clear all of these men out one by one.

  If I were to do that, however, Thomas would have to be the first. Even though he was the one urging me to continue to learn how to dance, I never spent much time with him. I was too busy with other men, at Thomas’s request. By the time I was finished, Thomas was there to bring me back to the suite for some peace and quiet together. But he never wanted anything from me. It had been so long since we’d had sex I was beginning to forget why most men hired me in the first place. I had already figured out that Thomas wasn’t like most men but this only confirmed it.

  It was the final night of our agreement. I had decided that tonight I would make every attempt to convince him to use me in the way I was expecting. I looked through the wardrobe to search for the last dress to wear. I flipped through each outfit more than once but wasn’t satisfied with what I saw. Frustrated, I pushed all of the clothes to the side. Something finally caught my eye. I looked at the back of the closet and hanging there was the tight black minidress. It was the first outfit I had worn when I first met him.

  I scoffed at it for a second. It was such a drastic change from everything else I had worn. Then a devious thought came across my mind. Shaking my head, I squeezed into the dress. I looked at the mirror and saw the reflection of a woman I hadn’t seen in so long. The only difference was that I wasn’t sporting a wig. After tonight, things would go back to the way I was used to. It was only appropriate that I remind Thomas of that fact.

  I waited for Thomas in the living room of the suite. Earlier that afternoon, he explained that he had something else planned for me.

  The front door opened and I was there to greet him. He looked me up and down for a second and I waited for him to voice his complaints. But a smile came across his face and I couldn’t help but smirk back at him.

  “Just as beautiful as the first time,” he said.

  “You are too kind, Mr. Livingston.”

  I leaned in close and kissed him upon the cheek. For a second, I thought that he had pulled away from me but removed the thought from my head all the same.

  “We’ll be dining in here tonight. Privately.”

  “All right.”

  “We won’t be completely alone though.”

  The door slowly opened and Anthony and Alina stepped through the door. I had to hold back the look of surprise on my face when I first saw the beautiful couple.

  “Angel,” Anthony said. “You look… different.”

  “Yes, but still beautiful,” Alina said.

  I was reminded of my own outfit when I saw the expensive dress she was wearing. If that wasn’t enough, Anthony and Thomas were decked-out in custom-tailored suits as usual. Never had I felt more out of place despite all of them doing their best not to point it out to me.

  “Let’s enjoy the night,” Thomas said, trying to ease some of the tension I was feeling. “Dinner is on its way. How about a drink everybody?”

  Thomas made his way over to the bar and opened a bottle for all of us to share. I didn’t say much as I listened to Alina’s latest gossip about the wives and girlfriends of Thomas’s other associates. Thomas and Anthony continued to have their genial conversation off to the side. I thought it was a strange way for Thomas to spend his last night with me but I wasn’t about to question it.

  Dinner arrived and we all took a seat at the table. One of the hotel staff members lifted up the dish plate cover and I saw a plate of fried frogs legs in front of me. I glanced at Thomas and saw a smirk on his face for a moment. While I enjoyed my last meal in the suite, everybody else continued their conversations about the usual things they discussed. Suddenly, Anthony turned to me.

  “Well, Angel. It seems like your services with Thomas end tonight. How would you describe your experience?”

  “Mr. Livingston is the best boss I've ever had,” I said. “It’s an experience I won’t soon forget.”

  “I can imagine,” he said. “But now that you’re no longer bound by contractual obligations, I should remind you that my offer is still on the table. Alina and I are interested to see how well you performed for Thomas.”

  “Well, I still have one night left working for Mr. Livingston,” I said. “I won’t make any considerations until after tonight.”

  “I don’t think you need to wait to make any considerations,” Thomas interrupted. “I’m grateful for your services but I think it’s time for you to finally move on.”

  He winked at me and I had an odd feeling in my stomach. There was no question that I had to accept Anthony and Alina’s offer. But I couldn’t say that I was going to jump on it. Not right now. Not in front of Thomas. For some reason, it felt somewhat bittersweet. It was distracting that I was considering Thomas’s feelings in all of this. Still, I had made more than I had expected to with Thomas and there was significantly more waiting for me.

  I thought that I would be spending the rest of the evening with them but when dinner ended, Anthony and Alina excused themselves. Thomas and I said our goodbyes and just before he left, Anthony handed me his card.

  “Any time you want
to call me,” he said. “The money is ready for you.”

  I nodded in understanding and the two of them left the suite. The door clicked closed and I felt a sigh of relief. I turned to Thomas and he was smiling at me.

  “If I’d have known we were having company, I would’ve dressed for the occasion.”

  “That’s my favorite dress of yours.”

  “I got this on the bargain rack at a thrift shop.”

  “So you got it for less money than everything else in your closet. That just makes me like it even more.”

  I laughed at his comment and we walked our way back into the suite.

  “Would you like another glass of wine?” he asked me.

  “No thanks. I’ve had enough. And I remember the last time I had too much to drink.”

  “So you do admit that you had too much to drink that night?”

  “Admitting that I had too much to drink that night isn’t the point. What matters is that I remember.”

  We shared another laugh as Thomas poured himself another drink. I took a seat on the couch and looked at the fireplace, where the flames seemed like they were forever burning. Even from inside, I could see how cold it was in the city. I almost dreaded having to go back out there but knowing that I had so much money coming to me made it a little easier.

  I watched Thomas remove the painting on his wall and make his way into the safe. He grabbed a small stack of bills and placed it on the table in front of me like he always did before taking a seat next to me.

  “Ten thousand dollars, Angel. What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll take a vacation for a bit.”

  “You deserve it. After ten days with me, you need to take a break.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  I playfully pushed him and some of the wine spilled out of his glass and onto his suit.