Dirty Little Secret

I woke up to the obnoxious sound of my phone ringing from the nightstand. I answer it without opening my eyes. "Hello?" I grumble out.

"Where are you at?" It was Eric.

I sit up, my eyes now open. "What do you mean?"

"I'm here at the country club about to sit down for lunch, he's pissed that you aren't here."

"No one told me," I throw my covers off my body and jump out of bed, with my head pounding. "I'll be there in twenty to thirty minutes."

I hang up and immediately start looking for my bags of clothes. "Tate, where are my clothes?" I ask

"I hung some up and put the rest in the top drawers," Tate fussed, rolling onto his back and opening his eyes.

I move to the closet and sift through all of clothes that Tate had hung up. I remove a dress off the hanger and throw it onto the bed, stripping off my shirt.

"I like this floor show," Tate smirked with his hands behind his head.

"I don't have time for your jokes," I shoot him a glare; I pick up my dress and pull it over my head.

"Where are you going?"

"To have lunch with my dad, Eric and probably some potential business partner. Have you seen my coral pumps?"

Tate rolls over to the side of the bed to look underneath and fishes out my shoes. I go to reach for my shoes but Tate grabs my hand and pulls me on top of him.

"Tate, let me go," I wiggle my wrist in tempts to get out of Tate's grasp.

"They a have lunch without you, stay in bed with me," Tate rolls on top of me, bringing my arms up over my head. He trails kisses up and down my neck.

"I can't. This lunch is important."

"I think I am more important than your fake boyfriend and your father who didn't even tell you to be there," Tate says in between his kisses.

I groan as he bites down on the spot underneath my ear. I feel his smile against my skin and soon I see it as he moves his face inches from mine.

"I need to leave."

"Kiss me first," I bring my lips to meet his. "Okay, go. Leave me here all alone."

I kiss him one more before getting out from under Tate. "I won't be long okay," I say while slipping on my shoes.

I pull into the country club twenty minutes later. I handed the valet my keys before rushing inside. Eric is standing close to the door.

"Your dad is so pissed, come on," Eric puts his arm around my waist and guides me to the table.

My dad and another man stood as we approached the table. "Sorry I am late, I was out for a run and completely lost track of time."

"Corinne, this is Mr. Alan Brooks, Alan this is my lovely daughter that I was telling you all about."

"Hello Mr. Brooks," I extend my hand from him to shake.

"Well hello there, lovely lady."

As we take our seats the waiter comes and fills glass with sparkling water. Soon food arrives.

"Corinne, I ordered a side salad for you," My dad says as I look at the small portion of leaves in front of me.

I pick up the bowl and hand it back to the waiter, "Can you bring me some human food please, like a burger or a steak?"

"Certain ma'am."

"I like a girl that isn't afraid to eat," Mr. Brooks says cutting a piece of his fish.

I smile but keep quiet. I am only here for looks, as arm candy for Eric who is only here for his name.

Once Eric and I were dismissed from our duties I planned to leave, but Eric had other ideas.

"So where are you going?" He asks following me outside to the valet station.

"Home," I say quickly.

"Want to do something. We haven't done something that was just us in a long time."

"I can't."

"You said you were just going home."

"I know but I have a lot of homework to catch up on."

"You can do it tomorrow."

I seemed to be stuck. "Fine, let’s get some food."

"We just ate."

"I'm still hungry. I'll meet you at Murphy's."

Murphy's is a small little dive restaurant that doesn't have a menu, the chef cooks whatever he feels like and it's always delicious.

Eric is picking through his plate of fried food in disgust but I happily munched on everything on my plate.

"You've been acting strange lately."

"How?"

"You got all jealous that I was talking to that girl at the party after homecoming."

"I wasn't jealous. Courtney and Allie said that that was the girl that they saw you with when you guys were at the mall and when they saw you being all friendly with her and they thought you were cheating on me so I put a stop to their doubts."

"Courtney and Allie say that you guys barely hang out anymore."

"Since when do you talk to them?"

"Ever since they started dating Travis and Zack. They think you've been acting weird too. It’s like you're trying to distance yourself."

"I'm not trying to."

"They said that the only person they've seen you talk to is that freak Daniels."

"He's not a freak."

"Yeah he is."

"You don't even know him."

"And you do?"

"Yeah we're friends."

"Courtney and Allie seem to think that there is something more. I don't care if you see other guys Cori, but I'll be damned if I get made a fool for you fooling around with that freak."

"I am not fooling around with anyone," I say looking down at my almost finished plate.

"Good, I'd hate to have to show you where your place is."

"Are we done here?"

"Seems like it. I'll see you on Monday, back to normal."

I get up and immediately leave the restaurant. I could feel my blood boiling with rage. He had no right to tell me where my place ought to be. He had no right telling me who I could 'fool around' with. Two could play Eric's game.