My green light was in full view and close to being mine.
“Where are they going, I wonder?” I asked Dewayne, as I stared out my office window again. It faced Neal’s home, and I found myself drifting toward the view more and more.
“I can have their car followed, if you want.”
I ran my tongue across my teeth. I’d done a lot of things that weren’t... good, but something about following Daisy’s cousin felt wrong. They did nothing wrong.
I turned from the window and adjusted my suit. “Actually, I’d like to go into the city. Bring a car around, please.”
We exited together and I waited by the front door as he went to the garage and returned driving my 2025 yellow Rolls Royce.
“Where to, sir?” Dewayne asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror after I got in. While I had originallyhired someone else to be my driver, I found myself more comfortable with Dewayne, and asked him to drive me places instead, giving the driver a new position in my estate.
“Let’s follow my neighbor for a while.”
What had I been driven to? Stalking? This was pathetic. She was just across the lake, for fuck’s sake.
Dewayne started, heading into the city. He made sure to stay far enough from Neal’s car to not draw attention. Eventually, Neal parked their car in a parking lot and was greeted by a man who, when he turned, made my blood run cold.
Max.
“Park,” I ordered, as the pair walked across the street. I looked at the neon blinking sign attached to the building.
Athens Motel
Underneath the flashing sign was a banner faded from the weather.
Party Lounge from 8pm-4am every day.
Neal and Max walked inside, and I paused near my car to smoke a cigarette and gather my nerves. This was the closest I’d ever been to the bastard who stole Daisy from me. My hands shook as I lit my cigarette and put it to my lips. What was happening? This wasn’t me. This wasn’t Gatsby. These nerves were that of the fucking traumatized kid I was back at the base. I’d shed that body the day I touched Daisy for the first time in real life. The uneasiness settling in my belly felt foreign and gross, and I hated myself for it.
I finished my cigarette and flicked it to the ground, stomping on it with my Magnanni shoes.
Fuck that bastard for making me feel this way. I wasn’t going to allow that. I stormed across the street into the hotel and found myself at the back of a long line of partygoers. Music boomed from deep inside the hotel, getting the energy of the line high.
Hell no. I excused myself politely as I moved out of lineand went to the front, past reception, to where security was waving metal detector wands.
“Can I help you?” one of them addressed me with a snarky attitude. With a tight nod, I pulled out my wallet and removed three one-hundred-dollar bills.
“Yes, I’d like to join the party.”
He took the money and raised an eyebrow. “Alright. You still need to be wanded.”
I raised my arms and allowed him to check me for weapons before allowing me entrance. I thanked them and stepped into the dark room. I blinked, allowing my eyes to adjust. I was pushed from behind by the next set of patrons, so I started forward, through the sea of sweaty bodies.
Why would they come to a place like this?
From what I knew about Max Stanton, this was very low-brow for him. Before I could spot the pair, a tall, Asian man in a blue suit approached me.
“Hello sir, we’d like to invite you to our VIP area. There’s seating and a private bar.”
I followed him to the red ropes and up a set of stairs. This area was poorly lit, but I could see people on the leather couches in various states. Some simply talking, others in various stages of intimacy.
“Enjoy,” he said before returning downstairs. Security must have told him about my generous tip to get in. I went to the bar and ordered a scotch on ice. I was served fast, and I returned to the railing where I watched the party below.
Where were they? Had I been misled? Had this just been a decoy location for where they really had gone?
Just as I began to suspect I’d been tricked, I heard a scream of excitement that made me turn.
