Okay, that didn’t go well, but I’m not a quitter. Especially not so soon in the game. So I open another new browser, and this time I type MALE ESCORT SOUTH CAROLINA. This time, there are relatively few results, and one at the top catches my eye. It’s called Southern Charm written in elegant script font, with a picture of exactly the type of guy I’m looking for. He’s tall with dashing, dark brown hair and a charming grin. Plus, he’s dressed Charleston-style with a pair of red pants and a windowpane check shirt. I know it sounds cheesy, but that’s what guys down South wear.
So hesitantly, I click the button to enter, and immediately, my screen loads with a bunch of thumbnail icons, all of them with pictures of handsome men on them. Hmm, there’s Charley with the curly brown hair and impish smile. Then there’s Shep, who has straight blonde hair and is handsome in an Abercrombie and Fitch kind of way. But my cursor’s magnetically drawn towards a handsome man in the lower left corner who doesn’t look like your usual South Carolina guy. This one has a dangerous look in his eyes, and he’s not smiling. Instead, the camera captures the hard angle of his jaw, along with a smoldering sense of determination.
Of course, I click, and his profile pops onto the screen:
TYLER.
33, single.
Enjoys golf, skiing, and margaritas under the sunset-filled sky.
Available immediately.
Even I can tell this profile was written by someone else. What alpha male says stuff like “sunset-filled sky”? I know it’s not him. But taking a deep breath, I click on the button that says “Book Me Now,” and the air whooshes out of my chest because evidently, it costs two thousand dollars a night for Tyler’s services. What in the world? I was thinking something along the lines of two hundred dollars, or maybe five hundred maximum. After all, I’m an editorial assistant in New York City and it’s expensive to live here. Sure, I work for a famous magazine, but the publishing industry is under siege right now from a number of different angles. So while my lifestyle looks glamorous from the outside, in fact I’m living in an apartment the size of the shoebox.
Longingly, I stare at Tyler’s profile picture again. My mouse clicks through a couple more photos of the man, and he’s absolutely gorgeous. There’s one of him standing next to a big, black motorcycle. What would it feel like to have that monster rumbling beneath my legs as I press my breasts against his back, the two of us zooming down winding roads? There’s also one of him stroking what I think is a llama at Macchu Picchu. Even the llama loves him, nuzzling his hand. He’s that charismatic.
So I sit back in my chair to think. How much am I willing to pay to put it to the mean girls at my high school reunion? Tyler’s definitely out of my budget, but maybe if I scrimp and save, I could manage it. It would mean eating beans out of a can for the next six months, but two thousand dollars isn’t impossible.
And with a deep breath, I decide to do it. After all, these girls made my life living hell for years. It’s worth every penny to show up at the event with a handsome man on my arm. They’d fall over each other in envy, sputtering with their eyes going green.
So before I can change my mind, I dial the number listed on the site.
“Hello,” comes a chirpy woman’s voice. “This is Southern Charm.”
Perfect. I summon my most queenly voice and say, “Yes, I’m calling for Tyler please.”
The woman giggles.
“Hun, that’s not how things work. Tyler’s doesn’t answer the phone, I do. But if you’d like to book him, I can make an appointment.”
I gulp. Oh, of course. Duh. This isn’t like calling up your best friend at home.
“Um, yes,” I mumble, thoroughly chastised. “Sorry, I haven’t done this before. Would Tyler be available next Saturday at 8 p.m.?”
“Hmm, let’s see,” says the girl. I can hear the tip-tapping of keys on the other end. “Yes, in fact he is,” she says brightly. “What type of event?”
I gulp again.
“High school reunion,” is my reply. Oh god. I’m such a cliché. I bet hundreds of women call every week for exactly the same reason. And of course, the woman doesn’t seem surprised at all to hear I’m looking for a date for my high school reunion.
“Okay, we’ll let him know,” she says in a friendly manner. “Where will it be? Will it be black tie or casual?”
“At the Grand in Downtown Charleston,” I say. “They’re having it in the ballroom, and the dress code is something in between they call “dressy casual.””
“Oh perfect,” says the girl, typing away. “I’ll be sure to tell him. All of our gentlemen have clothes for every occasion, so you don’t need to worry,” she reassures me. “Now can I get your credit card number to hold the reservation?”
But before we move on, I blurt out a question.
“Um, would it be okay for us to meet beforehand?” I ask hastily. “I know that it’s two thousand dollars for Tyler’s services, but I was wondering if that included any add-ons? Because it’s my high school reunion and I want him to be my boyfriend, so it’ll be really awkward if we meet for the first time that night.”
Again, the woman doesn’t sound startled at all.
“Of course this is something that you can request for an additional fee,” she says. “Let me see. How about a one-hour conversation with Tyler at a coffee shop before your Saturday rendezvous? That’ll be an additional five hundred dollars.”
I grimace. Only five hundred dollars? I was hoping along the lines of fifty bucks. But Southern Charm has me in a clinch, and they know it. So reluctantly, I agree and give her my credit card number to seal the deal.
“Well that’s it Ms. Lake!” she says chirpily. “Thank you so much for your booking. I assure you, Tyler is a professional and you’ll enjoy his companionship. Please let us know if there’s anything more I can help you with.”
“Um, no,” I mumble. “Thank you very much.”
And with that, I hang up, the cell phone dropping lifelessly to the table. Because did I really just do that? Did I just book a male escort to accompany me to my high school reunion? This is a bad idea for sure. We only have one session to meet and practice before the curtain comes up. So what happens if he’s terrible? What if he’s barely sentient, and unable to string two sentences together?
But it’s too late because Southern Charm has probably already put the charge on my card. So unless I want to show up and be labeled “unhappily single NYC woman,” then the handsome male is my only choice.
Client Number Six is LIVE! Get your copy here.
MORE BY CASSANDRA DEE
Hi! I have so many books that it’s hard to share them all, but here are some of my favorites:
Pregnant By My Boss (a sassy party planner gets unexpectedly pregnant by the billionaire who hires her for her decorating services)
Sold at the Auction (a beautiful virgin is sold at an auction at the Billionaires Club)
My Friend’s Dirty Uncle (during summer vacation, a girl meets her friend’s devastatingly sexy uncle. This is a second chance romance where they re-kindle their relationship in India!)
My Boyfriend’s Boss (to settle her boyfriend’s debt, our heroine spends a steamy month with his boss)
Double Exposure (a sweet girl comforts her former brother in law after her sister’s untimely passing, and falls in love with both him and his law firm partner – warning: hot MMF scenes!)
Double Dare (two handsome corporate raiders need a fake fiancée in order to keep their business afloat)
Seven Brothers of Sin (why choose one brother when you can fall in love with all seven of them?)
Falling for My Dad’s Best Friend (exactly what it sounds like :) )
#BABYMACHINE (a sweet girl is the target of a ruthless billionaire who makes a bet with his friends to see who can bed a virgin first)
Prison Fling (our heroine volunteers her time at the prison library, only to fall head over heels for a billionaire serving white collar time)
The Dirty Hotel King (
to pay off her dad’s gambling debts, our heroine sells herself to a hotel magnate to even the score)
Loving the Babysitter (single dad falls head over heels for a beautiful girl who has a natural way with kids)
Claiming His Virgin In the Ring (at the Billionaires Club, there’s a secret wrestling club where alpha males wrestle young, innocent things)
My 3 Rockstar Bosses (she’s an administrative assistant to not one hot rockstar, but three hot, muscled men)
All the Best Men (again, why limit yourself to one groomsman when all three are interested in you? :) )
I love writing romance and I hope you enjoy reading my work! If so, please check out www.cassandradeeromance.com for all my books. Remember, you can read on any device when you buy from my website.
Also, subscribe to my newsletter Alpha Males on Top for discounts, freebies, and news about upcoming releases.
Love,
Cassie
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cassandra Dee is a bestselling author of dozens of hot and steamy contemporary romances. She started out writing erotica but transitioned to romance after falling for one too many book boyfriends.
When she’s not tapping away furiously at her laptop, Cassandra can be found drinking gallons of coffee and watching lots of reality TV. She also enjoys taking the neighbor’s dog for walks, aimlessly wandering the local grocery store, and of course, reading too much about the lives of her favorite celebrities.
Cassandra is living her own HEA with her husband and a beautiful baby boy.
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My Dirty Professor Page 16