Love With A Younger Man by Candy Caine Page B

be there in fifteen minutes.”
    And where did I fit into this glorious plan, Geoffrey ?
    “Amber, honey, I’m sorry. I must go.” Whipping out his wallet from his jacket pocket, he pulled out several large bills. “Here’s enough money to cover the dinner and a taxi.”
    I began to protest that I had invited him, but what the hell, I thought. Hadn’t he ruined my celebration dinner? I stuffed the money into my beaded purse.
    He kissed me on the cheek and was gone. To him, money could make everything right.
    Too bad it wouldn’t work tonight. You would think by now I’d be used to this happening. It was always all about Geoffrey. His needs and desires came first. How could I shine if he never let me turn my light on? To make matters worse, he hadn’t even noticed my sexy new dress!
    I blinked back the tears that had filled my dark brown eyes. However, anger quickly pushed aside the miserable way I’d been feeling. I wasn’t going to let him ruin my celebration. It just wasn’t my style. I intended to party without him and have the time of my life.
    When the waiter reappeared, I asked him to call me a taxi. I continued to sip my triumphant champagne and planned anew for the evening.
    I left the waiter a hefty tip as I left. When I emerged from the restaurant, the cab driver jumped out of the cab and opened the door for me. Such a gentleman, I mused as he asked: “Where to, ma’am?”
    “The Slow Dancer on Seventh.”
    The driver, of Middle Eastern descent, said in heavily accented English that he knew the place, so I settled back thinking about my plan of action. I intended to get trashed, pick up a guy, and take him home. To hell with Geoffrey if he happened to show up at my place!
    The Slow Dancer, right downtown Washington D.C., where the drinks were hard and the guys were hot and fast, was just the place to pick up a guy for a one-night stand. It was definitely the kind of place I would have gone to years ago—before I became so damned respectable. Geoffrey would never be caught dead in such a place—even if he could fit in.
    I was so angry with Geoffrey that I was finally able to admit what I’d been lying about to myself for months. The man, with his overinflated ego, bored me to death—especially in bed. Sex with him was always by the numbers. He had a set routine and never, ever deviated from it. I’d been willing to give up the pulsating excitement of good sex because Geoffrey had been the culmination of my striving for suitability. After all, he could be the poster boy for class. But tonight, he no longer seemed worth the trouble. I needed to be human again and feel my blood pumping through my veins.
    Perhaps I’d never truly changed, only camouflaged myself with the trappings of class. I never truly stopped fearing that somebody would discover what I’d been. Underneath all the fancy clothes I wore, I was still the same person my father had abused at night for years until I finally had enough courage to flee. Then, using the skills my father had taught me, I serviced men until I had enough money to put myself through school. Being light-skinned, I was able to service the most uppity slices of white bread who happened to pass my way. After I graduated, I began an entirely new life in a place where nobody knew me, and I hid my past under the guise of respectability.
    “We’re here, ma’am.”
    I paid him and added a generous tip and got out. The place looked like a dive—just what I needed. The music was pulsing from several speakers around the room. Several people were dancing on the small wooden dance floor. I noticed one couple making out in the corner as I headed to the bar and ordered a drink. Sipping on the drink, I turned and looked around.
    It was a diverse crowd. People were dressed in everything from leather to silk, showing off their body piercings and tattoos. A group of young men sat at one of the tables. They were dressed in suits and had probably come straight from work. One guy