but while he is relocated to the Midwest, we’ll be coming up here often to visit.”
“Ah, so Nix is your boss?” I clarified.
Which was apparently a mistake. Taylors hold tightened on my hand until he was squeezing it roughly, his short nails biting into my skin. “Do you have a problem because I work for someone?”
We were stopped in front of a table set for six. The other two guys were helping Eva and Ana into their seats while we stood in front of the table looking like a fighting couple.
“No, not at all,” I gushed quickly. “I just wanted to figure out the connection, that’s all.” And now I just wanted to get my hand out of his, before he dug his nails all the way to the bone.
“Well, now you know,” he ground out bitterly. He yanked my arm from the crook of his elbow and let go of my hand with such force that I fell into a heap on my chair. I hit the seat hard, and bumped my tailbone on the corner before I was able to right myself and sit up normally. I wanted to stand up and slap him for his abuse, but this was part of the job.
Taking it.
And so fighting back the tears of frustration and pain, I reached for my napkin and laid it across my lap just so I would have something to do. I ignored looking at the palm of my hand so I wouldn’t have to see the damage he did to it.
But when I pulled it from the napkin, I noticed the blood smears on the white linen. Not wanting to smear blood on anything else, I dropped my hand to my lap and pressed it into the unsoiled fabric. So what if I couldn’t use a napkin again tonight. I just wouldn’t order salad or anything all that messy, which also kind of sounded fantastic at this point.
Thankfully dinner was less eventful, at least to begin with. The men, for the most part, ignored us. We ordered drinks- a water for me since I didn’t want to risk being carded, how embarrassing. We picked at our meals and let the men discuss business, politics and sports around us.
Anaxandra gave me a sympathetic look when Taylor insisted on keeping his arm around the back of my chair. I didn’t mind his arm so much as his hand kept reaching out and pinching my shoulder whenever I would slouch over. My mother raised me with perfect posture, but occasionally I would lean forward to take a bit of my meal, eggplant parmesan, although I hadn’t touched the noodles. Whenever I would, his hand would subtly clamp down on my clavicle, press down and then pull me back until I was in a posture he approved of.
It was starting to weird me out.
And then when the plates had been cleared, Eva stood up to go to the bathroom. I set my napkin down, careful to hide the blood stains, as if to stand up with her. I mean, wasn’t it a universally known fact that women went to the bathroom together? At the very least in pairs? But before I could stand up, the full weight of his arm was pressed down on my shoulder, telling me to sit tight.
I sighed and went back to staring at the table, watching the small votive candle flicker in the dim lighting of the Liberty Tavern. Eventually, the bill was paid, by Taylor, who insisted that this was his treat and we were on our way to after dinner drinks.
I had to assume Nix explained that I was underage and wouldn’t be able to go anywhere they carded. Not that I didn’t have my fake ID with me, I did. And not that I wasn’t used to charming my way passed bartenders and bouncers, because I was. But warning bells were ringing in my head that I should not at all give another man attention while Taylor arranged for me.
He did not seem like the type that played well with others.
The whole underage thing turned out to be a null point anyway, when to my horror, instead of leaving the hotel to drive somewhere else, the men led us over to the bank of elevators. Anaxandra and Eva were cozy and friendly, draped on their dates’ arms, but I remained stiff and cautious next to Taylor.
Even though I hadn’t had anything to drink at dinner, everyone else had plenty and Drew