Dark Alley: The Complete First Season (Dark Alley Seasons Book 1)

by D. S. Wrights

  Alice stayed silent, trying to process all the information she had right now. She understood what he had just told her, she just wasn’t sure if she comprehended it.

  “What are you trying to tell me?” She asked.

  “I want you in my bed, in my life,” he almost yelled the last word. “But I know I can’t expect the same of you. So, I’m fine with you dating someone else, I can’t expect you to be exclusive with me.”

  “You are saying that I can date guys while being with you?” Alice tried to make sense of what she just had heard. “Are you serious?”

  “I am,” Jason nodded. “Even though I will be fuming with jealousy, because I want you for myself, but I can’t give you the dating experience you deserve.”

  Alice wasn’t able to walk up the bed, so she simply sat down on the sofa closest to her. Jason was offering her an open relationship, in which he would commit to her but she wouldn’t have to commit to him.

  “That’s not fair, is it?” Alice thought out loud but Jason stayed silent.

  “I want you,” he eventually admitted to her after what felt like an eternity. “I would love to date you.”

  “I would love to date you, too,” Alice heard herself speak and knew that it was the truth, she could feel it in her bones, it wasn’t just a fantasy.

  “But I can’t take you out on a date,” Jason frowned. “I can’t have the press see the two of us, speculating. I’m not my own man, I’m the face of my company.”

  “I understand that,” Alice nodded. “I really do. I do, honestly, comprehend the situation you are in and that you are officially married, but when it comes to your heart, you aren’t. I get that. I just need to figure out if I can live with this, live with the knowledge that the guy I’m dating is not within my reach, officially.”

  “Although it will definitely kill me, I could live with you dating someone else, I would have to,” Jason explained. “It would probably be desirable because no one would become suspicious.”

  Alice needed a few moments to let that sink in. Could she be a part of this charade? Could she be with two men at the same time? One accepting the other and the other being completely clueless? She didn’t know, and she didn’t want to. The last role she could see herself in was the one of a cheater.

  “I honestly don’t know,” Alice admitted and felt as if she went cold turkey all of the sudden. “I need to think about this.”

  “I would be concerned if you didn’t,” Jason nodded once and got up from the bed, walking towards her, just hesitating briefly before he cupped her face with his hand.

  “I want to get to know you, I want to go out on dates with you, but it can’t be like normal people do it,” Jason spoke lowly.

  “I get that,” Alice nodded. “I really do. I just don’t know right now if I can live like that, if I really want that,” she admitted and guilt crashed down on her like a landslide when she thought about Tristan.

  She had told him that they were dating and still she was here, sore and sated after having shower sex with Jason, and not with the man she claimed to be her boyfriend, to be the one she was dating.

  “I’m sorry,” Jason said, but Alice shook her head, instinctively reading his thoughts. “You didn’t make me do anything. I did it all by myself. I told you to get in the shower with me. If I hadn’t said anything, you would have stayed outside, sitting on the couch.”

  Silence spread between them like a disease and Alice felt sick, quickly.

  “I have to get home, it’s late already and I have to work tomorrow,” she stated, even though she knew that he was aware of that.

  Jason couldn’t change her commitment without implying that she was receiving special treatment, so he just nodded.

  Could she live like that? Meeting up with Jason – her boss – for some amazing sex and then just return to her normal life? She wasn’t sure.

  Could she live with these uncertainties? She didn’t know and she wished that she didn’t have to face them either. And she could just decide to not accept any of this. She could just continue to date Tristan.

  But a part of her told her that it wouldn’t make her happy. It wouldn’t satisfy her. Maybe even having this secret relationship would have her sex life blossom like she had never seen before.

  Three years.

  Three years he still had to be married to Adele – Adelaide – before he could get a divorce. That meant three years of worry-free trial, but also uncertainty. What if he suddenly realized that he loved his wife and wanted to have kids with her? That was most unlikely, but right now Alice felt like she was floating on a rescue boat out in the open ocean. All of this was new to her.

  But what if she learned that Jason wasn’t, after all, the perfect partner for her? She would be safe, she could even date other men. This was actually the perfect deal, so why didn’t she feel like it was?

  Her mind was overcrowded as she sat down on the bed and looked at Jason.

  “Your clothes will be here soon,” he read her thoughts again, or so he surely thought.

  Alice was just looking at him, taking in his appearance without the mask and far away from their working situations. She didn’t know this man, not entirely, not to the deepest depth that was his persona, his soul, and yet she wished that she could just go out on a date and maybe more, just to get to know him.

  Her thoughts were going in circles again.

  “How is this going to work?” Alice eventually asked, carefully. “I mean, us dating unofficially. How could this possibly work without drawing suspicion? Do you have a plan for this?”

  “I have a plan for everything,” Jason smirking slightly, being confident, which was such a turn-on, but became earnest again quickly, as he continued, leaning towards her. “But, just so that you don’t get the wrong idea. I did not get you your new apartment because I was certain you would agree to this, I hadn’t even planned on making the offer, because I knew that you didn’t want to be… well, the other woman. I got you that apartment because I wanted you to be safe, fast. And all the apartments on the lower levels were already rented out. It was the fastest and most efficient solution.”

  “Okay,” Alice nodded.

  “I have the penthouse on the highest level,” Jason stated and she instantly knew what about this fact she could have misunderstood; that he used the chance to maneuver her closer to him, before she even considered hearing him out. “Good thing is – and I am sure Jimmy didn’t show you, because he doesn’t know – the levels above the 20th floor have two private elevators. They are the last ones on the ground floor and only open by a fingerprint. I can give you access to the penthouse and you can give me access to your apartment. Of course, the elevator opens in the middle of the penthouse, so if you are visiting me, no one could possibly know. Also, the elevators do not have displays on the outside, for extra privacy.”

  “So, we would date, without going out on a date?” Alice concluded and Jason nodded; she could read off his face that he wasn’t entirely happy about it, either.

  “But we could see each other and get to know each other,” Jason continued. “And I would come and visit you, too, of course. If you want that.”

  Alice took a deep breath.

  Was this what she wanted? Could she live three years as the other woman? A welcomed other woman? Could she have this huge secret in her life? Could she live with looking over her shoulder, worrying that they might get caught? This wasn’t having public sex with the arousing threat of getting caught. If anyone found out, it would be disastrous. But did she want this?

  A knock at the door made her snap out of her train of thought, and a moment later she could hear the door being opened and then being closed again.

  Jason didn’t say anything, he just watched her as she started moving to find her clothes dry cleaned, ironed, and neatly folded in the basket.

  “I can understand that you would like to go on dates publicly, so I won’t deny you that,” Jason spoke suddenly, startling her. “I have to ap
pear publicly with Adele, too. I just would have a problem with you having sex with someone else… unless, well, I’m a part of it.”

  Alice could feel her face starting to burn.

  “But not necessarily right away,” he added and Alice couldn’t help but grin.

  She knew that this relationship would be completely different than any she had before. Not because she would be the other woman the wife wanted for her husband, but because Jason was brutally honest and never beat around the bush. That much she knew. Diplomacy didn’t seem to be his strong suit either. None of her exes were like him. Maybe someone like him was exactly what she needed.

  But three years. And even though Jason and Adele didn’t see it as cheating, everyone else in the world would.

  Could she even talk to Bianca about this?

  Alice had no idea what to do.

  “I can’t tell anyone?” She asked and Alice could see that Jason wanted to agree right away, but then he hesitated.

  “If you trust that person unconditionally, then you can, of course, and I’d love to get to know that person, too,” he eventually said. “You already know my two truly best friends.”

  Alice cocked one brow.

  “Adele and Henning?” She asked, and took him by surprise. “You could have sent over Jimmy, but you didn’t.” Alice explained her deduction and Jason smiled at her, almost as if he was in awe.

  “I have to think about this,” Alice said after another moment of consideration. “I have to talk to Bianca about this – my best friend. And I have to find out if I really want this.”

  “Understandable.” Jason said.

  After that, there was nothing more to say and Alice turned around and started to get herself dressed, feeling Jason’s eyes lingering on her. But she was adamant about leaving. After all, it was a weekday. Yet, after she said goodbye and left, she could still feel Jason’s burning gaze on her skin, and Alice knew he would be haunting her dreams tonight.

  Thirty

  Waking up in her own bed made Alice feel as if it wasn’t a weekday. She felt so comfy and safe, almost as if there was nothing out there threatening to disturb the comfortable life she had grown accustomed to. But it was when she opened her eyes and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling, that she realized how much in her life had actually changed.

  Letting out a deep sigh, Alice wondered if she would ever get used to her new apartment, which was huge in comparison to her old one. Even if she had a salary that could make a place like this possible, Alice knew that she still would have opted for a smaller one. She didn’t grow up poor, but her upbringing taught her that not a single penny should be spent thoughtlessly. Spending more than the usual still made her feel like she was riding a rollercoaster and she didn’t like it, at all.

  Alice was grateful though that this was a weekday, and that she could simply jump into her daily routine, even though she still had to get used to the changes just walking through the new apartment brought. However, she definitely welcomed the automated high quality coffee. That was money well spent.

  Dressed and ready to go, Alice opened her apartment door the moment Jimmy was about to press the doorbell, and took the empty thermos mug, he was already holding out to her.

  “How about you just give it to me tonight when you bring me home,” Alice suggested.

  “I didn’t dare to ask,” Jimmy answered and Alice could hear him grin in his voice from behind her back, while he was following her inside, closing the apartment door.

  “How long have you been working for Double G?” Alice used his nickname for the company, trying to make it appear like nothing more than a casual question to make conversation with him.

  “About five years,” Jimmy answered, taking an apple from the fruit bowl on her bar, checking it briefly and then taking a bite out of it.

  Alice smirked, shaking her head. He was feeling more at home in her apartment than she did.

  “Have you always driven Grace and her colleague?” She continued asking, before starting the machine.

  If she was going to really consider Jason’s offer, then she had to find out more about him and his wife, things that didn’t come from the tabloids.

  “Yes,” Jimmy answered.

  “Have you ever met the big boss or his wife?” Alice tried to still sound casual, even though she knew she wasn’t good at it.

  “Yes, a few times at company galas, his driver is trying to teach me German, every time we wait outside together, but I’m horrible at it,” Jimmy laughed.

  “Oh?” Was all Alice could muster, wanting to kick herself. Then again, Jimmy couldn’t really know that she already had met Henning.

  “Yes, he’s German, but he’s been here for twenty years or something,” Jimmy continued eating the apple almost completely. “Really nice guy, but no one you want to get on the bad side of.”

  “I figured,” Alice nodded.

  “How come?” Jimmy was curious, while throwing away the last pieces of the apple.

  “I mean,” Alice shrugged, “after all he’s the big boss’ driver, shouldn’t he also be some kind of bodyguard?”

  “You’re absolutely right about that,” Jimmy grinned at her, oblivious. “Ready to go?”

  “Absolutely,” Alice smiled, handing over his now filled thermos mug.

  “What are you doing this weekend?” Jimmy continued to talk, cheerfully. “Any plans?”

  “No,” Alice answered, realizing that she had no idea what would happen on any upcoming day in this week, apart from work; that was the only constant in her life right now. “My best friend’s wedding is coming up, so I probably will spend the weekend with her, planning and stuff,” she thoughtfully said aloud.

  “Who are you taking?” Jimmy asked, allowing her to step into the elevator first, which reminded her of the private ones Jason had told her about, but it was Jimmy’s question that rendered her speechless and her mind blank.

  “No,” she managed to answer, but her thoughts went into a tailspin.

  If she stayed with Tristan, she would have someone to go with her in three months. Alice’s mind froze realizing that fact. In three months! She had completely forgot that her best friend Bianca had brought forward the wedding date because of her pregnancy. Taking her boyfriend to that wedding would definitely bring their relationship to the next level. But if she chose Jason, she wouldn’t be able to take him. He couldn’t be her date.

  Again, she had to think about what Jason had proposed to her, that he was okay with her going out with other men, maybe even dating one, as long as he and she were exclusive. Alice already knew that she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t date someone and have sex with another man. It was still cheating and that wasn’t her. So, she had in fact to make a choice and she realized that this wasn’t at all about going to Bianca’s wedding without a date. A few months ago, it probably would have been a problem, but now everything had changed. She realized that she didn’t care what people would think about her when if she should go to the wedding without a date. She could care less. This was about what she wanted for herself.

  Did she want a normal conventional relationship, or did she want something else? A part of her already knew the answer to that, but another held her back. The only thing Alice knew about both Jason and Tristan was how sex was with them, how they earned their money, and that was is. She knew neither of them, really, so how was she supposed to choose?

  “You’re far, far away,” Jimmy stated, ripping her out of her thoughts.

  “Yeah, sorry,” Alice felt herself blush.

  “Weddings, huh?” He grinned at her, then nudged her.

  “True,” she gave back. “The wedding was moved forward because she’s pregnant, so there’s that.”

  “Well, if you don’t have a date and need a wingman, let me know when and where,” Jimmy offered and she could read from his expression that he was being honest.

  “Thank you,” Alice grinned at him. “I might.”

  “I wouldn’t offer if I did
n’t mean it,” was his response and he winked at her.

  Somehow Jimmy’s cheery demeanor was infectiously uplifting; it always was, and Alice was grateful for that. Even though there was a decision she had to make pretty soon, it now didn’t feel like a dark cloud was looming over her. But apart from the fact that Jimmy was always smiling and in good temper, he was also straightforward. For the blink of an eye she was tempted to ask him if Jason and he were related, which was absolutely impossible, and apart from that, Jimmy didn’t know she knew Jason on a personal level. They also really didn’t look alike. Jimmy was about six-foot-tall and maybe an inch, cute-looking, but almost a bit plain, yet definitely not ugly, brown-hair, and brown-eyes. His eyes were even darker than his hair, but still soft. Those eyes didn’t look as if he could even hurt a fly. And for some reason, she couldn’t imagine this boy to have a secret dominant persona.

  Jason’s hair was almost raven-black, showing a little silver at his temples and his eyes were steel blue, hiding a shade of green one could only see up close. Those eyes were able to look ice-cold, or cruel, or simply domineering.

  No, they couldn’t be related, could they? And if they were and Jason knew, why would he give Jimmy a job as a driver and not something better? No, it didn’t make sense.

  The rest of the ride, Alice couldn’t stop trying to find similarities in Jimmy’s and Jason’s looks, although she already was certain that her assumption was ridiculous. But it was a sweet distraction from the real problem she was facing.

  Alice was grateful for having a tight schedule this week, as she learned the second she checked her to-do-list that a short notice meeting was supposed to happen on early Friday. It was her job to gather the information the other assistants sent to her and create handouts, which included proofreading, editing, and fact checking, just in case. She still hadn’t met any of the other assistants – not even Tom, who was Jason’s assistant – but only spoken to them on the phone. After all, she hadn’t even worked at her new job for a month.