Chapter 11 - Jamie

I just stood for a bit, opened the taps, and allowed the water to run its course. Still in shock, I stared up at the ceiling. The sex, even though it was hard and rough, was amazing. I had never experienced anything like it before, and he entranced me.

I smiled as my hands moved over my body, remembering his touch. Closing my eyes, I moved my hands down over my breasts, across my stomach, and onto my hips. My skin still tingled from the excitement.

Lathering myself in soap, I noticed tiny spots on my inner thighs where he had nibbled. They didn”t hurt and would be gone by tomorrow. But washing over them sent vibrations through me as my mind recalled the intensity of each one. How could any man cause such turmoil within, I wondered as my stomach made knots.

Stepping out and wrapping the fluffy robe around me, I heard the suite door opening and shutting. Brushing out my hair, I wondered where Ashan was going or if someone had entered. Entering the suite, I found it was empty. I sat on the edge of the bed for a bit, still in awe of our intense sex.

There was a knock at the door. I was sure it wouldn’t be Ashan. I couldn’t see him knocking, but one never knew. Opening the door, I was delightfully surprised to find it was one of the women who had brought me the food and clothing the previous day.

At least it wasn’t Ana; I would have sent her away if it had been. Even though I had only met her twice, she was incredibly mean, and I felt wary around her. I opened the door wider as this woman brought up a tray with coffee and food. As the delicious aroma filled the air, I was suddenly starving. “Please, come in,” I said, holding the door open for her. She quietly pushed the trolley in and looked from me to the mess, grinning.

Only then, noting the state of the suite, I blushed. I could only imagine what she was thinking. “Sorry for the mess, don’t let it bother you,” I added, taking a deep breath. “Please sit with me for a bit if you can. Oh, and I’m Jamie,” I finished, holding out my hand.

“I’m Cleo,” she replied, shaking my hand. “You need some help sorting things out?”

“Thanks, Cleo, that would be great but let’s have some coffee first?” I responded as I lifted the pot from the tray. Cleo nodded as she started picking up the clothing which I had thrown around earlier.

She sat with me while we drank our coffee, and I questioned her about the staff and routines, learning more about the den. Once we were done, she assisted me in moving and packing away the clothing, jewelry, and makeup. With everything in place, the suite looked functional again.

Cleo stayed and sat with me until I had finished eating before saying goodnight and leaving with the empty tray.

Laying back on the bed, I reminisced for a bit, still blown away by how good the sex was. I wondered if Ashan would be coming to bed tonight and didn’t mind if he decided to. But when I woke in the early morning hours, the bed next to me was still empty.

Staring up at the ceiling, I told myself it was for the best. After all, I wasn’t planning on staying too long. Once I found Ben’s real identity, I could clear my name and get out of this unfortunate situation. So, what if I had to sleep with Ashan a couple of times? He was extremely handsome, and the sex was out of this world. It wasn’t the worst fate, at least it wasn’t Pedro.

After rolling around for about half an hour, I decided to get up. I couldn’t sleep further, so I showered and dressed. Back in the suite, I sat on the chaise and flipped through the stations. I could find nothing I wanted to watch, so I turned the TV off.

Remembering that Ashan had left all the doors unlocked so I wouldn’t feel trapped again, I decided to have a look around. I was roaming through the halls and rooms when the staff started arriving. Bored out of my mind with still no access to hacking tools, I struck up conversations with everyone I passed.

With no phone, computer, or even a radio, I befriended the den workers. I did try the TV and listening device in the small room, but they had limited access. Talking to the server women and even Ashan’s bodyguards gave me a little insight into how things worked around here.

The more I learned about him. However small or little the information was, the more Ashan intrigued me. I made some friends as the days passed. Except for Ana, it seemed that she treated everyone nastily. It wasn’t only me; she had a temper but appeared to hate all people equally.

I also learned more about all the den had to offer during my first week. Ashan had built up an impressive empire. Walking through the entertainment areas, I wondered where he would go if he sold the place. After all, it was also his home, and it was not just a business as Ashan was staying here. Remembering he didn’t come to bed all week, I considered other places where he may have spent his nights. I wondered if he had another home somewhere in the city and if he would show me someday.

Moving back down to the restaurant, I ordered some breakfast directly from the kitchen. They had a special muffin and croissant breakfast Cleo insisted I try but only on Fridays. Placing my order with one of the waiters, I saw Ana was also there. She was fighting with some of the kitchen staff. Watching her, I wondered what her role here actually was. She was very bossy and cruel to most of the staff. Whenever I noticed her, she would shout orders, yet I couldn’t see Ashan employing someone like her as a manager.

Ana stormed up to me as I was about to leave the kitchen and find a table in the dining area. “You know you don’t belong here, princess. You’re nothing but a bargaining chip,” she spat at me with her hands on her hips. This comment was out of place and unasked for. Feeling my anger rising, I shook my head, pushing it back down.

“And what exactly is your role?” I asked calmly.

Ana looked me up and down, then made a ‘puff’ sound before storming past me, shoving me backward as she went. I didn’t appreciate the way she constantly undermined me. I thought she was saddened by the fact that Ashan married me. Even if my marriage to Ashan was for other reasons than love, he chose me. He could have married her, but he didn’t, and there had to be a reason for that.

I sat down and had breakfast alone as the cleaners and waiters scurried around, preparing the place for opening. I found the muffins delightful, and the croissants were simply out of this world. Afterward, I headed to the kitchen. I just had to get the recipe and learn how to make them. The chef agreed to teach me if I joined him in the kitchen at 4 in the morning. Excited to learn how to cook while I stayed here, I explored some more.

For the rest of the morning, I avoided any area Ana was in. I roamed around and chatted with some of the other staff as I moved up to the pool area. The previous day, I had spent some time in the jacuzzi but today was going to be a scorcher with the sun already heating the world outside. After several laps in the pool, I returned to the suite.

The rest of the day went pretty much the same as the previous ones and once again, I slept alone. The next morning, I wondered why Ashan was not returning to his suite, I mean really, it’s been a week. Was the business so demanding, or was he ignoring me? Even though I could now go anywhere within the den, I still couldn’t leave, and not even seeing a glimpse of him for the last couple of days made me nervous.

Proceeding down to the kitchen, I decided that after breakfast, I would look for him and find out what was happening. I needed access to more than clothes, meals, and TV. I necessitated my kind of entertainment as well. Plus, I still had to find Ben, and access to the net was imperative.

Today”s breakfast consisted of sausages, eggs, and toast with a bowl of fruit. It was tasty, but Cleo was right, the muffins and croissants were better. Heading back to the suite, I looked for Ashan, but there was still no sign that he had been back.

I decided to wait for a while, hoping he might be up for lunch. I had left a message in his office and told the guards I was looking for him, so he had to show up sometime. Switching on the TV, I searched for something to watch. I had seen most of the movies that were showing and there was little else interesting, so I turned it off again. I had never been a fan of sitting around doing nothing.

To me, watching hours and hours of soaps or other similar programs was just that. A waste of my time. After I had lunch alone again, I decided to go look for Ashan as he still did not show up. I started at his office, but he wasn’t there. The note I left was on his table where I had placed it; he hadn’t been back since morning. So, I asked the staff if they’d seen him, as it was odd that he hadn’t even been back to his office all morning.

Going from floor to floor and room to room, no one knew where he was. I checked the dining hall, the kitchen, the bar area, the booths, and the gambling floor but couldn’t find him. Entering the last floor, I felt sure he would be in one of the entertainment area rooms as there was nowhere else to go.

He had to be here somewhere. If not, then he would have left the gambling den without a word, and that would not be acceptable. He could come and go as he pleased, but leaving me alone all day and night was just bad manners. I was considered to be his wife. Even if it wasn’t real for either of us, there was surely supposed to be communication and sharing.

Walking from room to room, I opened each door and glanced in. Some of the rooms were decorated blue, others were gold, and there was a silver room. All of them had a variety of seating and tables, some had stages and poles, and others had what looked like massage beds or something similar.

I wondered what could happen in these rooms, but I felt sure I was seeing things that didn’t happen. There was no reason to knock as it was still early, and no clients had entered the den yet. Most of the rooms were either empty or had cleaning staff in.

As I moved from one room to the next, I felt hollow in my gut. Something was off, but I didn’t know what. Only eight rooms were on this floor, and I had already gone through five. Only three were left; if he wasn’t here, I would sneak into his office and scour through his computer. The thought of him walking in on me while I was on his computer made me grin; it would be kind of funny. Yet, I was sure he would go off the deep side.

As I opened the sixth door, I caught a whiff of perfume as it streamed out through the door. Popping my head around the door, I stopped and pushed it all the way open. This wasn’t what I ever imagined I would find. The picture before me flashed through my mind, and I had to blink just to make sure I was seeing it correctly.

It looked like a room set up for private shows. It wasn’t huge and could maybe fit four or five people. In the middle was a small stage with a glowing pink pole down the middle of it. It was lit up by six small lights pouring a soft pink light down and out toward the chairs. On one side of the stage were three single couches. They looked puffy and actually very comfortable.

On the other side were two chaise lounges like the ones in Ashan’s suite. The perfume I smelled belonged to Ana, who was in the room. But she wasn’t alone; she was with Ashan. Ana turned and glared at me. Her eyes were filled with hate, but her grin portrayed an evil satisfaction and a sinfulness I had never seen in anyone before.

She was wearing a silky white see-through gown with no undergarments, as her ass was clearly visible. Her large breasts hung out the front as she stood, turning halfway towards me. Behind her on the floor lay a coat I suspected she wore over the skimpy gown. On the couch before her sat Ashan.

Ana had her one foot on his chest as she stood naked before him. The black high heels she wore pressed into his firm chest and for a second, I wondered if he liked painful foreplay. Her other foot was between his legs on the floor. Ashan was holding the leg against him, but it didn’t appear as if he was pushing it away. His eyes grew wide with shock when he saw me, a sure sign he didn’t expect me to find them.

Unexpectedly, I felt hurt and jealous. Breathing in deeply, I felt my heart being ripped from my chest. I was suddenly hot, sweaty, and feeling very ill. Blinking, I tried to stop the sudden onset of tears bombarding my eyes. I could only hope Ashan hadn’t noticed my pain as I retreated and slammed the door shut. Leaning against it for a second, still holding the handle, I breathed quickly and deeply, hoping to fill my shrinking lungs.

I was sure I had made myself clear when I told him I wouldn’t be with him if she was still in the picture. Shutting my eyes and squeezing them, I wished it was all in my mind. Glancing around, the walls appeared to be closing in on me as my vision blurred. They were still hooking up my mind screamed at me as the image replayed before my eyes repeatedly.

No, no, I told myself as I ran down the stairs. My legs felt weak, and my breathing shallow. Taking two steps at a time, I almost tumbled over. My mind was competing with my heart to a finish line that didn’t exist as I tried to push the reality out. Stopping in front of the suite door, I wasn’t sure if I should stay or run. I felt a darkness pushing up as rage filled every inch of my being.

How could I have been so stupid and careless? Men like him don’t change. They may look normal and decent, but they clearly weren’t. I had to decide, and I would have to do it quickly. Stay or go, I asked myself as I opened the suite door and walked in.