by Mika Lane
The color drained from her face. “You didn’t tell him anything about the club, did you?”
“No. God, no. I think he thinks you’re investigating a country club or something. And he has no idea we’ve been…together. Anyway, I was immediately concerned about protecting my own privacy.” I looked around the hotel lobby. “I have a lot at stake. But you know that.”
“I’m not surprised. Thinking of yourself and no one else,” she snapped.
She hadn’t exactly been honest, either, but I would get to that.
“Then it became clear to me that M was on to you, suspicious about something.”
“What did you tell her?” she hissed.
“Hold on. Jesus, I didn’t tell her a thing.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. I never would have guessed she was so full of fire. I liked it.
“You didn’t?” she asked.
“Are you kidding? I wasn’t going to let her know I knew you or what you were up to. But listen. She’s kept after me, asking me questions, demanding I get info. It’s fucking crazy.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I knew nothing about you. I lied.”
“How do I know you didn’t give me away to her?” she asked.
“You’d know. For one, she wouldn’t let you get near the place. But for another…well, she knows a lot of people.”
She looked confused. Was she really that naive?
“And the people she knows, they’re not all particularly…nice.”
The color drained from her face as her expression shifted from anger to the unsteadiness of fear.
“She’s suspicious of you. Look, she couldn’t successfully run a club like Silk for as long as she has without a good sense of people. The point is, she doesn’t know what you’re up to. But I’m afraid she’ll push till she finds out.”
Saffi looked at her watch. “Thank you for the information.” She stood to leave.
I held up a hand. “Wait, I’m not done.”
“What?” She parked her hands on her hips.
“First of all, you have not been so honest yourself. You knew I was interested in you.”
She looked down for a moment, the defiance draining from her face. “That’s true, but—”
“Look, forget it. What I have to ask you is far more important. I’m not sure I have the right to, but I will anyway. I don’t want it getting out that I’ve been anywhere near the club. Can I count on you for that?”
“If you wanted your identity protected, why did you reveal yourself?”
“I did it for you. Otherwise, you might not have listened to my warning.”
She pulled her trench coat tight. “For all M knows, I go there to hook up. She can’t prove anything.”
“I’m gonna ask you again. Will you keep me out of your story?” I asked.
She’d started to walk away, but turned around quickly. “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you on that.” She gave a small laugh that was pissed off and sad at the same time. Then she was gone, leaving me in the middle of the Four Seasons lobby, full of shame like I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Chapter 33
Saffi
What a fucking disappointment. But should I really have been so surprised? What did I think was going to happen, meeting a guy at a sex club? It wasn’t like he was gonna be a Boy Scout, for Christ’s sake.
But Dad’s freaking client? And the two men were friends, besides!
I was pissed, sure. But the disappointment was what had its fingers around my heart, and it was squeezing. Hard.
Yeah, I’d taken a liking to G, or whatever the hell his name was. And I felt stupid. Goddamn stupid. And humiliated. The whole time he was probably getting off knowing he was pulling one over on his attorney’s daughter.
Right?
But I had to wonder, if he didn’t give a shit about me, would he have revealed his identity to project me from M?
Those were questions I’d deal with later.
For now, what was I going to do with my story? I wasn’t so sure Ed would accept it with what I had.
Fuck. Just fuck, fuck, fuck.
I ran for the cab waiting in front of the hotel. On the ride home, I pressed my temple against the cool car window. How did I get in such a predicament? A shitty job, where the most exciting thing I did most days was go to the mailroom and pick up lunch. A boss who wouldn’t give me a chance, and when I’d come up with an idea of my own, he wanted to give it to someone else. An insatiable ambition that got me in way over my head.
My mom wouldn’t have wanted to see me like this. She’ gotten respectable assignments as a journalist. She’d covered City Hall and elections, transit strikes, and homelessness. Big stuff like that.
And to top it all off, I’d had a tryst with my father’s top client, whom I’d met before. And been attracted to.
The tears finally came, as I knew they would. I put my hand over my mouth in so the cab driver wouldn’t hear my sobs.
I cried over my many sorrows. Maybe I had no more than anyone else—but, like everyone else, mine were exquisitely and uniquely agonizing.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled to G. I clicked Edit and hesitated for a moment. I scrolled to the Block this Caller option and clicked the check box next to it.
There would be no more calls or messages from G, or Varden, or whatever he wanted to be called.
Next day at work, I took a swig of the bitter remains of my second cup of coffee. I’d pulled an all-nighter on the Club Silk story, and coffee was the only thing to get me through the day, even though I hated it. I dumped more sugar into it in the hope it might magically become more palatable. It didn’t.
I’d sent a draft to Ed. Knowing as eager as he was for it, I figured he was reviewing it at that very moment. So I took the opportunity to draft my letter of resignation. The story on the club was not complete, but there wasn’t much more I could do with it. Now it was in Ed’s hands, and I’d be sent back to the Garden Club and Little League. And I’d never make enough money to move out of my father’s house.
I grabbed my letter off the printer and folded it in thirds, placing it in a long, blank envelope. It was ready for delivery to Ed at the appropriate moment.
Tom appeared at my desk. How the hell had I ever had a crush on such a douchebag? Another one of my lousy decisions.
“Yo, Saff. You running out for Chinese today?” he asked, running his fingers through his hair. The hair I’d once longed to touch, but which I’d now like to set on fire.
I swallowed to keep from exploding. “Don’t I go out for the Chinese food every day?”
He recoiled. “Geez, you don’t have to get so touchy. It’s just that I’m really hungry.”
Asshole.
Ed poked his head around the corner and into her cube. “Oh, Tom, didn’t know you guys were in a meeting.”
Tom jumped to attention. “Oh, hey, boss. We’re not meeting. I was just, um, saying hi.”
Ed glanced at his watch. “Well, sorry to interrupt you guys, but I gotta be across town for a meeting in thirty minutes. Saffi, do you have a moment to come to my office?”
Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Tom. “And Tom, can you run out and get the Chinese food today?” Ed headed back to his office.
Tom stood with his mouth open. I did, too, to be honest. But with Ed quickly retreating into the distance, I grabbed my resignation letter and squeezed out of my cube.
I closed his office door behind us.
“Thanks for coming by, Saffi,” he said, gesturing toward a chair.
I swallowed hard. Was I going to be fired before I could even resign?
I held my envelope in both hands, picking at one of the corners. Ed had certainly read my draft by now, and I braced myself for the blow that was sure to come.
“So, I read your story.”
Would it be bad to just throw the letter at him and leave his office?
Instead, I nodded with my best small
but professional smile. “I hope you liked it.”
Dream on, girl.
He walked around his desk to perch on its corner. With crossed arms, he looked down and shook his head.
A lump built in my throat and my thoughts jumped ahead to what my next career move might be.
Do not cry in front of the boss. Do. Not. Cry.
“I have to say, your draft blew me away.”
“Huh?” Oh god. He hated it.
“It was fantastic.”
“Huh?” was all I could manage.
Was he messing with me? Because it sure seemed like it.
“I don’t get it.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “What’s not to get? The work you did was fantastic. Really, really top-notch.”
Good thing I was sitting down. I glanced around for a trash can in case I could no longer keep my stomach in check. “Are you serious? You’re not joking?”
He was fucking with me. I hated him. Mean, bad man.
“Why the hell would I joke about something like this? The story’s great. All it needs is a little tweaking, and we can run it.”
The envelope I’d been holding fluttered to the floor. Before I could pick it up, Ed grabbed it.
“This for me?” he asked, seeing his name on the front. He started to open it.
“No!” I snatched it from his hands. “Um, it’s something personal. For my cousin Ed. I need to mail it later.” I crammed it in my back pocket.
“Okay. Let’s talk about what needs to be done to finish the story. I really want to get you on to your next assignment.”
He blathered on for another fifteen minutes, but to be honest I only heard about every tenth word. I nodded in agreement and even spat out a few questions that I hoped didn’t sound idiotic.
But when I returned to my cube, where my Chinese food was waiting, I knew just what I had to do.
Chapter 34
Varden
I entered the club, not entirely sure what I was doing there given all that had just gone down with Saffi. I guess I just didn’t know what else to do.
I looked around the place, which exploded with endless carnal possibilities. The pre-play flirtation had always been a heady aphrodisiac, and I wove through the crowd of beautiful men and women, saying hello and shaking hands until reaching the bar.
“What may I help you with tonight?” The bartender, one I’d never seen before, wiped an invisible spot on the bar.
“Maker’s Mark with ginger. And a lime, please.”
“Coming right up, sir.”
It didn’t take long for M to appear at my flank.
“G. Wonderful to see you tonight.”
“Hi there.” After last time’s encounter, it was hard to summon any enthusiasm for the bitch.
“Can we talk?”
I sipped my drink and shrugged. “Sure.”
“In my office?” She took my hand.
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
I’d been to her office once before, a long time ago. It hadn’t changed. She closed the door behind us and gestured that I should take the seat next to her.
Instead, I sat in a large wingback chair, crossed a foot over my knee, and leaned back, drink in hand. “What can I help you with, M?”
She looked annoyed I hadn’t taken the seat next to her.
“G, as you know, I’ve had some concerns about your friend, B, and her intentions with regard to attending the club.” She ran her fingers through her long, wavy hair. “She’s being banned from the club. I wanted you to know that since you’ve spent time with her.”
“M, I am quite sure she won’t be coming back to Club Silk.”
“Really?”
“She and I…had a disagreement. I wouldn’t expect to see her back here.”
She filled the room with a loud sigh, and leaned back onto the sofa. “All right then. That takes care of that.”
But she continued. “One of the reasons I wanted you to know is that if she tries to return, I can’t say she will be safe.”
Was she kidding?
“Look, I know you don’t like her, and I’m sure you have your reasons, but what’s with the melodrama?” Unable to help myself, I laughed. “C’mon. She won’t be safe? You’re kidding right?”
Her face hardened, and even in the warm room I felt a chill. She studied me, her expression unchanged, in perfect control as always. “You heard me,” she said in a low voice.
I rose from my seat, ready to explode. “You’ve got to be kidding. Please tell me you are. What is this, the KGB? You’re just gonna make people you don’t like disappear?” I was getting louder with every word.
She held her hands up as if to calm me. “I said nothing of the sort.”
Bullshit.
“I’m outta here.” I pointed a finger at her. “And you’re a crazy bitch.”
I headed for the door, but before I reached it, she called after me like a dagger in the back. “G, you know I’m right to protect the club. Our club. What would you do without it?”
“Fuck you.” But she’d hit a tender spot. She knew very well how much I depended on the place. Goddammit.
I couldn’t get away from her fast enough and beelined from her office straight to the Twist room. I knocked, and the door flew open.
“My man!” said the bouncer, who extended a friendly hand in greeting.
I should have just gone home but couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I hated that I was so weak, and hated even more that M saw it so clearly.
The bouncer patted me on the back. “You don’t look so happy tonight, my friend. Why don’t you just relax and take in the scene? I guarantee it’ll cheer you up.”
I settled into a corner chair and pulled out my phone.
Shit, shit, shit.
I had to get in touch with Saffi. I scrolled through my contacts and hit dial. While waiting for her phone to ring, I watched a woman slide a glass dildo in and out of another. Normally, I’d be all over that shit. But tonight, I had more important things to worry about.
The call rang once and announced the number was not available. It then went directly to a voicemail box that did not contain her greeting.
Wrong number.
I re-dialed. Again, there was one ring, followed by an announcement. The call went to voicemail.
It dawned on me.
She’d blocked my number.
How was I going to get in touch with her, now?
I exited the private room, pushed my way through the crowd, and left the club. Removing my mask, I ran to the car.
Chapter 35
Saffi
I was walking on clouds thanks to Ed’s praise, and more determined than ever to get the info I needed to finish my story. The day had clicked by at an agonizing pace, but when it was finally time to head to the club, I couldn’t get there fast enough. Ambition. Desire. Secrets. I was learning they were all double-edged swords.
And at the moment, my ambition was a blessing. It kept me from fixating on Varden. But I knew that drama would catch up with me later. Things like that always did.
“Hey, Dad,” I said, entering his study. “I’m heading out.”
He looked up from his computer. “Well, well. I am starting to suspect there is some very lucky young man out there. You look lovely.”
I looked down at my trench coat. All that was really showing was my pencil skirt and high heels. He didn’t need to see the rest of my outfit.
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay, sweetie.”
“Oh, Dad?”
“Yeah?” he asked.
“You know that client of yours, Varden? Do you know much about him?”
He set down his pen. “Varden Gallaher? I know a lot about him. Why?”
I shrugged nonchalantly. “I ran into him downtown,” I lied.
Dad smiled and his suspicion went right where I thought it would. “He’s a ladies’ man, Saffi. Set your sights on someone else.”
No kiddi
ng.
“What else do you know about him?” I asked.
He paused. “Well, he’s very successful. Probably one of the richest men in San Francisco. Very hard working and has a lot of integrity. The business he’s in does not always attract the most scrupulous people. But from what I’ve seen of his dealings, he’s very trustworthy.”
“Huh. Okay.” I hadn’t expected to hear such high praise. If he only knew…
Confusion crossed his face. “Why are you asking?”
I shrugged with an innocent smile. “I don’t know. Just curious, I guess. And nosy.”
“All right. Have a great night.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
On my drive across town, I practiced what I’d say to Miss M when I arrived. She’d probably be on my ass, asking questions like she usually did. But thanks to Varden’s warning, I knew to be careful.
I could just tell her I was working on a story for the Post. What was the harm at this point? If she were smart, she’d cooperate and participate. That way, her perspective would be part of it.
That’s what everyone wanted, wasn’t it?
I had to admit, in spite of everything else, Varden’s warning was a blessing. It was a generous gesture and he’d done me a huge favor. And I sure hadn’t thanked him for it. For a moment, I thought about un-blocking him from my phone. I owed him that, didn’t I?
I arrived at the club, and before getting out of the car, looked around. From the street, one would never suspect any sign of life beyond the club’s heavy wooden door, much less all the sexiness that happened there.
And I knew all M wanted to do was protect that. I couldn’t blame her.
I stuffed my trench in the trunk and ran as fast as I could in my heels. As usual, fog billowed down the San Francisco street, leaving me covered in goosebumps by the time I reached the door. For a change, a bouncer opened it. Where was M?
I scanned the room, finding the party in full swing. Couples, threesomes, and small groups sized each other up, enthusiastic about the promise of an erotic encounter.
