spouts once again and gets up and grabs her clutch off the table. “Are you coming Jaxson?”
Sam puts a hand over his. “I think you need to explain something first.”
“Take a cab back to the hotel, Mia. I’ll join you shortly.”
She stomps her tinker foot. “Well, I never!”
“Jesus Christ, woman!” Sam tells her. “We get it—’you never.’“ Sam opens her clutch and pulls out what looks like a business card and hands it to Mia.
Mia shakes her head refusing to take the card.
“For the love of God,” Sam says, “take the damn card.”
Mia reluctantly takes it and reads it. Her face turns red and throws it back to Sam. “You whore!” I’m leaving, Jaxson. Are you coming?”
“Take a cab, Mia.”
She gives him a dirty look, stomps her tinker foot again, then storms out.
Jaxson picks up the card and reads it out loud. “Last Resort Male Escorts. We’re there for you when no one else is.”
Lane laughs. “That’s my girl.”
“So, Mr. Ryan, is it true? Are you married?”
He pauses before he answers. “It’s not what you think.”
I can no longer hold back my tears.
Marco walks up to Lane and me. “What the fuck is going on?”
I shake my head and look back toward Sam and Jaxson.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sam asks him. “You’re either married or you’re not.”
He shrugs.
I hold my breath willing him to say “no.”
“Yes, I’m married,” he whispers.
Lane hops off his barstool. “I’m going to fucking kill the bastard!”
I grab his arm. “Lane, please don’t. Don’t cause a scene. This is Jules’ and Nick’s night.”
Marco looks at us. “Will someone please tell me what going on?”
“Nothing is going on,” I tell him.
“The hell it’s not.”
“Why?” Sam asks.
“It’s a long story, Sam. One that I don’t want to get into right now, and please don’t say anything to Lex. I’ll tell her.”
She looks over at me. “I think...she might already know.”
Jaxson follows her gaze. Our eyes meet. “What the hell is going on?”
I shake my head.
He looks back at Sam. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Sam pulls out her earpiece.
Jaxson turns and looks at me as his regret washes over him and lands on me.
I take my earpiece out and hold it out so he can see. Then I turn to Lane. “Game over.” I hand him my earpiece and all but run out of the room.
I hear Lane and Marco calling me, but I just keep running. When I get to the elevators, Lee is right behind me. I’d forgotten that he was even there.
“Lex, what’s going on?”
I wipe a tear off my cheek as the doors open.
We step in.
“Nothing Lee, I’m fine I...I don’t feel well.”
He frowns. “Alexia, what the hell happened?”
I put a hand on his shoulder. “Let it go Lee.”
The doors open on our floor. I take my keycard out of my clutch.
Lee takes it, swipes it, and then opens the door.
I wait by the door as he walks through the room making sure it’s secure.
“Okay,” he says, “all’s good.”
“Thank you, Lee. I’ll be staying in for the rest of the night.”
“Okay. I’ll be right next door if need me”
“I’ll see you in the morning, Lee.”
He nods then steps out.
I close the door and lean up against it. I hit it with the back of my head. “You. Stupid.” Thump. “Stupid.” Thump. “Girl.” Thump. “Will you ever learn?”
Then I hear shouting.
“You need to leave Mr. Ryan, Ms. Grant has retired for the evening.”
“I’m not leaving until I talk to her.”
“I’m afraid you are,” Lee says.
“Like hell!” Jaxson shout.
Then I hear a scuffle.
“Fuck!” Jaxson shouts. “Get the hell off me, you big ox!”
I hear something hit the door—then a loud knock.
“Open the fucking door Alexia!” Jaxson shouts. “We need to talk!”
Another thump.
“Mr. Ryan, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. Either way you’re leaving.”
“Like hell I am! Alexia, open the goddamn door!”
I hear what I
Sam puts a hand over his. “I think you need to explain something first.”
“Take a cab back to the hotel, Mia. I’ll join you shortly.”
She stomps her tinker foot. “Well, I never!”
“Jesus Christ, woman!” Sam tells her. “We get it—’you never.’“ Sam opens her clutch and pulls out what looks like a business card and hands it to Mia.
Mia shakes her head refusing to take the card.
“For the love of God,” Sam says, “take the damn card.”
Mia reluctantly takes it and reads it. Her face turns red and throws it back to Sam. “You whore!” I’m leaving, Jaxson. Are you coming?”
“Take a cab, Mia.”
She gives him a dirty look, stomps her tinker foot again, then storms out.
Jaxson picks up the card and reads it out loud. “Last Resort Male Escorts. We’re there for you when no one else is.”
Lane laughs. “That’s my girl.”
“So, Mr. Ryan, is it true? Are you married?”
He pauses before he answers. “It’s not what you think.”
I can no longer hold back my tears.
Marco walks up to Lane and me. “What the fuck is going on?”
I shake my head and look back toward Sam and Jaxson.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Sam asks him. “You’re either married or you’re not.”
He shrugs.
I hold my breath willing him to say “no.”
“Yes, I’m married,” he whispers.
Lane hops off his barstool. “I’m going to fucking kill the bastard!”
I grab his arm. “Lane, please don’t. Don’t cause a scene. This is Jules’ and Nick’s night.”
Marco looks at us. “Will someone please tell me what going on?”
“Nothing is going on,” I tell him.
“The hell it’s not.”
“Why?” Sam asks.
“It’s a long story, Sam. One that I don’t want to get into right now, and please don’t say anything to Lex. I’ll tell her.”
She looks over at me. “I think...she might already know.”
Jaxson follows her gaze. Our eyes meet. “What the hell is going on?”
I shake my head.
He looks back at Sam. “Tell me what’s going on.”
Sam pulls out her earpiece.
Jaxson turns and looks at me as his regret washes over him and lands on me.
I take my earpiece out and hold it out so he can see. Then I turn to Lane. “Game over.” I hand him my earpiece and all but run out of the room.
I hear Lane and Marco calling me, but I just keep running. When I get to the elevators, Lee is right behind me. I’d forgotten that he was even there.
“Lex, what’s going on?”
I wipe a tear off my cheek as the doors open.
We step in.
“Nothing Lee, I’m fine I...I don’t feel well.”
He frowns. “Alexia, what the hell happened?”
I put a hand on his shoulder. “Let it go Lee.”
The doors open on our floor. I take my keycard out of my clutch.
Lee takes it, swipes it, and then opens the door.
I wait by the door as he walks through the room making sure it’s secure.
“Okay,” he says, “all’s good.”
“Thank you, Lee. I’ll be staying in for the rest of the night.”
“Okay. I’ll be right next door if need me”
“I’ll see you in the morning, Lee.”
He nods then steps out.
I close the door and lean up against it. I hit it with the back of my head. “You. Stupid.” Thump. “Stupid.” Thump. “Girl.” Thump. “Will you ever learn?”
Then I hear shouting.
“You need to leave Mr. Ryan, Ms. Grant has retired for the evening.”
“I’m not leaving until I talk to her.”
“I’m afraid you are,” Lee says.
“Like hell!” Jaxson shout.
Then I hear a scuffle.
“Fuck!” Jaxson shouts. “Get the hell off me, you big ox!”
I hear something hit the door—then a loud knock.
“Open the fucking door Alexia!” Jaxson shouts. “We need to talk!”
Another thump.
“Mr. Ryan, we can do this the hard way or the easy way. Either way you’re leaving.”
“Like hell I am! Alexia, open the goddamn door!”
I hear what I
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