Submissive Mind

16

A sleek black Rolls Royce with dark tinted windows pulls up in front of the apartment building, Laura's brand printed on the drivers door. "Wow, Laura is so understated," I say sarcastically as the driver opens the door for Dad and I.

"Oh Maddy, she is a very important person, she runs a very well-known company." Dad states looking at me as I run my hands over the plush white leather seats.

"I know you like her and all but she is so unbearable sometimes Dad," I say acting more like a five year old than a seventeen year old.

"Oh my goodness Maddy, she is strictly my friend. I promise you have nothing to worry about with her and I, you're my one and only girl." Dad looks over at me gently squeezing my hand and smiling reassuringly.

The city lights started to come into view and the driver turns to say, "We are two blocks away."

"Are you ready to have a fun night filled with PR and networking my dear?" Dad asks as we step out of the car.

"Oh ye-" I stop mid-sentence looking up at the glass building. Laurel is engraved into the huge glass panes. "This place is insane!"

"Let's get inside before we are late." Dad said smiling as he holds his arm out for me to link through his.

The inside of the restaurant is modern and white from ceiling to floor. I start to feel out of place as I look around at all the suits and ballroom style gowns around the room. I lean in and whisper in Dad's ear, "Where are we going, or is this everyone that is invited to the party?"

Before he could answer a tall thin man with slick black hair and stunning green eyes saunters over, "The White party?" He smiles sincerely as my dad nods. "Well everyone in this area are waiting for Mrs. White."

"Oh please Leo, let everyone in. You know I said if I were to be fashionably late to go ahead and take them to the room." Laura waltzes through the rotating glass door into the lobby smiling her too-perfect fake smile.

"Yes Mrs. White, I am sorry I had forgotten." Leo looks down and bows slightly. C'mon she isn't a freaking queen.

"Well next time don't forget okay?" Laura says still smiling but slightly gritting her teeth strutting passed the man looking slightly frumpled at her clearly harsh words. Laura almost passes us before she stops and looks at my dad with a huge smile.

"Tom! I'm so glad you are here, and Madyson I didn't think you would be attending but, the more the merrier." She said the daggers in her eyes threatening to pierce through my chest. "Jeremy should be here any minute with his date."

The word sears through my already burning body. Jeremy is everything I thought he was. Anger and hurt flood through me but I hang onto the anger so I don't break down.

"Oh fantastic, I've got my date right here!" I say a little too enthusiastically wrapping my arm around my dad who smiles at me.

"Well, I hate to say this but I may have to steal your date away from you for a little bit so we can talk to the very very important people here. I am honestly shocked you came tonight, I figured the business world wouldn't be your forte." Laura says the acid in her voice hidden behind fake sincerity.

"Okay, well I will go find a place to sit then. Maybe I will go talk to umm Leo was his name?" I say smiling sweetly turning on my heel waving at my father. Not that I would talk to Leo he looked to be in his mid twenties.

As I turn around I am beyond shocked to see Jeremy walk through the door arm and arm with no one else but Ashleigh. Her arm is linked through his and she is smiling up at him, but he is no longer paying attention to her. His eyes find my dress and rake from my feet to my face, pausing of course on my chest.

Pushing back all of the emotions I know I shouldn't feel I smile and stand my ground.

Ashleigh follows Jeremy's gaze and when it lands on me she sends the same death glare my way but not as sneakily as Laura's.

I figure Jeremy is going to walk up to me and rub it in my face but instead he smiles and strides right passed me, his cologne heavy in my nostrils. I find my anger deflating rapidly as the hurt bubbles up in my throat.

"Madyson, is that you?" A familiar voice asks from behind me.

I turn and see Matt standing there dressed in a waiter's outfit accompanied by a serving tray filled with shrimp and cocktail sauce. "Matt! Oh my goodness you have no idea how glad I am to see you here tonight." All the feelings subside as Matt smiles his boyish grin.

"I hope you aren't mad at me about what happened the last time we talked." I say looking down.

"Don't mention it, the way we bonded as friends so fast is hard to come by, and I wouldn't want to change that." He smiles and I can't help but return it.

"I am so glad you said that, I have no friends here. And fancy job you've got! I bet you get paid big money here!" I declare looking around the lavish room.

"I've only worked here for a month, my dad got me the job. It's alright, I just really don't like these big parties. Too many people for me I guess." He shrugs looking around. "Listen I have to get back to work but after the cocktail hour I am off, meet me near the bathrooms then?" He winks and walks off before I can answer. At this point I don't want anything more than to leave this room.

*Jeremy's POV*

She's here. Of course she would be here. Of course she's talking to the wait staff too. God she's infuriating.

"Let's go sit down" Ashleigh says looking around the room her eyes glistening at all of the important people and the lavish room.

"Let's," I say annoyed. I shouldn't have brought her but my mom insisted that I bring someone and Ashleigh practically drooled when I had even walked over to her to ask.

I look across the room and see that Madyson has disappeared but the waiter she was talking to has turned around. It's the guy she was with at school. The one that took her out to lunch. This isn't going to happen. A rage I haven't felt since it happened so long ago fills me.

*Madyson's POV*

The cocktail hour drags on with minimal check-ins from my dad but he is working. I shouldn't have come in the first place but I thought Jeremy seeing me would drive him crazy, I didn't think he would be low enough to bring another date so quickly after we had almost had sex. 

The only thing I am looking forward to is seeing Matt.

I am sitting at the very edge of the room watching the sunset over the buildings that surround Lauren. The hour is almost up and I am antsy to see what Matt has in store. I stand up and make my way for the hallway that holds the bathrooms when someone says "You forgot your phone." It's Jeremy.

He walks over and places my phone into my palm, his eyes never leaving my face. "Where are you heading Miss Carter?" He asks no emotion shown in his face.

"I was just about to go to the bathroom Mr. White," I say in a mocking tone, not wanting to deal with him or anything that has to do with him at the moment.

"I see, not going to go run off with the wait staff right?" He asks, a tone I can't quite decipher lacing his tone.

He was watching me talk to Matt. "Why don't you worry about your own date Jeremy?" I say, icily.

"She had to leave early. So I figured I would come tell you how stunning you look tonight." Jeremy responds smirking.

His moods are going to give me whiplash. "Well I am going to the bathroom and then I am going to join my dad for the dinner." I say ignoring his compliment as I turn around and head for the bathroom not looking back.