I grab his shoulders and pull him off her. “Get the fuck off her. She’s not sober enough to say no, so she sure is hell isn’t going with you.”
Randall sneers at me, “Are you her mother? You don’t think she’s going to love every second with me? I’ll make sure she has a real nice time. And if she doesn’t remember some of the things that happen?” He shrugs.
“You’re an asshole,” I say.
“Stop it!” Cosette screams at me, “Just stop it. You don’t know what you’re talking about, Libby. Randall is helping me.”
“Oh really? How is he helping you? Other than using you for sex while you’re drunk?”
She gets in my face. “He’s going to help me be better. He’s going to help me make more tips, show me what the people want. I’m going to be the best dancer in there and Randall is going to make sure of it.”
I take a deep breath, desperately trying not to scream at her. But she’s wasted, and logic isn’t going to work here. “I can’t let you do this, Cosette. It’s dangerous and unprofessional.”
Cosette bursts out laughing. It’s a cackle that cracks across the parking lot, loud and brassy. “Are you fucking kidding me? You don’t have any right to judge me. I know you’re fucking the boss. I know you’re fucking Julian fucking Rivers. I saw him at that audition, and of course he was watching you. Everybody is always watching you. And it was MY AUDITION. You were supposed to just sit there and support me but you had to take some for yourself didn’t you? You always have to take some for yourself. You just can’t let me have this one thing. And now you can’t even let me fuck the boss just like you. You don’t want me to have any of the special treatment you’re getting because you’re selfish. Fuck off, Libby.”
She collapses against the car, suddenly crying after her outburst, and Randall moves to put her in the car. I step between them, staring him down. “I swear if you touch her you will never have children or proper sex ever again. How many times have you done this with her?”
He smirks at me. “More times than you want to know. I’m surprised you didn’t notice. After all, didn’t you hear us when you were home?”
I think I might throw up. He was in my apartment, taking advantage of my best friend. I’m going to rip his head off. “If you know what’s good for you,” I say with more calm than I feel, “you will back the hell up.”
“What are you going to do?” he asks.
Just then I hear footsteps on pavement, and I feel my shoulders relax. Julian. I look back at him, and he takes in the situation in a glance, that piercing observation taking in the state of both Cosette and Randall. “How many drinks have you had?” He directs the question at Randall.
“That’s none of your business.”
“The hell it isn’t. You’ve got car keys in your hand and it looks like your about to drive off with one of my employees.”
Randall rolls his eyes. “You can stop with the act, Rivers.” He gestures in the air. “The precious employees. We all know what the dancers are here for. You’ve got yours,” he points at me, and then he points at Cosette, “and I’ve got mine.”
If there were a look that I would call thunder, it would be the one on Julian’s face. “You are fired. Because of your behavior you will receive no severance, and if you ever set foot in my club again, I will call the police to have you removed. Leave. Now. I would recommend not driving in your state, but you’re a grown man, and you can make that choice yourself. But if you’re open to advice, don’t be an idiot as well as an asshole and take a cab.” And then he looks away from him, completely dismissing Randall as if he never existed. He turns to Cosette, now crying hysterically, crumpled against the side of the car. “We’re taking you home.”
“No!” Cosette struggles as Julian tries to lift her to her feet. “I don’t want to go back there. I don’t want to go with her.”
Julian glances at me, and I sigh, “I’ll explain later.”