Regards, the man from the elevator.”
My rapidly beating pulse was about to give away my nervousness as I turned to the group and told them I’d be right back, that the concierge needed to see me downstairs. As I grabbed my small clutch, I told them I’d meet them in the limo in about twenty minutes. I took the elevator down to the lobby and walked to the bar. As I saw him sitting on the bar stool, the nervous butterflies in my stomach were fluttering their wings like crazy. Why was I doing this? How could I do this? He turned his head and his eyes burned through me. I nervously walked over and sat down on the stool next to him.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d show,” he said as he picked up his glass.
“I wanted to thank you for the sushi and cheese trays you sent to my room. That was very nice of you, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“I know I didn’t, but I thought you and your female companions would enjoy it. Did you enjoy it?” he asked as he stared into my eyes.
“Yes, very much. Thank you,” I replied as my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.”
“Would you like a drink?”
“No, thank you. I have to meet my friends in the limo in about ten minutes.”
“Would you object if I told you how stunning you look?”
“Thank you,” I said as I looked down.
“I see you’re married,” he said as he looked at my ring.
“Yes, I am, and I have a baby at home.”
I glanced over at his hand to see if he was wearing a ring and he was. “I see you’re married as well.”
He looked at me as the corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards. “Yes, I am. But that doesn’t stop me from looking at beautiful women. Apparently, it doesn’t stop you either because you’re sitting here with me.”
I gulped as I got up from the stool. He reached over and placed his hand on mine as an electrical shock shot through my body. “Thank you for coming down and meeting me.”
“I have to go. Thank you again for the trays,” I said as I walked out of there as fast as I could.
Everyone was waiting for me in the limo. As the driver opened the door for me, I slid in next to Mason.
“Are you all right? You look flushed,” he said.
“I’m fine. Now let’s go and have a good time.”
Chapter 26
We arrived at the first club and had dinner up on the rooftop. I couldn’t stop thinking about the man from the elevator and how it had felt when he touched me. Needing to see if I had any missed calls or text messages, I pulled my phone from my clutch and saw nothing. I wondered what Connor was doing and I felt like I needed to text him.
“Hi, babe. I just want to make sure you’re having a good time.”
A few minutes later, a reply from him came through.
“Hey, baby. We’re having a great time. How about you?”
“Yeah, I am. I just wanted to tell you that I love you,” I typed with guilt.
“I love you too. Remember to stay safe.”
“I will.”
As I put my phone back in my clutch, I grabbed my glass of wine and drank it as fast as I could. I put all thoughts of the man from the elevator out of my mind so I could enjoy the evening that I had spent months planning. We ate, drank, and had a good time. But the fun didn’t really start until we walked into the club called X. It was a high-class strip club that was divided in half. One side of the club was male strippers and the other half was female strippers.
We sat at the table, waiting for the show to start. Peyton was already drunk and so were a few of the girls. I needed a drink and didn’t want to wait for the waitress, so I excused myself and walked up to the large bar that was shared by both sides of the club. As the bartender approached me, I ordered a shot of Jack. He put the shot glass down in front of me and I threw it back, allowing the burning sensation to coat my throat. Suddenly, I was startled by a voice in my ear.
“Well, isn’t this a coincidence seeing you here. It must be fate,” the deep voice whispered as his scent captured me and his hot breath warmed my neck.
Once again, my heart started beating rapidly as the lower half of me started to ache. “Are you following me?” I asked without turning around.
“I was just about to ask you the same question. Do you always come to strip clubs?”
“No. I told you before that it’s my best friend’s bachelorette party.”
“Ah, that’s right,” he said as he traced little circles on my shoulder with his finger.
My skin started to heat up at his touch. There wasn’t anywhere I could go. He had me trapped between the bar and the stool. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” he asked.
“Just a bit,” I answered nervously.