Burn(2)

My head snaps around to look at Julio. Zeth’s eyes travel slowly from me back to the Mexican, too, so that he’s staring, unblinkingly at the other man. He stills the toothpick in his hands, pressing it against his lip. Heat wells in the base of my throat, making the blush undoubtedly grow deeper. “I’m sorry?”

“Did you suck his dick?” Julio asks again, laughing. He asks the question like it’s nothing. Like it’s not really weird that he would ask that.

“Well, yeah, of course I did.” I don’t think I pull off seductively amused as well I would like. I sound more like a flustered school girl than someone who shared a bed with Zeth Mayfair and kept up with him. How the hell did I think I could do this? I am not going to be able to pull it off. I’m just not. The knowing look in Julio’s eyes tells me as much. Zeth slouches down into his seat beside me, rocking his head back to stare up the ceiling, toying with his toothpick again. “Are we nearly done here? I was hoping I could grab a little of the dog that bit me. My head’s fucking pounding.”

“I tell you what’s good for a hangover, ese,” Julio says, turning his attention to Zeth. “Getting your dick sucked.”

Zeth lets his head roll forward. He doesn’t look impressed. Thankfully Julio’s too busy gauging Zeth’s reaction to catch mine, which is flat out horror. He wants me to do it. Now. In front of him. This is definitely a test. Zeth smiles, and the smile is almost a threat. “I just fucked the girl two seconds ago. Didn’t you hear?” He points the toothpick over his shoulder, gesturing not only into the corridor but into the recent past, when he had me bent double over his lap while he slapped my ass raw.

Julio shrugs his shoulders. “Sounded like you were killing the woman, sure. But this pretty piece of ass is still sitting here, twirling her pretty hair around her pretty fingers, so I know that wasn’t the case.” He gives Zeth a grin, leaning forward across his desk. “What’s the matter, man, huh? You can’t get it up again so quick? I know it ain’t cause you’re shy. I seen you fuck plenty of girls under this roof.”

My hands curl involuntarily at that. Stupid that I choose to get upset over that right now and not the fact that an overweight Mexican Jabba the Hut wants me to get on my knees in front of him and blow a guy I’m more than moderately afraid of.

Zeth nods slowly, seeming to consider this. “Guess so. But that was a while back now. I’m a little more…restrained?”

“Bullshit!” Julio laughs, but his cheeks are growing redder and redder by the moment. This highlights the spider webbed fine filaments of burst blood capillaries in his cheeks, purple looking and angry—here is a man who drinks too much. Gets mad too much. He probably gets his own way too much, too. But not today.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Perez, but I’m not gonna give you a private show this morning. You’ve already established that I’m not like your other girls. If you want a cheap whore to entertain you while Zeth gets blowjob, then by all means go ahead. But you’re gonna have to find someone who values themselves a little less, I’m afraid. Perhaps one of your girls would oblige you. I think I’m going to read by the pool.”

I stand up. I don’t recall doing it, but I’m on my feet, straightening up my top, trying to fix what I hope to be a cool look on both of the startled men who are staring back at me. Zeth looks like I’ve just thrown a bucket of cold water over him. Julio’s mouth is hanging open, eyes narrowed at me in confusion, as though the words I just spoke were actually in a foreign language that he clearly doesn’t speak.

To say I start panicking would be an understatement. Not even Zeth, a great hulk of a man, afraid of no one, refused Julio’s wishes to bluntly. I realize a little too late that no one has probably refused him so bluntly. I think if Zeth could cover his eyes, he would. Julio clears his throat, looking back down at his desk for a moment while I try to prevent myself from succumbing to the titanic sense of alarm that’s suddenly building in my chest.

“So you wouldn’t care if I got another woman to come in here, Miss Hawthorne?” Julio asks the question slowly, showing sizeable restraint. My palms break out into an uncontrollable sweat.

“Of course not. Why would I?” Despite my clammy hands and the color still rising in my cheeks, I know I’ve nailed it this time. I’ve managed to affect an air of complete indifference toward Zeth that makes me fist pump on the inside, while all that shows on the outside is one gently raised eyebrow. “I’m afraid you seem to be confusing the dynamic of the relationship I share with Zeth, Mr Perez. I’m not the one on my knees begging for snippets of his affection. It’s entirely the other way around.”