He leaned close so his lips brushed against my ear. “Judging by the favors you were exchanging and the drug addiction you used to have, I don’t doubt that at all.”
I lifted my hand, wanting nothing better than to smack him, but he grasped my wrist before I even swung. He pulled back a bit, darkness swimming behind his brown eyes as he stared at me. “But things are different now. No one touches you because if they do, you’ll get a lot more gifts inside boxes from me. Understand?”
My eyebrows shot up, and I just nodded before he kissed the top of my head and vanished inside the club.
David let a few more people inside, then turned to me as I took my notebook out. “Was this his idea of a date?” he asked with a laugh.
“No. Just wanted to hang around him while he worked. I can study in the meantime.”
“You’re a student?” He eyed me as though unsure what kind of student I was and whether he should call the cops.
“Doing my master’s degree at uOttawa.”
Another few IDs checked, and he nodded. “That’s impressive. Never thought I’d see Jack with someone. He always ignores all the people who flirt with him.”
The thought of people flirting with him infuriated me. Not that it should since we weren’t a thing and never would be, but just... I didn’t like it. But I was relieved to hear he usually ignored them.
Was I a special case, then? Or maybe he just never flirted with the patrons... maybe he had sex often. I nearly groaned out loud at my own stupidity; I hadn’t even made sure he’d used a condom when we’d fucked. I’d had my tubes tied five years ago, but that didn’t protect against STIs.
Jack came back outside, and I busied myself with writing all the information I’d gathered since he’d brought me to his home. From the upstairs to the basement. And from the paintings to the bathtub. I trembled at the thought but did my best to keep my emotions out of it.
Hours passed, and from time to time, I’d glance up to see how Jack acted with others. He was professional, almost never smiling despite the number of women who did, in fact, flirt with him. I wanted to throwthemin Jack’s tub.
“Go take your break and pay attention to your girl,” David said while slapping Jack on the back.
Jack gave a curt nod, then turned to me. I slid off the stool and lost my footing, my legs having gone numb. He caught me and helped me stand as I winced. I hadn’t even noticed, but now it was as though they were filled with the static of a television.
“Sorry about that,” I said, trying to pull away, but he just held me closer.
“I get my meal break. Come on.” He wrapped an arm around my waist, and we walked inside the club. The music blared as rowdy people screamed, bouncing around to the beat. Despite the crowd, he managed to push through with ease. The lights flashed from white to red, occasionally plunging the place in an eerie glow.
We pushed past people until we got to the back door and entered an employee’s only room.
“Am I allowed in here?” I asked, biting my lower lip.
“Don’t worry about it.” He pulled me inside, and all the sounds went back to being muffled.
We sat at a table, but instead of sitting across, he took the seat next to me. He grabbed one of the menus and handed it to me.
“What would you like to eat?”
“Oh...” I glanced at the prices, and my stomach dropped; I knew after-hour places were more expensive, but this was ridiculous. “I didn’t?”
“Whatever I order is covered on my tab, so don’t worry about money if that’s what you’re about to say.” He pointed at the name of a sandwich. “I recommend this if you enjoy Montreal smoked meat.”
My mouth watered at the thought. I almost joked I’d prefer his meat but pressed my lips together and just nodded. He got up, then walked back out. The techno music blasted for a second before the door shut again.
We finished eating, and I sighed, leaning back and rubbing my abdomen. “I haven’t eaten this much in... well, ever,” I said with a giggle. I got to my feet and grabbed both plates before making my way to the sink.
“You don’t need to?”
“I don’t mind. Need to stretch my legs, anyway.” I motioned to him. “You’re the one who was standing for hours... getting flirted with the whole time.”
He straightened in his seat. “And ignoring their advances.”
“I know,” I said, finishing washing the dishes. But the audacity of some people. He was working. Flirting was unacceptable. I hated the sting of jealousy, especially when it didn’t make any sense.
“Do you ever have sex with any of them?” I blurted out the words before I really thought of what I was asking.
