Chapter 5
Marissa had the limo drop her off down the street from her apartment. While having to walk the half-block was going to be murder on her feet, it was better than having to deal with the barrage of questions that would inevitably come from her landlord, Shelia. She lasted until she reached the bottom of the walkway before she kicked off her shoes. The throbbing of her feet did little to help relax her, but at least she wouldn’t accidently topple.
The bungalow appeared as normal as the others on the street. The shingles were new and Shelia was a surprisingly excellent gardener. The cuteness of the place is what had lulled her into a false sense of security the first time she’d arrived to look at the basement apartment. But opening the doors and seeing what was inside broke her heart. Unfortunately for her, it was the most reasonable apartment she could find given her limited funds, and despite the condition of her home, Shelia was a kind and wonderful woman.
Marissa walked up the stairs that lead to the side door, and took a steadying breath. Most days, Shelia had the door to the main house closed and locked, making everything seem like a normal arrangement. The stairs that led to Marissa’s apartment were cluttered with shoes and the occasional bag, but for the most part gave no indication of anything abnormal. But sometimes, especially when Shelia was having a bad day, she’d leave the door to the house open. There was no escaping a conversation on those days.
Tonight, the door was open, the sound of a gameshow echoed out to her.
Shit.
Marissa stepped into the foyer, dirt that had been previously tracked in now stuck to her bare feet. One step and a creak filled the air. It was loud enough to announce her presence as she stepped in and shut the door behind her. Maybe this time she could escape to her place without Shelia noticing—
“That you, Marissa?”
Nope. “Yes.”
“I hope you had a good evening. Have time to chat?”
Marissa was under no obligation to socialize with her landlady—she was paying rent, not seeking refuge—but she’d learned from experience, it was better to give Shelia the few minutes of time she wanted, rather than ignore her. Shelia wasn’t a bad person, not even in the slightest. But the condition of the living room gave Marissa a case of the creeps as much as it broke her heart.
She locked the side door knowing neither of them would be out again tonight, tucked her shoes under her arm, and carefully stepped over the piles of newspapers that had started to spread to the threshold. Mentally, she counted to three before plastering a smile on her face and crossing into the kitchen and through to the living room. “Hi there.”
Shelia was exactly where she always seemed to be at night, sitting on her couch directly between stacks of books, takeout containers, and clothing. She was a bird of a woman, her black hair neatly pulled back into a low bun at the base of her neck and her skin pale. Her brown eyes were wide, and she blinked in a slow, deliberate manner that gave Marissa the impression she could see into her soul.
Every time Marissa saw her like this, she became unnerved. Shelia was crow-like, watching guard over her pile of treasures. Marissa tamped down on her impulse to turn and run, to grab her things and bolt so far away she’d never be found. Dear God, what kind of horrible human being did it make her that she wanted to flee? She took another step into the room, which was the farthest inside she’d ever dare go.
“Oh my.” Shelia got up and effortlessly moved around the stacks of boxes and papers, to stand in front of her. Her smile lit her entire face, and for the briefest of moments, she looked genuinely happy. “You look stunning. I hope the young man appreciated what he had.”
Shelia was clean, her clothing impeccable; a complete contrast to the landfill that comprised her home. Shelia reached out and ran her hand along her bare arm, reminding Marissa that she was a good, kind woman who did her best. Shelia had never been anything but kind and polite. She certainly didn’t deserve Marissa’s scorn.
Forcing down her negativity, Marissa smiled and prayed it looked genuine. “I hope so as well. He certainly appeared like he liked the dress.” She really didn’t know how thing were going to go between her and Vince. The entire evening felt as though she’d spent it in some weird third dimension.
“As it should be. Are you going to see him again?” Her brown eyes sparkled as she spoke, and her smile widened. “I know I don’t know you well, but I hate seeing such a pretty thing as you all alone.”
The smell of rotten food buried somewhere in the room made Marissa’s stomach turn. God, she knew hoarding was a mental condition, but she couldn’t figure out how someone like Shelia didn’t seem to notice things like that. “With any luck things will work out.”
“I’m sure they will.”
“I’m surprised you’re still up. It’s nearly one in the morning.”
The light in Shelia’s eyes dimmed slightly. “I had some paperwork to do for work.”
Marissa knew she had a job, something that paid well, but she didn’t for the life of her know what it was. “That sucks. There’s nothing worse than having to work this late at night.”
Nodding, Shelia moved over to a pile of papers by her desk and turned her back on Marissa. “I also wanted to try and get some of this sorted tonight. I had a friend at work mention an article that they wanted to read, and I know I have it here somewhere.”
If it was anyone else, Marissa would have offered to help look. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find it.”
“Eventually.” Shelia smiled. “I won’t keep you. I know you’re itching to get downstairs and out of that dress.”
She shouldn’t feel relief at being offered such an easy escape, but she did. “Thank you. I’ll talk to you later.”
Careful to avoid hitting one of the stacks on the way out, Marissa went as quickly as she could through the mess to the stairs that led to her small home. She never bothered to take her apartment keys with her when she went out. Shelia had a copy in case of emergencies and she hadn’t let her friends know where she lived, so no one would come looking for her here. Lifting the old boot that stood on one of the stairs, she scooped up her key, unlocked the door, and escaped inside.
The air was fresher down here, but not by much. The basement had that old musty smell that resulted from the distinct lack of sunshine and air. She’d brought her few remaining possessions from her old apartment and had managed to brighten up the place. Her Vinyl Pop collection of lady Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and the Avengers lined the mantel over the unused fireplace. Their bright colors stood in stark contrast to the dark faux-wood paneling. She’d rested her mounted posters against the wall where she’d wanted to hang them. It would feel more like home once she’d managed to get them up, even if it felt as though she were putting lipstick on a pig.
The main reason she’d agreed to the lease was the fact the bungalow was also a backsplit. Tossing her shoes by the door and her key on the small kitchen table, she marched over to the patio door and opened it up for the fresh air.
Marissa leaned against the frame and let the night air wash over her. The rush of traffic was practically nonexistent this time of night, letting her hear the chirping crickets somewhere in the distance. Their song helped ease some of the evening’s tension from her.
What the hell was she doing?
More importantly, what the hell was she going to do with an arrogant television star and millionaire who wanted to use her as a companion?
Sorry, multimillionaire. Practically a billionaire.
She snorted in the dark.
This wasn’t what she wanted from her life, to be used by another person for his own convenience. Yes, she would get money out of the arrangement, and thankfully there was no sex involved, but that was far beyond the point. She’d gone down this road with Andrew, had been used without being self-aware enough to clue in to the fact. After he’d left, trashing her life on the way out, she’d promised herself she’d never let that happen again. She was determined to fix this mess, and to do things on her own terms.
So why the hell was there a part of her that wanted nothing more than to crawl into Vince’s lap and have him take care of her? He was cold, practical to a fault and with a simple look had managed to irritate her. Yes, he probably was putting on as much of an act as she was, but that didn’t explain why despite how much he rubbed her the wrong way, she couldn’t help but be curious about him.
The last thing she needed was to fall in love with a man who was far too much like Andrew for her liking. It was easy to look back on their relationship now, to see all the ways Andrew had been cocky and controlling. She’d also watched far too many episodes of Bull Rush to not be aware that Vince was every bit as controlling as Andrew.
And yet…
He’d given her a chance to back out. Given her a chance to try again, if that’s what she’d wanted. He had nothing to lose from making the offer of dinner, and she had everything to gain.
If she wasn’t misreading him and making a colossal mistake.
The weight of the world seemed to press down on her, her head falling forward. She’d been exhausted for weeks now, though it felt more like years. All she’d ever wanted was to be her own boss and have someone in her life who loved her unconditionally.
Given how much Vince had to lose himself, she suspected he wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt her. As he said, his reputation was his brand, and she had the potential to damage it. But this couldn’t be the only way to get herself out of this mess? Putting all her faith in a man was what had caused her problems to begin with. How was this any different?
No, she’d gotten into this mess on her own, and she’d damn well get herself out of it. There had to be some sort of debt consolidation she could explore, or a low interest bank loan. Hell, maybe she’d have to declare bankruptcy if she wanted this mess to go away. It was only seven years to recover her credit score. How bad could that really be?
Exhaustion hit her hard. As much as she wanted the air, she slid the patio door closed and dropped the security bar down. The last thing she needed was to have someone break into her place and try and steal something. Oh, the irony.
Stepping out of the dress, she hung it in plain sight as both a reminder and a warning. She’d agreed to a test date with Vince, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew it was a terrible idea. She’d go with him, enjoy the meal and then break things off. She’d have to tell Naomi at school that the sugar daddy thing didn’t work out for her. That would be an interesting conversation.
Marissa quickly took her makeup off, before climbing between the sheets naked. The darkness wrapped around her, temporarily lulling her into a false sense of security and into sleep.
* * * *
“Bullshit it didn’t work out for you.” Naomi twisted in her seat to better glare at her. “Dude, I saw how many men flagged your profile. And there were some really hot ones there too. So, it’s not that, which means it’s you.”
Marissa leaned her head back and let out the most dramatic sigh she could muster. This wasn’t how she wanted this conversation to go. “Am I not supposed to have second thoughts about this?”
Naomi mimicked her position, turning her head just enough to be able to give her excellent side-eye. “I didn’t.”
“You didn’t question the idea about offering yourself up to some random stranger, to doing anything they want for money? Not even once?” When Naomi shook her head, Marissa snorted. “Now I’m calling bullshit.”
“Fine, maybe a bit before the first date. But it turned out to be so freaking awesome. He took me to the symphony and out to dinner. Then we went back to his place and—”
“I don’t need to know the sex parts.”
“And we talked. Dude lost his wife three years ago. They never had children and he was lonely.” Naomi smiled and leaned in closer. “We talk a lot on symphony nights. They had season tickets and he didn’t want to give them up, so that’s why I’m there. I do give him the occasional blow job, but that’s totally my idea.”
Marissa groaned and covered her face. “Why am I such a prude?”
“Don’t have a freaking clue. It’s just sex. As long as you’re the one setting the limits, who cares? You’re both consenting adults.”
“But one of those consenting adults has all the power in the relationship. I promised myself I wouldn’t get into a position like that again.”
The door to the classroom opened, cutting off the rest of Marissa’s words, as their professor walked in. “Good morning. I have your test results.”
Naomi groaned. “I fucking bombed that one.”
“You always say that and you do fine.” It had been their third test of the semester, and the first one she’d even felt remotely challenged with. She hadn’t had quite enough time to prepare due to needing to pick up an extra shift, and the thought of her marks slipping even a little freaked her out.
Their professor dropped a stack of tests on the corner of her desk, before she flipped open her laptop and connected it to the projector. “You can pick them up on your way out. Today we’re going to start our next unit on small business finance.”
Marissa had to push away all thoughts of sugar daddies, money, and sex. This was one area of her business that had caused her the most problems. She’d be dammed if she let her attention wander. Flipping open her text book, she sat up and got to work.