That was close.
I glance at my watch as the cashier rings up my purchase. I chew the last of my sandwich as I wait. I was starving and I couldn’t have waited a minute longer. I ducked out in my lunch hour to a store to pick something up. I couldn’t help myself. I can’t imagine not being able to do my most favorite thing in the whole world.
She hands me my brown paper bag. “Here you go. Enjoy.” She smiles.
I take my package from her. “I will, thank you. Have a great day.” I exit the shop and quickly get back to my car.
Fifteen minutes later I find myself at Gloria’s room.
Her little face lights up when she sees me. “Hello, Ashley.” She smiles.
She’s as sharp as a tack. “Hello, you remember my name?” I smile. “I brought you something.”
Her face lights up. “You did?”
I smile and pass her the little brown paper bag.
Her eyes lift to meet mine. “What is it, dear?’
“Open it.”
She smiles as her little frail hands struggle to open up the tape and I stand patiently, I wonder how long it has been since she had a present. She finally gets it open and pulls it out of the bag. Her face drops and she gasps. “Oh…” She puts her little hand over her mouth. “You remembered?” She opens the hard cover edition of Pride and Prejudice that I have just bought her.
I smile proudly. “I told you, it’s my favorite book, too. I wanted you to have a copy with you in hospital.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “Thank you,” she whispers as she looks down at the book. “That’s the most thoughtful thing anyone has done for me in… I can’t remember how long.”
“You’re welcome.” I take her hand and sit next to her in the chair. Dr. Stanton said she has no surviving relatives. How long has she been on her own?
“Do you have time to read me a page, dear?” she asks. “It’s okay if you don’t, it’s rude of me to ask.”
I glance at my watch. I have fifteen minutes before I have to get back. “Yes, but only ten minutes, okay?”
Gloria smiles excitedly and lies back as I open the book with a huge smile on my face. This is the most fun I have had in a long time, too. I curl my legs up underneath me on the chair and I begin to read.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering the neighborhood.
I smile as I read, and on a few occasions I blink back the tears. I feel like I’m having an out of body experience, gifting an elderly woman time with her favorite book before she dies. Suddenly, this is the most important job I have ever had.
Gloria lies in her bed with her hands clasped tightly in front of her, a huge smile covering her face as she listens attentively.
“His pride,” said Miss Lucas, “does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very find a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may express it, he has a right to be proud.
“I had my own Mr. Darcy.” Gloria smiles softly.
I place my book down onto my lap as I watch her. “Did you?”
“I did.”
I smile.
“He swept me off my feet and we were married for seventy-four years. Happy until the day he died.”
“How wonderful, Gloria.”
Her face falls solemn. “We were never gifted with children.”
“Oh.” Is all I can muster because I’m not sure what to say.
Her eyes flicker up to me. “What about you? Have you found your Mr. Darcy?”
I laugh and shake my head. “They don’t make men like they used to, Gloria.” I stop for a moment as I try to articulate my thoughts. “We only seem to breed one dimensional men these days.”
Her wise eyes hold mine. “And you want a three dimensional man?”
I nod as I smile softly. “Yes. I want mind, body, and soul.”
“And you just find the men who want the body?”
I nod sadly. “Seems so.”
She holds out her hand and I take it in mine.
“Your Mr. Darcy will come for you,” she whispers.
I smile and squeeze her hand in mine. “Maybe.”
I glance at my watch. I have five more minutes.
“That is very true,” replied Elizabeth, “and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”
“Pride,” observed Mary. “Is a very common failing I believe.”
From the corner of my eye, I see something move, and I glance up to find Dr. Stanton leaning on the door frame listening to us both.
How long has he been there?
I sit up nervously and close the book. “I’m… I’m just reading to Gloria,” I stammer.
He smiles softly. “So I heard.” His eyes hold mine with a glow I haven’t seen in them before.
What is that look?
“Gloria, can we pick this up tomorrow?” I ask as my eyes find her.
“Yes, dear, thank you so much. You have made me so happy.”
I smile, place the book on her nightstand, and she holds her hand out. “Can you pass the book to me please, Ashley?”
“You are going to try and read it?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No, I just want to sleep with it.”
Emotion overcomes me and I quickly hand her the book. I keep my eyes on the floor and scurry out of the room before Cameron sees my tears.
I don’t want to die alone.
The sound of the music echoes through the space, and I struggle to hear what the clients are ordering.
“Scotch on the rocks,” he announces. I swear I’m getting good at lip reading.
I’m on my third shift behind the bar at Club Exotic. It’s so busy. Men are everywhere and, even though I would never admit it, I look forward to coming here now. The girls are really nice and the members are all so polite and friendly. The money is amazing and I don’t start until Owen is in bed tucked up safe. I couldn’t ask for a better part-time job.
Never once have I felt cheap.
We’re short staffed tonight. The Barr exam is on tomorrow for all of our Law students, so we are all working that bit harder to cover for them.
“Vivienne, can you do the door for me for a minute while I run this order down to the Escape Lounge?” Ebony asks me.
I frown. “I’ve never done the door before. What do I have to do?” I ask.
“Come, I will show you.”
I follow her over to the little desk near the front entrance and she swipes on the touch screen computer. “So, when they come through, you swipe the barcode on their card with this gun.” She picks up a little laser gun thingy and shows me how to use it.
“Okay.”
“And then all the names will come up on the screen of the men who are in the club tonight.”
“Aha.”
“Just welcome them with Welcome to Club Exotic and then check the screen to make sure that their name adds to the bottom of the list.”
“Got it.” I frown. “Wait, do I ask them their name?”
“No. They don’t ever tell you their name, but their real names come up on the screen. But you never acknowledge that you know it. That’s a big deal. Never let them know that you know who they are.”
My eyes widen. “Oh, okay.”
“If someone is going to the Escape Lounge tonight, you will have to wait until I get back, so just let them in, but tell them they have to come back to see me.”
I nod. “Got it. How will I know if they are going to the Escape Lounge?” I ask.
“Their name will be red on the screen.”
“Okay.”
She disappears into the darkness and I stand and wait at my position by the door. I’m wearing my little leather cream outfit. My hair is down and the girls put my makeup on tonight in the staff room. I’m feeling a bit sexy, to be honest. I watch as Simone, one of my new friends, walks past me in her sheer top and her little leather hotpants. She’s about to give someone a lap dance. The song Naughty Girl by Beyoncé comes on, and I watch her slowly walk up to the guy sitting in the chair like she is going to eat him alive. His eyes hold hers and he sits back as he waits for her private show.
The sexual tension between them is thick and I hold my breath. The hypnotic beat pumps all around and I watch as she drops to her knees on the carpet in front of him. He sits back dominantly as she places both her hands on his upper thighs and crawls over the top of him.
A broad smile crosses my face. Holy hell, this is like another world here. My private peepshow is soon interrupted by a man walking through the door. He hands his card over to me. “Hello.” He smiles.
“Welcome.” I smile. I pretend to know what I am doing and swipe the barcode on his card with my little gun and he walks through. That wasn’t too hard. I actually like being on the door, I get to see what’s going on. Oh shit, I didn’t check the screen to see if his name got added. I touch the screen and it lights back up and I glance to the list of names. I go through them from the bottom up.
Jack Hammond
Brandon Miller
James Holland
Stuart Miles
Carson Archer
Cameron Stanton
My eyes widen when I get to a name that is all too familiar.
Holy fuck.
He’s here.
Oh my God. Oh my God. He’s here. What if he sees me? Oh no! He can’t see me.
Hang on a minute. He comes here by choice?
He’s a member?
What a cock!