Chapter 14
Jennie
I balanced the phone between my shoulder and ear as I mouthed a thank you to the barista that handed me my coffee. I stepped out of the busy and crowded café and set the coffee on top of my car as I reached for my car keys.
"Yes, dad, I can still hear you." I said, "Are you sure you don't need me to come down and see you?"
"I'm fine, Jennie, it's just a little cough. Mary says I'm fine." He reassured me. Mary was his home nurse, the one I hired to keep around my dad and to take care of him since I couldn't.
"I'm going to call Mary just to make sure." I grabbed my coffee and placed it in the cup holder before sliding inside and closing my car door. "If it hurts when you cough, then you need to tell me."
"You worry about me too much, Jennie. I'm your dad, it's supposed to be the other way around."
"Dad, let me worry about you. It keeps me sane."
"Have you called your brother? He's been so busy with his midterms; he barely answers my phone calls anymore."
"That little shit." I muttered and heard my dad chuckle, "I'll call him right now." I turned the key into the ignition, and I heard my dad start coughing all over again. It was a nasty dry cough, and I closed my eyes. I hated hearing my father in so much pain. "I'm calling Mary."
"Jennie..." He protested, but I tutted at him.
"Dad, please." I only have you left. "Give me some peace of mind and let me call her."
"Okay, she's probably downstairs getting all of the stupid meds ready for me to take." I could see him rolling his eyes.
"Okay, I'll call you later. I love you, dad."
"I love you too, Jennie."
I hung up on him and pressed the Bluetooth button on the screen in my
car so that I could call Mary while I drove to work. I chatted with her and
told her to keep monitoring him in case his cough got worse or if it was hurting him too much that he needed the hospital. She reassured me with stupid medical terms, but it didn't do anything. I told her to message me if anything happens then hung up so I could call my stupid younger brother.
I rang him twice, but the little shit didn't answer. I sent him a message at a red light and told him to call me back. I finally reached the parking lot of the club and turned off my car engine. I grabbed my black bag from the backseat and my cup of coffee as I made my way inside. I downed the rest of the espresso before dumping it in the trashcan.
I reached the two men guarding the back entrance for the dancers and gave them a weird look once they both stood in front of the door. I eyed the two men I've known since I started working here. "What are you doing?"
"We're under direct orders from Ms. Manoban not to let you in without her." One of them spoke.
"What?" I bit, my hand gripping the strap of my bag tightly, "I need to get inside. I'm not in the fucking mood for your stupid boss and her stupid orders." I saw them share an odd look at my words but didn't move. "Let me in. It's almost my shift." They stayed like statues, immobile and stoic while still guarding the entrance. I sighed, exasperated as I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Lisa and I were still nothing. We weren't dating. We weren't anything. After tending to me, making sure I drank my medicine, and feeding me soup, she left as soon as she saw that I was feeling better. That was two weeks ago. I haven't seen her since. Lisa was so hot and cold that she was giving me whiplash.
She was confusing and tiring as if she had a split personality. One was compassionate and kind to me, while the other one was callous and cruel. She's someone that's killed more men than I could count with her hands, yet when her hands touched me all I felt was an unfiltered need for her to touch me, to burn me with her touch.
The sound of a car approaching made me turn around to see Lisa's car pulling up right in front of the entrance. I let my bag fall to the floor once I saw the car door open. I watched her step out with a few other men.
"I'm going to kill you." I spat harshly, striding towards her. "What the fuck is your problem?" I shouted once I reached her. One of her men reached for my hand but I slapped it away. "Don't fucking touch me."
"Touch her again and I'll rip your hands clean off your fucking body." Lisa threatened. The man ducked his head apologetically and moved out of my way.
"What did you do? Why won't they let me in?"
She didn't answer me, instead, she grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the back entrance. I saw her reach for my bag and she tossed it to one of her men. The two bouncers parted so that we could walk inside. Assholes.
Lisa led me through the hallway and instead of going to the locker room, she walked me back down and passed the VIP rooms and towards the office. She opened it and grabbed the bag from the man following us before closing the door. She tossed the bag onto the floor and then sat on the black couch that was in the room. Lisa brought her hand up and ushered me over to where she was. I didn't move from my spot.
"Come here. Now."
"No, I'm mad at you." I said stubbornly.
"Mad at me?" She repeated slowly, and I swear she looked confused. "Yes, Lisa. I'm furious with you. I already had a shitty day, and you're
making it worse." I disgruntled. My words had her immediately standing up and walking back over to me.
"Why did you have a shitty day? Did anyone upset you?" She asked, her inky hand coming up to cradle my cheek. I felt some of my resolve cracking from the tender touch of her hand. "Yes, you." ̀
She sighed. "Before me. Who ruined your day, thīrạk?" I felt her thumb caress my cheeks as she spoke. It made me feel warm, tingly. To know someone as powerful and as bloody as her was able to touch me so delicately was making me lose my train of thought.
"Why do you keep doing this to me?" I whispered more to myself than her. "You pull me in then you push me away. You call me yours then you ghost me for days."
"I don't know how to do this. Isn't it obvious?"
I moved out of her hypnotising embrace and ignored the brief twinge of sadness that plagued her face as I created some distance between us. I stood in the middle of the office, and she spun around so we faced each other.
"No, it's not obvious. Nothing is obvious, Lisa. I don't know if you like me or hate me. I don't know if you want to be with me or you only keep me
