Chapter 59

“You see, Iris,” Romano says, subtly rolling his chair closer so that he’s looking up at me, so that it’s no big deal to take his other hand and wrap it around the back of my other leg, his fingers pressing into the soft skin of my left thigh. “I’m starting to grow fond of you. I’m wondering whether it was a mistake to put you in a position like this – a place where you’re seen. Where other men can…admire you. When I’m starting to think I might want to keep you all to myself.”

Panicking a little, feeling trapped, I stumble back a step and Romanos fingers loosen from the back of my left thigh so that I don’t fall. He smirks, still looking up at me.

“Well, sir,” I say quietly, my voice shaking now. “I – I really like it here. I’m not sure I’d want to work anywhere else.”

“Good,” he murmurs, nodding instantly. “I’m glad you like it here, Iris. I want to make you happy. So, those men who noticed you. Did you notice them?”

Anxious, I nod. And it’s the truth – I did notice them, all of them, almost as if I had to take notes. I know what drinks they liked and what they didn’t – I know which dishes they turned away. I learned everything I could – because that’s my job, isn’t it?

“Prove it,” he murmurs, his fingers making slow idle circles on the back of my thigh. “Tell me who was there – the men. Ignore the women.”

I do as I’m told, going around the circle clockwise, starting with Romano himself and Christian and then listing each of the men in turn, describing them in detail when I didn’t catch their names. When I’ve finished, I see that he’s smiling up at me with real pleasure in his face.

“Good girl, Iris,” he says, nodding slowly, stopping the circles with his fingers and wrapping his hand more fully around the back of my thigh so that his palm is pressed hot against it. My heart starts to pound now, my breath coming fast, because I can tell that this isn’t getting any better – that Romano is just wrapping me up more.

“Thank you, sir,” I whisper, not knowing what else to say.

“The old one,” Romano murmurs, looking up at me. “Don Marino. He’ll be coming in here more often – I’ve given him an open tab, told him to come whenever he wants. And he’s a cheap old fuck, so he’ll take advantage of it. I want you to take care of him when he’s here. You got it?”

Eager, glad to be back to taking orders that actually pertain to my job, I nod.

“Give him whatever he wants, Iris,” Romano orders, “but watch him too. He liked you – he’ll want to talk to you. And when he does, I want you to come back to me, and tell me what he said. Do you understand?”

Again, I nod, my toes twitching to turn, to stride away to the secret door and out and through it – away from this.

“But,” Romano’s voice drops here, and the smile comes back to his lips – the slow, lascivious one. “Do not let him touch you, young lady – not that old man. You wouldn’t want to make me jealous, would you?”

I know that the correct answer is no – I know that he wants to play along. But god, I don’t want this – not at all – do not want to be trapped in Romano’s weird game –

He laughs, seeing the panic on my face, liking me scared like this. “You’re such a good girl, Iris,” he murmurs. “So pure. If you keep being a good girl, we’ll give you a promotion. Someplace much more comfortable to work.”

Anxious, I bite my lip, and then stop when I see his eyes move to my mouth.

“I can think of lots of places I’ve got where you would work, Iris,” he says. “Very comfortable places.” His right hand now starts to drift, moving slowly upwards towards the hem of my skirt. “Very…intimate. Places.”

My mouth drops open because I realize…realize precisely what he’s offering me right now.

“Wouldn’t you like a pay raise?” he murmurs, letting his eyes drift over me again. And looking down into his face, I can see the hunger in his expression – the fact that he’s not just toying with me right now. That he does want me – that he would be willing to relocate me, to make me one of his women. Not a mistress – but one of the ones he visits, and who he rewards handsomely for the privilege.

Just as Christian does.

“Wouldn’t you like to have some nice things all of your own, Iris?” Romano murmurs, using his leverage on the back of my thigh to pull me a little closer, to make me take a stumbling step towards him. “A nice apartment? Jewelry? A car? I could –“

My head snaps to the right when I hear the door click open.

And my mouth falls when I see Frankie standing here, his face oddly distracted. “Hey Bambs,” he starts, glancing over his shoulder where he gestures with a thumb pointed behind him. “Andre is looking for the Aperol and he can’t find it for the life of him – did you put it somewhere? He’s going nuts –“

“Yeah!” I say, my voice perhaps too loud, too relieved as I take a step away from Romano, my heart pounding even as I make my way towards my bodyguard. “Yeah, Frankie, I’m sorry – I tucked it away.”

“Whatever,” he murmurs, holding the door open for me with a casual shrug.

“Think about it, Bambi!” Romano calls out after me, his tone still low. I look over my shoulder at him to see him smirking, letting me know that despite Frankie’s act he knows this was no mistake about the location of the Aperol. That I am, in fact, being rescued. “We’ll talk again soon.”

I don’t say anything as I step out of the room, casting my eyes down and trying to even my breath as I take a few steps forward. I hear the door click behind me, and then gasp in shock as Frankie grabs me by the shoulder, spinning me and shoving me up against the wall.

“What the hell are you playing at, Iris!?” he hisses, pressing me back against the wall as I stare open-mouthed up into his face.

“Wha-what!? Frankie I didn’t –“

“Why the fuck would you go back there with him!?” he whispers, pissed as hell, “don’t you think I know what happens when he takes girls back there!? Don’t you think we all know!?”

“Well, what was I supposed to do!?” I hiss back, my shoulders starting to ache where Frankie has his hands pressed against them. I glance anxiously towards the office, scared Romano’s going to come out the door and see us here like this – blow whatever cover we have. “He’s my boss Frankie – if he calls me in for a performance review what am I supposed to –“

“You get out of it!” he whisper-shouts, almost desperate, and I look back at him wide-eyed at the panic in his voice. “You – you drop a whole line of bottles so that you have to clean them up first! You make yourself sick! You fucking trip and break your ankle rather than going into that room alone with him! God, Iris!”

Things suddenly shift and, lightening-fast, Frankie has me wrapped up in a tight hug, pressing me desperately to his chest. I gasp again, shocked, but then my arms find their way around him, hugging him back, hesitant but…well, enjoying the feel of him.

Liking just how much he wants to keep me safe.

“Don’t let him wrap you up in his web any further than he has, Iris,” Frankie whispers to me. “I’m not always going to be able to snatch you out of it – you’ve…you’ve got to develop more wiles than this.”

I sigh against him, my eyes drifting closed. “All right, Frankie, you’re right,” I whisper. “I’ll try.”

“And if Christian ever found out –“

I tense suddenly and then lift my head, frowning up at Frankie. “What?”

“He’d flip, Iris!”

I scoff, shaking my head at him and quickly dropping my arms from around him, shaking myself so that Frankie lets me go and I can take a step back. “Whatever, Frankie,” I snap, suddenly realizing that I’m angry because Frankie did this for Christian’s sake – not because he wanted to help me. “Like Christian even cares.”

And with that, I turn on my heel, intending to stride back into the bar.

But Frankie grabs my arm tight in his fist, not letting me go.