Scandal:The Complete Series(14)
“Let’s go,” Jaxson says, offering me his hand.
—seven—
Jaxson Cole Asks Me To Trust Him
We trot down the hallway until we come to an exit sign, my cheeks burning red hot as I’m gradually appreciating all that transpired moments ago in the private room at Peach Corner. I keep my head down when we’re out of the building to avoid looking at Jaxson. To my surprise it’s still light outside. I could have sworn we spent hours in the dark dungeon of the strip club but a look at my watch informs me it’s barely been forty minutes.
“Okay,” I say as we turn a corner. “I’m kind of lost. I have no idea where my car is parked.”
Jaxson squeezes my hand. “I’ll take you to your car when we’re done,” he says in a commanding voice that leaves me no room for arguing.
“Are we not done yet?” I say, confused and still looking down at my moving feet, trying to wipe out the memory of his tongue in my mouth and his hands all over my ass while strange people were making out. Shame and regret hit me hard, all the more because the hot man next to me that just took my breath away was Madison’s boyfriend for a long time.
Instead of an answer, Jaxson opens the door to a bar and nudges me inside. The place is noisy and smells of greasy meat and cigarette smoke. Not a good combination for my nose and lungs. We sit at a small table, facing each other. There’s no way I can avoid looking into his eyes now.
“I’m sorry about what happened at the club,” he says. “I figured it wouldn’t have the same effect if I just told you about the things Madison was into. You had to see it for yourself.”
I don’t know how seriously I can take his apology. The truth is he doesn’t look all that regretful and he’s smart and experienced enough to know I liked his touch. Which probably makes me a terrible person in many people’s book, including my own.
“You are upset,” he says, shooting me a penetrating glance.
“I felt so fucking ordinary in there,” I tell him with almost instant regret.
The waitress shows up with two glasses of water and menus.
“I don’t think I can eat anything, Jaxson.”
He furrows his brow as he tells the waitress to bring us some nachos with a guacamole dip. “Don’t use my name in here,” he says as soon as she’s off with the order. “Names aren’t necessary.”
“Are you serious? Everybody knows your name whether I say it or not. What’s so special about this dumpster of a place?”
“Same owner as Peach Corner. Similar clientele. Let’s keep it discreet.”
“What should I call you then?”
He shrugs. “Whatever you want. Baby, stallion, master. The possibilities are endless.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Do you honestly think you can be anonymous anywhere?”
“You’d be surprised.”
I glance at him totally unconvinced. “Get real.”
“All right,” he says with a sigh. “It’s part of the rules. Whether the rules make sense or not doesn’t matter. They have to be followed or you won’t be allowed to play.”
“What if I don’t want to play?”
“Then they’ll never tell us what they know about Madison.”
“Did you love Madison?” I say, locking my eyes on his in an attempt to catch him unawares.
“No,” he says without even flinching.
So it’s me who’s caught unawares in the end. His nonchalant tone shocks me. “I mean, before you broke up,” I mumble.
“Broke up? Who told you that?” He looks at me with sincere puzzlement.
Did Esposito get this one wrong?
“You didn’t break up?”
“We couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because we never really dated.”
It seems this whole day will be shock after shock. “What does that mean? You either dated or you didn’t. And everyone says you did.”
He leans closer, shaking his head. “It was a publicity stunt, Ella,” he says, exasperated. “The whole fucking thing. From beginning to end.”
“You called me by my name.”
“What?”
“You called me Ella when you said we shouldn’t be using names.”
“Well, you’re not a member of the club, are you?”
“Did you fuck her?” Making him feel uncomfortable will be my mission from now on. Lord knows he’s tried hard to do the same to me.
He swallows hard. “Maybe.”
Maybe. What a bullshit artist. “Did you even care for her?”
“Of course I did. Madison was my friend.”
“You practically admitted you participated in group sex together.”