Her Older Alpha Read online

She started to walk through the room, expecting people to ask her who she was, and what she was doing there. No one gave her a second look however, and as she walked across the rich, Oriental rug she found that it was becoming easier to balance on the heels.

  She was glad no one was staring at her. The music was beautiful, and the vanilla pipe tobacco even smelled good. She spotted another doorway, and wandered towards it.

  Passing through the room gave her a sense of timelessness. There were no windows, and the soft, dim lighting was soothing. The women and men were so calm, and everything seemed to move slowly, without the rushed feeling that she was so used to on the city sidewalks. It was a surreal feeling. The outside world began to fall away, and she started to feel as if she was dreaming. She looked down at her watch as she passed over a doorway into another room, just to ground herself in a feeling of time passing.

  I’m not dreaming, she reminded herself. This is real. I must find Jack.

  The third room was just as slow-moving and otherworldly as the first two. This one was even darker, and she noticed a woman sitting in a man’s lap, the two kissing. The woman giggled, and pulled on the man’s tie. He slapped her ass. They went back to kissing. Instead of being shocked by the sight, Hadley felt slightly aroused by it.

  The dim, otherworldly feel of the room, and the gradual way that she found herself entering this strange world was lulling her, stripping her of her usual inhibitions. She looked over the other chairs. The music had faded, and there was a sound of trickling water now. When she looked for the source of it, she found that one of the walls had a sheen of water running down it, slowly streaming in one unified sheet down into a marble basin around the foot. A woman walked by her, and Hadley held her hand up.

  “Excuse me,” she said. Though her voice was quiet, it felt loud in the serene space. She lowered it. It felt odd to speak out loud, almost as if words were too crass and mundane for this majestic, otherworldly setting.

  “I’m looking for Jack Pittman,” she said.

  The woman nodded, and pointed. There was a chair, near the wall made with flowing water. It faced away from her, and all she could see was the tall back of the black leather chair. She moved towards it, her heart beating with the anticipation of seeing Jack for a second time.

  As she rounded the chair, she saw a woman on her knees in front of it. She had Jack’s feet in her hand, and was rubbing them. Hadley’s eyes traveled upwards and she looked at Jack. His eyes were closed and his face looked serene, as if he were in complete bliss.

  Hadley stood, watching the scene, without knowing quite how to interrupt. The look on his face was so contented. Hadley wondered when the last time she had felt like that had been.

  This man seemed to have no worries in the world.

  She could not interrupt him. She saw a chair nearby, and thought, I’ll just sit and wait for his massage to end. As she stepped off of the carpet onto the floor, her heels made a soft click against the polished stone floor.

  The sound was louder than she expected, and she glanced towards Pittman’s face. He opened one eye, and then the other. As he looked at her, Hadley felt entirely captivated by his stare. His eyes narrowed, and then she saw his lips curl into a grin.

  She watched his eyes travel over her body, slowly. She could not handle the tension, the fact that she stood so exposed before him.

  She cleared her throat nervously. “Mr. Pittman,” she said. “I met you the other day at Coon Modeling. Thank you for the card. I’m not sure what, exactly, you meant by giving it to me.”

  He did not speak.

  “But I do need work. So I came to inquire about the position. I’m not a model. I think I told you that. I’m sorry if that was confusing… I know I was at the agency.” She wasn’t sure why she was apologizing, but the words continued to spill from her mouth as her nerves increased. She pulled at the hem of her dress.

  “I’m in marketing.” she said, the words snapping her back to reality. She felt suddenly extremely uncomfortable, and looked around the room as if with new eyes. The woman giving the massage was backing away, and Jack Pittman nodded to her.

  “Thank you, Grace,” he said.

  The masseuse smiled.

  Hadley pressed on. “I’m not a waitress, or a masseuse, and I don’t play a musical instrument,” she said.

  “You’re beautiful,” Jack said. “I didn’t know that you would be this… well. The dress looks beautiful on you. I hoped it might.”

  The rush of such an unexpected and open complement went straight to Hadley’s head, and she felt herself swoon slightly. A prickle of heat crept into her eyes, and she recognized the feeling of impending tears. It’s been so long since anyone had said something like that to me, she thought. Since anyone’s looked at me like this.

  She looked downwards, feeling blush sweep across her cheeks.

  “I haven’t worn anything like this in years,” she said softly. “To be honest, I don’t know that I’ve ever worn anything like this,”

  “You should,” he said simply. “I have five women who work for me at this club. Grace is my masseuse. Heidi manages my social engagements. Lydia cleans. We all have cleaners -- all of the members that is. I have a woman bring me my drinks, and manage my personal items. You’ll be in charge of food. I eat my meals at home. You won’t be cooking. There are chefs in the kitchen as well. You’ll simply need to take my orders off of a menu when I entertain guests here at the club, and bring whatever they want. Do you think you could do that?”

  Hadley swallowed, her mind racing. A waitress. He wants me to be his waitress. This is insulting. But it’s work. I could use the camera… I could turn this into a marketing job at the Millennium. The thoughts rushed through her mind, feeling out of place and hectic in the serene space. Her palms began to sweat.

  “I’ll take that as a yes. I’m aware that it’s… different in here. You’ll get used to it. Report to work at one p.m. You’ll work til nine or ten. I have meetings throughout that time, but not consistently. When I’m not meeting with clients, I relax and expect to be taken care of. When I’m with clients I expect you to be in the room for the entire time. If I’m resting, you may leave when I am occupied with another server. You’ll wear a radio at all times. The staff locker room is all yours, and I expect you to use it. When you come in tomorrow I’ll have another member’s waitress train you in the kitchen. The job is simple, but doing it well is an art. You’ll learn.”

  Hadley felt hypnotized by his assuredness, the way he spoke these orders to her as if he was programing thoughts into her mind. She felt compelled to nod, accept his directions, and thank him.

  Wait, she thought. He can’t speak to me like this. Why does he assume I’ll say yes?

  “Do you have kids?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “No,” Hadley whispered.

  “Good. I travel frequently. If you take the position, you’ll need to be available to travel internationally when I need staff. It’s all in the paperwork. You’ll meet with my PA Roger to discuss the details. You saw him with me at the modeling agency: he handed you the card. He’s waiting for you in the lobby. You may go now.”

  Hadley took a moment to take all of this in.

  “Why do you act as if I’ve already accepted the job?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly. “I haven’t even said yes. You haven’t even told me what it pays. I’m not a waitress.”

  “Roger will discuss the details with you. Usually, people take the job. If you don’t want it, simply say no.”

  Hadley waited for the word ‘no’ to come out from between her lips. It did not. I need to think about this, she thought.

  “You may go now,” he said again. Hadley did not meet his eye as she turned and left. As she retraced her steps through the three rooms, she felt like a diver returning to the surface of the ocean. She had been in the depths, and moved slowly through the spaces so that she did not get the bends.

  When she emerged into the well lit locker room,
she felt like she had been swimming towards the surface and could now at least see the sun light. She put her street clothes on with shaking hands. Why is it taking me so long to say no to this? she wondered.

  This is ridiculous.

  Degrading.

  Insulting.

  Then why do I want to say yes?

  *****

  Hadley parked where the short, serious PA, Roger had instructed her. He had explained, the afternoon before, that the position paid fifty dollars an hour. She could make ten thousand in a month, just in time to pay down her mortgage debt and keep the bank off of her back. And after that… who knew? She checked her purse, making sure the button-sized camera was still in the small, inner pocket. If she could get a few photos, she could line up a job at the Millennium and save her business, and her house.

  And it’s just a month, thought Hadley. That will buy me some time.

  I can do anything for a month. No matter how degrading, or objectifying.

  Besides, some small part of her had enjoyed the way Jack had looked at her. She had to admit she was flattered by his appreciation of her body. All her life, and her career, she had focused on being valued for her mind.

  In marketing, she had to fight to be seen as ‘able to play with the big boys.’ She often wore shoulder pads, pants, and high cut tops, anything to distract clients from her feminine side.

  But this job was different.

  She didn’t have to impress anyone in the same way.

  It felt so anonymous as well, as though once she was beyond the doors, she was in another world. She could do it for a month… and might even enjoy it. And after that… business would pick up again, and she’d return to her normal life.

  It just might work. It had to work. She had no other options.

  As the outside security guard unlocked the door, she began to feel a jangle of nerves. She was late -- it had taken her several tries to leave the house that day. A quick glance at her watch told her that she was well beyond the one o’clock mark that Jack had asked her to meet.

  But she was there, at least there was that. The inner monologue that she had battled through all of the night before and well through the day had resulted in her being there.

  With the camera.

  But how would she get it inside?

  At least she’d removed it from the box, and had placed the small, black button sized camera inside her sunglasses case, wrapped in a soft rag. Her hope was that the security guard, Tony, would miss it entirely.

  Roger had explained the necessity of such tight security, and she had signed paper after paper of confidentiality agreements.

  The security guard recognized her immediately, and let her in through the front doors. The bellhop was nowhere in sight, and the security guard walked her down the dark hallway to the second door. He unlocked it, and allowed her to proceed on her own. As she crossed the expansive, luxurious inner lobby, she saw that the desk was empty.

  She reached it, and stood for a moment. A glance at her watch confirmed that she was now two hours late for her ‘shift,’ if it could be called such an official and normal-sounding word.

  I have no idea what I’m getting myself into, thought Hadley for the millionth time. Her nerves were jangling and she was sure that if the security guard did not show up in a moment she would simply hightail it out of the lobby and never look back.

  The squeak of a chair moving from small room immediately behind the security desk restored her resolve.

  He’s in there! she thought. She moved around the desk, trying to peer into the back room. There were video monitors, and she could see a rolling office chair, as well as the back of Tony’s head.

  He doesn’t know I’m here, she thought. I’ll just pop in and tell him.

  She rounded the desk, and reached her hand up towards the door frame. She was about to knock lightly on the door frame when she was completely distracted by the images on the screens that covered the walls of the small back room.

  She could see the monitors clearly now, and they must have been at least fifty. They showed the rooms clearly; the dim lighting that she remembered did nothing to obscure the quality of the picture. She could see women moving across the screens, in getups just as she had been. She was shocked at how short the dresses looked, and how much of their chests were exposed.

  Some cameras seemed to be positioned up high, and some down low. Depending on where the camera was, she could see nearly down the women’s dresses, or up their skirts. She felt dizzy suddenly, as she realized that soon she would be on those screens.

  The chair turned slightly, as Tony moved to look at a different section of the screens. She saw he was moving in the chair, bouncing slightly up and down. She heard a rustling sound, as if the sleeve of his shirt was rubbing against his body somewhere. Suddenly, as she looked over his profile, she realized he was jerking off. She gasped.

  He noticed her then, and gave a small shout. His hand shot away from his penis and he gripped the table. He turned himself, and then she heard a zipping sound as he got himself together.

  “Don’t come back here!” he said, his voice high pitched and angry. “You’re not allowed back here!”

  She stepped back, slowly, her eyes wide.

  He emerged from the small back room, his cheeks flushed and his eyes averted.

  “Ma’am, you’re not allowed back there,” he said, not looking at her.

  “I can’t believe what I just saw! That is completely unprofessional. This is out of line. I don’t know what to even think right now!” Hadley burst out, suddenly angry and filled with disgust.

  “I need to look through your purse.”

  “You are not touching my purse!” Hadley nearly shouted.

  “I have to. It’s my job. I’ll get fired if I don’t.”

  “You’ll get fired if I tell Jack Pittman what I just saw you doing.”

  He looked to the desk, considering this.

  “Leave your phone,” he said at last.

  “Show me where it goes. Don’t touch it,” Hadley said, contempt in her voice.

  Tony allowed her to come around the desk, and showed her the drawer that the phone needed to go into.

  She placed it inside.

  Once the phone was deposited, Tony walked her towards the elevator. He punched in the code and the doors opened. “Please, don’t say anything. I wasn’t expecting anyone. All of the other girls came through hours ago,” Tony said.

  Hadley did not answer, and the doors slid closed solidly, removing her from the security guard’s presence.

  Once the attendee in the lobby handed her uniform, and she had changed, she went on a search for Jack.

  She found him in the first room, which looked much like a luxurious living area. He was speaking in low tones to a man at his side, and both frequently pointed to the screens of laptops which were set on a tabletop before them.

  Hadley saw other meetings, which seemed to be of similar types, occurring throughout the room. Men in business suits, and several women in business attire consulted quietly amidst a mix of tech, amber liquids in cut crystal glasses, and a scattering of food. The tone of the room was subdued, and formal. Hadley teetered over to a row of women who stood nearby Jack’s meeting space. She recognized Grace, the masseuse, and figured that the other women must be Jack’s other servers.

  A voice came through her earbud. “You’re late,” the voice, which she recognized as Jack’s, said. “My client would like sushi. One small platter. One small portion of sashimi. Two pieces of Uni.”

  The order ended, and she looked towards Jack. He was not looking at her. Instead, he faced the screen of his computer, and then looked up towards the Asian man next to him, who Hadley assumed was his client.

  The client said something and Jack nodded, pointing towards the screen.

  Hadley turned her head, so that she could see the other girls. They were still, their faces pristine and blank. They didn’t hear that order, she thought. That was just for m
e.

  I’m like a walking, talking robot.

  I suppose this is my job now.

  It’s not forever, she reminded herself, as she left the line of women and tried to remember how to make her way towards the kitchen.

  The rooms which she had walked through yesterday were the only three rooms in the member area of the club. The first two were for members and clients, while the last room was reserved for members only to enjoy in their time between meetings.

  Roger had shown her a simple map and explained that each room had a staff exit that led to the laundry rooms, cleaning closets, and kitchen area. She found the staff exit, which appeared at first to be only a panel on the wall.

  When she pressed a small silver button, as Roger had instructed, the panel slid open, and she was in a well lit hallway.

  A woman came out into the hallway after her. “You must be Pittman’s new hire,” the woman said. “You’re late. Let me show you how the kitchen works,”

  Hadley was glad for some assistance and instruction. The woman led her through the ordering system, and soon Hadley found herself returning down the hallway with the order on a tray in her hand.

  She walked towards Jack’s table, feeling more confident now in her heels, just as had happened yesterday. Still embarrassed of her outfit, she bend awkwardly down as she placed the tray on the table, so that she wouldn’t have to expose too much cleavage as she set the tray down.

  This was nearly impossible, and she realized she was losing the battle as Jack’s client looked straight at her chest. As soon as the tray was steadily on the table she stood straight and placed a hand on her chest.

  She saw Jack grin.

  He seemed to be enjoying her discomfort.

  Chauvinistic bastard, she thought.

  At least he hasn’t fired me for being late on my first day. And I’ve got the camera in here. Maybe it won’t feel so sleazy getting photos of him after all -- after all of this embarrassment I’m enduring.

  The client actually licked his lips as Hadley stood in front of them, and Hadley felt a heated embarrassment rush through her. She hadn’t looked in any mirrors yet, but she knew that in the tight dress she may as well be standing in front of the two men in lingerie. Apparently, the Asian man liked what he saw. He did not stop staring at her and Jack had to clear his throat to break the tension of the moment.