“I don’t have any money… I don’t have that kind of money.”“Answers I don’t like to hear.”“Rocco I never borrowed from you or bought anything from you! You know that.”“I only know what’s on the paper and the paper says you owe me over five hundred thousand dollars.”“Mr. Laurence—”“I took his building and his debt is paid. How are you going to pay me?” His eyes ran down my neck until the opening of my coat. I tugged it close.“You own the building?”“I own all of this honey. You don’t own a house and your car won’t do much. Your savings are sad, to say the least.”“Hey!”He circled me. The second he was gone from my view I shut my eyes and inhaled his scent. I bit my bottom lip to keep the moan in. He leaned against the desk and pulled back so I landed on him. My
“You haven’t touched your food. You should this will be the last time you have a decent meal in a long time,” Rocco said slicing into a mid-rare steak. The lobster in front of me begged to be eaten but my stomach was in knots. I was drowning in debts that weren’t mine and Rocco wasn’t going to cut me a break. “I don’t know if I should be taking charity from you. You might just add it to my debt. Debt you know isn’t mine.” “Every document I have says it’s yours.” “What happens if I go to the police?” I narrowed my eyes at him. He picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth. I thought I struck a chord. “Then you’d be potentially sending the only man that sets you on fire to jail. Do you really want that, Lilly?” “Could you really go to jail?” “Of course not. You can go to the police if you want but it won’t do you any good. Now, you can pay everything you owe plus interest. Because we’ve been such good friends I won’t include daily interest in your debt. See, I’m not a monster.”
I took a taxi home. I was relieved I didn’t have to dance in front of a bunch of old men, but this wasn’t me. I didn’t do things like this. What would my mother think? She would disown me. She would run me over herself. There was only one person who knew what I was going through but even she didn’t have to become a stripper.I stared at Gia’s number for over twenty minutes while I sat alone in my bed. I couldn’t bring myself to call her until the phone rang and it was her calling me. I guess the power of best friendship was real.“Hey?” I said with a sigh.“Lilly, Brad won’t get me ice cream,” Gia sobbed.“Oh my gosh,” I giggled.“I brought you three tubs of ice cream.” Brad groaned in the background.“I don’t want those ones,” Gia sobbed.“My love I’ll get you all the ice cream in the world but I don’t think you really want it.”“Those pregnancy cravings are getting to you, huh?” I asked.“Maybe, I really want something sweet.”“I’ll bring you an apple pie tomorrow.”“Yeah? You’re a
“Hey,” I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled wide.Chad marched in and looked around.“Are you with someone?” He asked.“What? No. I’m alone. I’m ready too. Shall we get going? You know mom likes us to be on time.”He eyed me from head to toe. “You look gorgeous but I’m sure I heard voices in here.”“Voices? I had the TV on must have been that. I turned it off when I answered the door.”“You were talking to the TV?” He raised his brows at me.“Chad? Would I do that? Maybe you’re just stressed you work a lot.”“I’ve been stressed before and I’ve certainly never heard things.”His eyes roamed around the living room and scrutinized the balcony doors. Anything but the bedroom.“Can we leave? I don’t want to get on mom’s bad side tonight.”He br
Rocco’s fingers traced the line of the side of my body. How did I end up back here? I lay in his bed, staring at the bathroom door. My clothes had been discarded on the ground. I asked him to help me forget that people exist. He did that. For hours.Subtle moans turned to screams that would have Rocco’s neighbours reporting him in the morning. He closed his lips on my neck. If I checked the time on my phone it would tell me, it was somewhere after two in the morning. I should have been at home instead I was snuggling closer to a man that had knives sticking out of him.“Rocco?”“Lilly?” he rested his palm where he wore a cold metal ring on my hip.“Aren’t your neighbours going to complain? I made a lot of noise.”He chuckled and brushed my hair out of my face. “They should get used to it.”My heart cracked with information I had tucked in the back of my mind.“Right… you have a lot of women here.”“None of which are like you.”I wanted to tell him all women are different but he slid h
My sister scowled and raved about me being late and my hair being a mess. I couldn’t argue with her about my hair. It looked like I just walked out a bed I’d been fucked in all night. I was thankful rather than mad when she gave me a pink beanie.“You know what you’re looking for Candice?”“I’ve got an idea. I’m thinking glamourous rich princess.”“I’m having a hard time envisioning it,” I frowned as we walked into a dress store with pink cursive letters over the door. Headless manikins posed in the windows wearing dresses of all sorts of designs.We walked in and the scent of lavender and lilac welcomed us along with a ceiling covered in yellow lights. Rows and rows of wedding gowns lined the walls and extended to the backrooms. This place reminded me of how I missed my best friend’s dress fitting.Gianna’s situation was complicated. I wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Her sister-in-law showed up with her husband’s ex-mistress. The day ended with a damaged wedding dress that G
I arrived under the cover of night at the nightclub. I let my hair down, plastered on red lipstick. I pulled out black heels from the back of my closet and pulled on a black coat. Maybe I would fit in at the club. Still my skin crawled when I entered the underground club.The bouncers let me through. The bartender left his station and told me to go to the office to the right. It wasn’t Rocco’s office. The office was smaller than Rocco’s office. It had a desk and a chair behind it. An arm chair the in the corner of the room as well as a small liquor cabinet.“Where’s Rocco?” I asked.“He left but I was told to bring you here when you came.”“Okay?” I walked to the chair in the corner. “By whom?” Too late the bartender was already gone.I picked up the brown liquid on the desk. I brought it to my nose and winced. Strong stuff. Did Rocco have another office? He wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to a bottle in his cabinet.I scanned the bottles each one stronger than the last. I settled on
I ran to my door but there was no one chasing me. I ran as if a dog was right on my heels. I never wanted to see another silver suit in my life. I didn’t think I would have to walk around nearly butt naked. I would have to sell my soul to do it. I’d have to sell my soul to pay Rocco back. Tears rolled down my cheek as I rummaged my kitchen for a bottle of wine I kept for special occasions. I kept it under the sink. I pulled out the bottle of white wine and grabbed a curvy wine glass. I filled the glass and collapsed on my couch. I was screwed. I would have to go to my parents for money and maybe my sister. I sniffled the ultimate embarrassment. I kicked off my heels. My boyfriend would leave me. At least my best friend wouldn’t abandon me. On my second glass pounding came from my door. I grumbled. I ignore it and took a sip. The pounding continued. I didn’t care I couldn’t afford this apartment anyway so if my neighbours complained it was fine with me. “Emilia! Open this door.” I
“Sorry about your shirt,” I said as Rocco washed his hands.“It would have been my shirt or your dress. I needed a distraction to get you alone,” he smirked.“How do you know my Dad?” I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to this.“We’ve done business together. Whatever that is you don’t need to know.”I planted my hand on my hip, “The first day of our relationship and you’re already keeping secrets from me?”Rocco laughed. He grabbed my chin and kissed me. “One thing about me is I’ll try to protect you at any cost. Let it go, okay?”I nodded. My heart settled. Some things were better left buried.We walked of the bathroom at the same time and drew some eyes. I turned to Rocco he walked ahead unbothered. He oozed confidence. I appeared by his side. I still had to answer questions about my ex-boyfriend and being seen so close to Rocco would spark rumours then I remembered I needed to get Candice out of the bathroom.“I have to take care of my sister,” I whispered.Rocco smiled easily, “I’l
After Rocco left I couldn’t sleep. I curled into my bed and rethought the entire night. The most traumatizing thing was Chad kissing Cleo. I couldn’t digest that I was single. I’d been with Chad for so long already. Rocco bore his heart out but the night wasn’t long enough for me to come to a decision.The next morning, I had to get ready for my sister’s engagement. I put on a brave face for my family and prepared of the engagement taking place at seven in the evening.Gianna told me she couldn’t make it. She hadn’t been feeling well so Brad put her on lockdown. I needed my best friend but this was my battle to face. There would be questions when I showed up without Chad. Mom would throw a fit.The sun came and went before I knew it I was packing up my makeup and picking shoes. After drowning a glass of wine I called a cab. The engagement was at my family’s estate which had been in the family for years. Mom would sell her leg before selling that piece of property. Thank goodness I did
Rocco chuckled, “Aren’t you going to answer that?”“Hide in my room!”Rocco grimaced before walking to the couch, settling on it and lifting his feet on the stool.“That isn’t hiding Rocco!”Rocco rolled his head back and rested his palms on his chest like an innocent man. The pounding continued.“Lilly, open up,” Chad demands.I fidgeted with my hands. I couldn’t just wait here until he went away.“Want me to open the door for you? You knew this was a long time coming.” Rocco pushed himself up from the couch and closed the space between us. He was right. I cheated on Chad now I had to face the explosion.I marched to the door. I glanced at Rocco there was a hint of surprise on his face but he said nothing. I opened the door. Something squeezed my heart when Chad appeared on the other side stood his receptionist Cleo.“What’s going on?” I asked.Chad marched inside, Cleo tailing him. Alright, y’all can both come in, I thought.“You’re asking me what’s going on? Who’s he?” Chad pointed
Rocco picked up the phone slowly. He leaned back and brought the phone to his face. Silence settled between us while he scrutinized the photos. Did he even know what he was looking at? He was so drunk nothing must be registering in his mind.Then he tossed the phone on the table.“What is this? Did you come to seduce me with your semi-nude photos?”“Excuse me? Seduce you? Don’t you know what those are?”“Pictures of your ass,” he said, bringing the empty glass to his lips. He frowned when he got nothing out of the glass.“Pictures I didn’t take! Did you send these?”“Why would I, Lilly?”He hauled his body off the chair and staggered to the liquor case. I groaned and followed him to the case. I caught his arm before he could grab another bottle.“That’s enough alcohol for one night,” I said.He snatched his arm back. “You can’t tell me what to do.”“I have a problem here! Someone has nude photos of me if it isn’t you.”“Your naked imagine is embedded in my mind for the rest of time.”
I ran to my door but there was no one chasing me. I ran as if a dog was right on my heels. I never wanted to see another silver suit in my life. I didn’t think I would have to walk around nearly butt naked. I would have to sell my soul to do it. I’d have to sell my soul to pay Rocco back. Tears rolled down my cheek as I rummaged my kitchen for a bottle of wine I kept for special occasions. I kept it under the sink. I pulled out the bottle of white wine and grabbed a curvy wine glass. I filled the glass and collapsed on my couch. I was screwed. I would have to go to my parents for money and maybe my sister. I sniffled the ultimate embarrassment. I kicked off my heels. My boyfriend would leave me. At least my best friend wouldn’t abandon me. On my second glass pounding came from my door. I grumbled. I ignore it and took a sip. The pounding continued. I didn’t care I couldn’t afford this apartment anyway so if my neighbours complained it was fine with me. “Emilia! Open this door.” I
I arrived under the cover of night at the nightclub. I let my hair down, plastered on red lipstick. I pulled out black heels from the back of my closet and pulled on a black coat. Maybe I would fit in at the club. Still my skin crawled when I entered the underground club.The bouncers let me through. The bartender left his station and told me to go to the office to the right. It wasn’t Rocco’s office. The office was smaller than Rocco’s office. It had a desk and a chair behind it. An arm chair the in the corner of the room as well as a small liquor cabinet.“Where’s Rocco?” I asked.“He left but I was told to bring you here when you came.”“Okay?” I walked to the chair in the corner. “By whom?” Too late the bartender was already gone.I picked up the brown liquid on the desk. I brought it to my nose and winced. Strong stuff. Did Rocco have another office? He wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to a bottle in his cabinet.I scanned the bottles each one stronger than the last. I settled on
My sister scowled and raved about me being late and my hair being a mess. I couldn’t argue with her about my hair. It looked like I just walked out a bed I’d been fucked in all night. I was thankful rather than mad when she gave me a pink beanie.“You know what you’re looking for Candice?”“I’ve got an idea. I’m thinking glamourous rich princess.”“I’m having a hard time envisioning it,” I frowned as we walked into a dress store with pink cursive letters over the door. Headless manikins posed in the windows wearing dresses of all sorts of designs.We walked in and the scent of lavender and lilac welcomed us along with a ceiling covered in yellow lights. Rows and rows of wedding gowns lined the walls and extended to the backrooms. This place reminded me of how I missed my best friend’s dress fitting.Gianna’s situation was complicated. I wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Her sister-in-law showed up with her husband’s ex-mistress. The day ended with a damaged wedding dress that G
Rocco’s fingers traced the line of the side of my body. How did I end up back here? I lay in his bed, staring at the bathroom door. My clothes had been discarded on the ground. I asked him to help me forget that people exist. He did that. For hours.Subtle moans turned to screams that would have Rocco’s neighbours reporting him in the morning. He closed his lips on my neck. If I checked the time on my phone it would tell me, it was somewhere after two in the morning. I should have been at home instead I was snuggling closer to a man that had knives sticking out of him.“Rocco?”“Lilly?” he rested his palm where he wore a cold metal ring on my hip.“Aren’t your neighbours going to complain? I made a lot of noise.”He chuckled and brushed my hair out of my face. “They should get used to it.”My heart cracked with information I had tucked in the back of my mind.“Right… you have a lot of women here.”“None of which are like you.”I wanted to tell him all women are different but he slid h
“Hey,” I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled wide.Chad marched in and looked around.“Are you with someone?” He asked.“What? No. I’m alone. I’m ready too. Shall we get going? You know mom likes us to be on time.”He eyed me from head to toe. “You look gorgeous but I’m sure I heard voices in here.”“Voices? I had the TV on must have been that. I turned it off when I answered the door.”“You were talking to the TV?” He raised his brows at me.“Chad? Would I do that? Maybe you’re just stressed you work a lot.”“I’ve been stressed before and I’ve certainly never heard things.”His eyes roamed around the living room and scrutinized the balcony doors. Anything but the bedroom.“Can we leave? I don’t want to get on mom’s bad side tonight.”He br