by Katrina Liss
“I meant, extending the evening at my apartment, for research."
She narrows her eyes. "I’m sure you did."
"Look… I need to make sure that we know one another pretty well. We clearly have some work to do in that regard.”
“Maybe we could meet up in public, like at a coffee shop? Swap some critical notes?”
“No. I want it done tonight.”
She bites her lip and then nods vaguely. “Alright, then. You’re my client and if it’s that important, I’ll play along. But no more of this physical stuff, okay?” she says in a warning tone. “Remember, there are rules…”
“I'll do my best to behave.” Although I don’t know if I actually can. She’s kinda got my engine running. “Let's go rejoin the party first.”
Once back in the thick of it, I seek out Raye, my mother's assistant, and pledge some cash to her Alzheimers charity, courtesy of my Amex card.
After a good half hour of laborious hello's and goodbyes, and more inquisition from my mother, which I make sure I handle, subtly, I call the driver and we head out to the waiting limo. I'm glad I hired this car rather than use a cab like I usually do. It's far more comfortable and luxurious and Ella seems to like the ride.
Chapter Nine
Vic
I lead Ella inside the foyer of my sprawling apartment. She looks impressed.
Understandably.
“Oh. My. God! This is gorgeous! You must be seriously loaded.”
“Define loaded.”
"Uhm… rich bastard?" She giggles.
I smile. "Cute."
I shrug free of the confines of my tux, tossing it aside.
She follows me on my mission to grab a bottle of champagne from the fridge in the bar area.
“Shall I get us some glasses?”
“Sure. In that cupboard.” I cock my head to where they're at.
I grab the audio system remote and choose some soft jazz to play in the background. I can’t stand sitting in silence.
We decamp to the living room. As I uncork the champers we both laugh as the cork pops. Why does everyone laugh at that pop? It’s like it’s hard wired. I pour us both the champagne and pass her a glass. We sip at it, hunkering down on my big couch.
Her stomach growls and she looks a little embarrassed, slapping her hand over the source.
“Want some Chinese? I could get it delivered in ten. My local does pretty good chow mein?”
“I wouldn’t mind that actually.”
“Appetite booted up now we’re out of the fray?”
“Yeah. I have to be honest, that event was a little difficult.” Her eyes flare. “First time out. Meeting you and your mother. All those people. It wasn’t easy. But I’ll be on top of it next time.”
I sip my champagne watching her speak and her little hand gestures.
“Next time will be far more low key.”
She drinks and nods, simultaneously. “Cool,” she murmurs, eying me over the top of her glass.
“I’ll order in then. You like chicken, beef… veggie?”
“I eat everything. Especially the hot stuff. Surprise me. Can we have some shrimp crackers to go with? Love those.”
I smile. “Sure.” I load the app on my cell and order two dishes, one chicken chow mein and one Szechuan beef, plus her shrimp crackers. I check the delivery time as it pops up. “Fifteen minutes, okay?”
“Perfect. We can swap facts while we wait.”
“Yup.” In the back of my mind I have a little vision of her curled up next to me, the two of us dressed down, watching a movie, all cozy and togetherish.
Must be the champagne getting the better of me. Ought to slow down. Wait for food.
I place my empty glass on the table.
"Let's get started then,” she says.
"Ladies first,” I offer.
She sniffs and looks down her nose at me. “No. You kick this off, Victor Walker.”
She cocks her head giving me her full attention. “Well…” I slide closer, pick up her free hand and trace the veins and bones of her wrist. The champagne is definitely distracting me. Never mind the life story. It can wait.
“Vic? Start talking,” she scolds, prodding my leg with a pointy pink fingernail.
“Okay, okay… I founded my trading company when I was twenty two, with my father’s inheritance. He died while I was at college." She mouths oh at me and her whole face does that frown thing. It looks cute on her. I brush her hand with a finger and force a smile. "Hey, it was a long while ago. Life goes on. His legacy gave me a kick start, but I worked damn hard and all the hours under the sun for nine years to get where I am now.” As I speak, my hand drifts up to her shoulder. It’s not a conscious move, it just happens.
“Focus.” She bats my hand away like it's an irritating insect. “We’re being serious. So what do you trade exactly?”
“Metals.”
“Scrap metals?”
I chuckle. “No, sweetness. Gold and palladium are definitely not scraps. I never actually see any metal, it’s all virtual. You know, digital?” She frowns like I’m speaking Dutch. “I run positions, punting, going short or long, depending.”
“So your company is just you?”
“Aha, I work alone. And that's how I like it. Apart from my P.A., Hilary, who I took on board about five years ago.”
“And you like your job? It seems a bit meaningless, if you don’t mind me saying. But I guess you do pretty well out of it, in the monetary sense.” I notice her gazing round at the expensive signs of my success. My artwork. My rare Japanese collectables. The two Samurai swords which hang over the fireplace are my prize possessions.
“In the grand scheme of things, it is pretty meaningless. But it's a means to an end and highly addictive. Like gambling, I guess. I discovered I enjoy the thrill of taking risks.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me,” she murmurs, gazing over my shoulder, a little distracted.
I untie my tie, dragging it off, and undo the first two buttons of my shirt.
She gets herself more comfortable too. Her legs are now tucked up as she’s abandoned her high heels on the floor.
Her eyes roam over me warily as I edge closer. When she exhales, I breathe in the champagne on her breath.
She places a hand on my chest halting my advances.
“I wish I knew what I wanted to do. I don’t like drifting along. It's so unproductive. And that’s not me. Life is precious and I need to sort out where I’m going.”
“I’ve every faith you’ll find your way.”
“What shall we say I’m doing for a living? Someone’s bound to ask.”
“You’re on a gap year. Studying medicine?”
“No… that's all in the past. What about baking… I’m a student baker?”
“Whatever you like.”
“But what would you like me to be?”
“Quiet… no more talking...”
I cave… giving in to temptation. The temptation which has been brewing all night, my need to touch and kiss this beautiful thing, sitting so damn close.
She yelps as I pull her hard against me, my mouth smothering the sound.
I accidentally knock her drink from her hand and it lands on the deep pile of the carpet, spilling the contents, but I couldn’t care less.
All I care about is the way her body fits against my own as we entwine on the couch. For blissful moments our lips smash, teeth clash, tongues duel and hands explore. Suddenly she’s come alive, and it’s like a switch has been thrown.
The heat between us is unreal, desire steaming in the air.
She grabs my hair, weaving her fingers through it, pressing her body along the length of mine. In response I mold tight to her curves, loving the feel of her softness as she yields to me. It's all going off with a bang, sexual fireworks…
And then, suddenly, she wrenches away from me with a deep groan.
“Please stop it, Vic. I don’t want to step over the line. I mean, any more ov
er the line than I bloody well have! We’ve broken too many rules already. And this is my first day on the job too! So, please don't. You must respect that I'm at work.”
I look into her eyes. There's real fear in them. And a look of pleading. Although I'm dying to fuck her, I won't push it, because I do respect her.
And I know a real no when I see one.
As I push back in retreat, it’s fucking killing me. I’ve never had to act this way before. If I’ve been with a woman I want, she’s usually on the same page and we get it on. This is all unknown territory for me. I force myself to calm down, trying to think of something, anything, other than being balls deep inside her and screwing her senseless.
“Okay, but I won't apologize for finding you irresistible.”
She snorts a laugh. “If you wanted a real girlfriend for the night, you shouldn’t have taken me to the benefit.”
“You don't need to spell it out. But okay, it’s hands off from now on...”
I’m so damned turned on here, I need distractions. "Tell me some stuff about yourself.”
"I guess I should. I mean, you do need to know about me..." She moves back a little, gets herself comfy, her arm along the sofa back. “Like I told you already, I’m the daughter of a doctor. A general practitioner. My mother passed away five years ago. From an accident with complications.”
"I’m sorry to hear that."
“It's been hard. But I guess you understand what losing a parent is like."
"Aha. That I do." She doesn’t know how hard. My dad was the one I was closest to in the world. We had a really strong bond. When my parents divorced it was pretty bad being shared between them every week, but when he died from a heart attack, the pain was intolerable. It took years before I could even look at a photo of him without feeling the loss.
"So… where to start… at the beginning I guess. I was born and raised in Boston,” she continues. “No siblings. No pets. Dad's hyper-allergic to pet hair. I'd have loved a dog or cat when I was growing up, but hey, never mind, these things happen. I have a girlfriend called Callie. I've known her from school. She lives and works in New York too. And a guy friend called Tom where I used to work.”
“A boyfriend?” I can’t imagine any guy liking his woman working as an escort.
“Just a friend.”
“I like most foods except offal...yuk! Favorite ice-cream is chocolate or raspberry ripple. Hobbies... I like to bake... cakes and desserts. Got a bad sweet tooth going on, especially for chocolate. Vacations… I went on a two month tour of Europe with my mom and dad when I was twelve…"
"And how old are you now, exactly? If you don’t mind me asking?"
"Twenty in six weeks. October fifth."
I'd have preferred her to be a couple of years older. But no matter, she's an adult.
“And you?”
“Thirty one. August 1st.”
“A mature guy, huh?” She grins cheekily. "Where was I... oh yeah… Europe. We did all the sights together that time. France. Italy. Spain. Greece. But generally, we spent our vacations at the same places every year… a Vermont lakehouse in the summer and a cabin not too far from that where we went skiing in the winter.”
“Well," I interrupt, "Aren't we covering a lot of ground.”
“That's the whole point, Mr Walker. And your reason for my coming here, as I remember. Now your turn… likes and dislikes… pets, past holidays? Hobbies? Skills?”
We back and forth for another ten minutes until the meal arrives.
At this point I feel I know her background pretty well. Enough to hold my own in a conversation with someone who really knows her. I trust she feels the same.
I serve the food in the kitchen and we sit at my breakfast bar side by side while eating, continuing to swap more facts.
I’m interested. And although I know I shouldn't be, I’m also a little invested in my escort. She has that sweet, girl-next-door flavour I want to taste more of. Just enough sass to keep a guy on his toes. And the perfect sheen of sophistication. I'm guessing that's down to her middle class upbringing, being a doctor's daughter. She’s mixed in good social circles.
After a few more facts she holds her hand up. “That's enough. I've reached my saturation point. ” She grins, popping a big forkful of noodles in her mouth. “Gosh, this is delicious. The best I've ever tasted.”
“Mmm.” I shovel some in. “Told ya’.”
We finish eating, then sip at our drinks, talking about nothing much. I’m surprised by how easily we converse. She’s not trying to impress me. I’m not trying to impress her. What you see is what you get with Ella. I feel I can tell her any fucking thing and it’s so goddamn refreshing. After years of being guarded, dating women who always seemed to have an angle, and my one particularly hurtful experience, I've a genuine woman sitting right here in my kitchen.
Kind of ironic she's an escort.
I swivel my stool and stand coming to lean into her side, dipping my hands into her hair, dislodging some pins. A long blonde wave tumbles down and I wind it round my finger and give it a soft tug.
“You have beautiful hair.” I'm transfixed by it's sleekness. It's like spun silk. "Beautiful everything."
“Thank you. But no breaking the rules, okay?"
I don't answer that... because I’m very much about to.
I lean round and capture her lips with mine. Her lips are so perfect. Made to kiss.
I hold her head and we kiss slowly, languidly, until I feel my bones turn to liquid.
Screw that fucking rule book… I wanna break every damn rule in it. Out of principle.
She breaks away from me abruptly with a sweet groan, her small hands pushing at my chest, slipping off her stool to stand behind it.
“Ella?” I reach for her but she shuffles backwards, putting her hand out in warning. Her breathing is rapid, her lips red and swollen.
“No more. You can tell I'm struggling here, and you know I'm not immune to you. This has to stop, so I’m going home… now.”
I follow her to the living room where she slips her feet into her sparkly Cinderella shoes and wraps her arms around her chest protectively.
“Thanks for dinner. Now could I please have a ride home.”
“Sure. Fine.” I begrudgingly admit it’s for the best. As my hands have a mind of their own. “I’ll call you a cab. I can’t drive as I’ve been drinking, or else I would.”
“Whatever.”
“It’s been a great evening"
“Aha,” she looks over my shoulder, anywhere but at me.
I scrub my hands through my hair, and eye her from beneath my lashes. “Sorry I got carried away at the end.”
"Yes, you did.”
“What can I say? I’m tactile by nature. Seriously though, I can’t remember having such a good time with a woman without getting her in bed.”
“You’re paying me by the hour. That type of behavior would make me no better than a hooker.” She flushes as she stares me straight in the eye.
“I honestly didn’t think of that.”
“No? Well, here’s a heads up. Maybe you should next time. So I don’t have to fight you off to save my honor.”
“Point taken.” I say, fighting the urge to wrap her in a tight embrace, rain kisses all over her body, and totally ruin her honor.
“Good, glad to know we’re on the same page, finally.”
I do need to respect her wishes. And the position she’s in.
Being my usual full on self is unfair. I ought to put on the brakes a little.
“I’ll call that cab.”
“Best.”
I call the ride and make us some coffee to sober us up while we wait.
We talk about her working at the cafe while I clear up. I think I even know the cafe she’s talking about. Her ex boss sounds a right dick.
My phone buzzes with a text that the cab is waiting.
“It’s here. I’ll come with you. See you to your door?”
“No, you sho
uldn’t.”
“It’ll give us another fifteen minutes together. To talk some more?”
“I want to be alone, and you need to cool off,” she insists.
I’m disappointed with the brush off, but yeah, I understand.
I let it slide.
As we ride in the elevator, I air my thoughts. “Look. We get on well. You wanna go out with me? I mean, a real date. Tomorrow?” I know I'm pushing it now.
She turns and leans against the opposite wall of the elevator. “Have you read the rules at all?"
“Nope.” I shake my head.
She tuts.
"Well, you ought to. Clients are not permitted personal contact with escorts outside Sweet Something. There’s a four week cooling off period.”
"Oh." I nip my lip. "Can you book me in your diary for four weeks ahead?" I suggest with my most charming grin.
“No, thank you. But it was sweet of you to ask.”
Well, that popped my bubble. And squashed my ego.
Outside, to my complete surprise, she leans in and kisses me before she gets in the cab. She places her hands on my shoulders and touches those soft lips to mine in a sweet goodnight.
“‘Bye.”
“I guess I won’t be getting much sleep tonight,” I sigh.
“Shouldn’t have had that coffee. But it’s only 10. Early. Plenty of time for the caffeine to wear off.”
I snort a laugh. “Yeah.” Obviously I wasn’t referring to the effects of caffeine, but something else which has plagued me on and off all evening. I drag my fingers through my hair feeling like I wanna tear it out with frustration. .
“Night, Ella. Sweet dreams.”
She ducks inside the car and I close the door on her. I slip the cabbie fifty bucks and tell him to keep the change.
She waves and smiles.
I watch the cab draw away and raise my hand.
I shake my head as she disappears from sight.
“Fuck…” Is all I can think to say. I shake my head as I trudge off, back inside.
Chapter Ten
Ella