Romeo for Hire

by Ali Parker

  Kason shrugged. “Maybe she won’t pick you.”

  “Here’s hoping.”

  Unlike Kason, I couldn’t turn down a job. After three years with B, Kason could handpick the women he wanted to inspire, but me? I took what I was given, and I was grateful.

  “Cougars can be fun.” Kason grinned. “Most come in right after a divorce. Wild. Crazy.”

  “Then you take her.”

  “Not a chance in hell.” Kason laughed. “I prefer the crazies in my personal life, not my professional life.”

  I shook my head and stared at Beatrice’s closed door. Whoever Mrs. Smart was, I had a bad feeling about her. Just thinking about her made my skin crawl.

  “Do you ever feel bad about what we do?” I asked suddenly.

  Kason blinked, a frown creasing his face. “Bad?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “Like, maybe we aren’t really helping these girls. Like, we’re just setting them up for failure all over again.”

  “You’re cracked, man.” Kason laughed. “These women are grateful for what we do. We build them up. We make them feel good about themselves.”

  “And then, we leave them.”

  Kason sighed and put his elbows on the conference table. His dark black hair fell just above his eyes as he shook his head, exasperated. When he lifted his blue eyes to my face, they were filled with pity.

  “We don’t leave them,” Kason explained. “We send them out into the world to find a real relationship. We’re just the stepping stone, Ry. The waylay station between heartbreak and happiness.”

  He paused. When I didn’t speak, he sighed and ran his hand over his face.

  “Listen,” he said. “Where else could you make this kind of money?”

  “Nowhere,” I admitted.

  “Exactly.” Kason slapped the table dramatically. “Being a Romeo is a fucking gift. Embrace it, man.”

  Nodding, I turned back to face B’s door. Kason was right. This was the only way I could support Paisley. The money I saved would change my daughter’s life.

  My eyes fell on B’s door just in time for it to swing open. Beatrice stepped outside, her wide, crazed eyes claiming my attention.

  “Ryan, baby, can you come here please?”

  Kason snickered beside me. “Cougars, man.”

  “Screw you,” I hissed.

  “Ryan.” B’s voice was firmer this time, more insistent. “Let’s not keep Mrs. Smart waiting.”

  “Coming!”

  With a glance at Kason, I got to my feet. Kason stifled his laughter as I crossed the room and slipped inside B’s office.

  She kept her hand pressed just above my ass as she led me across the room.

  “Mrs. Smart,” Beatrice said. “This is Ryan Winters, one of our Romeos.”

  Mrs. Smart’s eyes never stilled. They roamed freely over my face and down my body. “He’s certainly attractive, isn’t he?”

  “Thank you,” I said pointedly, drawing her attention to the fact that I was real and not just some statue for her to admire.

  Smiling, Mrs. Smart’s grey eyes met mine. They were sharp and gave the impression she was x-raying me.

  “Ryan,” she said slowly. “Sit down, please. I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you.”

  Chapter 4

  Candice

  “Why the hell are you at the office on a Saturday?”

  I didn’t need to look up to know who was standing in my doorway.

  “What are you doing here, Leslie?” I asked, my eyes still focused on the mountain of invoices piled on my desk.

  “Well, I went by your apartment,” Leslie said, her voice growing louder. “You weren’t there, and as much as I hoped you’d be out on some hot date, I just knew that was wishful thinking. So, here I am. And, of course, there you are.”

  Sighing, I dropped my pen and looked up. My little sister grinned down at me, her light gray eyes dancing with mischief. She twirled a strand of brown hair around her finger and waited for me to entertain her.

  “I’m working,” I said. “Sorry, sis, but I can’t come out and play right now.”

  Leslie plopped down in an empty chair and sighed. She kicked her feet up, placing them firmly atop the stack of invoices.

  “Are you fucking kidding?” I demanded.

  “Candice!” Leslie slapped her hands over her ears in a perfect imitation of our mother. “Don’t use such language. You were raised better!”

  “Ha. Ha.” Rolling my eyes, I leaned back in my chair. “Fine. What do you want?”

  Leslie dropped her feet to the floor and slapped her knees. “Dinner,” she said simply. “Feed me, please.”

  My stomach flipped. There was only one reason Leslie would stop by unannounced. It was no secret that my little sister was a mess with money.

  “What do you really want?” I asked suspiciously.

  “To have dinner with my big sister.” Leslie shrugged. “Is that a crime?”

  “Les.”

  Leslie jumped to her feet. “Come on! You have to eat, right? Might as well eat with me.”

  I glanced down at the invoices and then back up at Leslie. She grinned playfully, a constant flow of energy radiating from her. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she grinned wider and slowly made her way to the door, wiggling her fingers at me as she moved.

  “Fine. You win.” I stood up and tossed my purse over my shoulder. “Where to?”

  “Albertino’s,” Leslie said. “Always Albertino’s.”

  “You need to branch out, kid. There are so many better places on the East side.”

  Leslie fixed me with an all too serious glare. “Nothing is better than Albertino’s.”

  I shoved her through the door, pulling it closed behind us. I locked it quickly and turned back to face my sister.

  “Why are you locking it?” Leslie laughed. “You’re the only one here. No one else is crazy enough to work on a Saturday.”

  “You call it crazy. I call it ambitious.”

  “Ambition is great,” Leslie said. “So long as you know when to pull the stick out of your ass and have a little fun.”

  Leslie linked her arm with mine as we stepped into the elevator.

  “The kind of fun you have,” I said, “is definitely not something I’m interested in.”

  “You should rethink that,” Leslie said conspiratorially. “A couple orgasms and poof, those wrinkles around your eyes will disappear.”

  “Watch it,” I warned.

  Leslie giggled as we stepped off the elevator and crossed the lobby. Even at twenty-nine, she still gave off a buoyancy reminiscent of a five-year-old on Christmas morning. My little sister was infectious, lively, and the only person in the world I never hated.

  “Are you sure you want Albertino’s?” I asked, sliding smoothly into a waiting cab.

  Leslie slid in beside me. “Of course,” she said. “They have the best dessert in the city.”

  “You’re nuts.” I shook my head. “Nona Maria’s cannoli is by far the best dessert in the city.”

  Ignoring me, Leslie pulled out her phone and opened the camera. She held out her arm and leaned into me.

  “Smile,” she ordered. “Instagram wants to see how beautiful you are.”

  I forced a smile on my face. She snapped the picture, and I rolled my eyes. Narrowing hers, Leslie examined the picture before tapping out a quick caption and posting it for the entire world to see.

  “You know I hate that,” I groaned.

  Leslie just stuck her tongue out at me as the cab pulled up to Albertino’s. I paid, and we jumped out, heading straight to the door. Once inside, we were greeted with the usual fervor.

  “The Smart girls!” Albertino cried from the kitchen. He poked his head over the glass window and grinned.

  “It’s good to see you, Al!” Leslie called back, blowing him a kiss.

  Albertino pretended to catch it and then turned to his hostess. “Machina table,” he said. “Their usual will be ready soon.�
�

  “Thanks, Al.” Leslie blew him another kiss and spun around to follow the hostess.

  We sat down at our usual table where a bottle of red wine was already waiting. The hostess poured us each a glass and slipped away silently.

  “Such good service here.” I sighed and sipped my wine. “All right, you win. This was a great choice.”

  “Now you know never to question me.” Leslie wiggled her eyebrows and sat back in her chair. Raising her glass to her lips, she reminded me so much of our mother that I winced. With a frown, Leslie leaned forward. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Shaking my head, I waved her off. “It’s nothing. I just remembered something Mom said last night.”

  Leslie’s eyebrows pulled together. “Oh shit, what happened now?”

  “Smart Cosmetics anniversary banquet is in two months,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “And, of course, Mom is insisting I find myself a date.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Not in the least.” I brushed my dark hair off my shoulder and brought my glass back to my lips. “She even went so far as to call me this morning and swear on her grave that she would find me a date herself.”

  Leslie dropped her head to her hands. “Holy fuck. That woman gets crazier every damn day.”

  “I told her no, obviously, but who the hell knows if she’ll listen?”

  “Oh, totally.” Leslie finished her first glass, downing the last swallow and immediately grabbing the bottle. “She’ll have some hottie waiting for you at the entrance. He’ll be wearing the perfect tux, hair styled in the latest fashion. Oh, and he’ll be muscular. Built, but not disgusting about it, you know?”

  A faraway look formed in Leslie’s eyes as she imagined my fictitious date. I snapped my fingers in front of her face. She jumped and grinned, completely unabashed.

  “Stop fantasizing about my fake date,” I demanded.

  “Someone should have a little fun with him.” Leslie giggled. “Besides, I wouldn’t mind if Mom set me up. She has excellent taste.”

  “You aren’t the daughter who needs romantic help,” I reminded her. “You, my darling sister, are Mom’s spitting image. The kind of woman men drool over. Me? I’m the ugly duckling, remember?”

  “Stop it. You’re beautiful.”

  “Yeah,” I scoffed. “To you. To everyone else, I’m frumpy and boring.”

  Leslie rolled her eyes. “What you are is insane. Didn’t you tell me James from PR asked you out yesterday?”

  I nodded. She had a point. I’d been asked out a handful of times over the past few months but not by anyone I found attractive. Most of the guys were from work, and I had a strict no-dating rule when it came to my company.

  “Maybe one day you’ll start seeing yourself like everyone else does.” Leslie shrugged. “I mean, don’t you want to meet someone? Get swept off your feet? Have mind-blowing, toe-curling sex?”

  Laughing, I took another sip of wine. When I lowered my glass, Albertino arrived at our table. He was flanked by two servers, each carrying a plate on their upward facing palm.

  “My dear girls.” Albertino bowed. “For you.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “Al, this looked incredible,” Leslie gushed.

  Albertino bowed again and left us to enjoy our dinner. Luckily, the arrival of food claimed all my sister’s attention. Her question slipped easily from her mind, disappearing into the atmosphere around us.

  By the time we finished eating, ordered dessert, and paid, my love life was the furthest thing from Leslie’s mind. As we said our goodbyes and walked slowly to the exit, I watched as my sister’s eyes filled with the same, faraway look from before. Only this time, I felt certain it had nothing to do with my make-believe date.

  We stepped out of the restaurant side by side. Leslie’s arm was linked in mine, her easy-going smile still in place on her lips. But her grip was too tight, her lips too thin. Turning to her, I unlinked my arm to wrap them both around her. She sighed and sunk into me.

  “Thanks for dinner,” she said, pulling back to look at me.

  “Anytime.” I squeezed her shoulders and turned toward the street where a few cabs were whizzing by. I lifted my arm and stepped up to the curb, ready to snap my fingers and wave one over.

  “Candi, wait up a sec.” I turned around to see Leslie’s gray eyes flit to the concrete. Clearing her throat, she stepped closer to me. When her eyes met mine again, they were dark and full of apology.

  “How much do you need, Leslie?”

  Exhaling sharply through her nose, Leslie shuffled her feet. At least she always had the decency to look embarrassed.

  “Just tell me.”

  “Four thousand.”

  I reached into my purse and grabbed my checkbook. Leslie watched as I scribbled out the information and ripped the check free.

  “Here,” I said, handing it to her without emotion.

  “Candi …”

  “You don’t need to say anything, Les.” I waved the check in front of her. “Just take it.”

  Leslie nodded and grabbed the check. She tucked it away in her back pocket, her cheeks flushed pink.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Really, sis, I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  “Probably get a job.”

  Grinning, I nudged Leslie with my hip and tossed my arm over her shoulder. She laughed and leaned into me, her light brown hair tickling my nose.

  Leslie looked up at me, the same way she’d done all her life. “You’re my hero, you know that?”

  “I better be,” I teased. “I mean, what other options do you have? Mom?”

  “Well, there’s always Daddy.”

  My arm tightened around her. We both fell silent, feeling the absence of our dad stronger than before.

  “Come on.” I cleared my throat. “Split a cab with me.”

  “Nah.” Leslie shook her head and stepped away. “I’m gonna jump on the subway. Gia is waiting for me at Sub Zero.”

  “Should’ve known.” Rolling my eyes, I jerked my head to the side. “Get out of here, kid.”

  “Love you!”

  Leslie turned and skipped away.

  “And be careful!” I called after her, a pit forming in my stomach.

  Watching her go, I was reminded just how much I adored my little sister. In so many ways, she was still a baby. Just fumbling her way through life, never worried about consequences, always certain someone would be along to pick her up when she inevitably hit the ground.

  Maybe that’s why I always gave her money, why I never even thought twice about cutting her a sizeable check. Because, no matter how many times she hit the ground and no matter how hard, I was always running after her with my arms outstretched, just waiting to catch her.

  Chapter 5

  Ryan

  Paisley held my hand as we walked up to Max’s front door. It was early on Sunday morning, far too early to be up but Beatrice was expecting me, and I knew better than to keep her waiting.

  “Come on in,” Max said as he opened the door. He ushered Paisley inside, shooting me an emotionless look before turning his back.

  I stepped inside. Max glanced at me, surprised.

  “You’re staying?” he asked.

  “For a few minutes.” I shrugged. “Is that all right?”

  “Of course.”

  Max led the way into the living room where Paisley was already setting up her little play area. She kept a box full of toys at Max’s house. I watched her pull everything out, set up a train set, and wrap a toy boa constrictor around her neck.

  “This is how Mrs. Tucker wears Timothy,” she announced proudly.

  “That’s awesome!” Grinning, I fell back on the couch without a word.

  Max sat down beside me, his eyes flicking to my face every few seconds. Even I didn’t know why I was still there. B would be waiting for me at the Romeo Rebound office.

  “What’s wrong?” Max finally asked, his eyes narrowed
suspiciously. “Do you need money?”

  “What?” I blinked. Shaking my head, I sat up straighter. “No. God, Max, what the hell?”

  Max held up his hands defensively. “I’m just asking.”

  “Well, no.” I shook my head again. “I don’t need money.”

  “Then, what’s up?”

  Paisley was playing silently on the floor. She barely knew we existed. It was so easy for her to slip into fantasyland and forget the real world. The other kids called her weird, but I envied her for it.

  “I got a job offer yesterday,” I finally said.

  “A new client?” Max asked. “Or, something other than hooking?”

  “It’s not hooking,” I snapped.

  Max rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

  “It’s a new client … sort of.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Sighing, I leaned back against the couch cushions and closed my eyes. Max was already judgmental about my job, but I couldn’t stop myself from spilling everything to him.

  “It’s this older woman,” I said slowly. “She’s looking for someone. For her daughter.”

  “Ugh.” Max wrinkled his nose in disgust. “People do that?”

  “Apparently.”

  “The daughter must be pretty desperate,” Max said. “If she’s sending her mommy out on a manhunt.”

  “She doesn’t know.”

  Max froze. A frown slowly worked its way onto his face. His usually sharp eyes could have cut through glass as they fixed on mine.

  “You’re kidding.”

  I shook my head. “Nope. She wants me to ‘accidentally’ bump into her daughter, woo her, and then get her to take me to some fancy banquet in a couple of months.”

  Max whistled and shook his head. The severe look he always wore seemed to soften just slightly. Looking closely, I thought I saw something akin to pity hidden behind his eyes.

  “That sucks,” he said. “Poor girl. She has no idea her mom is out there pulling strings like a damn puppet master. I can’t imagine how she’s going to feel when she finds out.”

  “The idea is that she doesn’t find out,” I said.

  “She will.” Max nodded confidently. “Things like this never stay secret.”