“Your welcome, but is there that much trouble in paradise? I don’t want to step on Peter’s toes.”
“I think that it may be time to uproot and do something different.” Especially since I’m also starting to suspect that Peter is trying to push Allen Rachel’s way because of me.
If he’s doing shit like that on top of warning me away it means something’s changed in our friendship.
That’s my fault. I didn’t do myself any favors when he confronted me about my feelings for Rachel and I couldn’t deny them. Lying felt like the wrong thing to do. Not the fact of lying to him because he’s my friend. What felt wrong was lying to deny my feelings. It felt like lying to her.
“How about this? Why don’t you think about it for a while. I’ll need an answer from you in eight weeks if you decide to start. If not it’s cool… I’ll still need you whenever you decide to come on board.” Salvatore chuckles.
I smile. “What’s this for, sounds like you have something planned in eight weeks.”
“I do. Look over there.” He motions his head through the arch shaped glass windows of his lounge.
From here I have a great view of the people on the dance floor. But that’s not what I see first when I look ahead. What I see is the naked couple inside the exhibition box fucking like animals.
The guy has the woman pressed up against the glass as he pounds into her from behind.
My friend here is the tech of this place and the guy who comes up with all the ideas for attractions like the box I’m looking at.
I turn my attention back to him and he smiles.
“In Chicago, I want more exposure on the attractions like that. I need a new campaign; fresh and punchy to sell what we already have. Then I’ll need you in the Caribbean using those skills of yours to bring in the same success we have here.”
“That sounds like the whole empire.” It also sounds like something that can change my life. I come from wealth and I have wealth, what he’s talking about though is billions.
“The whole fucking empire, Dante. You manage it and the original retainer stands, plus I’ll triple whatever Peter’s giving you.”
Fucking hell… I’d be some kind of an idiot to turn that down.
Salvatore gives me a pensive stare. It’s all temptation staring me in the face. He’s throwing money at me because he knows I’m that good. He already makes billions. This guy knows I can make him even more than that.
It’s just my best friend that takes me for granted. I’m the fool who plays the game.
“Thank you. I guess I’ll see you more often then, since I am considering it.” I’d be a fool not to.
“Let’s grab a drink then,” he says getting up.
We put out our cigars and head to the bar across from us.
He orders whiskey and I’m just about to get a scotch when something catches my eye.
Not something.
Someone.
Rachel.
Jesus Christ. What is she doing here?
She’s across from me on the floor below us. The floor that has all the people having group sex.
She’s talking it up with a guy in a booth and she’s not wearing a mask. That means she’s planning on spending the night with him tonight. That’s what you do here and what taking off your mask signifies.
I scan over her body. It’s bad enough when I see her on the regular in normal clothes. the woman in lingerie is something else. something else I’ve never seen, but only dreamt about.
A little like now. we’re probably thirty feet away from e
ach other, but even from here she looks like temptation.