It wasn't what I expected at all. I stopped in my tracks and looked around. It was just a hallway, but it was beautiful. It reminded me a little of The Plaza Hotel. Everything was painted black but there were gold designs hung on the walls. Everythingseemed to shimmer. I could hear music, but all I could see were doors. Tons of doors. And the hallways curved on both sides like it looped around in a circle.
"Mason, is that you?!"
I turned my head to the sound of a females' voice. A woman in a tight, silvery dress had just come out of one of the rooms.
Mason didn't say anything.
But the woman walked over as quickly as she could in her heels and wrapped her arms around him.
Mason kept his hands to the side, not touching her.
"Mason," she pulled back and put her hands on the collar of his jacket. "Thank you. I owe you." She leaned forward again and whispered something in his ear. Mason's body seemed to stiffen.
I wanted to punch her in her face.
Mason cleared his throat, but the girl didn't let go of his collar. "We need a private room," he said.
"Private?" The girl glanced over at me. "Are you sure?" She trailed her fingers down his abs and stopped at his belt. "I have something new to show you."
He grabbed her wrist so she couldn't unbuckle his belt. "We're just here to observe."
The girl frowned and turned away from him. She opened up a cabinet, but I wasn't interested in what she was doing. I was too busy staring at Mason. He wasn't looking at the girl, but he wasn't looking at me either. Maybe it was a mistake coming here. He seemed tense and upset. I just needed to know what was behind those doors.
The girl slipped a key into Mason's hand. "Room 16. You have my number if you change your mind." She looked at me and winked.
Fuck you.
Mason grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway, away from the strangers.
"Did you train her?" I whispered.
Mason didn't say anything. Instead, he stopped in front of a door and slid the key into the lock.
"Mason?"
He sighed. "Yes, I did."
"Did you have sex with her?"
"No." He didn't look like he was lying, but his face was strained. He opened up the door and I followed him in. The walls were the same as the ones in the hall, but the room was more dimly lit. There were leather seats and a coffee table where a bottle of champagne and glasses were sitting. I wanted it to be gross. But it seemed classy somehow. Like this was where rich men wentto screw around on their wives. The only thing that gave away where we were was a stripper pole in the middle of the room.
I turned around. Mason was already sitting on the couch. I looked down at his lap. "Did you do other intimate things together?"
"Fuck, Bee. What do you want me to say? I let her suck my dick? Fine. I feel like I'm on trial here."
"Who is she? Where did you even meet?"
He sighed. "She's an ex cheerleader. I met her at a bar. She doesn't mean anything to me. She's just some girl."
Just some girl. Like me?"What did she whisper in your ear?"
"Nothing important."
Oh God, why did I come here?I turned away from him and stared at the opposite side of the room. There was a gold curtain. It must separate us from wherever the music was coming from. Maybe it was a naked band. Like a weird groupie thing?
I wanted to think this place was disgusting and horrible. But it made sense that Patrick had come here. It was fancy. It was better than our small, dingy apartment. It was better than anything I could give him. Better than me. I never wore short, sparkly dresses for him. Maybe I had stopped trying. Maybe Patrick had been right.
"Can we please just go now?" Mason said. "You've seen it."
