Beau
Three days, and not a word.
No call or text.
Hendrix never came home to change and head back out. Nothing. Made me feel as if I had done something wrong by just existing.
It was as if the ground had swallowed him whole, and at that point I was past worried. Now, I was pissed. How dare he do this to me?
How dare his secretary treat me like a nuisance when I called to see if he was in.
Sure, I knew men in his position traveled the world while the trophy wife stayed home, but they communicated. Told them at the least how long they’d be gone and why.
You’re not his real girlfriend.
And that stung. Truth always did hurt the most when it smacked you in the face.
I was tempted to head back to my apartment. To get out of his luxurious penthouse with too much white. Everywhere. Everything.
All expensive. Imported. And white.
His home, while beautiful, was sterile. All clean lines and modern design.
It was cold. Empty. Lacked warmth and comfort.
No splashes of color to give it that lived-in feel that I missed from my own niche in this world. Made me homesick.
Grabbing my keys and overnight bag once more, I walked to the elevator and paused. I’d done that now five times and each time, something stopped me. Maybe it was guilt.
Feeling that I owed him enough to stay.
That this was all for my education, and the payment had been made.
“Where the hell are you?” I whispered, checking my phone in case he’d left me a message. Nothing. Not a peep from a man that hounded—stalked—me until I gave in.
Heading once more upstairs, I opened the door to his room and walked straight toward the bed. Dropped my bag in the middle while taking a seat at the edge. Looked around and sighed.
Taupe walls. Boldly tufted headboard and streamlined base in white with linens in the same color. A soft area rug lay just in front of the bed to create a bit of warmth against the starkness of the marble floors. Dressers, night tables, and one armoire finished the rest of this room’s furnishings and again, all in white.
Hendrix was obsessed with the color.
Another beautiful room that felt off.
Sure, it was magazine worthy, but failed to make me feel welcomed. More than ever, I felt like an outsider.
“Enough of this.” Pulling my phone from my back pocket, I sent a text to Zoe.
Lunch? ~ Beau
Not five seconds passed before I had a reply.
Heading to get some sushi at the place two blocks from Bayside. You in? And I’m not alone. ~Zoe
Shit. I really needed to talk to her about all this. The mess of a contract I was stuck in.
Need to talk Sugar. Meet me later? ~Beau
Get your butt down here. I’m with another sister from a paid daddy. Lol We’ll wait to order. ~Zoe
At her reply, I burst out laughing. Something I hadn’t done much since meeting Mr. Parker. Being upset and moping around wasn’t me. All of this I was surrounded with wasn’t me.
Give me twenty, dork. ~Beau
Decision made, I left my bag on the bed and ran into the en suite bath. I’d been dressed to head out since early, just needed to touch up my lipstick. We were going to lunch and not doing anything fancy, so my jean cutoffs and off-the-shoulder love tee would be fine.
I fluffed my hair a bit, leaving the natural waves to do their thing and applied a nude matte lipstick before rushing out.
Took me longer to get downstairs and into my car then to the restaurant where Zoe and another woman waited for me just to the side of the entrance. They were laughing at something the pretty blonde said as I walked up.
“Miss me?”
“About time you showed your face,” Zoe squealed before pulling me in for a tight hug. Woman was strong, and after bruising a rib or two, she pulled back to get a good look at me and frowned. “What did he do?”
“How the hell—”
“Trust us...we know that look.” The blonde extended a hand out with a warm smile. “I’m Bethany and good friends with that one...” she tilted her head in Zoe’s direction “...plus, I taught her all she knows. I’m her sugar baby godmother.”
I took her hand and gave it a shake. “That’s a real thing?”
“Of course. You have so much to learn, young grasshopper.” While some might take her words as condescending, I got where she was coming from. In a way, this was her acceptance of me. “Let’s eat and chat.”
“Yeah, let’s.” Zoe opened the door and waved at the cute guy at the hostess stand.
“How many today, Miss Chapman?”
“Three and please, a booth near the back.”
“Right this way, please.” He grabbed our menus and walked off. We followed him across the small restaurant and toward a cozy nook on the other side of the place. No one was seated in that section, and I was thankful. “Your server will be right with you. Can I get your drink order in the meantime?”
“Water with a lime.”
“Coke.”
“Iced tea,” we all spoke in unison while he laughed, pointed toward his head, and walked away.
Once alone, two sets of eyes turned my way. Calculating. Stripping away the bit of confidence I had.
“What?” I hissed low. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Tell us what happened, Beau.” Zoe, who was seated beside me, laid her head on my shoulder. Looked up at me with worried eyes. “Week and a half ago you were single, being chased by him, and now you’re taken and being held by a tight leash. One minute you were running away at the bar, then I blinked, and a contract was signed. What happened here?”
“Hendrix Parker happened.” Our server came then and delivered our drinks. Without waiting for her to ask, we each rattled off our order. A few rolls, a soup, and salad. Just as quick as she came, she left.
“Give us more than that, sweetie. Why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?” Bethany asked, the concern on both their faces causing me to choke up. “Shit. Don’t cry.”
Zoe picked up a napkin and handed it to me. “We can’t help you if we don’t know what’s going on. Fill us in.”
“I’m miserable, Zoe.” I took in a shuddering breath while wiping my eyes. “Sure, my schools paid off now and I can breathe, but he makes me feel at times as if I were bothering him. Like my presence upsets him and I don’t understand the why.” A few more tears rolled down my cheek. “One minute he’s sweet and can’t get enough of me, and the next, I am treated with indifference and mild disgust. It’s too much. All of this is too much.”
Finally, I said it. I’d become overwhelmed by all this craziness.
“If he made you feel this way, why did you sign a contract?” Our server came then just as Bethany finished her question. Plates were set and organized so we could share and be within reach. With a bow, our server walked away in silence. “How did you end up with him?”
“I didn’t. Hendrix signed it himself.” They gasped, eyes wide, but before they could say a word I carried on. “I’m not going to sit here and deny how compatible we are in every way, but I hadn’t planned on seeing him again after that night at the bar. He took me back to his house and we had sex. I thought it was a one-night stand, but woke up to a newly signed contract and my school paid off. What choice did I have?”
“Walk away and tell him to go jump off a bridge,” Bethany spoke matter-of-factly, while Zoe had a contemplative look on her face. “The man had no right to—”
“And I agree, Bethany, but he had an ace up his sleeve.” Taking a sip from my iced tea, I mulled over how to best describe the scenario. With careful wording or Band-Aid effect? Fuck it. “If I walk away before the six months for any other reason that isn’t cheating, health, or death...I owe him ten grand.”
“That conniving son of a biotch.” Was wondering when Zoe would say something.
“Yup,” came from me.
Bethany, who had picked up a piece from her spring roll, paused mid bite. “He has you in his grip for the next few months, girl. Ouch.”
Grabbing a few pieces from the magic dragon and rainbow roll, I put them on a small plate with wasabi paste and pickled ginger. They did the same and the bigger dishes were set aside.
My stomach rumbled, and I realized how nonexistent my appetite had been since he walked out. That night I didn’t eat, just put everything away and cleaned his kitchen to erase all traces of me being there.
In the last three days, all I had eaten was cereal and a few Ramen packs I’d brought with me in the move.
After swallowing my third bite of rainbow, I looked at them. Told them my truth. “This isn’t what I expected when I signed up.”
“Neither did I.” Zoe bumped her shoulder with mine. “Should’ve told you to go out with that CEO from the tech company. He seemed nice enough.”
“Now you say that. Now when...” I trailed off, realizing what I was about to say. No. That cannot be.
“When what, sweets? Finish, please,” Bethany hedged, but I saw the glint in her eyes. She knew.
“I care.” Why me? “And despite all that I just told you, I’m more hurt with him walking out on me three days ago than the manipulations.”
“You can’t let him see that you do.” There was a hint of anger in her voice, and I met Bethany’s stare head-on. “Men like him, they smell fear and pounce. Destroy what’s in their path to reach the result they wanted to achieve. They don’t care, Beau. To them, we are no more than arm candy to show off. We look pretty, hold intelligent conversation, and help entertain other rich people within their social circles.”
“She’s right, you know.” My response was a nod. They were both right, and I needed to hear this. Zoe took a bite from her own food while our other companion did the same. Took her time in finding the right words, but when she did, the fierceness in her expression didn’t surprise me. She was a true friend. “From the little I’ve gathered about him, he’s a man that likes things done his way. So, play the game, babe. He wants detached, then by all means be that way. Be everything he wants on the outside, but protect what’s in here...” she brought her hand to my chest and placed it over my heart “...don’t let him hurt you. Keep reminding yourself that this is a business transaction and you need to be a professional. Laugh, joke, humor him, but always keep that part of you locked away and guarded. Don’t fall for a man that will never give you more than this.”
They were both right. I was nothing more than a contract to him.
Even if he forced my hand into this mess with him, Hendrix just wanted the thrill of the chase. Of winning the game he was playing all by himself.
Six months. Just six months.
I could do this.