I let out a deep sigh.
What is going on?
We arrived at Moretti’s nightclub. This was a gentleman’s club.
I looked out the window of the Uber, and my mind drifted again.
It hadn’t changed much since the last time I was there. Moretti had given me my first job as an escort. That’s how I met Cole. He was my first client.
The Uber car door opened. The driver had opened it. He extended his hand, and I grabbed it so I could get myself out of the car.
If there was one thing the club hadn’t lost, it was manners. All the staff had good manners, until they didn’t.
“Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Moretti is waiting for you inside,” the driver said.
I nodded.
The driver escorted me to the door. Moretti was there.
I looked at my watch.
It was 7:03 p.m.
Cole will be calling me anytime soon.
“Hi there, Clarissa,” Moretti said.
“Hi there, yourself, Moretti. What’s this nonsense I hear about my son owing you money?”
“Relax, Candy Spice. Just come inside and make yourself comfortable.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Don’t call me that. You know I don’t like that name,” I answered. I was fuming.
What sort of bullshit was Moretti pulling this time?
I entered the club, and it was just as I remembered. The walls were a dark blue, not too dark, but pleasant.
“I see you’ve done some repairs. A far cry from the dump it used to be.”
I wanted to get under his skin. The place really looked nice, but I was just fucking with him.
Chandeliers hung nicely from the ceiling; private rooms for guests and their escorts looked very plush and comfortable. Thedancing poles for the lady dancers looked brand new up on the stage.
“This dump helped give you your start. I wouldn’t knock it,” Moretti said resentfully. “Is it bringing back memories?” he asked.
“No. It’s not,” I lied. “Once a gorilla, always a gorilla, even if you put lipstick on the gorilla.”
Moretti let out a hearty laugh.
“I see you haven’t changed a bit. Always the feisty one, the rebel without a cause. That’s what I like about you.”
I kept walking through the club, and lo and behold, I saw Cole at the corner table with a black eye.
I rushed toward him and sat right next to him. I took his face in my hands and looked him over carefully. It was definitely a nasty bruise.
“Are you okay, honey bunny?” I asked with concern in my voice. “Did this idiot hurt you?”
