16
Jude
Maverick and I planned to lick our wounds by visiting another successful investment. We had our money in a lot of places, and always wanted to expand our reach in any way we could. Years ago we went in on the nightlife market, after realizing how lucrative it was. One strain in particular started a whole string of night clubs in other major cities and one in particular just opened up in ours, so we had to go check it out. But we also needed a major chill pill after what happened at the office.
I respected Martha a lot, but I was pissed she was so crass with us. at the same time, I understood where she was coming from. We screwed up a little, maybe a lot… but I refused to believe the whole company was in jeopardy. Yeah, it was a bad move making that investment, but it couldn’t have been that bad. At least it shouldn’t have been.
“Now you’re thinking about it.” Maverick poured from the bottle of scotch we bought.
“Nah, just bored.” I traced the condensation off the glass and took it down in one gulp.
Maverick and I got comfortable in the private booth. It overlooked the dance floor, and it was packed full with a long line outside.
“Right. You’re never bored.” He shook his head and took his own drink.
I had a few more until I started to feel the buzz. I needed something stronger if I really wanted to drown things out. I never got drunk, barely even buzzed. But Maverick always stayed sober in public and I could do whatever I wanted as long as he was there to watch my back.
“We’ll figure something out, eventually.” Maverick had to shout over the music and I still had to read his lips to even understand him.
I nodded in agreement. The night was posed to be a shitty one, not even the show waitresses could make it better. They didn’t actually do any work, they just walked around looking pretty. The club did a lot of bookings and was mostly for the night life career type, the kind that made appearances and was advertised to get other people to come. The two women came over, busty and blonde, smelling like cheap perfume.
Nothing like how Henley would smell. But neither of us wanted to think about that right now. We knew we were supposed to make plans but the weekend got away from us, because the week was so jam-packed we couldn’t get through much else but work.
“You two look like you need to relax.” One of the blondes between us both tugged at the lapel of my jacket. Her eyes were blue and glassy, definitely been drinking all night probably mixed with other shit. I feigned a smile as I moved her hand from my three-thousand-dollar jacket.
The other woman was all over Maverick too and I bet they thought they would be getting lucky. If we were any other men they might have been. Our agreement stated none of us could have outside relations, but that wouldn’t be what stopped us from having sex with them. I just didn’t want to do that to Henley, and neither did Maverick.
I was leaning away from the one grasping at me when I saw a flash of red on the dance floor. I would recognize it anywhere, but I tried to convince myself it wasn’t her. But she only had to turn her head and I knew it was her—my Henley. I nudged Maverick and pointed until he saw too—our Henley. Out there on the dance floor grinding with some blond douchebag, who looked like he pumped weights and had his hair colored for a living.
“Excuse me.” I nearly tossed the blonde woman off me as I got up, staggering a little from the rush of alcohol to my brain.
But I reached Henley with laser focused eyes and pulled her from the asshole.
“Who the fuck is this?” I growled at Henley. Her eyes stared up at me, wide and gray and beautiful as always. She wore more makeup than normal, her lips lathered in red lipstick that made her look even more kissable. My cock twitched immediately at the thought of her wrapping those lips around my cock.
“He—he’s just my friend…”
The friend stepped between us both and pissed me off even more.
“And who the fuck are you?” He snapped. I glared at him, our height meeting and our frames of similar size.
“Don’t fucking test me. Henley, what are you doing here?” I grabbed her arm from around him, moving her through the crowd of people around us.
She stuttered and looked between me and the friend before her eyes widened behind me. Maverick touched my shoulder gently, telling me to calm down but I was fucking furious. And a little buzzed, which didn’t help anything.
“I’m just dancing with my friend, I—” she hiccupped and looked at her confused friend before looking at both Maverick and I.
A crowd of dancing people surrounded us and bumped against us which only made me more pissed. I grabbed her arm again and tugged her towards me. “Come with us. Now.” I growled and she knew better than to argue with me.
“Henley!” The friend followed and Maverick tried to stop him, calmly, much better than I would have. Henley squeezed my hand as she turned.
“Wait. Denton, it’s fine, I promise. I’ll explain later. I have to go.” Henley hugged him goodbye and left him staring after us as I tugged her away.
Maverick followed behind us and I thought of where to take her and show her how I felt, but I came up short. The car was too small and driver was nosy, I wasn’t about to wait until we got to the house.
I ducked into the private coat room and shoved the bouncer out, after I shoved a hundred-dollar bill in his face. Henley stumbled inside and we shut the door behind us.
“What are you two doing here?” She whispered harshly. The dim lighting of the room was shitty, so I found a light switch before I turned and crossed the space between us as I stared down at her.