AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I had to get the liquor order in before I left.”
She chuckled at my lame excuse. “Come on. It won’t be too bad going home, will it?”
“I haven’t spoken to my parents in eleven years.”
Although I’d always known my father had the idea I’d follow in his footsteps in the family law business, I hadn’t expected him and my mom to cut me off completely for making a different choice. After my dad found out about my ownership in a sex club, he’d called me a disgrace. Yes, a sex club would be tough for any parent to accept, but he’d made it sound as if I was a horrible human for choosing this lifestyle. As if I’d gone against a moral code I didn’t remember him having until it suited him. I think what hurt the most was having my mother go along with it.
It didn’t matter all the years I’d been a loving son, brother, and member of the family. As of eleven years ago, I was no longer considered part of the unit.
But when my little sister, Kate, had called and invited me to her wedding, it had meant a lot. I wouldn’t miss her special day for anything, which meant I’d swallowed the hurt and resentment and said yes.
Daniella came over and set a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Max. But fuck them. You’ll go for your sister, ignore anyone who’s an asshole, and return here on Sunday to your real family.”
Shane and Dani were like family. Hell, all the people who worked here at the club were a type of surrogate family. It was a place people came for acceptance and freedom. I was proud for creating such a judgment-free zone, even if years later I privately struggled with my own demons when it came to self-acceptance. Visiting home would only heighten my doubts. “Thank you. Call me if you need me to come back early.”
Shane shook his head. “Nice try. Everything is good. We have the new manager who’s doing great.”
Yes, Dylan was a godsend. He made it possible for us owners to take more time off. “You’re right he is doing great. He’s taking my Valentine’s Day performance slot this year, by the way.”
Shane nodded, not seeming surprised by the substitution. To the outside world, owning and partaking in a sex club would be a dream come true. Hell, in my twenties, I’d taken full advantage, performing whenever and with whomever was up for it. But over the last year, I’d started to feel burned out. Perhaps I was getting older and the novelty was wearing off. Or maybe it was watching Shane and Daniella’s relationship grow and feeling unfulfilled with meaningless sex. Who knew. But whatever it was causing my funk, it helped to have supportive friends.
“Okay.” I stood up. “Time to go.”
Ninety minutes later, I hit gridlock. From the looks of it, there was an accident off to the right. I winced at the sight of the crunched cars and hoped everyone was okay. At least the police were already on the scene. I was about to move forward when a red Beemer came racing up from the shoulder and cut in front of me, causing me to hit the brakes and spill my coffee. I laid on the horn to voice my displeasure. “Prick.”
Watching him cut the next car off and weave ahead, I shook my head and hoped karma would catch up with the asshole. I inched forward past the accident, able to speed up for only a short time before I was forced to slow down again. I didn’t mind. At least now when I told my sister traffic made me late, it wouldn’t be a lie.
My gaze roamed ahead, discovering the red BMW pulled over on the left shoulder. How poetic would a flat tire be? Would serve him right, especially in this cold weather. I watched as the passenger door opened, and a woman got out. Shutting the door, she walked toward the rear of the vehicle. Without warning, the car peeled out, sending a cloud of dust and rock flying towards the poor girl who shielded herself with her hands.
Are you fucking kidding me? I didn’t hesitate to move over to the shoulder and pull up behind her.
Chapter Three
Oakley
I stood there stunned, my breath visible in the crisp air. What in the hell had just happened? Three dates might not have been enough time for me to have determined the meaning behind his red flags, but how could Kate’s fiancé be good friends with a psycho?
Quickly, I shrugged into my coat, already shivering with the cold. Meanwhile, a gray SUV pulled onto the shoulder. Although I was grateful someone would stop for me, I wasn’t about to get into a vehicle with a random stranger. I pulled out my phone, searching for my Uber app. I heard the door of the SUV open and the crunch of gravel under the stranger’s shoes.
“Miss. Are you okay?” the masculine voice asked.
I turned around, about to tell him I was fine when words failed me. Damn. Serial killers couldn’t be that good looking, right? He was tall, with sandy-brown hair and a handsome face. One which looked familiar?
“Max?”
His eyes went wide, and he stopped in his tracks. “Yes. Have we met?”
I exhaled a sigh of relief. “Yeah, I’d say so. I’m Oakley, Kate’s friend. We were seven years apart in school.”
He grinned, his dimples amping up his good looks by a factor of a thousand percent. Max might be in his thirties now, but he still had the same boyish, crush-worthy charm about him as when he’d been a teenager.
“Little Oakley Winters. You’re all grown up.”
“I am.” My arms hugged my waist in an attempt to keep myself warm.
“And stuck on the side of the road by an asshole.”
“Yep.” Much to my humiliation.
