Ripple Effect (Effect 1)

An incessant vibrating noise near my ear awoke me from my sleep. Prying my sleepy eyes open, I glanced at the screen lighting up only inches from my head. It wasn’t my phone.

Adam. Where is Adam?

I flipped on the lamp and saw a note.

I glanced at the phone and saw several text messages flashing on the main screen. I didn’t open the phone, but I caught a glimpse of a few of the texts. They were from different guys that I assumed were all employees of the club.

Trigger: All’s good, Adam.

Snake: Headed to the bar side. Crowd getting excited.

Jethro: Thrillhammers playing last song. Full house tonight. It’s all under control.

The clock read after three in the morning. If his employees kept in touch with him via text, I was sure he’d need his phone. I sat there, debating on whether or not I should show up at the club. After a few moments, I decided to go ahead and head to Club Envy. Fact was, deep down, I wanted to see him again. Part of me wanted to feel what it was like to wake up to him even though I knew this was not a relationship.

Adam brought out a side of me that I never knew existed. What I had done tonight, holding on to the headboard as he tasted me, was something I’d only fantasized about. I wanted all the sexual experiences I could get with Adam before it ended.

Putting on my yoga pants and T-shirt, I put his phone in my purse. Right before I made it to the door, I remembered I needed my pink wig. My hair was thrown up haphazardly before I loosely put the wig on.

Leaving the apartment, I got in my car and drove over to the club. I was wide-awake as I thought about seeing Adam again. Pulling into my normal parking spot, I noticed the club side was shut down. A few people milled around their cars. I got out of my car and hastily started making my way across the street when someone called after me.

“Hey there! Come over here, gorgeous. We could have some fun.” The words were slurred.

I wanted no part of this situation. It would only lead to trouble. I didn’t respond and picked up my pace as I started crossing the street to the main parking lot of the club where the side door I always entered was. I knocked, and no one answered.

Where is Trigger?

The same guy called from across the lot, “Darling, come back over here. We could all go to my place and have some fun.”

I knocked louder as I took deep breaths, trying to prepare my mind. Peering back, I saw three guys were walking this way. If they crossed the street and made it into this lot, I would take off running. They were drunk, and I could run for miles. I had my phone, so I could call a cab as soon as I was away from them.

Yes, that’s what I’ll do.

The taller one wearing a baseball cap was the one who had spoken to me, and he was halfway across the street, coming closer to me. I banged louder on the door.

This is why Adam wanted me to call before I came here.

Please someone answer the door.

I looked back at the guy was across the street and now in the main parking lot with me. Ten more feet, and I would have no choice but to take off. My pulse quickened under my skin. The guys kept walking closer. My heart was pounding in my ears as I secured my purse on my shoulder. I banged louder on the door. They were almost to the point I had set mentally to take off. I turned, preparing my body to run. Adrenaline began to course through my veins. I was about to begin sprinting, but then the door opened, and I pushed past Trigger, needing to find Adam.

“Hey, wait up!” Trigger called from behind me.

I stopped.

“Were those guys bothering you?”

“They were drunk. I have something for Adam.”

I wanted away from this. The thought of fighting made me nervous. It reminded me too much of my dad. I avoided it at all costs. Trigger’s brown eyes looked me over. He was attractive in that preppy-boy-gone-bad sort of way. He had on low-slung jeans with a faded T-shirt that had the number forty-four printed on it.

“I’ll walk you back there. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I nodded. “I’m good.”

We started walking, and Trigger began to talk to me.

“How’s your night been?”

It felt as if he was still trying to assess if I was actually okay. My insides were all shaken up, but I would be okay. They were drunk, and they hadn’t done anything.

“It’s been okay.” I kept it simple.

“Have you decided what you are going to be called? I don’t know your name.”

My mind was still connected to the scene outside as I spoke, “I’m Ainsley.”

“Nice to meet you, Ainsley. I like that name. Most people who go the anonymous route choose more out-there names like Tooty Fruity or Voluptuous Raptor. They’re ridiculous names half the time.”

He chuckled about his comment, and I was now nauseous. My head felt like all the blood was rushing out at the same time. I had forgotten to keep my name a secret. In the stress of the situation, I had slipped.

Shit.

We passed by a guy with coal black hair, and Trigger called to him.

“Hey, Snake. I left my walkie-talkie at the bar with Nora when I was radioed by you that Ainsley was at the door. Send someone to check the east side. There are drunks out there, and they got a little aggressive, I think.”

Trigger tipped his head toward me, and Snake’s eyes widened a little bit. I felt humiliated that they were making a big deal out of what had happened, but I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to make a bigger deal out of it.

“Will do,” Snake replied as he began walking at a quicker pace.

This was getting worse and worse. Everyone was going to know my real name now. The incident outside was getting blown up. We were at Adam’s office door, and Trigger opened it. I hurried inside, and then I quickly realized I had walked in on a meeting with two guys and Adam. Everyone stopped talking and looked at me.

This night is officially horrible.

Trigger spoke from behind me, “Hey, Adam. Sorry, man. I thought you guys were in Brandt’s security office. Ainsley came by, and I was going to let her stay in here until you were done.”

Adam looked as shocked as I felt as he glanced between Trigger and me. I felt for my ring on my right hand. It had been my grandmother’s. At times, it felt like a security blanket. It was the only piece I had of her. My dad had thrown out most everything else, except for what my mom had been able to hide in the basement.

Trying to get out of this awkward situation, I grabbed his phone out of my purse and walked confidently but briskly to him. “You forgot your phone, and I thought you might need it.” I handed it to Adam. “I’m going to head home now. I’ll talk to you later.”

I turned to the other two men in the room. One was a slightly older white-haired man with an athletic build. The other man looked to be Adam’s age with messy long blond hair and a few tats. I assumed he was Brandt, Adam’s partner.

“Have a good evening. I apologize for interrupting.” I started walking back to the door.

I should never have come tonight. I should never have come, I kept repeating this in my mind.

As I was getting close to the door where Trigger still stood, Adam called, “Wait.”

I stopped.

“Hampton, is there anything else we need to discuss tonight? If not, I’m going to talk to Ainsley.”

I stayed facing the door.

A gruff older voice said, “No, Adam. I’ll be in touch with what we discussed. I’m glad you guys are letting me handle this.”

I faced the room again. Hampton stood and shook Brandt’s hand first and then Adam’s.

“I’ll be in touch, boys. I can show myself out.” He walked toward me. “It was nice meeting you, Ainsley.”

My eyes darted to Adam’s, and they were penetrating me hard. It was one of the few times I had seen him lose his composure. The tension in the room was rising, crackling like a new log being thrown on a fire.

“It was nice to meet you, too, Hampton.”

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Brandt followed Hampton, and he gave me a friendly wink before everyone exited the room. Adam and I were now alone, and the silence was deafening. I had no idea what he was thinking about all this.

His phone vibrated, and he looked at the screen before turning back to me. He typed out another message. “Did someone bother you outside of the club?”

My night is getting worse by the second.

Someone had texted him about what had happened.