Into The Woods (Dark Fairy tales), page 24
Hayden quickly became a regular. He’s room was all black, with red satin sheets. He was still as rough as the first time, but Sutton had become used to his manhandling. It was nothing stretching and a few Pilates lessons with Charlotte couldn’t help. Then there was her present company, Clint. The man was amazingly talented at oral, but screwing him took a Red Bull and a good amount of patience. The man could go for hours, which in most cases was great, but she very rarely got off, and grew tired of him after about thirty minutes of faking. Another shame was the fact he had a great amount of equipment, but wasn’t very talented at using it.
Then there was Helix, who most would consider a shy and reserved man. This was a mistake that Sutton only made once. His private room was nothing less than an S&M chamber, and he was not so quiet once the doors were closed. She could still remember the welts his whip left on her ass the first time they played. Even with the kinky stuff, he was still the most interesting of the bunch.
Along with her regulars, Sutton often encountered a few random moments on the other floors. It seemed to be a great time-filler on those slow nights. Not to mention that every encounter brought another large payment to her account. Over the three months, Sutton learned that The Woods was all about control. Being a willing participant was key, but knowing that you were always in control was crucial. The Woods was about knowing your clients and their wants. It was also about knowing who to refuse. For Sutton, it was Raymond Shultz. She didn’t know why the man gave her the creeps, but she avoided all of his advances, which was hard, because he was always there and always asking.
After a few short months her fear of The Woods was gone, replaced with a love of sorts. Three months in The Woods had established her reputation among the platinum’s that sent her many one-time hitters and quite a few regulars. Sutton only worked Wednesday thru Friday, with the occasional Saturday, but she could say that she never left without making money. Her days of mingling were long gone.
It was also over three months since she’d started a real relationship with Maddox. Sutton couldn’t really say “real” because most of what they shared was a lie, and even after so much time Maddox was still indecisive about what they had. Maddox wanted her to be the sweet girl that he met lost in The Woods, the young naïve girl who he taught to be sexy and strong. However, Sutton didn’t have the heart to tell him that the student had long surpassed the teacher. The sex was still amazing, but Sutton often found herself carefully holding back so Maddox wouldn’t question where she got a new move or position. She knew she could only say “I read about it in Cosmo” so many times before he got a little suspicious.
Maddox seemed to be oblivious to Sutton’s secret life. To Maddox, Sutton was his good little girl. Well, that was what she would have him believe. She perfected the role, while she secretly playing the role of “good” like “submissive,” “wrestle buddy,” and “sexy siren.” She always left weekends for Maddox and Darius, sometimes coming over early Saturday morning and making her two guys breakfast, much to Curtis’ dismay. Breakfast would usually be followed by a wonderful day out with the boys, and a hot evening in with Maddox. On the weekend she was Susie homemaker. On the weekend she was Darius’ female role model. On the weekend she was Maddox’s lady. On the weekend she was…miserable.
The one thing that drove Sutton mad was the fact that Fiona, Charlotte, and unfortunately even Jarvis were right about her relationship. Although Maddox cared for her, he never made more of a commitment than that. Their relationship was a little stronger, but as far as Maddox was concerned they were still just lovers.
Sutton also couldn’t believe that she was wrong about the fights and Maddox’s bossy nature. Nothing changed with Maddox. He was still the most the most infuriating and bossy man she’d ever encountered. He still ran hot and cold, and she’d yet to pry any explanation as to why he was the way he was. When it came to his past, everything was a closed subject. The one thing Sutton could say was that she’d gone from fearing his wrath to just being plain annoyed by it.
The thought that Fiona’s down-with-love rhetoric was starting to seep in only made Sutton fear for the future of her relationship. Of course, she couldn’t help but wonder if her relationship would be the way it was if she hadn’t secretly stayed at The Woods. Would they still have problems? Would she secretly think to herself that she was bored with the whole monogamous scene? Would she be broke and dependent on him?
The last thought was always the one that put her ass in the car and sped her to The Woods. She might be making money by lying on her back, but it was her money. Sutton prided herself on the fact that she was able to take care of herself. Granted, she was still living with Charlotte, but that was by choice, not necessity.
In the short time of being at The Woods, Charlotte quickly become one of her close friends, and in many ways her partner in crime. Charlotte was the one who’d gotten her hooked on the good life. Charlotte gave her a taste of high-class life, and Sutton was quickly becoming addicted. Why buy cheap clothes when you could rock designers, Charlotte would ask on many of their shopping trips. So that’s exactly what Sutton did, and quite often. Gone was the girl who would save just to buy a new pair of jeans and a few tops at Abercrombie and Fitch. It was nothing to drop a grand at one store and still move on to the next, which in the end only made it a necessity that she go back to The Woods. After all, Prada wasn’t cheap.
Sutton realized around month three what Jarvis meant about life in The Woods. The constant indulgence was nothing more than an aphrodisiac at first, but now she was used to the sex. Screwing in a way became second nature. It no longer excited her, but had become a means to support a lifestyle that involved the best of everything—a lifestyle that was based on wanting to be like Charlotte, a woman who, in Sutton’s eyes, had all the glamour and sex appeal that anyone could ask for.
“That was amazing, Sut,” Clint praised her, as he zipped up his pants.
“I aim to please, baby.” Sutton fluffed her curls in the small mirror on the wall. “I’ll see you around,” she said, as she hurried to the door.
“Oh, wait,” Clint said, stopping Sutton at the door.
Sutton turned and gave Clint a fake smile. “What’s up?” she asked, hoping that he would not take up any more of her time.
“I may have a position for you. It turns out that Tavia is looking for an assistant, and I told her I knew a girl who would be perfect.”
“Are you serious?” Sutton asked, her eyes lighting up with the possibility. “I could work for Tavia Maverick?”
“I didn’t say you had the job, I said she wants to meet you.” Clint pulled out his wallet and handed Sutton a business card. “Her address is on the back. She’d like you to come over for lunch tomorrow.”
Sutton jumped into Clint’s arms as she bounced up and down. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Clint pulled Sutton in for a deep kiss. “No, thank you, baby. I’ll see you next week,” he said, as he made his way out the door.
Sutton looked down at the business card and felt her heart speed up. Tavia Maverick was her hero, and the fact that she wanted to meet Sutton was exciting. She pushed the random thoughts out of her head. The fact that the meeting probably wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for her screwing Clint was something she didn’t want to focus on. The excitement ran through her, as Sutton looked at the embossed card with Tavia’s information on it. This was her shot.
***
“I’m getting sick of pussy. I’m seriously considering becoming celibate. Hell, I need to focus anyway. I’m not getting into law school chasing ass all the time,” Jarvis said, as he munched on a handful of popcorn.
“First of all, you don’t chase pussy, it just finds you. Second, you’re getting into law school. Hell, you just turned in the applications. Will you relax?” Sutton replied, as she propped her feet on Jarvis’ lap.
Hanging with Jarvis had become her normal after-work thing. It wasn’t unusual for Sutton to spend the night at his place most days during the week. This was especially true given that the party sometimes never stopped for Charlotte. After running into too many of Charlotte’s random dates, Sutton often took refuge at Jarvis’. His apartment was cozy, and she loved that when she was with him she felt like her old self. She wasn’t a sexpot, but rather just a normal girl. She loved that Jarvis brought that out in her.
“It’s been a year since I graduated from Emory. I feel like I’m sitting dormant,” Jarvis griped.
“You took time off to study for the LSAT. Not to mention to save money for law school.”
“I’ve been thinking of quitting The Woods and finding something with my business degree, at least until I get into NYU. I can’t be a whore and a lawyer; it doesn’t look good on your resume,” Jarvis quipped. “I wish my scholarship would cover law school, too.”
“What scholarship?”
“I went to Emory on a Maverick achievers scholarship. They paid for everything.”
Sutton sat up, “Have you ever met Tavia?” she asked excitedly.
“You get so excited about this lady—it’s not like she’s Oprah,” Jarvis teased. “Why do you worship this lady so much? She’s just a normal person like the rest of us.”
“Will you answer the question J?” Sutton whined.
“Yes, I’ve met her. Hell, she turned me into a ho,” Jarvis explained, as he threw another handful of popcorn into his mouth.
“What?”
“Well, inadvertently, that is. There was this cocktail party that all the scholarship recipients have to go to. I went, and she introduced me to Fiona. At the time I was looking for a part-time job, and I guess she thought Fiona was a reputable business lady. Little did she know she was turning me into a hooker.”
“I have a meeting with her. She’s looking for an assistant, and Clint told her I would be perfect.”
“That’s great. See what a good blow job can do?” Jarvis teased.
Sutton playfully punched Jarvis in the arm. “Shut up, this could lead to big things.”
“This could lead to big trouble. What are you going to tell Maddox?”
“If I get the job, I will just tell him that my counselor helped me get it. Simple as that,” Sutton said proudly, as she sipped her coke.
“Girl, you have more storylines than The Young and the Restless.”
“I have to. Maddox makes me lie to him. He doesn’t want to know the truth, because the truth isn’t in his control. If he can’t be in charge of it, he hates it. I lie to spare his feelings, and because I, too, have a brain and can make my own choices, and I think that bothers him.” Sutton couldn’t help but feel as if she’d flashed back to her reasoning for constantly lying to her grandma. It wasn’t lost on her that Maddox had turned into a version of Lorna Ryder.
“This would all be great stuff to tell him, not me. Sutton, let’s be honest, you lie because you want it all. You want to be the sweet girl he wants and still have the life you lead when he’s not around. I love to see you flounce into his office in those dumpy sundresses, when the night before you were all dressed up like Kim Kardashian’s stunt double.”
“Well, what do you suggest I say? Oh, honey, I’ve been moonlighting as a call girl. He would lose his shit. Not to mention what Fiona would do.”
“Fiona’s harmless.”
“To those who fuck her,” Sutton teased.
“I’ve never fucked Fiona,” Jarvis replied, a bit disgusted at the thought. “One, she’s old, and I don’t do old. Two, I don’t see her like that. Fiona’s almost like a mom figure. She’s always so sweet and asking about my personal life and school. We don’t get down like that.”
“Wow! Now there are three women on the ‘people J-baby hasn’t fucked’ list!”
“You’re one to talk, love. Your number is climbing at a rapid pace.” Jarvis looked over at his friend as a wave of sincerity washed over his face. “Seriously, Sut, tell him. If you get this job don’t let it be another one of your secrets.”
“Jarvis, it’s not that serious.”
“Okay, so maybe you don’t remember who the president of that company is. I can tell you right now they don’t call him Mad Man for nothing. You’ve yet to see his fury. Mixing with his enemy is only asking for trouble.”
“I doubt I will ever see Jeremiah, and if I do it will be in a professional manner. Hell, if I can avoid sex with Raymond, I can have a working relationship with Jeremiah Wolfe.”
“Oh, it must be nice,” Jarvis said laughingly.
“What are you talking about?”
“Living in denial. It must be nice.”
Sutton turned back to the movie. She didn’t want to admit that Jarvis was right. Over the past three months she’d grown used to the lifestyle The Woods provided. She loved getting dressed up and making money for doing very little at all. However, she was only able to have this life by keeping everything secret from Maddox. Sometimes the lies were easy, given that in their short time together he’d gone from the man encouraging her to grow and be independent to a dictator. It seemed to Sutton that Maddox wanted her to grow, but hated that she now was stronger than he wanted her to be. As long as she was that sweet girl, eager to learn, he was happy. Now that she was calling him on his bullshit and taking control of her life, he’d turned into her grandmother.
Yet even with all of Maddox’s dramatic mood shifts and bossiness, she still cared for him. She still held out hope that he would one day give her the love and relationship she longed for. However, that hope seemed to dwindle with each passing day. It didn’t matter how much she cared for Maddox, she could not let go of an opportunity to work with her idol. If Sutton had learned anything during her time at The Woods, it was that she couldn’t think of others, she had to do what was best for herself. Though she hated lying, she knew it was the only way to keep her life together. Lying was the only way to have her cake and eat it, too. What’s one more lie? she thought sadly.
Chapter Nineteen
Sutton was surprised how calm she was. When she awoke that morning she felt a complete calm wash over her, as she prepared for her interview. She’d thought for sure that she would be nervous, that she would be a complete wreck knowing that she was only a few hours away from meeting her idol. However, she was surprisingly calm, and even more surprisingly amped up and ready.
Sutton adjusted her skirt and smoothed the sides of her slicked-back hair. The simple black pencil skirt and white blouse were the perfect look. She was glad she’d let Charlotte dress her. If Charlotte weren’t so good at hookin’, she would make a great stylist, Sutton thought laughingly. The outfit was topped off with an elegant ponytail and demure makeup, also courtesy of Charlotte’s amazing talents. Sutton looked around the foyer as she followed the butler to the veranda. The elegant mansion was just as she remembered from all the magazines that had profiled Tavia.
“Sutton Ryder?” Tavia Maverick greeted her, as she rose from her seat. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Please, have a seat,” she added, gesturing to the chair across from her.
Sutton was amazed. Tavia was just as beautiful in person as she was in the magazines. Tavia was in her late fifties, but she still looked quite young and, for that matter, sexy. Her long, wavy black hair hung around her shoulders. Her skin was the color of honey. Though she was older, it didn’t show; her face was as smooth as Sutton’s. Her tall, curvy frame gave away that the woman was still as fit and sexy as when she was in her heyday. Sutton was in awe of her stunning idol.
“Mrs. Maverick, it is truly an honor to be here. You are such…I am such…” Sutton rambled, as her grip on her cool, collected attitude slipped. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”
“I don’t either, darling. I’m just a normal person, just like you,” Tavia replied, as she sipped her mimosa.
“I guess I’m nervous because you’re my idol. I’ve been studying you in my business classes, and I have to say, everything about you is wonderful.”
Tavia let out a boisterous laugh. “Honey, you’re going to give me a big head. Well, you’re going to make it bigger than it already is,” Tavia teased.
“Well, it’s all true. There is nothing that I don’t love about you. I hope one day to be as successful as you are.”
“ Well, enough about me. Tell me something about Sutton. I hear you’re a senior at Emory?”
“Yes, a business major,” Sutton replied, as she took a sip of her water. “I’m hoping to go into the field of public relations after school. I would also love to work for Maverick industries one day.”
“Well, I guess that’s the reason that you’re here, so let’s talk business.” Tavia sipped her drink as she gave Sutton a long studying glare. “I like you, Sutton, you’re spunky. I also think that you’re smart and very beautiful. In short, you’re everything that I like to have in an assistant. The job pays eight hundred a week, plus you will have use of my car service for work-related needs. Does this sound like something that interests you?”
