Paradise Found

16

ELOISE

“Hey, Elle, I know you said you needed some extra cash, so I was wondering if you might be able to come in tonight? It’s become busier than normal. If Lauren is around, can you ask her if she wouldn’t mind popping in too?” Sara, my boss asks.

“Sure,” I reply as I turn to where Lauren is lazing on the couch. “Hey, Loz, Sara wants to know if we can help out tonight?” I call out to her.

“Yep,” she replies, popping a macaron in her mouth.

“Give us an hour, and we’ll be there.”

“Love you guys. Thanks.” And with those few words, she’s gone.

“You’re lucky I love you. I’ll have to cancel my hot date,” Lauren says, giving me a pointed look.

“Please! Your date was with a plate of macarons. I can assure you they’ll still be there when you get home,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Fine.” Lauren laughs.

* * *

“I’m exhausted.” Lauren sighs as we get dressed after our shift. We watch as two of our friends, Sylvie and Camille, walk in and sit down beside us.

“Hey, Elle, you normally look after a Mr. King, don’t you?” Camille asks me.

My body stills. “Yeah,” I reply, as nerves begin to flutter beneath my skin, and a sinking feeling hits my stomach.

“Now I get why you’re so excited when he comes in. That man knows how to fuck,” she says, giggling.

Everything in me stops.

No.

She can’t be talking about the same guy.

There’s no way Alistair would do that to me.

Are you sure about that, Eloise?

No, Alistair is different, isn’t he?

But there aren’t two Kings in the system, I’ve checked, so it must be him.Why?He made me believe he was different. He made me believe I was special.

You work at a sex club, Eloise. You arenotspecial.

The realization that Alistair has come in on my off day and fucked someone else hits me in the chest hard, and I struggle to breathe.

Camille ignores the internal struggle that’s raging through my mind right now. “Let me know if he wants double trouble because I’m all-in.” She smiles at me.

I give her a weak smile back as I try to fight my reaction because if they see how I really feel about him, then they’re going to know something has been happening between us. The walls feel as if they’re closing in, and panic begins racing all over my body as I struggle to breathe.

“Elle, we’re running late. Come on! I want to get on the road before the traffic is bad,” Lauren says, looking down at me and stomping her foot like an errant child.Thank you, Loz.

“You guys going away for the holidays?” Sylvie asks.

“Yeah, to my parents’ house in the country. I want us to get the best room before the rest of my family arrives,” Lauren states.

“My sister does that to me all the time. She’s such a bitch,” Camille adds.