by Eva Luxe
We were in a bar that was still inside the hotels, so we parted and went our separate ways.
Would Lindsey be laid out on the bed for an early honeymoon? Was she busy getting strawberries and whip cream. My cock kept knocking at my boxers, needy to touch her gentle flesh with my hot dick.
The elevator stopped at my floor and I made a wild sprint down the hall to my door. I stopped and dug into my pocket. Both pockets. No key.
Didn’t matter.
I knocked waited for Lindsey to open the door, butt ass naked and ready for me. A few moments went by and there was silence. I placed my ear against the door to hear for any sounds and knocked again.
I was sure Lindsey had returned to the room. Was she hurt?
“Lindsey? Are you in there? Are you okay?” I asked through the door.
Silence.
I ran down the steps in the stair way and up to the front desk. They gave me another room key and I sped back upstairs to open the door. Something wasn’t right. My gut was tight, and my breathing was off.
I opened the door and looked around the room. Lindsey was here. But not anymore. I looked around and saw it…
The ring, and under it a note.
I bolted over to it and read the note while I held the ring in my hand.
‘I really wanted to believe love existed.
But no man who hits my sister, or any woman at all could ever be my husband. Never contact me again. We’re through!’
The letter slipped out my hand as I reeled in the shock.
“Samantha,” I growled.
She didn’t want to see her sister Lindsey getting what she couldn’t.
If only I had told her sooner…
I rushed and packed up my shit and had my limo take me back to my jet. If I knew Lindsey just a little, I knew her fiery temper would mean a plane ticket back to the USA tonight.
Without me. And with Samantha.
Samantha wouldn’t have it any other way.
***
I settled down in my jet and took out my phone. I had Lindsey’s number on speed dial and called her. I waited while the phone rang. It rang a few times, and I ignored my gut feeling when it said she wouldn’t pick up.
So, I tried again.
And again.
“Damn it!” I shouted, throwing my phone across the way into another seat. I raked my fingers through my hair and bent over, feeling my life crumble from under me.
The phone began to ring, and I looked up. It was Lindsey’s number.
I snatched the phone out of the seat and answered it.
“Lindsey, please, let me expl—”
“Explain what?” Samantha said with a devilish laughter. “You think I was going to sit there and watch Lindsey get what I should’ve had? Hell, no. She’s not supposed to have better men than me. And you’re cream of the crop.”
I gripped my phone tighter, my lungs quivering. If only I could shout loud enough through the phone for Lindsey to hear me…
“Put Lindsey on the phone right now, Samantha. I’m done with you. Lindsey deserves more than you any day.”
Samantha growled. “Well, she’s still not getting you. Not after what I told her.”
“Where is she? Did you hurt her?!” At this rate my phone was going to break if I didn’t calm down.
I was full speed ahead on my jet back to the states, and as soon as my feet touched American ground, I would be on my way to Lindsey’s place to tell her the truth.
“And pray tell, what did you tell her?” I asked, tapping my foot.
“Nothing you need to know about.”
“Samantha, I love Lindsey. There’s nothing you can do that will keep us apart.”
“…”
“Samantha?”
I looked at the phone and saw that it was disconnected. Fuck. I swallowed the rage I felt from having lies told about me and focused my energy on finding Lindsey so I could set this straight.
Still, it was dirty of Samantha to do this to her own blood. I didn’t particularly care for starting shit between anyone’s family members, but when it involved my own future wife, then all bets were off.
The truth was going to come out.
Hours later my plane lands back on American soil, and I hopped off the plane like my life depended on it. And in all honesty, it did. My wife, my future, my reputation, everything.
I rushed through to the entrance of the airport to meet my driver, so I could race over to Lindsey’s place. But Richard was there at my car, waiting for me.
“Gordon. You better tell me you have good news,” he said with his arms crossed.
I frowned and got into the car.
“Wait, not even a hello? That’s not a good sign.”
Richard hopped into the driver’s seat.
“What happened to my regular driver?” I asked him. Richard laughed and sighed. “Dude, I want to be the first to know what happened with that red head of yours. Lindsey was it?”
“Damn it, Richard. I need to get to her address. So just punch it in the GPS, I need to get my future wife back.”
Richard’s facial expression dropped, and he grew more serious. “Well, that’s both bad and good news. Let’s get her back then. What’s the address?”
I gave him the street address and we were off.
Since the occupancy of my vehicle was more than one, we were able to take advantage of the HOV lane. My head throbbed the whole time trying to think about what Samantha could’ve possibly—wait!
The letter.
It said something about hitting her…No. I never did and never would hit a woman. Fuck. And there was no telling what else she could’ve lied about.
“So, is it love?” Richard questioned, keeping his eyes on the road.
The GPS said we had a ten-minute ride, and it already began to feel like an eternity.
“Yes, I love her. I need her. Not in the way that I need her for my money, but I need her because she’s the fire that’s missing in my life. She’s a spark of energy, and it’s refreshing.”
I burrowed my head in my hands.
“Why did she leave you then? What the hell happened?”
“Her sister was there—”
“Don’t tell me you tapped her sister!”
“I used to date her last year. She was a gold digger to the highest degree. She even forgot my name on a date once. I found out she was drinking my money down through a straw by hundreds of thousands and I cut her loose. She didn’t like that.
Now at the wedding of Lindsey’s friend, I saw her again. She didn’t know I was dating her sister. Now she lied to Lindsey and Lindsey left me.”
“Damn, Gordon…”
“Yes, it’s fucked up. But I’m going to get what’s mine.”
***
We stopped in front of her apartment building and I jumped out. I looked around to make sure I didn’t see any signs of Samantha. Richard got out too.
“You need me to come with you?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He knew me all too well. I was anything but an abusive man.
“I’m good.”
I ran up the stairs and slid a card to pick the front door’s weak lock. I had no time to play mister nice guy. The hallways still smelled like Indian food with a dash of cigarette smoke. I made my way up the stairs and ran down to Lindsey’s door.
I straightened my jacket and knocked on her door.
I listened carefully to see if she was there. I heard no noise. There was no answer either.
I could’ve came back later. But my feet were unwilling to move until I saw her again. I called down to Richard on my phone.
“Richard, leave without me. There’s another contract that needs to be signed today and you’re the only one that can do it right now.”
Richard huffed on the phone. “Dude, the clock is ticking. You have only one more day. When women are mad, it’s gonna take a miracle to make them not mad at you.”
“I’m guessing you speak from experience?” I teased.
/> Chapter Nine – Lindsey
I couldn’t even face my own damn apartment.
As soon as we came back from Canada I went to a hotel. Samantha was welcomed to stay even though she bugged the shit out of me sometimes.
But for some reason, she insisted that she was okay and left me by myself.
Did she forget that I told her the man asked me to marry him?
I was fucking heart broken.
Oh well, that was Samantha. I was at least grateful she told me.
I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. There was nothing about Gordon that would’ve signaled anything about him being an abusive man. I looked for the signs, and I didn’t find them.
But I remember when Samantha came to my condo with a black eye. She never said his name…until now.
This was for the better. Look at me. I went and fucked up. I did the very thing I vowed never to do; get a broken heart.
I played with the fire and hell, I got burnt. The aching in my chest wouldn’t go away. So, I propped myself off of the bed and slipped on my regular wear around dress. I had to go to work anyways.
Bar Seven. I thought I was going to leave this place behind. Oh well. Being an independent woman with a nice body still had its perks. I wasn’t broke, and things were still salvageable.
Ed let me in early and I made my way to the bar.
“Hey, back so soon?” Lemmy, one of the newest bartenders asked me.
“Yeah. You know us girls. We make mistakes and come crawling back home,” I sighed. “Shot of whiskey while you’re at it.”
He frowned. “Uh oh, that doesn’t sound good at all. Are you sure you want to drink before—”
“Lemmy, spare me the speech. Whisky. Now. Please, before I go crazy.”
He sighed and whipped up my drink in a flash. For once I was thankful to be back in darker settings. The lights were dim, and the smell of alcohol soothed my mind.
I downed my drink, savoring that sting that burned the back of my throat.
“God that was good.”
“Drinking your problems away, huh? What happened to good ole girl gossip?” said a familiar voice from behind me.
I turned around and saw Willow and Stacy.
My mouth dropped. “Stacy, you’re supposed to be on a honeymoon, what gives?”
“You, silly!” she pouted. She rubbed her slight baby bump and sat down on one side while Willow sat on the other side of me at the bar.
“We heard you and Gordon up and disappeared. We’ve been trying to contact you. We were worried,” Willow said.
“Sorry you two. I just…found out something about Gordon…”
“What was it?” Stacy asked, rubbing my back.
“He was the man Samantha dated last year. She got a black eye because of him.”
Willow and Stacy gasped. “Him? That sounds…wow. Shit.”
“Yeah, shit is more like it.”
Willow rubbed her forehead. “I’m gonna need a drink too. None for you, pregnant lady,” she said to Stacy. Stacy stuck her tongue out and we all laughed.
“Plus,” I added in, “the smell is gonna get to you. So, you two make it quick so you can get to safer grounds.”
Willow ordered a glass of champagne and Stacy took water and lemon.
“So, do you believe her?” Stacy asked. “Your sister?”
Damn. They had to ask that question.
Because a part of me didn’t. But then, it still kinda added up. She had a black eye. She was dating a rich guy, from what she said.
I didn’t know if the part of me that didn’t believe her was because I had feelings for Gordon or if it was because I didn’t trust my sister.
She was a pest. But could she really go that far?
“Lindsey?” Stacy poked my shoulder.
“Oh, well. I don’t even know. You two are gonna make my head hurt with these questions.” I slumped over with my elbows on the bar counter.
Urgh.
“Sorry, Lindsey. We just want to make sure you know the full truth before you walk away from something so big.”
“Big like marriage?” I asked, frowning.
“Yes. That. You two looked so—”
I got off the bar stool and scratched my head. “You two are the best. But I got to go and start warming up.”
I planted a kiss on Stacy’s head and gave Willow a hug.
“Stacy, keep that baby safe, and Willow, make sure you relax.”
I sashayed off to the back where my stripper clothes were waiting. I did a couple of stretches along with the rest of the dancers and picked the track I wanted to dance to.
Did I trust Stacy? Or Gordon?
Fuck. Why did that question have to slap me in the damn face?
***
The night was over faster than it began. I changed back into my regular clothes and headed out the back door. I didn’t feel like bumping into any ‘fans’. That never ended well.
“Lindsey!” a voice called out.
I turned around and saw a familiar looking man standing in the alley, coming out of the darkness.
“Whoa, I got mace and pepper spray, and let me tell you neither feels or tastes good,” I warned, backing up and digging in my purse.
Suddenly I could see his face.
“Hey wait, aren’t you Gordon’s friend?”
“Yes, I’m Richard, and I came to talk to you.”
We walked to the main street where there were more lights.
“How’d you find me?” I asked.
“I can find anyone,” he bragged, smiling.
“Okay, get to the point. What do you want? And if you can find people so easily, why isn’t Gordon here?”
I crossed my arms and glared at Richard.
“Listen. He’s waiting for you at your apartment. The man won’t move. He’s in love, and he’s not a wife beater.”
“How would you know?” Richard’s face tensed.
“Because, I have been his best friend since we were both young boys. I know him. And he needs you.”
I kept walking at a brisker pace. “Needs me for his money you mean.”
“So, he told you about that too?”
“Yeah.”
“So, he was being upfront with you?”
I stopped and snapped around. “Look, my sister had a black eye—”
“Your sister is a gold digging liar. And I can prove it.”
It began to rain, and all the confidence I had in Samantha began to break even more. Proof?
Why would she lie?
“Gold digger?”
Cars passed us on the road, making it feel colder than it was. Maybe that little voice in the back of my head was right. But I wasn’t going to stick to any side until I saw this proof.
“Where is this proof?”
Richard glanced down at his smart watch on his wrist.
“Go to Eliza Rousseau’s place. Ask her about your sister.”
I shook my head. “No, she would’ve told me as soon as she fucked up with someone.”
“Yeah, if she used your last name. She signed up as Samantha Price, not Wilson. And she didn’t list you as a relative on the application.”
My mouth dropped. That sounded like something she’d do. And we didn’t really share similar looks or features since we had two wildly different styles…I never even talked about Samantha around Eliza.
“I have to go. Search for the truth. Don’t let it scare you.”
Richard got into a car that was parked and sped off.
He had a point. I had a right to know the truth, no matter how bad it might seem.
***
There was another mixer going on full of young pretty girls ready to make a buck, and millionaires and billionaires looking for a quick fuck. I would’ve been here for one. But I had to find out some things before I was back out on the market as a single girl again…
Here’s hoping that I wouldn’t…
“Eliza,” I called out, waving her down from the middle
of the floor. She was talking to some men and her eyes lit up when she saw me. She came sashaying down the small steps that were lit up with tiny star like lights. She held her arms out and squeezed me in a tight hug.
“Darling, you’re back. How’d that wedding party go? Did Gordon treat you nicely?”
I sighed. “Eliza. We need to sit down and talk. Bring some vodka or something, because I think you’re gonna have to tell me something I really am not prepared to hear.”
Eliza’s face went pale. “What do you mean? Did something happen?”
She pulled me to the side and we went into a private room that had a mini bar.
She closed the door and went over to pull out some drinks.
“Tell me, what’s going on?”
We sat down on a black velvet couch and I inhaled and exhaled.
‘Breathe, Lindsey,’ I coached myself.
“Do you remember anyone named Samantha Price?”
Eliza’s shoulders sunk. “Her? Did she come back around?!”
“She’s my sister. And her name isn’t Samantha Price, but Samantha Wilson.”
Eliza placed her hand over her mouth as she sat back further into the couch.
“Good God. That was your sister? Why didn’t you ever tell me you had one?”
I threw my head back and closed my eyes. “I didn’t think she was much worth mentioning. She’s a spoiled brat, you know? But I don’t want to see her harmed, as selfish as she is sometimes. Tell me. Is it true?” I looked back at Eliza. “Did Gordon give her that black eye?”
Eliza got up and looked out the window. “No, Gordon didn’t give her that black eye. It was a female client she was going out with that gave her that black eye.”
“I see. Why would she lie about Gordon then?”
“Because she went out with him, and he found out she was nothing but a gold digger and got rid of her. She has that pattern. That’s why she’s not allowed here ever again.”
I downed the rest of my drink and took out my phone. She was going to get a fucking earful out of me.
“How dare she. Now I know what happened. She didn’t want to see anyone with her meal ticket. So, she lied to me to make me leave.”
Eliza nodded her head remorsefully and offered me another drink.
“I hate when I get clients like her. Lucky for you there’s no real resemblance.”
