“Can’t you just rescind Mark’s invitation?”
“No.” I lick my dry lips. “I can’t do that to my dad. Imagine the scandal if his business partner’s son isn’t allowed to come to the party. And Mark would be ecstatic if he knew I don’t want him there.”
“I’d tell you not to show up for the party, but you have to do it, right?” Katherine presses her lips together, and when I don’t respond, she narrows her eyes at me. “What are you thinking?”
“There’s only one way to force Mark to leave me alone.” I meet her eyes. “I can’t go alone to that party.”
She grins. “Okay. When’s the party?”
“Next week.” But how can I find a boyfriend so fast?
“I can call one of my guys and ask him for a favor.” Katherine twirls a strand of her hair around her finger.
“No.” I scowl. “I don’t want one of your guys. Mark could recognize them and they could tell him the truth. I need someone very good-looking and discreet.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but do you really believe your little whore wouldn’t say anything? He’ll just ask Mark to pay him for the info first.”
“He won’t do that, and don’t call him a whore. His name is Caleb,” I snap.
“Ah, he has a name. Lovely. You know that’s not his real name, right?” she drawls. “Are you really willing to trust him that much? When he finds out who you really are and how much money you really have, he could ask for more or even blackmail you.”
“Actually, I trust him. Other guys are far more likely to blackmail me than someone who also has a lot to lose if people find out what he really does for a living.” Somehow I don’t think Caleb would be telling his family and everyone how he gets all the money. Maybe he even has another job. He’s pretty secretive about himself, too, and I don’t think he’d want everyone to know.
“Fine.” Katherine clasps her hands together. “I hate your idea, but Mark would never assume anyone other than men or old, desperate women would pay for sex and escorts. If your Caleb is as hot as you say he is, then I just can’t wait to see Mark’s face when he realizes you have moved on and have someone. If you won’t take a photo, I will.”
My lips spread into a smile. Mark would be green with envy. I really shouldn’t care what he thinks, but I don’t want to pass this opportunity to get back at him at least a little bit. I just hope Caleb will be available and agree to be my escort. I’ll have to steal the guest list from my dad and make sure none of the invitees would be able to recognize Caleb. Maybe they wouldn’t talk for their own sakes, but I don’t want to take any risks.
I stare at my nearly empty glass as I trace my finger over its edge. Some guy is eyeing me from across the bar, but I decide to ignore him.
“Lil, hey! I came as soon as possible.” Alessandra plops onto the high stool next to me, a big grin spreading her cherry red lips, her hazel eyes sparkling with delight. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long for me.”
“It’s okay.” I wave my hand. In all the years I’ve known Alessandra, she’s never come on time. My stomach does a nervous flip as I look at her. “Did you talk to... um, your acquaintance about Caleb?”
“I did.” She tucks a strand of her long dark brown hair behind her ear and leans in. “Caleb was reluctant at first because he doesn’t really do that kind of thing, you know, go out in public with someone and all. But he went through the guest list and he didn’t recognize anyone, so that’s fine. And since the party is a private one and there’ll be no press, he agreed to go with you.”
I let out a sigh of relief, then raise an eyebrow at her. “Really?”
“Yeah.” She grins. “He’ll charge you for the whole night though, so after the party, you can have some fun with him if you want.”
“That’s...” I don’t know what to say. “I’m glad he agreed.” I can already picture Mark’s face, and I know my night will be perfect. My body tingles at the thought of spending a night with Caleb, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
“You should really check the price first.” Alessandra takes her phone out of her red purse and runs her finger across the screen. My eyes widen as she hands the phone to me.
“Whoa, that’s a lot of... numbers.” I place the phone back into her hand. “But it’s not a problem. I’ll pay it.” Is it worth paying a small fortune for a perfect night? Yes, if it will wipe that annoying smile off Mark’s face forever.
“Great.” Alessandra tucks her phone back into her purse, her lips slightly curving up. For a moment, I wonder if she’ll be getting any of my money for being an intermediary. I’m a little surprised Caleb hasn’t contacted me himself, but I guess he’s worried about his privacy.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” she says. “Where do you want him to meet you?”
“I want him to come to my apartment.” That’s what Mark would’ve done if he were still my boyfriend.
“Okay. Do you have any special instructions for him? Like who he should pretend to be?”
I chew on the insides of my cheek. What would bother Mark the most? “He could be a law student at one of the best universities around here.” Mark wanted to be a lawyer, but his dad had other plans, so he ended up studying economics. We met in one of our economics classes where he was pretty much struggling until I helped him. He used to be nice back then.
“Sure.” Alessandra waves at the bartender and orders herself a drink, then turns back to me. “Anything else?”
“Not really. So how does your acquaintance know Caleb?”
Alessandra’s lips quirk up. “Sorry. Can’t tell you that even if I wanted to. I’m just a proxy. All I know is that you won’t have trouble with anyone, and that’s what matters.”
“Right.” I rub my arms. “Do you want to come to my father’s party?”
“Hell no.” She touches her throat. “Business parties are incredibly boring and I just happen to be invited to a better party.”
“What kind of a party?” I cock my head.
She smiles at me and winks. “A very... enjoyable one.”
I’m not even sure what’s that supposed to mean, but I don’t ask anything else. If Alessandra wanted to tell me more, she’d have done it already. All that matters is that Caleb accompanies me to the party, and if I’m lucky, Mark will never bother me again after that.
Caleb makes his way through the dark underground hallways until he reaches Raphael’s office. When the door closes behind him, Raphael turns in his leather chair and smiles at him. As always, Raphael’s short black hair is perfectly combed, his blue eyes sharp, his dark suit perfect. “Ah, there you are,” he says. “A beautiful young woman needs you to be her escort tonight for some boring business event she has to go to. Wants you to be her boyfriend, a law student. Paid a nice sum for the entire night. You think you can do that?” Raphael gives him a pointed look.
“Yes, sir,” Caleb says automatically, the words tasting sour on his tongue, but that’s the only acceptable answer.
“Good.” Raphael leans back in his chair and takes out a phone, sliding it across the table toward Caleb. “You know what to do. If you try or even think something funny, you know who’ll pay for it.” Raphael’s smile widens. “So make sure the woman doesn’t have any complaints.”
Caleb ignores the threat he’s heard way too many times and reaches for the phone. He doesn’t recognize the name, so the woman might be a new client. Probably some rich bitch who wants the world at her feet, just like many he’s encountered before, and he’ll have to do anything to fulfill her desires. Maybe he’s had sex with her already, but he almost never gets to find out the names of those he sleeps with.
Somewhere at the back of his mind, the fact that he’ll have to take a video of her without her permission or knowledge so Raphael has leverage over her like he does over many others makes his stomach roll, but he pushes the thought away. He doubts he’s going to meet with an innocent woman. They’re never innocent. They know all about Raphael and what he
does, and they don’t give a damn. All they care about is their own pleasure.
As he holds the phone in his hand, he wonders what the woman will be like and what she’ll want from him. “Is that all?” he asks.
“Almost.” Raphael opens a drawer and pulls out a small package of white pills. He tosses it to Caleb, who catches it, then Raphael waves his hand. “Go on now. Make yourself presentable. Jade can help you, but if I find out you gave her even one of the pills, she’s going to regret it, understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Leave.”
Caleb immediately rushes out of the office, away from Raphael and the smell of smoke that fills the office. He stuffs the pills into the pocket of his pants, determined not to have Jade see it. She’d find a way to get him to give one to her, and he’s sure Raphael will check after he’s gone, and the last thing he wants is to get Jade in trouble.
“What’s up?” Jade asks as soon as she sees him returning. She’s sprawled across the couch, her long legs stretched out. There’s a light bruise on her calf and Caleb wishes he could put a fist through whoever has done that to her.
“Nothing. I’m going to be some rich girl’s boyfriend tonight,” he says.
“Ooh. Finally something interesting.” Jade sits up, her green eyes filled with amusement. “Are you going to a party?”
“Apparently, some kind of a business party.” Caleb inspects the info on the phone. “I’m supposed to be... a law student.”
Jade bursts out laughing. “A law student? That’s fancy.”
“Yeah, now come with me. You’re supposed to help me because I’m inept at dressing up for the occasion.” Caleb rolls his eyes, the corners of his lips tilting up. There’s a whole closet full of various clothes for way too many occasions that they rarely use, and Jade usually likes to touch those things and play around. She immediately gets to her feet.
“Yes, you so are.” She grins, putting her arm through his. “Let’s turn you into Prince Charming.”
The shrill sound of my intercom makes me jump, and I hurriedly slip on my shoes, nearly tripping on my soft black carpet. When I reach the intercom in the hallway, I see Caleb’s face on the screen. He glances around, biting slightly on his lower lip. I press the button to unlock the door and he enters the building. Alessandra must have told him to find me on the third floor. He can’t miss. The whole floor is mine.
I glance at myself in the mirror, and groan. My hair is still a mess. He’s come too early... One look at the clock tells me that no, he’s right on time, and I’m late. Shit. I run my fingers through my hair, but I’m not sure if I’m doing more damage than good. The doorbell rings way too soon, and I take a deep breath and go open the door.
“Hey,” Caleb says, his lips spreading into a wide smile when he sees me. I open my mouth to say something, but I can’t stop staring at him. He’s looking even more gorgeous than before. His hair is carefully combed, but a few strands are spiking up in just the right places, making him look both boyish and elegant. His black suit perfectly hugs his lean body without looking too tight.
“Hey. Um, come in. I’m still getting ready...” I open the door wide, feeling warmth coming into my cheeks and I don’t even know why.
“I can wait.” He tilts his head, stopping to look at me. My black cocktail dress suddenly seems see-through and I lick my dry lips.
I wave my hand. “It’s just my hair and makeup. It shouldn’t take long...” Except I have no clue what to do with my hair. I stop in front of the mirror in the hallway and sigh. As I raise my hair up, I realize I should have called Katherine to help me with this. I could never style my hair perfectly on my own because a stray strand would always stick out somewhere behind and all would be ruined. I look up at Caleb who’s watching me in silence. “Can you help me?”
He rubs his forehead. “Depends. What do you need?”
A grin tugs at my lips. “I need you to tie my hair up in a bun. Do you think you can do that?”
“I...”
“You can just try. I think it’ll turn out better than if I try to do it on my own.”
“Okay.” Amusement flashes through his eyes. “But don’t be mad at me if I ruin it.”
“I promise I won’t. Come with me.” I stride toward my room and wonder how weird it is to have him in my room, which is huge, with a big double bed, a lot of closets and shelves, and a dressing table. Every piece of furniture is either silver, black, or white.
“So what should I do?” he asks, his gaze traveling across the room, but his face is expressionless.
“I’ll brush my hair and then you can help me lift it up and make sure it doesn’t look like a bird nest.” I start for the dressing table, but Caleb’s hand on my arm stops me.
“No, go sit on the bed,” he says, heading for my dressing table, and my insides clench at the memory of what he did the last time he’d told me to do that. I settle myself on the edge of the bed and squeeze my shaky legs together, which only increases the heat pooling inside of me.
He picks up my brush and comes toward me. “You have beautiful hair,” he says.
“Thanks.” The bed shifts under his weight as he sits next to me, then gently places his hand on my shoulder.
“Turn your back to me.”
I move slightly and straighten my shoulders, bracing myself as Caleb’s fingers touch my hair. Whenever someone combs my hair, they usually pull a couple of hairs out since it tangles very easily. But as I hear him run the brush through my hair, I can’t feel anything because he’s gently holding the strands between his fingers. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”
He’s quiet for a moment, and I don’t think he’ll answer. “Yes, for a friend,” he finally says. “She’s always too nervous to do it herself.” As he moves the brush to the top of my head, he slowly and carefully runs it through my hair.
“Why?” I ask. “Why is she nervous?”
Caleb’s grip on the brush falters and he nearly drops it. “Because of her... job,” he quickly says.
“Can I know what she does? Is she a model?” I don’t know if I’m asking questions that are too personal, but I’m still curious. If she were a model, then wouldn’t she have people doing her hair for her?
“No, she’s... a singer. She sometimes performs in bars and going on stage can be scary for her.”
Wow, it’s so sweet of him to do that for a friend. Or maybe she’s his lucky girlfriend.
He gets to his feet and puts the brush back on the dressing table.
“My hair accessories are in that drawer. There’s a silver band somewhere in there.” I point my finger at the left drawer of the dressing table. He rummages through it until he finds what I want and comes back toward me. I sit still as he busies himself with my hair.
“There. All done.” He pulls back and I get to my feet, going for the mirror. My hair is tied into a perfect loose bun, one strand falling freely on the left side of my face. “Do you like it?” he comes to stand behind me, and all I can see in the mirror are his dark eyes.
“Yes,” I say, breathless. He’s so close to me now that he could touch me, but he doesn’t.
“Good.” He crosses his arms, a pleased expression on his face.
I take a seat in the chair in front of the dressing table and pick up my mascara. “I can do the rest by myself. Thank you.”
He nods, a smile stretching his lips. I can feel his presence behind me like a wave of heat. When I finish applying my mascara and eye shadow, I reach for my pink lipstick, but then I see Caleb shaking his head in the mirror.
“What?” I hover the lipstick above my lips.
“Red is better.”
I eye the lipstick for a moment, then put it down. I rarely use the red one, but maybe Caleb is right. I can always wipe it off if it doesn’t look good. After I finish, I smack my lips together and look at myself in the mirror.
“You look absolutely breathtaking,” Caleb says, and I can’t help but smile because he looks sincere.
I almost feel as if he were really my boyfriend, except I know almost nothing about him, and what I do know is probably just a part of his act.
“We’re going to be late. Let’s go.” I pick up my black purse and Caleb offers me his arm. As I slip my arm through his, I take a shuddery breath. Mark has never been so nice to me. And I know he and many other men would have rather jumped off the top of a building than help a girl with her hair or makeup, but Caleb seems different, and part of me wants to believe that this side of him is real. As we walk through the door, I hope I’ll find out.
I can’t hide my smile as Caleb and I enter the restaurant where my father’s party is being held. The restaurant is closed for anyone other than the invitees, and my dad made sure that the staff who usually takes care of his parties is here. The room we enter is completely in golden tones, and it’s not too big, but enough for dozens of tables. There’s also a big table with food in the middle. A dance floor is more in the background, and soft music is playing.
“Honey!” my dad says, a broad smile on his face as he approaches me. “You look lovely.” He frowns when his eyes fall on Caleb. “And this is...?”
“Caleb,” I say.
“Pleasure to meet you, sir.” Caleb extends his hand to my father. My father nods at him as they shake hands, the smile never leaving his face, but he casts a questioning look in my direction. My dad never cares much about who I date, but he’s probably surprised I haven’t brought Caleb with me before. Still, he doesn’t ask anything else.
“Well, I have to attend to some things. I hope you enjoy yourselves.” He strolls off, and I let out a sigh of relief. But when I spot my mother’s suspicious face across the room, I want the earth to swallow me. She strides toward me, her red hair flying around her, as fast as her high heels let her. She’s wearing a tight silvery dress that reveals her still perfect figure.
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