Help Me (5 page)

“Please,” Trey whispered. “Don’t cry.”

But I couldn’t stop. Just the tiny amount of kindness he showed destroyed me. All the stress of the day was washing over me and in a second I was sobbing.

Trey wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close. He was so tall and strong. In that moment I forgot all about my attraction to him and just took the comfort he offered. My whole body shook inside his firm embrace and I just let it all go.

Then a sound startled us both and the door behind me slammed open. I peeked, eyes blurry with tears and saw the guard I’d run from earlier.

“What the hell is going on in here?” His voice was loud and gruff, with a hint of what I thought was a vaguely Eastern European accent.

Trey turned us and tucked me behind him, giving me time to compose myself and wipe my eyes. “Fuck off, Peter. We’re having a moment.”

“It looks like you’re having a hysterical girl. You know the rules, Mr. Heller.”

“It’s a scene. She’s distraught and I’m comforting her. And you’re interrupting.”

The guard crossed his arms and snorted. “Right. I’m going to need to hear that from her.”

I stepped out from behind Trey and tried to smile. “He’s right. We’re playing. Just got a little carried away in character.”

He eyed me for a long time. “I haven’t seen you in here before?”

I shook my head.

“I told you, she’s with me. Now fuck off, this date isn’t free,” Trey spat out.

“She didn’t arrive with you.”

“No, she didn’t. Which is none of your business. If you’ve got a problem with how I choose my companions, I suggest you go fuck yourself.”

I gasped and Peter glowered.

“Freelancers aren’t allowed in here,
Mr. Heller
.” The tone of voice Peter used made Trey’s name sound more like a curse word.

“She’s my guest. And really, if you were a little nicer you might get a bonus for helping us out. I’m thinking of sponsoring her. This girl’ll make a lot of money for your boss and you should be supporting that, not challenging it.

Peter scoffed, looking me up and down. “Her? This miniature plain thing?”

My first instinct was to yell at him, but he wasn’t wrong. In a crowd of regular people I’m on the cute end, if a little too short and curvy. But next to the beautiful creatures I’d seen around the club? I had nothing.

“Peter, if you like your job I’ll recommend that you shut your goddamn mouth right now.”

The other man stepped forward so he and Trey were practically nose to nose. “Don’t threaten me, boy. I don’t care how much money your family has or how much of it you spend here. No one speaks to me like that.”

Now I was starting to panic. I appreciated Trey’s willingness to cover for me but I couldn’t let him get in a fight about it. “Now, now, boys,” I said, trying to sound calm and playful. “Why don’t we all chill out. This is obviously a misunderstanding that I’m sure we can clear up.”

Trey put his arm around my waist and smiled down at me. “You’re right. Peter, would you please tell Veronica I’d like to talk to her?”

The guard nodded. “She’s upstairs right now. Go wait in her office.” He glared at me. “Both of you.”

“You’re a peach, Pete. Really.”

I elbowed Trey in the side for being such a smartass.

When the other man had left I followed it up with a smack on the arm. “You’ve got a big mouth, Trey. But thanks for your help. Hope I didn’t cause too much trouble for you.”

“Wait. You’re not going anywhere just yet,” he said, and grabbed my arm, pulling me tight against his body.

“Hey!” I tried to squirm out of his grasp, but failed. “What are you doing?”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to my ear. “Shush. I don’t think there are any microphones in this hallway but anyone could come by and hear us. You need to realize if anyone finds out you don’t belong here, it…it would be really bad. For both of us.”

I gulped a few times before replying. “So what am I supposed to do?”

“Nothing yet. First, tell me why you’re here.”

“I did tell you. I’m looking for someone.”

“Right. Your ‘friend.’ Try again.”

After a second of deliberation, I told him. “She’s my sister and she’s missing.”

“And you think she has a connection to this place?”

“Yes.”

“Shit.” He paused for a long time and I could feel his heart beating and his chest rising and falling with each breath. “Okay, look. I’m gonna walk to you the front door and then go talk to Veronica. Give me a number where I can reach you and I’ll see what I can do to help.”

“Who is Veronica?”

“She runs this place.”

“So she would know Kat. If she’s been here, right?”

“Yeah, but you can’t exactly ask her right now.”

I thought for a moment. “You’re right. But this is the only lead I’ve got and I’m not letting it go.”

“You’re not. But please, you need to get out of here.”

“I can’t. I need to find out where Kat is.”

“I told you, I’ll see what I can do.”

I shook my head slightly. “That’s not good enough. I need to stay.”

“What?”

“You just created a perfect cover story for me. Good job. Now let’s make it work.”

Trey pulled away and held my arms. “Are you insane?”

“Shh,” I whispered. “Look, I just need you to cover me for an hour or two. Give me a chance to talk to this Veronica and some of the other guests. If no one’s seen my sister I’ll try something else. I’m not even sure that she’s been here. It’s just a couple of hours. Please, just pretend with me.”

“You know what this place is, now. What happens here. It isn’t safe.”

I smiled. “You’ll protect me, right?”

Trey rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yeah, I will. I don’t have the slightest clue why, but I will.”

“Thank you.”

+

Five minutes later we were standing in an office in the back of the house and I was wondering why I’d been such an idiot. I should have left when I had a chance. The room was lovely. The huge dark wood desk matched the built-in shelves that lined the walls, but everything else looked like a normal office, if a lot fancier than any I’d seen before. There was a closed laptop on the desk and a printer on a shelf within reach. File cabinets sat below the curtained window and behind the leather swivel chair. Tasteful paintings of landscapes hung on the walls and the whole space was lit by a series of stained glass table lamps. But none of the décor had anything on the woman who worked there.

Veronica was perched on the corner of her desk, staring at me so hard I thought she could read my mind. She was the same woman who’d presented the others earlier. I should have guessed. She had an air of professionalism about her, but it didn’t do anything to diminish her sensuality. Instead, the slight aloofness and efficiency seemed to enhance it.

“Trey, you’ve never brought a girl to me before.”

He smiled. “This one is special.”

It was pretty gross to listen to them talk to me like a prize cow or something, but I gritted my teeth and took it.

“If you say so. Peter wasn’t impressed, but he’s a simple creature. Doesn’t understand the mysteries of the fairer sex.” She stood up and walked over to me, running her fingers through my hair. “I see promise in her. The ‘girl next door’ is a strong fantasy, no?”

I nodded, trying not to look as creeped out as I felt.

“She’s quiet. I like that.” She tugged at the sleeve of my dress and frowned before stepping back and smiling at Trey. “Normally I wouldn’t allow this. But you’re a loyal and valued client, and that affords you some degree of leniency. If you wish to entertain her here, I’ll accept her on a trial basis, at double the house fee.”

“Double?”

“Higher risk, higher price. If she works out and I offer a contract, she’d be at the regular rate for in-house companions.”

I half expected her to check my teeth and hooves next.

“Fine. We accept,” Trey said.

“Excellent. We’ll handle the paperwork later. For now, please take her home. And don’t bring her back until she’s wearing something other than that discount garbage. Fantasy is one thing. Actual cheap clothing is another.” With that she stalked out of the room and shut the door behind her.

I looked down at my dress. “This is the nicest thing I own.”

Trey shook his head. “Don’t worry.”

“But…she told me to leave. How am I supposed to…?”

He put a finger over my lips, stopping me from saying anything else. “Let’s go. I’ll give you a ride how and we can talk.”

“Oh, of course.” I nodded and followed him out the door, leaving Veronica’s lushly decorated office behind us, and passing Peter on the way out.

Trey led me through the kitchen and out the back door. There was a small parking area there at the bottom of the steps and he walked over to a convertible that sat low to the ground. It was black with chrome that gleamed in the dim light, and probably cost more than my parents’ house.

“Hop in,” he said as he opened the door and climbed in behind the wheel.”

I did not hop. I gingerly placed myself in the deep leather seat and tried to sit perfectly still so I didn’t accidentally damage anything.

Trey peeled out of the lot quickly and then rounded the corner. Once we were out of sight of the club he pulled over again and turned the car off.

“What’s going on?”

“We can’t talk in there, Amanda. You need to remember that place is wired top to bottom. I don’t know exactly what the system is, but Peter and the other guards don’t miss anything that happens in the club.”

“You think even Veronica’s office is bugged?”

“Possibly. But better safe than sorry.”

“I was hoping to talk to more people.”

“You will. We’ll come back tomorrow night and I’ll make sure we find something about your sister.”

“Well,” I said, running my fingers over the door handle, “I’m not even sure she was ever there.”

“She was.”

I looked up, surprised at the surety in his voice. “Huh?”

“I’ve seen her. Your sister.”

“You have? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t. Not in there. I wasn’t sure, but then I thought about the tattoo and I’m sure I’ve seen it.”

“Oh.” I was glad, but kind of scared, too. Because of what I had to ask next. “Um…what was she doing there?”

Trey sighed. “You already know the answer to that question. She works at the club. She’s one of the companions.”

“My sister is a prostitute? Is that what you’re telling me?”

He didn’t respond. He didn’t need to.

My stomach roiled and for a moment I thought I might throw up all over Trey’s amazing car. But I managed to keep it together. Barely. I felt like I’d been hit with a wrecking ball. Kat was a…I couldn’t bear to think it. She worked at the Eden Club. Dated men for money. Had sex with them for money. And she never told me. No, she lied.

“Look,” Trey said softly. “I can only imagine what’s going through your mind, but don’t forget why you showed up tonight. You think your sister is in danger, right?”

I nodded.

“Focus on that. Leave the rest of it behind.”

“I…I’m not sure how to do this.”

“We’ll figure it out together, okay?”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Because you need it.”

And then I started crying again. Trey held my hand for a moment and then started the car again. Through my tears I told him Kat’s address and he drove me there. I was still weeping when we arrived and he just sat there silently with me.

Finally, I pulled myself together enough to speak. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually cry this much.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “Get some sleep, okay?”

“Yeah.”

He reached into the glove compartment and handed me a business card. “My cell phone number is on here. Call me if you need anything. I’ll pick you up here tomorrow at ten in the morning.”

“The club is open that early?”

“Well, it doesn’t really ever close. But no, we’ll go there later.”

“What are we doing first?”

“Going shopping. Veronica wasn’t kidding about the clothes thing. She won’t let you in the door in anything that isn’t some overpriced designer she recognizes.”

“Oh,” was all I could manage.

“Ten, okay?”

“All right.” I was too exhausted to say more.

I got out of the car and exchanged good nights with Trey. Deep down, I was hoping I’d get upstairs and find Kat waiting. But as I went up and unlocked the door, I knew she wouldn’t be.

Inside, her apartment looked even worse than I remembered. I glanced around, unsure what to do next, and then gave up. Kicking my shoes off by the door, I made my way into her room, curled up on her bed and fell asleep fully clothed, with every light in the place still on.

The next morning I woke up not sure where I was. I could hear cars driving by and smell all kinds of food cooking around me. It reminded me of being back in the dorm, except the food smelled good and I wasn’t worried about anything catching on fire.

I got up and stumbled into Kat’s bathroom. There were a few things on the floor, but overall the room seemed to have been spared. Looking at her perfectly organized products made me smile, and then almost cry. I felt so connected to her being surrounded by all her things, but so distant when I thought about everything I’d learned last night, and the things I hadn’t figured out yet.

I grabbed a towel from the little linen closet and climbed into the shower. Everything is better after a nice hot shower. Or so I hoped.

When I got out, I toweled off my hair enough so it wouldn’t drip, and let it air dry while I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. After scarfing down a couple of pieces of fruit – all I could find in the kitchen that didn’t require cooking – I started straightening things up as much as possible. Everything that was broken or stained went in trash bags I put next to the door. Things that looked salvageable went into piles to be washed or fixed or put back.

Just as I was finishing up I got a text message and my heart leaped into my throat, but it was just my friend Alana from school. She wanted to find out how things were going. I considered writing back, but decided against it. I wouldn’t begin to know what to say.