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Chapter Thirty-seven
Rayne
Rayne woke in Mike’s bed, his manly scent flooding his senses as he buried his face in the jet-black covers. He didn’t have to feel the empty space beside him to know it was cold and vacant, except for the white rose on the pillow and another note.
I’ll see you when I get home
Rayne clutched the flower in his hand, cherishing it, knowing Mike had gone into his backyard and picked it early this morning just for him. He made up Mike’s bed and picked up the few articles of clothing off the floor. He took his rose and walked naked to his bedroom to get dressed for work. The house felt different with Mike gone; his strong presence made the house warmer… safer.
Downstairs, Rayne made his tofu scramble and ate a banana in silence. He assembled a turkey-and-cheese sandwich for his break, then added an orange to his lunch bag from the fruit bowl. A wide smile creased his face when he noticed a couple of apples were missing. He ate some of the fruit. Rayne didn’t roam about the house; instead, he washed his couple of dishes, turned out the lights, and grabbed his belongings. Rayne locked the bottom lock before he left out the front door, then remembered that he didn’t have a key to get back inside. After Mike made him come hard enough to black out last night, he’d forgotten to even mention it.
Rayne had his nose buried in the white rose when Edison’s amused tone pulled him from his thoughts. “Another flower, huh?”
Rayne glanced up from where he sat behind the reception desk in front of the switchboard. Edison stood there looking handsome in his dark blue suit, pale pink shirt, and tie. His round cheeks were flushed with color, and a contented gleam shone in his eyes as if he’d had a very satisfying morning as well. Rayne returned Edison’s sly grin, wondering if they were thinking the same thing.
Those damn Stockley men.
“Would that happen to be from your new roommate?”
Rayne set the flower down and met Edison’s gaze with his own sated look. “Actually, my man left it on the pillow for me this morning.”
Edison’s brows rose, and deep dimples adorned his cheeks when he smiled. “Wow. I don’t think Bishop told me all that.”
Rayne couldn’t believe how excited he was to tell the whole damn world that Mike was his. His sponsor had been right all this time. Rayne had thought he’d lied and conned so much that he was incapable of having true feelings for anyone, but Cliff had been telling him for months that when Rayne met the right guy, he’d feel more for him than he knew was possible. And he’d be damned. He was right. What Rayne felt for Mike bordered on unnatural, an unhealthy obsession that he didn’t want cured.
“Congratulations. I can’t say I’m surprised.” Edison’s smile was telling, as if he knew something Rayne didn’t. “What Mike wants… Mike gets.”
Rayne liked how entitled and selfish that sounded.
“You have a break coming up in a half hour, right?”
Rayne checked the time on the switchboard. It was almost ten thirty. He was so lost in his head about last night he had no clue how he was functioning at his job today. “Yeah. I usually sit outside on the lawn for a few minutes and eat my sandwich.”
“Good, I’ll join you. I wanna set up a day to invite you two over for dinner,” Edison said right as the phones rang. He patted the top of the desk in confirmation, then walked away.
“Um, okay,” Rayne muttered when Edison was around the corner. He was kind of hoping to call Mike on his short break, but he wasn’t going to tell the boss no. Instead, he picked up the phone and answered in a light, professional tone. “Thank you for calling Alfred, Dolan, Maroko, and Bickel. How may I direct your call?”
“Good morning, this is Vanessa Stahl at the Cavalier Spa and Salon. May I speak to Rayne Montgomery, please.”
Rayne’s eyes widened. He’d made sure the massage academy had his work number so when or if an assignment became available, they could reach him to finish his credit hours. He put his hand over the receiver and asked the lead receptionist, Rosemary, to cover for him.
The spa had an opening for him to complete his last thirty hours, and then he’d be a licensed massage therapist and he could hopefully get started on a career. He’d always had to put it on hold because he was working on his next big score. Bettering himself always took a back seat when it came to using sex to live a lavish lifestyle.
After the spa manager finished giving him the details, Rayne responded, “I got it. And yes, thank you so much for calling. I will be there at four.” He hung up the phone, then picked up his rose and put it back to his face after pumping his fist in the air a couple of times. Life was finally giving him a break.
“Whatever it is you’re high on, Rayne, do you have enough to share?” Mark—his other coworker—asked from the other end of the desk, where he was sorting the massive stack of mail that was delivered each day.
Hell no. What Rayne was on, he was keeping all to himself.
Rayne finished his part-time shift at the law office, then took the bus to the posh spa on Twenty-First Street at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. He called Mike to let him know about his schedule change, but he didn’t answer. Rayne sent him a quick text before he opened the doors to the spa center.
Rayne pocketed his phone before he approached the front desk to introduce himself. The two ladies behind the chest-high counter were all smiles and soft gazes as he explained why he was there and what school he was from. “I was told to ask for Vanessa Stahl when I arrived.”
“I’ll get her. I’m Tiffany, the spa reservationist. I do all of the scheduling.” She stood and flipped a lock of her auburn hair over her shoulder, gracing him with a brilliant row of white teeth. Rayne accepted her outstretched hand, but before he could say, “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the other woman beside her snapped to attention.
“You don’t do all of the scheduling,” she corrected. “Hi, my name is Beth Cavalier. My parents own this spa and two others in Hampton Roads. I’m the concierge at this location.”
Tiffany gave Beth a sneering side-eye, then directed her gaze back toward him and turned on the high beams. “I’ll go grab Vanessa. She’s just wrapping up her last client.”
