Page 57 of Broken Rules
I tilt my head to the side and lean on the desk, plastering my own smile. “Thousands of dollars in revenue. That’s how much Vivid lost after one night ofmenot working.” Swiping his supplies off the desk, I climb on top to grip his collar. “You have no say in my place here, not one.” My eyes gloss over as I tighten my hold and yank him closer, my throat constricting. “Youhave no say in my ethics or role here. Do you understand me, or do I have to walk away to make you understand?”
Jared chuckles, fixing his shirt when I let him go, then leans back in his chair. “Do you feel better now?”
“Fuck you.” I shake my head, wiping under my eyes, unable to hold back my tears. “Why? Why did you do it?”
His brows furrow, then he looks at the door when someone knocks, his face softening. Petra walks inside the room, her hair no longer in braids and curls now resting at the tops of her shoulders.
She eyes me with a piqued brow and then to the mess on the floor. “Sorry for interrupting whatever this is, but I need to speak with you, Jared.”
“He’s all yours,” I say, striding out of the room and down the stairs to get ready.
When I enter the dressing room, I slow my steps toward my station, touching another paper bird placed next to my dove, which is black and shaped like a raven.
“Can’t say I’m not surprised you came back,” Roni says, strolling out of the showers wrapping a towel around her chest, and stopping at her mirror.
Closing my eyes, I knock the bird down and walk to my locker while stripping my clothes. I have a few regulars coming tonight and one new customer settling in, enough to keep me distracted before my shift ends. My phone pings, and I draw it out of my coat inside the locker, quickly swiping away a text from Lennox. I can’t think of him right now, not while I’m here. The queue says my new client Hunter wants me alone, a sixty-minute session in room four that recently got updated to a kitchen set up, so I put on the requested night out outfit, then head onto the main floor.
“Evie,” Gin calls out while fixing a drink.
I quicken my steps away from the bar, ignoring the stares as I make my way upstairs to the box. Taking a deep breath, I enter through the employee door since the customer has already settled in, but I take my time in my private box.
The request:you arrive home after a long night of celebrating and make yourself something to eat. Look through your phone, and call me, the guy you met at the party. Let’s see where the conversation leads.
I’ve never had a full-blown conversation with a customer like this before, and I could use a laid-back session with everything that’s happened the last couple of days. Standing before the doorway leading into the room, I rub my hands along my halter metallic gold mini dress, slip off my heels, then stroll inside with them draped over my shoulder by the straps.
The L-shaped kitchen layout to my right is a cute modern style design, with recessed lighting, white cabinets lining the walls with black granite counters, the stove against the back, a fridge to the left, and a farm-style sink to the right of the cabinets. In the middle is the island that seats four, a white countertop with the chairs stowed away underneath, and above are stainless steel light fixtures that match the appliances.
Dropping my heels by the doorway, I look to my left, where the voyeur box resides straight across from the setup, my customer hidden inside the private room. I rarely get an hour request and wonder if we will take up the entire session or not. I guess it depends on where our conversation leads. Strolling into the kitchen, I deposit my purse on the island, walk to the sink, and touch the velvety purple peonies in a vase by the faux window. My smile is instant when I look outside at my ocean view, admiring how the water shines in the moonlight with the subtle sound of waves crashing in the distance. Goosebumps rise on my skin, and I close my eyes while rubbing them away.
Get back to work, Evie.
I’m hungry after a long night of celebrating. It must have been a hell of a party if a man had charmed me enough to exchange numbers. The fridge is fully stocked with fresh produce and other ingredients to make meals. However, coming home late at night calls for something easy, so I grab a frozen pizza from the freezer and preheat the oven.
While waiting, I grab the prop phone from my purse and lean on the island, my body in the voyeur’s line of sight as I poke my ass out, slowly swaying while scrolling, making him wait until I get my pizza in the oven, then return to my phone.
“Maybe I should call Hunter and see what he’s up to right now,” I say, scrolling down a list, and press on private room four, holding the phone to my ear.
The dial tone sounds through a speaker along the private box, and I wait for the customer to answer.
A deep voice comes through seconds later. “Hm, I was hoping you’d call me tonight, Beautiful.”
I try hard to stay in character and not roll my eyes at the term of endearment. Since he’s in the private box, I have no idea how Hunter really sounds, but it doesn’t matter anyway. We’ll eventually be coming, no matter how we sound to each other.
“Lucky you, then.”
Hunter chuckles, and I glance at the window while chewing on my thumbnail, unsure what to talk about since I don’t date.
“Did you enjoy the party?” I ask.
“I did since I met an amazing woman tonight.”
Strolling to the end of the island, I lift to sit on top, facing the private room, and the slit that opens up to my hip bone exposes my entire right thigh as I cross my legs. “Oh yeah? Tell me about her.”
He clears his throat as I adjust my plunging neckline, the delicate gold chains attached to the front of my dress tickle in between my breasts, and I hum from the pleasant sensation, though hating how sensitive to touch I’ve become. I need to shut that down real quick.
“Well, she left soon after we shared a kiss at the New Year’s countdown, and I didn’t get a chance to get to know her very much.”
Tears threaten to emerge as fresh moments with Lennox come to mind, and I take a deep breath, slowly exhaling to get my emotions in check.
