I settled in and watched the lunchtime traffic float by as Jason weaved through the lanes in no hurry, classical music just loud enough to hear above the sound of the air blowing through the vents.
When we stepped into the spa, we were greeted by a rush of attendants who swarmed around me, measuring me from head to toe. One took Polaroid pictures while others wrote on tablets. As quickly as they appeared, they were gone, and only two were left. A young woman with short spiky hair dyed light pink smiled at me. “I get you first,” she said.
She grabbed my wrist and lead me to a spa chair, filling a pool with hot water for my feet, then reclining the chair all the way back and putting cool slices of cucumbers over my eyes. “Just relax,” she cooed as she slathered cool liquid on my face and the messaging chair started to work its magic. “When we’re done with you, you’re going to feel like a million bucks.”
I was about to tell her that I already did, but the heat from the chair was seeping into my muscles, and I only managed a yawn before I started dozing off. I could get used to this, I thought as the silence creeped in.
I could definitely get used to being pampered like this.
3
Caine
The Club was just like I remembered it, though I hadn’t been there since I was thirty-seven. Eight years, and it was still opulent as ever. Unlike the BDSM club, The Billionaire’s Club stood against the backdrop of the city skyline brightly lit, and boldly announced. In plain sight, but unreachable for most. It was the exclusiveness and the secrecy about what happened on the other side of the door that intrigued passersby and future members alike.
I stopped at the curb and a valet materialized out of the darkness, opening my door and slipping into the driver’s seat without adjusting anything. His gloved hands gripped the steering wheel as he pulled away without a word. A bouncer stood at the door, ready to check my name off the list.
“Caine Cole,” I said, but his hand was already on the door. I walked in and when the door closed, the sound of the street vanished and only the soft refrain of the string quartet I knew would be tucked in the corner of the great room remained. A young man in the empty foyer handed me the plain half mask required by patrons at the open call events. Once I had it firmly in place, he swept the curtain back dramatically and I stepped into the dimly lit room that was just a touch brighter than candlelight. I saw Walter almost immediately, a glass of wine in his hand.
His face lit up when he noticed me. “You made it.”
“I told you I would come.”
“How is it that the mask makes you look even more dapper than normal?”
I shrugged and checked my reflection in one of the strategically placed mirrors scattered around the room. “It’s not my favorite, but you’re right. It does create a bit of mystique.”
Walter scoffed, a bit out of character for him, but he was nearing the bottom of his wine glass, and I had a feeling it wasn’t his first of the night. “So have anyone in mind?” He gestured broadly to the room and the unmasked men that mingled around the large room.
I shook my head. “I’m not sure about taking a consort. I’m just here to have fun.”
A waiter breezed by and Walter collected two glasses without missing a beat. I took one, savoring the aroma for a moment before I brought the rim to my lips and the dark liquid touched my tongue. I closed my eyes. “This is delicious.”
“It’s downright decadent,” Walter agreed, then he downed the last of it and handed his empty glass to a passing waiter. “I think I’ll order some dinner,” he said as he started making his way to one of the tables.
I followed him and before we’d settled into the plush, dark velvet-covered seats in the booth, someone appeared to take our order. Walter nibbled on a breadstick, watching the patrons move around the room as they visited with each other and the available consorts. “I’m assuming you know most everyone from your more active days?”
I nodded. “So many of the same faces, but the patrons aren’t skewed older like I remember.”
“That’s because you’re the older one now.”
I rolled my eyes. “Forty-five isn’t old.”
“True, but it’s not thirty-five, either.”
Sighing, I thanked the waiter who set a plate in front of me before he served Walter.
“Age before beauty,” Walter sniggered as he leaned forward, as if being served first proved his point.
I was chuckling as I shook my head, then I took a bite of the peppercorn crusted chicken and it melted in my mouth. “This is better than any five-star restaurant,” I said between bites.
“Even if you weren’t interested in a consort before, I don’t know why you stopped coming. The food alone is worth the drive, and you can’t beat this atmosphere.”
I arched an eyebrow and took another bite, then I pressed the linen cloth to my lips and flashed Walter a teasing grin. “You know, for a man who’s always pushing me to embrace my authentic self, it sure takes a lot of expensive wine to get you to drop the formal speech. I like this side of you. You should quit holding it back.”
He waved his hand at me, shaking his head. “I’m not holding myself back, Caine. I’m putting my best foot forward.”
“Call it what you want, but I like this.”
“I’m going to mingle, you want to come?”
I shook my head. “I’m going to finish this fine meal and people-watch for a bit. It’s been a long and stressful day. I’m looking forward to enjoying the night.”
“Suit yourself. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Good luck,” I said, giving him a mocking thumbs-up.
He laughed, then he disappeared into the crowd.
My eyes wandered, taking in the partygoers in a slow, leisurely pace. Some of the potential consorts were mingling with others like them while the patrons looked on with hungry eyes. Others moved from group to group, chatting easily, their warm voices carrying across the room but too soft for me to make out their words. Then a laugh caught my attention, drawing my eye to a table where two young consorts sat side by side. They were leaning close, obviously watching the crowd as they chatted. At first, I thought it was the almost scruffy brown hair that had made me notice him, a stark contrast to his perfectly tailored suit and the almost pristine façade of the young man beside him, but then he turned my way, and our eyes met. His lips parted at the same instant I caught myself gasping in recognition. I knew that gentle, crooked smile, and that wild hair that, even on the best of days, refused to be tamed.
When he leaned over and spoke to his friend, then gestured in my direction, I wondered if he could’ve possibly remembered me, or had he just caught me looking his way? It had been so long since I’d seen his much older brother. I thought back to that night, working with Preston at the alumni meeting while his teen brother scurried about the room. He’d been fresh out of high school then, working for his brother for the summer before he went off to college. Preston had teased him mercilessly, but the admiration he’d had for his brother had been written all over his face. I searched my memory for his name, discarding a few names before it finally hit me.