Running Home by T.A. Hardenbrook Page B

on as I threw my hair up in a messy bun. I refused to put myself together tonight; I didn’t work and I wanted to just order out and sit in front of the TV , catching up on all my recorded shows that I had missed during the week.
    “What in the world did you do to deserve these?” Cherri shriek ed, as she closed the front door and walked over to set the large floral arrangement on the bar. I shrugged my shoulders as I winded down the staircase, wondering who the hell these would have come from.
    “ Carmen, thanks for being a wonderful host. We value your loyalty to our business very much; please join me for drinks, on us tonight, at ROAR. Thanks, Roger,” Cherri read in a dark seductive voice. I shook my head as I went into the kitchen for a glass of water. I must have made a great impression on good old Mr. Harding last night. I smiled as I gulped down the cool liquid, while Cherri slammed the card next to the large vase.
    “Seriously , I never get the good clients like that,” she pouted, and hiked herself up on the counter. “Whatever Cherri, you know it’s just the luck of the draw,” I snorted, flopping down in a dining room chair. I knew I got the better clients. I would do just about anything to keep the clients happy. Keep them happy and they always came back for more, and going that little extra mile didn’t hurt either.
    “So , you going for drinks tonight, then?”
    “I don’t know , I had planned on staying home tonight.”
    “You can’t pass up an opportunity to get drinks with the boss; he is the one who gave you this job , remember?” Cherri questioned as she started to kick her legs back and forth on the counter.
    Yes , he did pull me from the world of adult videos, and escorting was way easier and better pay then getting rammed by some douche yelling ‘give it to me baby’. But hanging out with the boss was always a tricky thing. I was a master at turning myself into the woman that whomever I was out with wanted; basically no one knew the real Carmen. Actually, I had no clue who the real Carmen was anymore, either maybe I really was this confident, illusive, charming, and sexy as hell girl that needed no one.
    “You want to tag along ?” I asked Cherr,i as I stood from the table.
    “Hell yeah, I don’t think I’m working tonight ,” she responded quickly.
    I just laughed , and walked over to the couch to turn on the TV. At least I could get a couple shows in, before I had to ‘get dolled up’ for drinks with the president. I do believe re-runs of Shark Week are saved on my beloved DVR. I couldn’t imagine how anyone back in that small dusty town I grew up in did without cable. Shit if Grams thought I was a sinner, thank the seven gods she didn’t have a television to turn on. I’m sure an exorcism would have been performed on me, had she watched a single episode of MTV’s “The Real World”.
     
     
    Walking up to the ropes at ROAR was a ridiculously buff dude holding a small clipboard, and I couldn’t help but snicker as his body looked way too big for his head. Steroids were the immediate thought when I looked at him, and the second thing to cross my mind was I wonder how small his dick was because of the drugs.
    “What are you laughing at?” Cherri asked in a hushed tone , as we approached the steroid infused guy. I just shook my head and flashed the man a smile.
    “Carmen Westin, I should be on the list,” I said in a low provocative voice.
    Small head glanced down on the list and gave it a once over, his eyes then raked over my body and glanced at Cherri standing next to me. I bit the side of my lip and lowered my eyes, I knew my name was on that list, but it was always fun to watch a grown man stir. He quickly lowered his clipboard and reached down to unhook the clasp on the gate.
    “Thanks,” I whispered in hi s ear as my hand grazed his arm yep, rock solid meat head, I thought silently. I tossed a wink at Cherri as she tried to stifle a giggle, as we headed to