Frankie bursts into a grin. “Iris,” he murmurs, shaking his head, “we didn’t save you from one prostitution ring just to sink you into another. Besides, you know Christian would never allow that.” I scowl, angry to have been led astray by his story, but Frankie just laughs some more and continues.
I can’t help it, not for an instant - I burst out laughing. Once we get the silverware folded into the napkins my shift begins, and Frankie takes what I come to understand as his habitual seat at the corner of the bar, flicking through his phone or at least pretending to. I move to Andre’s side an
The days move fast like this. I take as many doubles as Andre will give me – and he’s willing to give me a lot – because I like being at Lupa. I like it one hell of a lot more interesting than being in the penthouse. Even though I’ve turned it much more into a home than it was before, there are no
I can’t help it – I’m charmed immediately by her. God, Frankie was right, she deserves everything that Romano pays her. “What can I do for you?” she says sweetly, turning her head to the side as she smiles at me. “Um, Andre wanted me to check the reservations. It said sixteen? But he said that’s
Andre barks my name, breaking me from my thoughts, and I have to skitter across the bar to help him dismantle a couple of booths and set up a table for sixteen. “God,” I murmur, carrying one end of a heavy bistro table back into the service room, “I thought I was like…ornamental.” “We’re all orn
“Bottoms up, Bambi,” he murmurs, smirking at me. I smirk back and do as he does, lifting the drink to my lips and tossing it back. “You have no idea what you’re in for.” Andre was not kidding. Hours pass, all of it hard work. And I mean hours. The other patrons leave long, long before Romano and
Christian just waves his hand. “The girl is a nobody,” he says, his voice calm – even bored. “Just a stripper – that computer wiz, he had money for a minute. And expensive tastes, if you know what I mean.” A little chuckle goes around the table as I straighten and start to walk away, going slower
“Nobody did notice,” he growls, “they’ll think I’m going to the bathroom –“ “The bathrooms are in the other direction!” “Fine!” he snaps, grabbing a stack of napkins off a shelf. “That I came to get more of these! Who cares, Iris, everyone at that table is wasted – they won’t care!” “Put those
A small smile creeps on Leo’s lips. “Yeah, okay,” he says, relaxing back against our chair. “Our secret.” I grin at my baby, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, because my boy can’t resist a secret.“What’s all this?”I turn to see Christian standing at the open door, peering into the dining
The danger. It’s…it’s far too poignant.My heart breaking, I open a private browsing tab on the web browser and quickly search for Craigslist in both this city and Athens, Greece. As I do my memory goes back to a conversation I had with Frankie, when he told me that this is the best way he knows for
I stand frozen, staring down at the letter as it sits on the little hall desk, my breath coming in fluttery little gasps.The words are very simple.There are vineyards in Greece as well. I’ll take you there.I read it again and again as my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing with a mix of h
“You don’t know anything about my life,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, turning my eyes back down to the dishes. “I had no choice.”“You think you’re the only one who suffered?” Lucy whispers. “You think I wanted to be in this position? We were friends once, Iris. We were good to each other. Bu
“Mommyyyy,” Leo says, looking anxiously towards the kitchen door, shifting from foot to floor. “Hurry up! Aunt Bianca says we have to go!”I laugh, glancing down at my little boy, who looks so adorable in the private school uniform he wears to Kindergarten – crisp white shirt, navy blazer, his dark
But…was it? Was it me, missing Chris? Wanting to have yet another piece of him, even if I long denied wanting any ties to my past life?I look down, my heart heavy, not truly understanding what I think or what I feel.“I mean it, Iris,” Chris says, his voice steady and cool. “I’ll be a father to her
My heart sinks as I look Christian in the eyes – because beyond all hope, I had been praying that he hadn’t noticed that Leo is his son. But how could I have been so naïve? Leo looks just like him - dark hair, striking grey-blue eyes. The resemblance is unmistakable. I feel a wave of guilt crashing
“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”Christian opens his mouth to resp
Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I