The Sinner's Plea (John Seed FanFiction)

SIXTEEN

You stared at your feet as you wiggled your toes, trying to ignore the lurching feeling in your stomach from the rapidly rising elevator. The Chinese food was hot in your hands, but your mind was too busy focusing on other things to notice your tingling palms.

After John ordered his limo driver to take you home, you remained home for three days after that. When you called Angela to report that you were going to be sick for a few days, there was a sarcastic amusement in her tone that rubbed you the wrong way.

So, she could have him all to herself now, you rolled your eyes as you recollected in the tiny space of the elevator, the ping signaling its stop making you jump slightly. You took a deep breath before stepping out, but your fear of confrontation was soon replaced by curiosity.

Your heart pounded along with the thumping bass, and you tried to make out the muffled lyrics but failed. Was John Duncan having a party on a Tuesday night?

There was no butler to greet you at the front door of John's penthouse like there was at the elegant cocktail party you attended before, but something about the insanely loud EDM music lead you to believe that this wasn't a party John's regal clients would be frequenting.

Your brain told you that it would be smart to turn around and walk away. Leave the consolatory Chinese food by the doorstep as a peace offering and get back on the elevator. You weren't even invited to this party! But your gut told you that you needed to see what was behind these doors. You had to see him.

With the Chinese food in hand, you cracked open the doors of John's penthouse and slipped inside. The music was even louder on the other side, and the bass pounded in your eardrums almost painfully.

You immediately felt out of place - but no one else seemed to notice. The hardwood floor that was once filled with beautiful ball gowns and tuxedos with martinis and slow dances was now packed with sweaty tank tops and bouncing exposed skin that rubbed against one another in rhythm to the music.

The lights were too dim for you to make out any of the faces on the dance floor, but the flashes of colored lights gave you the opportunity to glance around and catch any distinct features that mirrored those of your boss. You were strangely relieved to not find him in the rave.

You made your way around the dance floor, being careful not to bump into any of the wildly dancing guests. The Chinese takeout was beginning to get cold, which made you all the more urgent to find John through this crowded mess.

You passed by the bar where you first met John's arm candy, Holly Hampton, to see it fully renewed with a young woman almost-topless chugging out of one of your boss' more expensive bottles of imported liquor on the surface of the bar. A group of guys surrounded her, cheering her on with chants and hollers.

You hurried your way past, becoming more and more horrified of the events happening around you. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, you turn the corner to find a man crouched over a mahogany coffee table snorting thin white lines with a rolled-up dollar bill.

He had a girl on either side of him on a blue velvet couch, each caressing his biceps and gazing admiringly as he lifted his head to wipe the white debris off of his nose. Your eyes widened in shock as you met the man's gaze, and your fight or flight instincts told you to beeline for the exit.

"Eve!" John called after you as you turned away in a hurry, but he was crawling over the table and catching your arm before you could make your escape. "Eve, what are you doing here?" He laughed breathlessly with a tone that was shockingly not upset. No, in fact, his tone seemed almost joyful.

Your boss took a long stride to face you, and you refrained from meeting his eye contact. "Chinese food?" He shouted over the music and then chuckled delightedly as he took it from your hands, "Ah, from my little hole in the wall. You remembered!"