MACY

>Have fun tonight, you're not needed but keep your schedule clear for tomorrow night!

I read the text from Chase before locking my phone and tossing it onto my desk. Getting back into the escort business wasn't appealing at first but when I became bored at home on weekends and needed a second job to now pay my father off, being an escort suddenly didn't sound so bad. I still had that ranking where I only attended fancy dinners and balls but I was now more open to other aspects as well.

However, Chase wasn't totally comfortable with the idea. He rehired me under the rules he had hired me before. My parents obviously disapproved of the idea and my dad couldn't exactly do anything about it because Chase ran a completely legal operation. With that being said, they gave me two options. One: to move out and find my own place. Two: to quit the job. Obviously, I picked the first. I wasn't going to quit the one thing that took my mind of reality. Being someone I wasn't felt like a breath of fresh air after being submerged underwater for too long.

Lacy thought I was absolutely insane when I told her. She feared more for my life than I did. In her eyes, I was busy setting myself up for danger because one day one of these men would harm me and I would have no one to blame but myself. At the end of the day, I despised that thinking. I may have had the title of an escort but if a man tried to force themselves on me and I clearly said no then it's his fault. The last time I checked, rape was rape no matter how you spun it. Profession, dressing, body language, and all that crap weren't important if the woman says no. As for physically getting hurt, my dear cousin failed to realize that I could take care of myself.

I managed to find a little apartment in the same building as Dylan and Lacy. To be honest, Dylan had pulled a few strings in order for me to get it because the landlord had a few doubts about letting out an apartment to someone who once accumulated so much debt. The apartment was small but cozy. Something perfect for me since I really needed to get out of the house. My parents were already busy changing my room into the baby's room. They had chosen not to know the baby's sex so they were trying to choose neutral colors.

A knock on my office door pulled me out of my thoughts. The door opened slightly and Shelby poked her head in, "Sorry to disturb but I have another script for you to work with once you're done with that," she gestured to the script laying on my table.

With a curt nod, I motioned for her to come in and leave the script at the corner of the table for me to start later, "Hey, do you have plans for tonight?" Sitting alone in an apartment didn't sound like a fun way to spend a Friday night so I thought maybe going out would be fun.

Shelby raised a perfectly arched brow at me -perfectly arched because she probably spent a good fifteen minutes drawing each brow on every morning, "I'm free. I thought I'd spend a quiet evening in tonight since last week I woke up with a naked God sleeping next to me," she closed her eyes and a slight moan escaped the back of her throat as she probably pictured the man in her head, "Good times."

"You call waking up next to a stranger good times?" I asked incredulously.

"I call what he did to me good times girly. He definitely enjoyed his breakfast that morning," she shot me a wink, a pleased grin plastering itself on her face as she took the seat opposite me.

Rolling my eyes, I murmured, "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable why don't you..." seeing as Shelby wasn't planning on moving, I let out a harsh breath and continued, "I thought maybe we could do something tonight, maybe go to a club or something."

"Seriously? You actually want to go out. I mean, I'd love to, it's just that whenever I asked you to join me you always made an excuse. England sure did change you. Dare I say it, but it has made you more outgoing. You had confidence before but now it's like an overload of it."

I hummed in response, "I guess. I just need a good time out and who better to give it to me than the party animal herself," my tone lacked excitement, sounding more sardonic than anything else.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Shelby said with narrowed eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, in this case, it is one." I sighed.

"What's wrong? You've been down the entire day. It's like you don't even have enough energy to be your normal snarky self that I actually missed so much. I had no one to spend lunch with for the three months you were gone. Turns out, I don't like the rest of the people who work here," Shelby shifted in her seat, propping her feet up on my table and crossing them at her ankles.

I frowned at the action but decided not to make a fuss about it, "Nothing's wrong. I have just been avoiding something which I can't avoid anymore." I confessed. Today was Axel's birthday and I still hadn't wished him. Every time I typed a text out I would second guess myself and end up deleting it instead of sending it. The thought of phoning him played on my mind but I wasn't sure if I had the mental stability to hear his voice again.

"Hey, I know you're not asking for my opinion or advice or anything but..." She paused, her sentence trailing off as her eyes searched my face. When she noticed that I wasn't going to object she continued, "it's always good to get things done and over with. If it's important and you don't do it then you will regret it and you just shouldn't allow yourself to live life with regrets. Life isn't meant to be full of stress, it's meant to be fun too. Some people just forget about the latter."

"When did you get so wise?" I quizzed.

"Its one of my secret talents. I only show it when its really needed," she removed her feet from my desk and began to stand, "Anyway, I'll let you get back to work. We can meet tonight at eight-ish. The best place to unwind is Delirium. It's this really awesome club that I'm certain you will love!" Flashing me a giddy smile, she clapped her hands in happiness before leaving my office -thankfully closing the door behind her.

Grabbing my phone, the words that Shelby had said played on my mind. I knew how Axel regretted so much in life and I didn't want to be in that situation. If I didn't wish him for his birthday it would probably break his heart and I would regret it once the day was up. It just wouldn't be the same if I wished him late. Sometimes that rather late than never crap wasn't true.

I dialed his number and placed the phone to my ear before I could give it another thought. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself to hear the sound of his voice. It didn't surprise me when he answered on the second ring. If he could, he would have answered on the first ring or the moment he saw my name pop up.

"Su- Macy, what's wrong? Is everything okay? Are you okay? Did something happen?" He bombarded me with questions, his tone so frantic and yet still so appealing.

I grimaced at the correction of my name. My brain already felt like a pile of mush and my heart throbbed in my chest. A thin layer of sweat coated my palms, causing them to become clammy. Nervousness was the prominent emotion I felt. I had even forgotten how to breathe. I hadn't heard his voice in what seemed like forever. A rush of emotions crashed into me.

"Macy, are you still there?" He asked when I hadn't responded to him.

Letting out a shaky breath, I closed my eyes and prepared myself to speak, "Happy Birthday Axel." There was a long pause on the line. It was so long that I actually pulled the phone away from my ear to make sure he hadn't disconnected the call, "Axel?" I questioned, hoping he would finally speak up.

I heard a sigh and I could picture him running a hand down his face at the moment, "You remembered," he breathed in what sounded like relief.

"Of course I did," I replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "Did you think I would forget when you even created a reminder for it on my phone?" To be honest, even without the reminder, I still remembered what day it was. He, unfortunately, had no faith in me remembering though so he took it upon himself to create a reminder for it.

He chuckled dryly. It sounded so weird to my ears and a little forced. In all the time I knew him, he always had a smile on his face and always laughed about everything. I always pointed out how carefree he was compared to me and now he sounded like he had the world's fate on his shoulders.

Did I do that to him?

"Thanks, Macy," he finally murmured and my hands flew up to the pendant around my neck. I never took it off just like he had asked unless I was bathing or sleeping.

A single tear rolled down my cheek but I hastily brushed it away with the pads of my fingers before more traitorous tears could spill, "There's no need to thank me," my voice betrayed me at the end by cracking. If he heard it, he chose to ignore it, "Any special plans for the day?" I queried, attempting to make my tone lighter.

"None I guess but maybe Stephanie planned something," his answers were so curt. He wasn't giving much room for conversation. I remembered when he did that too me for two weeks. He admitted back then that he had been trying to avoid me, probably the same reason he was doing it now.

"I'm glad you and Stephanie are getting along again. She mentioned that your dad and you are beginning to patch things up. I'm proud of you," I said with encouragement.

"We're trying, one step at a time right?"

"Right," I agreed.

"Macy, thank you for the call. I didn't expect you to phone or even wish me since you hadn't been answering my calls. It's really good speaking to you but I have to go. I'm a little bus-" he was abruptly cut off by a female voice.

"Ax, it's time to get out of here and celebrate your birthday handsome," I didn't recognize her voice as it flowed through the receiver and into my ear. My jaw clenched along with my grip on my phone. Anger consumed me. It was jealous rage that I had no right to feel. We weren't together anymore and he had every right to move on. I just hadn't expected him to do it so quickly.

"I'll be right with you hun," he sounded so cheerful as he said those words and for some reason, it felt like my heart had been stabbed a trillion times over, "Macy, I have to go. Thank you for the phone call once again. I'll speak to you soon, yeah?"

Swallowing the rising lump in my throat, I choked out, "Yeah, enjoy the rest of your day." I immediately discontinued the call, switching my phone off and locking it in the desk drawer. Placing my elbows on the desk, I buried my face into hand and closed my eyes.

They burned from holding back the tears, tears I still wouldn't dare to spill. It was so easy for him to move on. So easy for him to find someone new. Speaking to him gave me an elated feeling but it wasn't the same. We were broken. Our relationship was broken and its impact was more destructive than I had anticipated.

I began rubbing my eyes until the burning sensation subdued. The empty hole in my heart only grew further after that phone call but at least I finally knew where we stood. Tonight I would prove to myself that I could move on.

~~~

"Lacy, get out of my way or I swear to the Gods I will hurt you!" I threatened, crossing my arms over my small bust. Even with my arms crossed I barely had cleavage. It just wasn't fair.

I wore a fully sequenced black dress that ended mid-thigh. The V-shape neckline wasn't very deep, showing a slight amount of my non-existent boobs. Silver sandals with four-inch heels and a silver clutch completed my look. I had to wear just enough make-up to make me look the slightest bit happy instead of looking tired. My straight as a pin golden locks were up in a high ponytail. I had loop earrings on and a black chocker. For the first time in a long time, I planned on leaving the house without the necklace Axel had gifted me.

"Mace, I'm sorry but I can't let you do this. It's dumb, reckless and not to mention unnecessary," she chided, blocking the door with her arms outstretched as if that would stop me from leaving. I had a few minutes to spare though, so I humored her a little.

"Lacy, I have no idea what you are talking about but you need to leave. I have plans tonight and I refuse to be late for them," I exasperated, tapping my foot as I looked at the small wristwatch I wore. I hated its small face but my wrists were too thin for anything gaudy.

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it. I can't believe after everything you still want to go back to being an escort. What the fuck is wrong with you? Did you fall down and hit your fucking head on something because you're sure acting as if you did!" Her voice was close to a yell, anger seething of her. There was a look of disappointment lingering in her dark eyes. She didn't realize how much she looked like the man that raised her at that moment. The waves of hostility and her tone paired together was actually scary.

I took in a deep, calming breath and then exhaled sharply. My teeth were grinding together, the sound echoing in my ears. If her motive when she entered this apartment was to piss me off then she damn well achieved it, "Lacy get out. You can come back when you're calm and collected."

"I am perfectly collected and there's no need for me to be calm. It's like everyone else around you worries about you and you don't worry about yourself. You're selling your body to men and you're acting like it isn't a big deal," she looked at me with pleading eyes, the tone becoming one of sympathy.

By reflex, my hand swung back before flying forward and connecting with Lacy's cheek in an open-handed slap. Her face whipped to the side, hands caressing the red spot. I stumbled back in shock, gnawing at my bottom lips as I stared at her wide-eyed. The moment I caught her eyes turning glossy I began mentally cursing myself. I wasn't fond of hearing someone insult me, my first reaction always being to fight back physically. That reaction generally led to things I didn't actually want to do.

"I-I'm sorry," I immediately began apologizing, "I didn't mean to. I think it's best if you leave Lacy. You made your life decisions now let me make mine and just so you know, I'm going out with a friend tonight. I'm not working. I appreciate that you care but I am a grown-ass woman."

She sniffed, "Whatever Mace, it's your life have fun," with that, I watched as she turned the door nob and flung the door open before stepping out and banging the door behind her for added effect.

I groaned loudly. Lacy and I were more than cousins. She was my best friend and I hated fighting with her. This whole situation felt so entirely fucked up and I just needed a break. I needed to forget.

My phone vibrated and I realized Dwayne had arrived to fetch me. Chase refused to let me take a cab or Uber to the club, opting to have Dwayne do it instead because it was apparently safer. Dwayne didn't have a problem with driving me there as long as he didn't have to stay to babysit me. Although he could pass off as straight, he wasn't thrilled about the idea of being surrounded by an entire club of straight drunk girls would probably try to make a move on him.

I locked my apartment door and made my way down to the lobby where Dwayne was waiting for me. He wore a plain white shirt with a navy blue suit jacket and blue skinny jeans. Black and white checked vans covered his feet. The moment he saw me a beaming smile captured his face. His smile always seemed to be so contagious, I found myself reciprocating his. For the first time in a long time, I smiled a real smile and it felt good.

"You look, beautiful sweetheart," he chirped, engulfing me in his warm embrace. I felt his lips press into my hair, leaving behind a chaste kiss. The sweet gesture made me feel warm inside.

"Thank you, Dwayne. Are you completely sure you don't want to stay tonight?" I asked, pulling away from him slightly so I could meet his gaze.

"I'd rather spend my time watching Chase work than at a club watching gyrating girls," he cringed as he said those words, shaking his head to remove the mental image that he himself had created.

All I could do was laugh at the face he made. He slung his arm over my shoulders and led me to the car. The drive to Delirium wasn't that long seeing as the club was just a few blocks away from where I lived. I could have easily walked there but laziness got the better of me. The entire drive was spent with Dwayne singing along to his God awful music while I just stared up at the night sky since he drove a convertible with the top down.

There weren't many stars in the sky. The bright and colorful lights of the lively city drowning its magnificent beauty. A crescent shape moon dangled in the sky and I imagined myself sitting on the said moon -exactly the way Dreamworks has a boy sitting on a crescent moon fishing. I was grateful to have simple thoughts in my head and not and not those heartbreaking dreadful thoughts that consumed my entire being for most of the day.

Outside the club was a long line. Bright neon letters flashed at the top with the night club's name. I eyed the bulky bouncer warily from the car. He wore a full black suit, his lips pressed in her tight line as he stood there unmoving. I sent a quick text telling Shelby I was here and the next thing I knew she was walking toward me with a bright smile on her face.

"Awesome ride," she squealed, "definitely the perfect way to arrive at a nightclub in L.A."

Rolling my eyes at her enthusiasm, I turned to Dwayne, "Thanks for the ride. I'll call if I need to you pick me up but don't wait up. I'm perfectly cool with taking a cab or getting an Uber." I knelt over and placed a chaste kiss onto his cheek, leaving behind a red lipstick mark.

He grumbled, rubbing his cheek excessively to remove the stain, "You're the only female other than my mom that I will allow to do this to me," his lips pursed and I bit back a laugh, "Make sure to call me. Chase will have babies if you take a cab. Now, go and have fun."

With a curt nod, I left the car and joined Shelby. She and a few friends of hers had joined the line earlier in the night and were almost at the door by the time I arrived. We waited for a little over half an hour before finally being let in. The club itself was dark, beams of different colors bounced off every surface. The EDM music that blared through the speakers rang in my ears. Shelby's friends were quick to head onto the dancefloor filled with sweaty bodies grinding against one another.

Shelby and I managed to weave our way to the bar. We ordered the first round of tequila shots which went down smoothly, so smooth that I couldn't help but order us another round. After the fourth round ,Shelby became louder than usual and everything seemed to be amusing to me.

Shelby raised her hands into the air, letting out an ear-piercing scream, "I'm going to dance, come with!" She then grabbed my arm and began tugging me toward the dance floor.

I shook my head, "Not yet, one more drink and I'll join you."

"Suit yourself girly," she yelled over the music and then made her way to the crowd. Immediately, some man pulled her to dance with him which she happily did. She didn't even stop him when he began groping her. I wondered what it felt like to be that carefree and not bother about the later repercussions.

The bartender came up to me, sliding a martini in front of me with a smile on his face. I just stared back at him in confusion knowing I hadn't ordered my next drink yet. He simply shrugged, "He ordered it for you," the bartender then gestured with his chin to a man at the other end of the bar.

I took in the details of the man. It may have been dark but I noticed his dark caramel skin. His pink defined lips were curled into a smirk as he picked up his glass in a gesture to say hi. Offering him a curt nod in response, I watched as he got up and began making his way toward me. When standing, his figure looked like a well-sculptured work of art. Broad shoulders that led to bulging biceps. He still managed to walk with grace though, wearing a flimsy white tee and black jeans. As he got closer I noticed the black timberlands on his feet.

Somehow he managed to fit his large frame between me and the rest of the people lining the bar with ease. My eyes traced along his sharp jawline that I was certain could cut through anything. He had deep brown eyes with specks of gold. They twinkled with interest as they took in my figure.

"DeAndre Williams," he introduced and he sounded so refined and put together that it made me scared to speak. I knew how much I had to drink so I knew how stupid I would probably sound. He waited patiently for me to introduce myself and when he noticed that I wasn't he simply smiled. His perfect, stunning white teeth causing my breath to hitch, "So the lady doesn't want to tell me her name then?"

I rolled my eyes, taking the olive from the martini into my mouth, "The lady doesn't want to make a fool out of herself."

His chuckle was deep, rumbling in his chest. It was attractive. I watched as he scratched the side of his head and noticed that his hair was cropped short, similar to a buzz cut, "I don't think that's possible." The smoothness of his voice was so compelling and alluring.

Sighing, I replied, "Macy, my name is Macy."

"Well Macy," his deep brown eyes glistened, "I thought I'd ask you to dance since you seem to be stuck at the bar."

I cocked a brow at him in accusation, "So you've been watching me the entire night?" The thought sent a chill down my spine. I wasn't fond of people watching my every move, calculating what I was doing. It just gave me an unpleasant feeling probably because that generally meant someone was stalking you.

"For the most part. Let's just say I keep my eyes on the prize and I always get what I want," his fingers grazed my cheek lightly before tugging stray strands of my hair behind my right ear. He brought his lips so close to me that when his warm breath fanned across my face they caused every hair on my body to stand on end, "And tonight, I want you." Those words somehow induced a pleasurable shiver down my spine.

Or maybe that was the alcohol.

Deciding to fuck it all to hell, I grabbed his drink from his hand and placed it onto the counter. Then I began pulling him toward the dancefloor. I let the music take control of me, possessing my body. My back was against his chest, his hands planted firmly on my hips. I could feel him against my ass as I shifted my hips to the music. My hands were in my hair, releasing it of its hair tie that had slowly come apart as the night progressed.

I shuddered at the feel of his lips making contact with my skin. It wasn't electrifying like when Axel placed his lips on me but it still felt good. I couldn't compare every man I met to Axel because then I would never move on, so I went with it. Turning in his hold and slinging my arms around his neck, I met DeAndre's heated gaze before pressing my lips to his. I hungrily drank him in, begging for more as he slipped his cold scotch flavored tongue into my mouth.

His hands snacked around me, pulling me impossibly close. I loved the way his tongue fought mines for dominance, taking exactly what he wanted and leaving me breathless. "Want to get out of here?" He murmured against my swollen lips and for some reason, I felt like my legs couldn't move fast enough as I began yanking him toward the exit.

Late update since I'm swamped with assignments! I can already imagine the world of hate Macy is about to receive and I'm low key bracing myself for it.

Listen to the song Dancing with a stranger by Sam Smith ft Normani.