by Tammy Lewis
Not wanting to hear another word, I’d had quite enough
information passed by me for one evening. Collecting a bottle
of wine from the kitchen, proceeding to my bedroom, it’s
where I went to hide. To hide away from all the memories and
pain, that tonight had resurfaced. Knocking back the first
glass in one, peering out, over at the city lights. Sure, I should
have felt on top of the world from up here, but right now, it
was as though I was peering up from the pits of hell.
Solemn I lay there, despite everything that I had. The job, the
money, the expensive possessions, without someone to share
them with. I had come to realise, I had absolutely nothing. No
matter how many sleaze balls that I outed, I was no closer to finding my guy. Unsure that there were any good ones out
there, were they all the same? Did I even really need or want
one? Wondering was Quinn, right? Was it all that I did, to
break up relationships? Was I too busy focusing on the faults
in others, to allow myself to allow anyone back in?
Overwhelmed by all the thoughts, whizzing around inside of
my mind, in a desperate drunken silence, my tired, sad eyes
gave in.
Waking slightly, hours later, surrounded by warmth and
blinding darkness, feeling a soft gentle touch. Reaching up, to
hear Marcus say, “Dom’, go back to sleep. I’ve got you.”
Realising that I was in Marcus’s arms once again, I asked,
“what happened, Marcus, why are you in my bed?”
Brushing my hair away from my eyes, Marcus replied, “Dom’
you were crying in your sleep again, mumbling incoherently.”
Settling into his chest, thanking him for once again, coming to
my aid. He almost whispered, “that’s what I’m here for.”
Feeling his smile widen, against the top of my head, he
teased, “now Dom’, shut up and quit blabbering. We both
have work in the morning.”
Chapter 6
Hearing a brisk knock at my office door, startled, calling out,
to whoever stood the other side to enter. In glided, my
exceptionally glamourous, highly professional boss, Ms
Hilary. Standing to greet her, I noticed a gold envelope, in her
left hand.
Placing it down on to my desk, she announced, “your personal invite, to the “Prestige” fashion show this Saturday; darling. I
am certain, that you will be there to support our team. It’s in
that new building, next to the museum. I’m sure that I don’t
need to tell you, that it’s a black-tie event. I want everyone in
their finest, representing our company.”
Smiling in return, positive that I couldn’t think of anything
worse, regrettably, I accepted.
Days later… Taking my front row seat, awaiting the fashion
show to begin. I could see Marcus stood over at the side of the
stage. Alert and focused, instructing his security team. Sure,
that under their guidance and control, not only our models,
but the entire building was safe under their watchful eye.
Hearing someone ask, “is this seat taken?”
Turning to look, exasperated, I exhaled, watching Quinn seat
himself beside me. Throwing back my head, folding my arms
tightly, I demanded to know, “why are you here?”
Looking around at the room, at everyone, other than me,
Quinn replied, “just like you and everyone else here Ms Stone,
I am here to watch a fashion show.”
Laughing, knowing that he was full of it, I asked, “and so,
what do you know about fashion?”
Grinning heavily, his eyes dancing with delight, he replied,
“absolutely nothing.”
So again, I asked, “so what brings you here?”
Watching him point upwards, I looked to see what he was
pointing at, confused I asked “what? I don’t get it. You know
that I could press charges against you for stalking me.”
Hearing his deep laughter bellow through my ears, widening my eyes in pure shock, when he explained, “the building, it’s
one of mine.”
Confused, I asked, “you own the building?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “no Ms Stone. I am the
architect, I designed it.”
Realising that his explanation, still did not justify, to why he
was actually here.
Hearing the room come to life, with applause, watching the
whole audience erupt at the sight of the models, as they
appeared in their underwear. I grinned, finally realising why
he was here.
Tilting my head towards him, almost whispering, I teased “I
see, you are here for the half naked ladies, right?”
Hearing him laugh once more, shocked to the core, when he
replied, “actually Ms Stone, I am here to see you. I have a
business proposition for you.”
Curious, yet confused, biting my lip hard, I suggested, “Mr
Hamilton, I really don’t understand.”
Watching his head tilt back a little, confidently finding the
words, he replied, “I need someone to accompany me to a
charity event this Saturday.”
Laughing, unable to conceal my feelings towards his ludicrous
suggestion, sure that he could not be serious. I suggested that
maybe an escort agency, would have been his best route, for
what he had planned.
Disagreeing, he assured me that he would pay very
generously. Still this didn’t change my mind, in fact it only
made me more adamant, that I would no way enter into
business, of any kind; with him. Reminding him of my line of
profession, sure that if not an escort, he may require the company of a socialite of some sort. Someone that would have
been more than willing, to have mixed within high society,
using the opportunity, to be photographed with an eligible
bachelor. Though personally, I couldn’t think of anything that
I would detest more.
Suddenly bringing to my attention, that was in fact the
problem, he needed someone highly discreet. Someone, used
to being in these types of social circles. An escort or
equivalent would be hard to shake off after the event. Quinn
referred to those types of women as vampires, hooking on to a
target. Only needing a slight invitation to be let into his life, to
have begun sucking his soul and bank account dry. Certain,
that this was more than likely, how he had initially met
Cynthia.
Curious, I asked “so this proposition, what would I gain from
this little arrangement?”
I owed him absolutely nothing and I surely didn’t need his
money. I already had more than I could possibly spend, in
both of our lifetimes. Anxiously, I awaited his answer, sure
that he couldn’t offer me anything that I didn’t already
possess.
Noticing the monstrous grin appear, heavily across his face,
he cunningly replied “okay, so you won’t accept my money. I
guess that I will have to resort to good old-fashioned
blackmail and espionage.”
Curiously unamused, raising my eyebrow at him, I asked,
“and what if I don’t comply?”
Watching his evil glare, consume the entirety of his smug
face.
Hiding the tense, unnerving feeling, that had suddenly
overcome my whole body. Trying not to scream, in retaliation,
to the knots twisting, deep in the pit of my stomach. Watching
him shoot a boyish, confident wink, in my direction. Turning to face the stage once more, he replied, “don’t worry Ms
Stone, you’ll soon see! All will be revealed, in due course.”
Furious, feeling the anger rise, storming through to the
reception hall, in the direction of Marcus. Relieved that the
show was finally over, sure that I couldn’t spend another
second in this room, with Quinn. Grinning and smirking, so
sure that he held the upper hand.
Reaching Marcus, his face filled with curiosity, he asked,
“Dom’ what’s wrong?”
Trying to contain my anger, I asked “didn’t you see who I was
sat next to?”
Shaking his head, searching the room behind me, he replied,
“I couldn’t see your section from this side of the stage. But I
can assure you, that I had the team covering all angles. You
were protected, I promise. Dom’, you’re scaring me, who was
sat with you?”
Watching Marcus’s face suddenly overcome with rage, he
stormed off, confused, I charged behind him. Realising that
he had Quinn in his path. Reaching up to grab hold of
Marcus’s arm, just as he reached him, I begged him to stop.
Quinn noticing Marcus marching towards him, he turned to
face him, eyes widened, almost waiting for him to approach.
Pleading with Marcus to let it go, I assured him that all Quinn
had was blind threats. Ignoring my plea, Marcus stood,
leaning in, glaring at him. Feeling my heart rise inside my
chest at this awkward stare down, when Quinn confidently
asked Marcus, “can I help you?”
Hearing Marcus laugh with fury in retaliation, lifting his dark
glasses, resting them on top of his head. Maintaining his
deadly stare, Marcus replied, “I think it’s time that you left.”
Gasping, at the sight of Ms Hilary approaching us, greeting Quinn, she gushed, “I see that you’ve all met. Isn’t this
building divine, Mr Hamilton, you really have a great eye for
class and pristine detail.”
Grinning over at me, he replied, “well thank you Ms Hilary. I
really couldn’t agree more.”
Noticing Marcus’s protective stance in front of me, appearing
slightly confused, Ms Hilary took Quinn over to meet some of
our companies’ executives.
Feeling Marcus take my hand, whisking me off into another
room. He began questioning me, pleading with me to tell him
every last detail of my earlier conversation with Quinn.
Looking overly confused, by each and every word, Marcus
asked, “right, let me get this straight, he did all of this because
he wants a third date?”
Shrugging my shoulders, because frankly I had no clue, I
asked “should I give in, go, maybe he will leave me alone?”
Shaking his head furiously once more, Marcus replied, “there
is no way that I am allowing this to go any further. It’s gone
quite far enough! Who goes to all of this trouble just for the
sake of a third date? There is more to this, I can feel it. He
thinks that he can dig deep, I can dig deeper, by the time I’ve
finished with him, I will know every last detail. Where he eats,
where he sleeps, friends, associates, everything.”
Feeling Marcus pull me into him at force, he whispered, “you
can trust me Dom’, no one is coming anywhere near you, my
word is my bond. You know that.”
Days later, still just as furious, with Quinn thinking that
somehow, he had a hold over me. He could have the strongest
game, to have come at me with everything that he had. I was
adamant that I was not going to adhere to his commands. I
answered to no one or nothing. Then taking me out of my trail of thought, Marcus entered my office, asking, “are you
still going ahead with tonight’s trap? You’ve not been yourself
since that damn fashion show the other day?”
Nodding I replied, “Quinn is just full of hot air, I have heard
nothing from him since the fashion show. I have to get back
on the horse so to speak, tonight’s trap is 100% checked out, I
have even video called the wife, just to make sure.”
Surprised at the lengths that I had taken to clarify this case,
Marcus fell silent, assuring him that I wasn’t going down the
same road as before. Quinn and Cynthia had both thrown me
off once before, but I wasn’t falling for any more tricks or
smokescreens. My new, revolutionary screening process, was
now water tight.
Chapter 7
Familiarising myself with tonight’s objective, on our way over
to the club, watching Marcus watch me in his rear-view
mirror. Thinking out loud, I called out, “Simon, IT technician,
wife Sarah of 4 years. Three children all under the age of 5.
Serial cheat.”
Hearing Marcus ask, with confusion evident in his tone, “if
he’s a serial cheat, then why is she hiring you? What does she
need to prove?”
Looking up from the details on my tablet computer, sighing
heavily, I replied, “because he promised that last time was the
last time.”
Noticing Marcus shake his head furiously, he huffed, “what and she believed him.”
Biting my lip hard, I shook my head slowly and replied, “she
doesn’t have much choice right now, she’s almost 7 months
pregnant.
Watching Marcus’s face turn almost red with fury, sure that
he didn’t have another word to say. Leaning forward and
placing my hand on to his shoulder, I exhaled deeply and
said, “sometimes I question myself. Ask myself why we do
this. Then I come across cases like this and I am drawn in.
Despite whatever money they have, in some way I want to
help. So as of tonight, all of my fees, I am donating them. I
want to give the money to a worthwhile cause. I have already
written the cheque, for a women’s refuge, it helps people like
Sarah, single mothers. Though the ones that are less
fortunate.”
Feeling Marcus place his hand on mine, knowing just how
close to Marcus’s heart this subject fell. Noticing a tear appear
in his eye, he whispered, “go, get the rat, Honey.”
Leaving the car, oozing confidence, I strutted into the bar.
Noticing my objective with a loud group of men; over in the
corner. It was obvious to see, that they had all been drinking
for quite some time. Ordering a beer, sitting up at the bar, I
turned myself around, only to try to make eye contact, over at
Simon.”
Turning once more, sure that I had gained his attention,
feeling someone suddenly seat them-self beside me. Almost
hanging over my shoulder, while I tried not to gasp, at the
stench of the alcohol on his breath. I introduced myself,
watching him get quite excited, when I adhered to his
advances. Confident that we would be back at the room
within the hour, I tilted my head a little, biting my lip.
Wa
tching him, try and catch his breath, grinning heavily, knowing that he had me, right where he wanted me.
When instantly, feeling someone else seat them-self down, on
the vacant bar stool to my right. When out of nowhere, I felt
an arm take hold of me by the waist, unexpectedly pulling me
backwards, into them. Looking up to see Quinn, as he called
out, “there you are Honey. I am so sorry that I’m late, damn
meeting ran almost an hour over.”
Fighting his hands away furiously, watching Quinn hold out
his free hand to Simon, he introduced himself as my other
half. Looking slightly bewildered, Simon shook Quinn’s hand,
wished us both a pleasant evening and made his way back
over to his group of friends.
Pushing his hands away from my body, glaring at Quinn,
trying not to scream, I asked “how dare you? Why did you just
intervene, I was so close? I had him exactly where I wanted
him and now, he thinks that I am betrothed to you.”
Placing my head into my hands, trying to find a way, to try
and recover. At a complete loss, I had no plan, I had never
even contemplated sabotage. Casually ordering us both a
drink, to my disgust and refusal, Quinn asked, “so Ms Stone.
What is it going to take, to get you to accompany me to my
event?”
Furious, that all of this had been about his stupid party,
overshadowing the main reason, to why I was here.
Unable to hide my anger, spitting fire, I asked “so, let me get
this straight, unless I accompany you, to your ridiculous
event. Each case that I get, you are going to come along and
intervene, right?”
Grinning heavily, unfazed by my fury, Quinn replied, “you are so very clever Ms Stone. Just think of it this way, you help me
out and I will let you help those who seek your services.”
Sighing deeply, sure that I already knew the answer, I asked,
“and what happens if I don’t.”
Turning his whole body to face me, leaning on the bar,
watching his eyes focus on mine. Unsure why he was even
looking at me this way, feeling my cheeks blush a little. He
confidently replied, “then we get to play tonight over and over
again. You get your objective, I intervene. It’s so very simple
Ms Stone.”
Sure, that I have never in my whole life been placed in this
kind of position, positive that no one could ever contain that