FATE SEALED IN INK

Adeline’s POV “Please Logan. I don’t have anywhere else to go,” I beg as my landlord angrily paces around my apartment, putting my stuff into a cardboard box. “You knew the deal, Adeline. If you spread your legs, you would have a place to rest those legs. The moment you decided to keep those legs closed was the moment that rest time was up,” he replies as his arm sweeps across the table and everything falls on the floor. “Pick that up,” he says as he points to the mess, my sobs coming out even stronger. “Fine, just give me one more night and I would get everything out. I’ll be out of your hair by tomorrow morning I promise,” I say, stepping in front of him with my hands holding his down. He uses that opportunity and slips his arm around the waist, the other wrapped around my jaw. He lowers his lips to my ear and lightly kisses the spot below my ear. “You know you could stop all this in a second Adeline,” he whispers into my ear, sending shivers to my spine. I sigh and close my eyes as he kisses different parts of my skin, going lower with each kiss. I push him away, taking steps back and mentally slapping myself for almost falling again. “I’ll be out of here by tomorrow morning. Thanks for having me all this time,” I say. He points at me like he wants to say something and he walks out, slamming the door. I drop myself on my bed, letting the tears fall freely without even trying to stop it. As much as I enjoyed what we had while we had it, it’s about time I got out of his hold. If I could go back in time, I would keep myself from agreeing to this stupid deal in the first place. ****** 6 months ago I stand quietly in the corner, hoping that his knocks would go away. My rent has been due for the past three months; I have no money, no job, no family, and absolutely no way to pay it all up. I hear the jingle of keys and my heartbeat picks up. Although the room was dark, I knew it wouldn’t take long before he makes out my position. I feel his hand grip mine aggressively and I whimper in pain. “You think you can hide from me in my own apartment huh?” he asks as he drags me to the middle of the room. “I’m going to get your money… please don’t kick me out,” I beg. I feel his breath on my neck before I could process anything. “You know… we can also settle this another way,” he says, running his fingers on my thigh. I suck in a breath… out of shock or need? I have no idea. “What other way?” I ask, my insides already reacting in an expected way. “I can let you stay here for as long as you need, you just have to be there to tend to my needs,” he whispers as his lips kiss a spot close to mine. Survival being the only thing on mind, and the fact that if I refuse, I’m going to be homeless for God knows how long, I sign myself into something I’d obviously come to regret. “Why not,” I reply. ****** Picking my phone up, I call Fiona and tearfully ask her if I could come over. Asking for help isn’t exactly my thing, but desperate times call for even more desperate measures. “Hey… umm I need somewhere to stay for now. Can I come over?” I ask. “Of course, Addy. My house is open to you anytime,” she replies, and I get to packing. “Hey girl,” she says and pulls me into a hug. “What’s wrong?” she asks, taking notice of the way my body shook. “Logan kicked me out,” I said with a sigh. “I decided I didn’t want to continue with the deal anymore, so he forced me to leave.” “So, what are you going to do now?” she asks, and I shrug. “I have no idea girl.” “Come work at the club with me,” she says, and I shake my head. “I think I’ve had enough survival intimacy to last me a while Fi,” I say, and she smiles. “That’s life Addy. It’s sad but we don’t really have a choice. I’m sure we can get my manager to work something out,” she says, and I rub my temples. “Fine… but if he doesn’t give me another position asides being a stripper I’m leaving.” ******* A margarita and little convincing is all it took to get her boss to give me a position as a bartender instead of a stripper. It was going to be hard being the only female bartender in a strip club; but then again, the opinions of others aren’t helping me get my s**t together. The male bartenders and patrons didn’t bother hiding their disgust at having a woman behind the bar instead of showing and using her assets on the pole. I wouldn’t blame them though, the pay is higher as a stripper. Their rude comments gave me the push I needed to use my bartending skills to the fullest and prove I could do it way better. The tips I got were as wealthy as the men I served. Whether it was because I made them a good drink or the fact that they were being appreciative to the pretty girl serving them, I haven’t been any more thankful for tips. As busy as the night was, my eyes couldn’t leave the six-foot-five man that walked in here a while ago and is barking orders to bartenders that are too busy to attend to him. His muscular chiseled features and the expression on his face gave off an aura that was hard to resist. He looked troubled, and I wouldn’t be surprised. He probably oversees one of the large and successful companies scattered all over Atlanta and just had a bad day. Although I wanted to talk to him, and considering how attractive he was, his arrogance and insolence made me avoid him like the plague. After many failed attempts of trying to avoid him and his desperate calls for a bartender, I decided to walk over to him and take his order. “What the hell is your problem boy? I've been waiting forever for a martini and none of you idiots can be bothered to do your job properly.” He yells angrily and I turn to him with shock all over my face. Seems I have a thing with making bad decisions. He had the same look of shock on his face. Great. Another man who thinks a girl shouldn’t be at the bar. Anger took over any feeling of shock and compassion I had towards him. “Excuse me,” I replied, the anger flowing deep in my veins. “I need a Vesper martini,” he replies, and I scoff. “As you can see, sir, the bar is extremely busy right now. And paying attention to these things on my chest, you would see that I am not a man and I deserve to be treated with respect. If you want your drink sir, you'll need to adjust your attitude because dealing with temperamental men is not in my job description,” I say angrily and purse my lips. He narrows his eyes at me smiles. “Do you know who I am?” he asks, and I roll my eyes. “If I could get a penny for how many times, I’ve heard that in the past hour I would probably be on a plane to the Bahamas right now. I do not care who you are sir, but I am a human being who deserves respect.” This was a lot of temptation for me on the first day and as much as I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, I had bills to pay. “Can I get a Vesper Martini with extra Vodka young lady?” he says with a light chuckle, and I get to work. I try my best to ignore his intense gaze as I make his drink. He looked at me like he would rather have me as his refreshment… not like I would mind anyway. Pushing the feelings of heat and tingles on my skin, I grab a paper towel and slide his drink to him. He catches it with ease. As I am about to turn away, he leans forward, our eyes locking. "Thank you," he says. I give him a small smile, trying to steady my breathing. "Oh," he murmurs, leaning closer. His breath warm against my ear. "For the record, I did pay attention to the things on your chest." My eyes widen as his words hit me, and I feel my cheeks burning. Before I can react, he winks, a playful an d fiery look in his eyes. “Until next time princess.”