Underground Secrets (The Underground #1) (8 page)

“What Car…” my eyes widen and the fear is real with the name she just about mentioned. But she stops herself before she says it completely. “What he did to you was horrible. Down-right psychopathic. Not every man, or human being, is like that. You have to know that. I understand that it takes time to heal from something like that; but not forever Marlie. You can’t swear off every man who looks in your direction. I am not saying that you need to go out and find ‘the one’, but you should at least give a man a chance at a friendship with you. I also think that the therapy you refused before would help you move on.” She looks away and I know that she is trying to fight back tears.

“I love you Marlie and I care about you so much. But I can’t watch you put on another fake smile or cringe at a simple touch. It’s not healthy.”

Well shit, all of my defenses just went out the window. How can I keep pretending everything is alright with me if it’s tearing her up? I can’t. Maybe I could work on my interactions with the male species. But seeing a counselor is out of the question. I can figure this out on my own. How can I talk my problems out with a total stranger when I can’t even talk to Gemma about them? Or even myself? She was wrong about one thing, I do have male friends. Henry is my friend and there are plenty of others. But they all know my boundaries. The minute any of them tries to push for something more, then they are out of my life. They know not to ask about the why. No one but Gemma knows the details of why I am the way I am.

“You’re right, Gem. I am sorry that this is affecting you. I didn’t realize. I promise I’ll try to work on things. It’s time for me to get over it and move on.”

She looks up at me with wide eyes, “Are you serious? Like, did I just make a breakthrough with you? Is Marlie Edwards, the most stubborn woman in the world, taking my advice?” she holds up her hand to her heart. Once again, ever for the dramatics.

“Yes. Now shut it. Point taken. I get it. I do. I really, really do. But you do know that there are certain things you can’t get me to change right? I mean, I know that after years of being friends with you, you always put up with my crazy shit and when it gets bad, you will say something to me. There are just some things I can’t change right now.”

I get up to grab another beer. “Ready?”

“Yes. I will drop it, for now. But I really do want to see you try.”

“I will.”

And god, will I as long as it gets me out of another heart to heart with anyone.

We spend the rest of the evening talking about anything else but my past. I’m glad she didn’t mention the actual shit that went down two years ago, or his name. I probably would’ve ended up crying or leaving and I hate crying. It makes people weak in my opinion. I can’t afford to be weak. Not now, not ever.

FIVE

T
HE WEEKEND COMES AND GOES AND
the week as well. The following Saturday we decide to go out again. One last get together before Gem and I drive to Indiana to spend time with my dad, my brother Michael and some old friends.

Our friends are all coming out to join us; Henry, Alex, Kelli, her boyfriend Tom and Gemma’s new guy, John. I’m excited to be going out with all of them to enjoy a well-deserved night out.

I am also extremely nervous about the promise I made to Gemma about not flipping out on every guy I meet and tonight is the perfect night to make good on my promise. I will try, but I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Good thing I have nice bottle of wine to cure that while I am getting ready.

It’s not like I get hit on or approached all the time. Quite the opposite really. Maybe because I have perfected the bitch vibe to the max. Or maybe a man can just tell how damaged I am with just one glance. This is why I found it so odd that that guy Wes had been so persistent. Besides being extremely attracted to him physically, I find myself wondering, at odd times, what kind of person he is. He is the first man in two years that has made me feel something. Even if it’s just confusion and attraction. But alas, I told him to leave me be and it seems he has. Which is good… right?

Standing in my room, I’m looking for something to wear. I have so many clothes, but not one of them seem to do my mood right for the night ahead. Should I wear a dress? Skirt? Pants? Shorts? Being a woman sometimes sucks.

If only sweats were sexy…

Closing my eyes, I step farther into my closet to blindly pick something. Yeah, that’s how I’m doing this shit right now. After doing three twirls like I’m playing “pin the tail”, I grab the first thing I touch. I open my eyes and see I picked my black, high wasted leather mini skirt. Not a bad choice. Now to find something to pair it with. I choose a ruffled, white crop top, with small black polka dots. My shoes were easy as well. Since I am wearing mostly black and white, I need a pop of color so I don’t look boring. Not that a leather mini skirt and a crop top could ever be perceived as boring. But still, I need something with color. I go with a pair of electric blue open-toed ankle booties. I already know that I am going to leave my hair down. I leave my hair up most days while I work, so leaving my dark, long curls down is a nice change and I don’t even have to do anything to it.

Putting my outfit on, I step toward my body mirror that hangs on the back of my bedroom door and look at myself. It’ll do.

Finishing up my makeup and accessories, I hear a knock on my bedroom door. “Come in! I’m in the bathroom!” I chime, while listening to some upbeat music to get into the clubbing mood.

“Hey girl!”

Ah an instant smile plasters onto my face, my friend Kelli stands behind with a kind and vibrant smile. Kelli and Tom, her boyfriend, must have decided to meet us here instead of Club Evo.

“Hey you sexy bitch! How was vacation with Tom?” I turn around to get a good look at my friend who I haven’t seen in well over a month.

“Holy shit! Looks who’s talking? You look amazing, Marlie! All the men are going to be crawling to you tonight!”

Well now… I went from flattered, to completely freaked. Bless Kelli’s heart, she doesn’t know about my past. Hell, no one besides a handful know. I just brush off her statement and smile at her and tell her thank you.

Kelli has been a good friend to both Gem and me for about four years now. We met while we were working together at one of the many hotels we worked at. She’s a lot like Gemma as far as background. She has well off parents, but had chosen to work to make her own money while going to college to earn her place in her family’s business. And like Gemma, she is gorgeous, but opposite in looks with short, raven colored hair, fair skin and extremely tall. She’s runway model gorgeous.

I grab the last of my things and shove them in my gold purse. I link arms with Kelli and we walk out of my room to join Gemma and Tom.

“You ready for a fun crazy night?” I ask, while unlinking her arm to grab another glass of wine. I am already feeling myself loosen up. Yeah, this is going to be a good night with all of my close friends here with me and being carefree. Now, if only every night was like this.

“Hell yeah, I am! It’s been forever since I’ve been out with my girls!” Kelli tells us. She looks over at Tom “And you too sweetie, but ya know how it is.” Her boyfriend grabs her by the waist and pulls her into to him, nuzzling into her shoulder.

Tom is boy next door good looking. He has sandy blonde hair, tall, and easy on the eyes. He seems to enjoy wearing cable knit sweaters though, and golfing. The opposite of what I would ever be attracted to, but he’s perfect for Kelli.

“Yes, my love, I do. I’m just glad Henry is coming out to save me from all you women.”

“Hey!” Gemma says with an offended look on her face.

“Boo!” I yell throwing the cork from the wine at him.

Kelli playfully slaps at his thigh. “Oh please, we are a ton of fun and you’re too damn chicken to admit it!”

He just smiles and nods. He holds his beer out towards us. “Cheers to a good night and to hopes that I don’t have to carry all of you women home!”

We all laugh and clink our drinks with him.

W
E ARRIVE AT THE
club already pumped up to dance, sing, laugh and drink a hell of a lot more then we probably should. I had somehow convinced the cab driver to blare his taxi van speakers and we all sang in unison to the song,
Don’t stop believing
, by
Journey
and then he flipped it to a mix station where the
Red Hot Chili Peppers
belted out my favorite song of theirs,
Otherside
. Even the cab driver joined in on that one.

If the fun in the van is even close to the fun we’re going to have at the club, then I am pretty stoked. And we haven’t even joined up with Henry and Alex yet. Henry is usually pretty quiet at work, but get a few drinks in him and it is like he’s flipped a switch. Alex, she’s a riot at any time and when you get her and her girlfriend, Ember, both in the same room with us, I end up laughing so hard my stomach hurts the next day. Ember can’t make it tonight, though. She ended up having to pick up an extra shift at her work. John, Gemma’s new guy is supposed to meet us here in a bit.

“I have to pee,” Kelli announces as soon as we make it through the doors to the inside.

“Okay, I’ll find us a table and put an order in for drinks,” Tom replies.

Gemma and Kelli go to the restroom while I stick with Tom to find a table. Club Evo has two floors. The upstairs is for the V.I.P’s, like football players or the important people who like their privacy. Tonight though, we
are
the very important people. It appears our GemMar name is getting really good reviews around here. When I called to see what it would cost to get seating on the second floor, I told them my name and whoever I talked to raved about how much they love my jewelry and said I would have the best booth upstairs Saturday.

I look upstairs and immediately see Henry and Alex already at a booth on the left side of the club. I tap on Toms arm to point up to where Alex is waving at us. He nods acknowledging and follows me upstairs. I grab my phone and shoot Gemma a text to tell her where we are seated.

“I’m going to go put in the drink order at the bar instead of waiting for one of the staff,” Tom tells me as we make it to the top of the stairs. I nod and we part ways. I walk towards my friends with the biggest smile on my face.

“Hey Boss,” Henry says with a smirk.

I wave my finger at him, “Oh no! You do not get to call me that when you’re off the clock, bud. If I have to tell you this again… well, I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll think of a way to punish you.” I fight a smile, because I am clearly teasing him.

“Oh, a punishment? Do tell me more and besides, I like calling you, Boss.”

I try to make myself look offended as I slide into the booth next to Alex. “What the hell is wrong with Marlie? Does my name not suit your name calling needs?”

“Shut it Marlie,” Gemma says as she and Kelli walk up to the booth from the ladies room, “You know you like it.”

Though I am sure she has no clue what we were even talking about, she is, as usual, right. I just look over at Henry and smile.

Henry is an attractive man in geeky kind of way. His usual work attire is baggy jeans and DC Comic t-shirts, with thick framed glasses, pale skin, and blonde hair that sweeps off to the side. It is a very adorable look. That is it though, adorable. There has never been any sexual attraction between us. At least on my end.

When Gemma first told me she had interviewed a male IT guy, I freaked. She assured me that he was right for the job and I needed to not worry. I brushed it off until I had met him. When I finally did meet him, it was like he was already family. He gives off these great vibes to anyone he ever meets, but can be quiet and focused when he’s working.

Changing the subject, I turn my attention towards Alex, “Sorry Ember couldn’t make it. We’ll have to schedule a time for drinks to accommodate her. I really enjoy hanging out with your ball-of-fire, other half. She’s a riot!” I give Alex’s arm a small nudge.

“Definitely! And yeah, me too. Sometimes I wish she knew how to say no to the slackers who always call in on the Saturday night shifts at the hospital. She has too big of a heart though, and it’s what she loves to do. I can’t even remember the last time she had a whole weekend off.”

“Well good for her. I am sure all her hard work and dedication will pay off.”

Her girlfriend is a nurse. What I like about her is that you would never know she was just that. She has dyed, fire red hair with tats all over the place and piercings here and there. You’d think she was an artist of some sort, band player, tattoo artist, etc. Nope, a nurse in the ER. She agrees and begins to reply, but becomes sidetracked when she sees Tom walking over with a huge tray of drinks.

“Babe! How come one of the staff didn’t bring it over?” Kelli whines, moving quickly to help him. It’s a huge order and I’m impressed he remembered all of the drinks we prefer, minus Alex and Henry’s because they already have theirs.

“Because I didn’t want to wait twenty minutes for one of them to bring it over. It’s almost eleven and this place is packed!”