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11
PERRY
For years I’d had a membership to Untouchable and hadn’t stepped foot into the building once. It had nothing to do with Dexen’s family and mine in competition for the top spot in West Dremest. We got along well when we spoke. It was about me having no time to go to his club. Also, I was straight.
“How did I let you drag me here?” I asked Peyton as he drove us to the club.
“Today was a lot. You need the break. We all do.”
“Why didn’t you invite Dom?” Greer was following us in his SUV. He drove separately in case he didn’t want to leave when we did. But Dominic left work ahead of us. I didn’t see him go. Peyton told me when I emerged from my office after downing a couple shots, wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into with JJ.
“He was busy.”
I nodded. It wasn’t my business what Dominic did outside of work. He could have used the break with us though. I wasn’t going to Untouchable for the male dancers. I was going because my friends were and I needed more alcohol away from the office, away from home.
Dominic was as tense as I was in the meeting. For a second, I thought he was going to break one of his pencils.
Dominic and Peyton didn’t think I paid attention to them like they did me. That I was running a business, which I was, and didn’t have the chance to do a quick check of my best friend and my assistant. But I did. And the two of them were acting strange. Peyton would send heated looks at Dominic. Dominic would turn in the other direction like he couldn’t stand to look at him.
“Are you interested in him?” I asked. Peyton and I blurred the line between boss/employee and best friends. At work, he wouldn’t say anything against what I needed done or wanted to do. At home, he’d tell me how he felt about things. It was unconventional. Normally, bodyguards made no comments about the business the person they were protecting was in. Peyton and I weren’t typical, and it worked for us.
He started coughing like he was choking on something. I reached over and patted his back. Luckily, we were stopped at a traffic light. “Why would you ask me that?”
I shrugged. “You’ve been looking at him differently.”
“I have not.”
“Sure.”
“I haven’t.”
“I wouldn’t care if you were.” They both worked for me but not for each other. I didn’t see an issue with them dating. Or fucking. Whatever.
Peyton chose not to say anything more and turned into the parking lot of Untouchable. Maybe he’d talk to me about it, maybe he wouldn’t.
Greer parked beside us and the three of us went into the club, still dressed in our suits from work. I had my jacket unbuttoned and my tie was in the SUV. The top three buttons of my shirt were undone. It was cold out but I wasn’t planning on strolling around the block, so I didn’t bother with a heavy coat.
Guards checked our identification before we were allowed inside. The first hallway was dark, the walls painted a deep gray. A man stood off to the side at a coat check. We declined to hand ours over. I’d rather drape mine on the back of my chair when we sat down.
The next door was opened by another guard. That was when the music hit me. It had been nearly silent in the hallway. Now, we walked into an open room. The lights were down low, except the ones pointed toward the stage off to my far left. On my right was the beginning of a long bar that was half full. It was still early. I imagined it would pick up the later the night got.
Dexen casually leaned against the bar, smiling when he saw us. He embraced Peyton first and whispered something into his ear.
He came to me next with his hand outstretched. “Junior, I can’t believe you finally dragged your ass to my club. It’s about time.”
I chuckled. “Mark it on the calendar. I’m not sure when it will happen again.”
“We’ll have to see if we can change that. I have one of my best dancers on the schedule tonight.”
Glancing to the stage, I saw the man up there. He was good-looking, I’d give him that, but he didn’t do anything for me. “I’m straight, or have you forgotten?”
“Are you sure? You hang around Peyton and Greer enough, I’m surprised you haven’t dipped your dick in the water.” His eyes went to Greer as he gave him a slow once-over.
I shook my head and decided to follow Peyton to an open table. There was a reserved sign on it, and it was near the stage. Like right fucking near it.
“You called ahead?” I asked, leaning in to talk to Peyton. The music was loud this close. Not the same volume it would be at a dance club though.
He nodded and shrugged off his jacket, putting it on the back of his chair. I did the same. Greer joined us a moment later.
