Read Online Fearless by Annie Jocoby - Free Book Online

firm. O’Hara, White and Stroker has been my company’s architectural firm for years.”
    “I see. And you’re on a first name basis with Nick, I gather?”
    “I am.”
    “And you have been reporting to Nick that I’ve not exactly been living a pristine life out here.”
    “Well, my dear, it doesn’t suit you to leave with men you don’t know, after you have been over-served. I think that you know this. I was only trying to look out for your best interests.”
    “My best interests will be determined by me. And nobody else. Because of you, my parents are going to move into the area to keep a close eye on me. So, thanks a lot. Thanks a fucking lot.”
    “Language, Dalilah,” he said. “You’re a well-bred lady. It would do well for you to remember that.”
    “Oh?” I said. “Huh. You know, I was being respectful today with Luke, and I covered up a tattoo I have on one my breasts. I covered it with my hair. I’m going to make sure that this tattoo makes it into the actual portrait now. Then you can always look upon me and remind yourself just how classy and well-bred I really am.”
    He looked a little bit shocked, but only for a moment. Then he smiled, and reminded me of a jack-o-lantern in doing so. “Actually, I find that rather intriguing. I would really love to see that tattoo.”
    I narrowed my eyes. Was this guy for real? One second, he’s lecturing me about not being lady-like. The next, he’s salivating over my tattoo.
    “No offense, but I really don’t see that ever happening.”
    Famous last words.

Chapter Ten
    I ended up in Nottingham’s penthouse that night, after drinking a few too many whiskeys. He had left me to my own devices for awhile, as I drank one shot after another. Then, at the end of the evening, he guided me gently into his limo, and, before I knew it, I was laying down on his couch.
    I was in rare form, too. My eyes were crossing, and everything was spinning and blurry. I vaguely wondered if the guy had slipped some GHB, because I was feeling very woozy, even moreso than usual.
    “Dalilah,” he said to me. “Let me see your tattoo.”
    I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that. Did he want me to show him, or did he want me to allow him to see it for himself? I wasn’t sure, so I just laid there, and I soon found that he was unbuttoning my shirt. I laid on his couch, feeling that I couldn’t move my limbs, and his hand was soon on my bra. He pulled it down, and then marveled at the little Pooh Bear tattoo that I had inked on my left breast.
    “That’s an adorable tattoo,” he said. “Please display it in the portrait. I believe that would so capture your essence. Your sense of whimsy and playfulness.”
    I wanted to tell him the real reason why I got a tattoo of the Pooh Bear. Besides the fact that the bear was always my mother’s favorite, I got the tattoo to represent the childhood that I never had. I skipped right over reading about Pooh Bear, in favor of reading more complicated books such as In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust, and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Both of which were interesting, intriguing and involved, but, really, I would have liked to have been normal. So, getting the Pooh tattoo was my way of somewhat representing that which I had lost.
    I didn’t tell him that, though. I just nodded my head dully, and laid on the couch while he continued to undress me.
    “Oh, Dalilah, you’re such a beautiful woman. I don’t think that you realize what you do to men who encounter you.”
    Oh, right. Yes, I supposed I was a quote unquote “beautiful woman.” One would think that being considered beautiful and desirable would be a good thing. One would be wrong. I couldn’t stand that I had so many stalkers in my life. I mean, if the right guy would stalk me, than that would be one thing. But 99.9% of the men who bugged me, and the boys, too, would fall into the category of the wrong guy. And I wasn’t flattered by the attention,