by Pavan Kaur
He gives me a nod of approval. “Mr. Knight, would you like my hair up or down?” I ask. He watches me lift my hair up, and I hear the air hiss out of his lips. Then, I put my hair back down and wait until he answers me. But he doesn't. He just stares at me. I would love to know what he's thinking.
“Up,” he says, then leaves the room.
I let out a big sigh then walk back into the bedroom to take the dress off so I can eat before we leave.
Hearing my phone beep in my bag, I walk over to see who's messaging me.
Selena glances my way. “You look beautiful,” she says, before following Mr. Knight out of the room.
Ms. Jackie– Did you have any problems getting to the apartment? Are you okay?
I love that Ms. Jackie sends us a message to see that we are safe. She will message us every ten minutes until we respond that we are okay and comfortable with our clients.
Lexi– I’m here. Everything’s good. He's an asshole :)
Walking out and back into the kitchen area, I watch the woman set plates on the table as the food arrives. My phone beeps again.
Ms. Jackie– LOL message me when you get back home. X
Sitting down at the table, two seats away from Mr. Knight, I pick up the fork and start eating. I've learned that if you keep the client happy, then Ms. Jackie is happy, which means you're more likely to get a decent bonus. I look out the window at the beautiful San Francisco skyline. You can see the bridge from here, and the view is stunning.
“Wine?” Mr. Knight says, bringing my attention back into the room.
“Please.” I hold my glass closer to him. “Would you like me to call you Mr. Knight or Ethan?” I ask, taking a sip of my wine.
“Ethan. There will be a woman at the event that I need you to talk to about the children’s center,” he says as he slides a file over to me. It has everything he would like me to mention about the center.
I read through the file as I eat my food. I can feel Ethan watching me as I read through everything. No wonder he wanted me over so early. There's a lot of information to go through, but he’s paying a lot of money for tonight, so I better get it right.
***
Ethan didn't speak to me the rest of the time we were in the apartment. When I came downstairs after getting dressed, he stood and stared at me before ushering me outside to the waiting car. He was quiet during the car ride as well. Even though he's an ass, I can't fight the way he affects me. He looks hot in a tux. I'm talking mouth-watering hot.
The car pulls up to an elegant building. Ethan exits the car and puts out his hand for me. He stands by the door and takes my hand, helping me get out of the car. Standing up straight, Ethan puts his hand on my lower back, and I shiver again. What the hell? My body is betraying me. He's an asshole; I need to remember that.
I follow him in with a smile on my face. Let the show begin. Many of the other men came up to him and expressed their appreciation of his date. They told him he had the most beautiful woman in the room. He smiled coyly and thanked them. He whispered the words ‘a little laugh’ to me every now and then and I knew what he meant. He wanted everyone in the room to think we really were a couple. I would give him my most affectionate look and laugh seductively, and he would smile and give my neck a little kiss. I thought it was weird at first, but the more he did it, the more I liked it.
Walking around the room, I see the woman he told me about.
“Mr. Knight, I’m happy to see you here.” She leans in to kiss him on the cheek.
“Emily, this is my date, Lexi.” Ethan's eyes flicker my way, and I give him a knowing smile in return.
“Nice to meet you.” I put my hand out for her to shake.
“Well, you're much prettier than the ones he usually brings,” she replies. I’m sure that was a little dig at Ethan, but I flash my pearly whites, letting her know it doesn’t bother me.
“Well, I did have to kiss a few frogs to finally find my prince. I hope Ethan feels the same.” I turn to face him and lean my head on his shoulder.
“Unquestionably,” he says, then kisses the top of my head.
Emily's eyes scan the both of us momentarily then she gets straight to the point. “Are you donating today?” she asks Ethan.
“I am. To the children’s center—”
“Oh Ethan, I’m so thrilled you’re donating there. I saw Mr. White the other day, and he was worried you were having second thoughts about it. I told him you love the idea of the center and are one hundred percent behind it,” she says.
Ethan's hand finally softens on my lower back, tension draining from his shoulders. “Thank you, Emily. I'll give Mr. White a call and let him know I’m still supporting the center.”
“Emily, have you seen the plans for the center? It's stunning. There are two floors for the children to get together and hang out. I spoke to Ethan about having a teacher come after school to help children with homework.” I smile at her. That wasn't in the file, but Emily strikes me as someone who would put education above fun anytime.
“That's a brilliant idea.” Emily looks over at Ethan, and her face is radiant with enthusiasm. My mission is complete.
“Yes, I think so. I loved Lexi’s idea and have been speaking to some teachers,” Ethan tells her.
“That's great. Please bring me your proposal when you have it written up, and if I like what I see, you might just get my vote.” Her eyes are bright, and you can see the thoughts running across her face at the possibilities.
“I'll get something to you by the weekend. If you could excuse me, I think my date would like a dance.” Ethan leads me to the dance floor, and I drape my arms over his shoulders. He pulls me in closer so that there's only a whisper of space between us. This is not helping my lady parts at all. “How did you know the teacher approach would work?” He looks at me for the first time with a grin. His eyes light up with intrigue, and there's something about it that makes you think he doesn’t smile very often. “I've called her office so many times to talk about this center and haven’t ever gotten anywhere with it.”
“This is not my first event. She looks the type to put education over everything else.” I covertly observe the other people dancing around us.
He doesn’t reply. His smile disappears, and the tense Ethan returns. We dance for another song before the music stops to let everyone know the food will be served soon.
I follow him to the table, saying hello to everyone else. I sit next to one of the men who has been trying to buy Ethan out. Ethan has a small business that the man has a small share in. There was nothing more about him in the file, but I can tell that Ethan's unhappy with him being here, much less sitting at the same table.
I lean closer to Ethan. “Do we like him or not?” I ask. This is the first time I have no idea what the fuck to do at an event.
“No, he wasn’t meant to be here,” he replies in a cold tone. I start giggling as I see some of the people around the table looking at us.
“Ethan now is not the time,” I say pulling away from him.
“If my date looked like you, I think I would be the same as Ethan,” one of the older men tells me, and I grin at him.
“I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you,” the man next to me says before introducing himself. “Mr. Aaron Clark,” he says, offering his hand for me to shake.
I take Ethan’s hand instead. “He got me first,” I smile, then turn my face toward Ethan, and he leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
As food is being served, Mr. Clark makes small talk with me about his business and what he does in his free time. When he inquires as to how Ethan and I met, I tell him that Ethan happened to come into a café I was singing in. He complimented me on my song choice and voice. Apparently, I was singing his favorite song. From there, we had coffee and talked. The rest, as they say, is history. Even though Ethan was talking to other people at the table, I knew he was listening to me, making sure I didn’t say anything wrong. I know how important tonight is for him, and
I need it to go well for me too.
***
The ball finally came to an end and Ethan never once left my side. After a while, he was happy to show me off to his business friends, and I didn’t mind at all that was the reason I was there.
As we sit in the car, I take out my phone to send Ms. Jackie a message.
Lexi– Just left the event. Going to Ethan’s apartment to pick up my car. I'll send you a message when I get home x
I look out the window while Ethan takes a phone call. He's shouting at someone for not sending the papers on time. He's so rude to his staff. I know I wouldn’t want to work for him on a regular basis. He disconnects the call then dials out to someone else.
“Selena, My apartment. Six am.” He puts the phone on the seat between us. Once again, I think of how someone needs to add the word please to his vocabulary.
The car stops and I look out the window to see we have arrived back at his apartment.
“My driver can drop you off at home,” he says, as he starts typing out another message on his phone.
“No, thank you. I brought my car with me. I just need to get my things,” I say as I open the door.
I smile at Joe as we enter the building, and he gives me a wink. I see his smile wither when Ethan looks his way.
After Ethan opens the door to his apartment, I go to the room with my belongings and change back into my clothes before heading back downstairs. I search for Ethan to say goodbye, but he’s nowhere to be found.
Not thinking much about it, I leave the apartment. I’m sure Ms. Jackie will let me know if he was happy with me or not. But then again, she did say this was a one-time thing with him, so I shouldn’t have to worry about it.
I send Ms. Jackie a message to tell her I’m home, safe and sound.
After a relaxing shower, I lie in bed and think about Ethan. There must be a reason for him to be so rude to the people around him. He may not have been rude to me, but he sure didn’t even speak to me unless he had to.
Turning down the music, I lie in bed and fall asleep to images of baby-blue eyes.
Ethan
Lexi was meant to be a one-night call girl. I asked for a girl that would make me look good and contribute to the promotion of my cause when needed. Lexi was perfect. She was more than I could have asked for. She saw the best way to approach Emily quicker than I could.
Selena was here at six sharp this morning, ready and waiting for my orders. I told her to set up some meetings with teachers for the children’s center, and I wanted them by Tuesday. I really wanted them Monday, but she reminded me it was the weekend and all teachers would be unavailable until after. So, I agreed to an extra day, but told her to find me the best in the area.
Hearing the knock at the door, I walk over and open it to see Jackie. She's dressed for business, so I know this isn't just a social call. “Hello Jackie, how can I help you today?” She comes in and follows me to the kitchen. “Coffee?” I ask.
“Please.” The click-clack of her heels on the tiled floor echo behind me. “How was Lexi for you?” I respect Jackie. She's all business, gets straight to the point, and doesn't clutter up the conversation with small talk. I turn around and look at her. Whatever she sees on my face is enough to have her shaking her head. “No, Ethan. I know that smile too well. You know the rules. I told you I would do this as a favor to you, and it was a one-time thing,” she tells me, taking her coffee from me.
“She made me forget.” I lean on the counter just thinking about her. She's the first woman that has made me forget about my past. She got me thinking about what it would be like to be with a woman again.
“You know I love you, Ethan, but my girls are off limits.” Jackie looks at me and I know she's serious.
"Did you know yesterday was the first time in what seems like forever that I didn't think about them—didn’t feel betrayed?" I reflect on my options then ask, "What if I hire her as my girl, under your rules?"
Jackie shakes her head. “I’ll talk to her, but I'm not promising anything. This is her choice.” I look at her through my eyelashes and hold back a grin as she lets out a noise of annoyance. “I'll push this a little for you,” she says before putting the coffee mug down and leaving. I hear her mumble something as she closes the door.
Putting the mugs in the sink, I wonder if Lexi will agree. Last night she did exactly what I hired her to do because that was her job. What will I have her do if she agrees? My mind is blank, and all I can think of is taking her with me as my date to company dinners.
One way or another, I'll have her here in my apartment again.
Lexi
Monday morning, I got an email from Ms. Jackie. It was to let me know that Ethan had sent her a message saying thank you. That was it, nothing else. I was worried I may have done something to displease him, but she reassured me everything was okay, so I let it go. He was a one-time client, and I'll never have to work with him again.
Mid-week clients are the best. They’re usually lonely men that just want some company over dinner. They fly me out to wherever they are, I have dinner, and then fly back the next morning. It's simple. I love the meals, but prefer not to have to dress up in heels, overdone makeup, and fancy dresses. Dress casual is my favorite.
I have to fly to Vegas on Saturday morning for a casino opening with Mr. Williams, then fly back Sunday morning. Mr. Williams knows how much I love going to Vegas and always gets me the best suite.
“Are we still going out tonight?” Alex looks over at us all.
“It’s Friday night, and for the first time in ages, we are all free. So, we’re going out.” Helen points to each one of us. For the first time in a long time, we all have a Friday night where we can hang out together.
Abandoning my phone, I get interested in the planning. “I’m in. When, where, and what time are we meeting?” I ask.
“Seven, at my place for pre-drinks,” Alex says. We are all laughing when Ms. Jackie walks into the office, but stop talking to give her our full attention.
I take my planner out to write what dates my clients have booked me for. We typically know our schedules about two weeks in advance to give us time to prepare for whatever it is we are attending. I’m booked up through next week. I have a club opening event in LA, and I’ll be there for the weekend.
She goes through everyone’s plans for the following weeks. Alex has a new client added to her—some sports guy.
As soon as Ms. Jackie finishes talking, I look up at her. I’m still waiting for my assignments as I’m the only one that has nothing scheduled. I’m worried that Ethan has given me a bad report and that’s given Ms. Jackie reason to doubt me.
“Lexi, let’s go grab some lunch and talk a minute,” she says, grabbing her bag. I look back at all the girls. Am I worried? God, yes. What did Ethan say to her?
I mouth, ‘see you later,’ to the girls, and follow Ms. Jackie to the Italian restaurant across the road. She doesn’t say a word, and that only makes me even more anxious. The waiter seats us at our usual table, and I watch her take out her planner. She looks at me, so I take mine out too.
“You have a new client, and I know you're going to ask a thousand questions—”
“No.” I already know where she's going with this. “Not Ethan Knight,” I beg her. If I thought it would work, I would drop to my knees and give her the puppy dog eyes.
She looks at me. “Ethan Knight is your new client. Do you know anything else about him?”
“Only what you have told me. The no Google search rule, remember?” What the hell is going on here? She’s not telling me everything because she normally would never agree to this.
“Do you trust me?”
“Ms. Jackie, you know I trust you. I would feel better if I didn’t think you were keeping something important from me.” My mouth suddenly goes dry, so I take a sip of water. “Why do I get the impression you’re not going to tell me anything?” Folding my arms over my chest, I lean back in the chair and wait for her to dispute
my claim.
“As with any client, if I think things are getting out of control or if you feel unsafe, I'll drop him without a second thought.” I start tapping my fingers on the table. She takes hold of my hand. “Lexi, I can’t tell you everything yet, but when the time is right, I'll answer all of your questions.”
“You do realize you're encroaching on my dating rights with this, don’t you?” I start laughing because it’s not like I have a boyfriend or anything, but the tension is thick, and I need to lighten the mood. I’m getting a little annoyed with this whole situation. Why is she breaking her number one rule?
“If you find a boyfriend, then we'll go from there.” She smiles at me and then looks up to someone behind me. “Thank you for joining us, Ethan.”
The chair next to me moves. I straighten myself up, plaster on my professional face, and smile. Ethan doesn’t even acknowledge me. God, I want to hit him.
“Thank you for inviting me.” His voice is so sexy. No, stop thinking about his voice. Remember that you hate him, I remind myself.
“I always attend the first meeting, then after that, it’s between the two of you. Lexi, you need to keep me in the loop if you make plans in case they conflict with scheduling your other clients.” Jackie opens her planner and looks through her dates.
“I would like her to be with me this Saturday,” Ethan tells her as he looks through his phone.
“I can’t. I’m in Vegas and don’t get back until Sunday afternoon,” I say, looking through my planner. A noise comes from his mouth letting me know he’s not happy, but I don’t care.