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I nod again, hoping she’ll move.
I don’t feel safe here.
I feel violated. Taken advantage of.
Used.
And maybe a little ashamed.
Embarrassed that I put myself in a position I clearly couldn’t handle.
I just want out of here, and right now Andre’s the fastest way to make that happen.
Vi gives me a tiny nod of acknowledgment before turning back to Andre. “I will have your car pulled around for you.”
She steps to one side and Andre immediately whisks me through the small lobby filled with shirts and keychains and cups emblazoned with Platinum’s logo, before hauling me out the entrance and into the icy air. Vi must have jumped us to the top of the valet’s list, because his car is there almost immediately, idling at the curb while Andre eases me into the passenger seat. The interior is still cold, but the vents are blowing lukewarm air and the heated seat under my butt is warming rapidly.
Andre drops into the driver seat and immediately pulls away, jaw set tight as he grips the steering wheel like he’d consider strangling it if he could.
I watch him for a minute, waiting for the chatter of my teeth to subside as I burrow deeper into the warmth of his jacket. “Why are you driving?”
“Why wouldn’t I be driving?”
The only other time I’ve seen him drive was when he sent both Victor and his driver home, and I’m pretty sure that’s because he thought he was going to convince me to stay with him.
“I guess I just didn’t think you usually drove places.” I adjust one of my arms as the sequins on Madison’s purple bra start to dig into my armpit. The asshole that grabbed me completely ripped the hook in the front loose, making it impossible to refasten, so it’s still dangling from my shoulders, ruined and useless.
Sort of like my stripping career.
“Do you drive?”
Andre’s question surprises me a little. So far he hasn’t asked anything about me, choosing to dig up what he wants to know on his own instead.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Well, because I can’t afford a car for starters.” I glance out the window as we come to a stop at a light. A set of homeless men on the corner are oddly focused on Andre’s car, watching it closely from where they sit, hunkered together against one of the many buildings stacked shoulder to shoulder. “And I don’t really need one here. I can ride the bus or the subway and get pretty much anywhere I need to go.” One of the homeless men nods Andre’s way before turning back to his friend.
I glance at Andre. His eyes move from where they were focused on the men to fix on the light holding us in place. “A car is safer than the bus and the subway.”
“Yeah, well it’s a whole lot more expensive too, so I’ll be sticking with public transportation.” I give the homeless men one last glance as we pull away and catch them watching me. I offer a little wave with the hand I’m not using to hold together the front of Andre’s jacket. Their hands lift just as they go out of sight.
Seeing them reminds me of Barney. “Will it get much colder tonight?”
“Does it matter?” Andre’s frown is focused on the road, as if it’s wronged him.
“Well, considering I’m pretty much naked, it kind of matters to me.” I don’t tell him that I’m actually worried about Barney. I always check on him when I get home from work and it’s looking like that will be later than normal.
Andre glances my way, expression still hard as his eyes move down my barely covered body. “Do you think I’m going to make you stay like that?”
I pull his coat closer, feeling more exposed under his gaze than I did in the center of the stage. “I don’t really know what you will do, Andre. You haven’t exactly been the most consistent person.”
One brow lifts as he swings his gaze back to the road. “Explain.”
“You tried to send me straight home the night you bought my—” I swallow hard. “My—”
Goddammit. Even after everything I’ve managed to do I still can’t make myself say that freaking word.
