Myocardium

Part 24

As 'confident' and 'joyful' as ever, I strut back into the lounge, where I'm welcomed with whistles and catcalls all-round. 

Yeah, it doesn't surprise me that they enjoyed that 'show'. 

Their reaction alone shows pretty well what type of audience I serve in this hellhole every night.

Before tending to anyone's deepest, darkest fetishes and fantasies, I need to talk to Rafael. 

The problem is just that I have to do it in a believably seductive way, or my boss might get suspicious of me not doing my job too well and I'm not willing to risk that. 

Even for someone like him, I cannot let my guard down, neither can I allow myself to lose the focus of what I am actually here for. 

Making. Money. 

As my eyes spot him, my stomach turns over. 

He looks absolutely furious. 

With my smile not losing its confidence, I walk over to the bar and take a seat on the barstool next to him.

"Hey there," he sighs, sounding more concerned than I've ever heard him be before. 

And considering he has literally stitched a gaping wound for me, this reaction of his rightfully worries me.  

"Hello, Sir," I greet him formally and receive a confused expression from him. 

"Uhm...Sir?" he repeats my words, seemingly surprised by my change in attitude from what he knows. 

Yeah, I'll talk to him, just not with our boss around, who's sitting mere feet away from us. In a fake-flirty way, I rest my head on my arm and look at him with a physically painful smile on my face. 

Raf's expression isn't getting any softer, at all.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on here? Are you okay?" he asks desperately and tries to get me back to be the real me, not the version I'm pretending to be right now. 

My eyes are all red and teary.

I know he can see it, the look on his face says it all. 

To initiate speaking with him alone, in private, I lean closer to him and quietly whisper into his ear so nobody else can hear what I'm saying.

"I'll tell you. Can you just...do me a favour and follow me, please?"
Without another word from him, his expression softens, and he gets up when I do, giving me a reassuring nod. 

I have a plan so morally wrong that it might work perfectly. 

With Rafael walking behind me closely, I lead him to one of the sofas that is in view of everyone, but a bit further to the side of the room, so they can't hear us talk.

With a fake grin on my face, I sit down on the nasty leather again. 

Raf takes the hint and does the same, sitting a bit distantly and eyeing me up and down with a serious expression. 

I can feel how people continue glaring at us. 

"It's alright, I'll tell you everything once we're alone. Can you just...please not freak out right now?" I whisper to him and place my hand on his thigh, clearly making him suspicious about my intentions.

When his muscles twitch under the meagre touch of my weak hand, something, even if only the smallest part inside of me, breaks. 

Is this what it's like?