slowly.
Silence from the driver’s seat.
“No? Fine. I’ll call him myself.” I did have his private line. “I’m sure he loves it when you let drunk, angry women call him without warning.” I was satisfied when I saw Du Cheval twitch slightly.
“I will inform him that you wish to meet with him,” he said, and it sounded like it came through gritted teeth.
“How convenient,” I said. “Thank you.”
Du Cheval sighed in exasperation and turned the key in the ignition. “I am not paid enough to argue with hysterical drunks,” he muttered. I didn’t care what he thought of me—only that I had a chance to confront that manipulative asshole, Calvin Chambers.
My anger only grew as we sped toward his house, and I practiced what I would say to him. I slipped off the stilettos as soon as I got out of the car, figuring breaking an ankle rushing in would ruin the effect. I stomped barefoot through the front door, carrying the stilettos in one hand and let it slam Probably in his office, I thought.
He was sitting at his desk, pretending not to notice me. Was he angry? Was I angry? Suddenly I was unsure, tired, confused. Oh, NOW I’m sobering up. I felt my stomach twist as he put down the paper he was reading.
“Calvin, look at me!” I didn’t try to raise my voice, but it happened, anyway. I meant to sound commanding but it came out desperate. Look at me, I thought. Why would a man like him have bid 3 million dollars on this mess? Then I remembered Logan and pushing him away and the whole stupid night, and I didn’t care how ridiculous I sounded. He paid for my virginity… not to treat me like a pawn in a some stupid game. “What?” His voice was ice, but he did turn to look at me. I didn’t give myself time to regret it. If I hesitated, I would fall into the cracks opening under my feet. I had to keep running forward, or I would be swallowed by fear.
“Don’t you what me! Who do you think you are?” I yelled. “What gives you the right to play games with people like that? And what the fuck was the point about meeting with me about the terms of the contract and then sneaking in a bunch of weird, shady shit at the end I don’t even feel comfortable with? You acted like you wanted everything to be cut and dried, no surprises, and then you spring this on me?” “I expected you to read the contract, Sabrina,” he answered, eyes burning back at me. Clearly, he didn’t like to be spoken to in this tone. “You were supposed to find out.”
“Then, why didn’t you tell me when we first talked about it?” I was livid. “
He started to answer but I was too wound up to stop.
“You know what, Calvin?” I said. “Just don’t. You’re like every other goddamned manipulator in my life. Say one thing, do another. Mister ‘Whatever you want at your pace, Sabrina’—you know what?! I didn’t ask you for that, ” I hissed. “I came here fully prepared to fulfill my part of the deal. Remember what it was supposed to be? My virginity? Yeah. You like what.. feet and handcuffs? You could have said that, you paid three million dollars, I could have coped with it. But no.” I waved my hands around. “That’s not good enough for you. You have to have some big elaborate scheme and people told to seduce me and all kinds of…” I was running out of steam now. “Nonsense. All kinds of nonsense.” I flopped down in a chair. “I was starting to like you, you know.” Oh jeez, are those tears welling up? God, Sabrina, don’t cry.
“ If you want to back out now, you can,” Calvin said. “Nothing was hidden from you. You signed the contract.”
“Yeah, I signed it. I realize that. But you intentionally left all of that out during our little pre-contract heart to heart negotiations,” I said wearily. “You were misleading and you know it. And then tonight… trotted out like a show animal for your friends to leer at and test… For Christ’s sake, Calvin, I didn’t keep my
Silence from the driver’s seat.
“No? Fine. I’ll call him myself.” I did have his private line. “I’m sure he loves it when you let drunk, angry women call him without warning.” I was satisfied when I saw Du Cheval twitch slightly.
“I will inform him that you wish to meet with him,” he said, and it sounded like it came through gritted teeth.
“How convenient,” I said. “Thank you.”
Du Cheval sighed in exasperation and turned the key in the ignition. “I am not paid enough to argue with hysterical drunks,” he muttered. I didn’t care what he thought of me—only that I had a chance to confront that manipulative asshole, Calvin Chambers.
My anger only grew as we sped toward his house, and I practiced what I would say to him. I slipped off the stilettos as soon as I got out of the car, figuring breaking an ankle rushing in would ruin the effect. I stomped barefoot through the front door, carrying the stilettos in one hand and let it slam Probably in his office, I thought.
He was sitting at his desk, pretending not to notice me. Was he angry? Was I angry? Suddenly I was unsure, tired, confused. Oh, NOW I’m sobering up. I felt my stomach twist as he put down the paper he was reading.
“Calvin, look at me!” I didn’t try to raise my voice, but it happened, anyway. I meant to sound commanding but it came out desperate. Look at me, I thought. Why would a man like him have bid 3 million dollars on this mess? Then I remembered Logan and pushing him away and the whole stupid night, and I didn’t care how ridiculous I sounded. He paid for my virginity… not to treat me like a pawn in a some stupid game. “What?” His voice was ice, but he did turn to look at me. I didn’t give myself time to regret it. If I hesitated, I would fall into the cracks opening under my feet. I had to keep running forward, or I would be swallowed by fear.
“Don’t you what me! Who do you think you are?” I yelled. “What gives you the right to play games with people like that? And what the fuck was the point about meeting with me about the terms of the contract and then sneaking in a bunch of weird, shady shit at the end I don’t even feel comfortable with? You acted like you wanted everything to be cut and dried, no surprises, and then you spring this on me?” “I expected you to read the contract, Sabrina,” he answered, eyes burning back at me. Clearly, he didn’t like to be spoken to in this tone. “You were supposed to find out.”
“Then, why didn’t you tell me when we first talked about it?” I was livid. “
He started to answer but I was too wound up to stop.
“You know what, Calvin?” I said. “Just don’t. You’re like every other goddamned manipulator in my life. Say one thing, do another. Mister ‘Whatever you want at your pace, Sabrina’—you know what?! I didn’t ask you for that, ” I hissed. “I came here fully prepared to fulfill my part of the deal. Remember what it was supposed to be? My virginity? Yeah. You like what.. feet and handcuffs? You could have said that, you paid three million dollars, I could have coped with it. But no.” I waved my hands around. “That’s not good enough for you. You have to have some big elaborate scheme and people told to seduce me and all kinds of…” I was running out of steam now. “Nonsense. All kinds of nonsense.” I flopped down in a chair. “I was starting to like you, you know.” Oh jeez, are those tears welling up? God, Sabrina, don’t cry.
“ If you want to back out now, you can,” Calvin said. “Nothing was hidden from you. You signed the contract.”
“Yeah, I signed it. I realize that. But you intentionally left all of that out during our little pre-contract heart to heart negotiations,” I said wearily. “You were misleading and you know it. And then tonight… trotted out like a show animal for your friends to leer at and test… For Christ’s sake, Calvin, I didn’t keep my
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