We Met In Argentina

by Alexis Gold

  “To love.”

  THANKS FOR READING!

  THANKS FOR READING!

  Authors Personal Message:

  Hey beautiful!

  I really hope you enjoyed my novel and I would really love if you could give me a rating on the store!

  Thanks in advance and check the next page for a SPECIAL bonus book I included for you!

  HER WEDDING ESCORT

  ALEXIS GOLD

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places or events are entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2015 ALEXIS GOLD

  Written by Alexis Gold. All Rights Reserved To Alexis Gold

  BOOK DESCRIPTION

  Julia Robinson was a strong, independent African-American businesswoman who had never had time to find love.

  And she still does not have the time.

  But now with her last remaining single sister about to get married she knows the pressure on her to find a man is going to be higher then ever. As she prepares to go to the wedding alone she is dreading the questions and judgment she is going to face.

  So she does the only thing she can think of...

  She hires a male escort to pose as her fiance for the wedding so she can enjoy the ceremony without the added lectures and headaches.

  But little did she know that when she met her wedding escort Derek she was going to be surprised in more ways than just one...

  Chapter One

  The San Francisco sun shone brightly on the city and a cool bay breeze drifted in through the window, billowing the sheer white curtains in the bedroom of her old Victorian house.

  Julia stood in front of a full-length mirror holding up two dresses, looking at them with a critical eye as she studied her reflection in the mirror and tried to decide what looked best on her. Behind her on her bed was a pile of clothes that had gone through the same critique and had been mostly tossed into a “hell no” pile. A few assorted pieces were carefully laid in the “maybe” pile and only two dresses had been set into the “yes I have to take this to my sister’s wedding” pile.

  She bit her lip and tilted her head. The light lavender dress she was holding up at that moment fit her very well, hugging the generous curves of her breasts and her narrower waist while giving some room to flare out at her rounded hips. It fell just above the knees of her long and muscular legs, and showed off enough of them to be flirtatious without offering too much.

  Her skin glowed a warm, honey, chocolate brown and her black hair, subtly tinted with red all through it, hung in soft curls to her shoulders. Her big brown eyes narrowed and she turned left and right as she held the dress up in her examination. It passed, and she put it in the yes pile.

  The yellow dress in her other hand, which was much more form fitting and narrow with a pencil skirt and a button up blouse top also made it into the yes pile, and she sighed as she turned to look at her bed, which was then covered in clothes.

  Julia was the oldest of four daughters. The next two youngest of the siblings were twins, Maddie and Maggie, and both of them were married, one of them with a little boy and the other with two girls. The youngest of the sisters, and Julia’s favorite sister, Samantha, was getting married and Julia was to be her maid of honor. The family had planned a big wedding at a fancy resort hotel on the beach in Los Angeles, from Friday night through Sunday morning, and everyone was coming for it.

  Julia’s mother and father had insisted that she bring her boyfriend of two years, Theo Evans with her so they could finally meet him. It was astounding to all of them that they hadn’t met him in the past, but she had been very good about keeping her life her own and very private up in San Francisco; just far enough away from her family that she had some peace. She loved them dearly, but she thought that they were much too invasive, and it was all she could do to keep them at bay.

  Her mother hounded her constantly about getting married and starting a family, and told her frequently how wrong it was that she and Theo hadn’t gotten engaged yet, when both of the twins were married with children and now Samantha was getting married, and Julia was the oldest and there was not a ring or a church in sight for her.

  Julia and Theo had never even talked about marriage; he was much more interested in talking about when they would be in her bedroom next or what she was able to do for him. And though her family only knew a little about her tumultuous relationship with him, she had waded through on and off again relations with him, letting him back in every time he wanted to come back to her, until the last time.

  Two days before she stood in front of her mirror gazing at outfits, she had walked in on Theo and the girl from the coffee shop where they liked to go in the morning. The coffee shop girl had been riding Theo like a bucking bronco. That was the end of her relationship with him, and she told him so as she stormed out of his apartment and told him what he could do with the rest of his life.

  She had thanked the heavens countless times since that moment that she and Theo had never actually gotten serious with each other, and that it had all been shallow and meaningless; though she hated that she had given him two good years of her life. She hadn’t even cried really, just a few tears of anger and frustration that she had spent so much time with such a loser, but then a streak of independence had soared through her and she had decided that she was glad he was gone and that she was much freer in her life.

  Julia could do and be anything she wanted to do or be, and there would be no man in the way to slow her down or stop her. It was much less complicated that way, and that was how she liked it.

  She picked up each article of clothing she had tossed on the bed and put it back in her closet, reassuring herself that she had in fact chosen all the right outfits for such a big weekend. She and Theo had planned on going together, and everyone was so excited to meet him finally, though they had known that she and Theo were having problems. Her plan was to arrive and tell them that he couldn’t make it, then she could enjoy the weekend without him and they wouldn’t bother her about why she hadn’t gotten married yet.

  The phone rang as she was sliding silk tops back onto hangers and she looked at the caller. It was her mother, Evelyn. She sighed and answered the phone with a smile. She loved her mother, but her mother loved to talk and to be nosy about what was going on in her life, trying to give her advice for any and every little thing, and it was something she was grateful to have: a woman she respected and loved who cared for her and wanted the best for her, but it was also something that drove her a little crazy more often than not... listening endlessly as the woman took as much control over her life as she would let her have.

  “Hi Mom,” she said with a smile.

  “Hi baby! I’m just calling to check in and make sure that things are going well for you. I can’t wait to see you and hug you so tight! And I’m looking forward to meeting this Theo of yours. It’s been far too long that you’ve dated him and we’ve never met him. You should have had him down here ages ago!” her mother chastised her just a little bit as she talked happily.

  Julia nodded and rolled her eyes. She knew it was coming. She let it roll off of her. “I know, Mom, but he’s got a busy schedule and so do I.” She picked up a green dress that hadn’t made the weekend cut and reached for another hanger in her closet to put the substandard outfit back into the dark. “Actually, Mom, I have some bad news. Theo got called in to work this weekend, so he’s not going to be able to make it with me to the wedding.”

  The last thing she needed to hear was a lecture on what in the world she was doing with a man who would cheat on her, and she was sure that the best way to handle it would be to just tell them he couldn’t come and then let them know much later in the future that she and Theo had ended things.

  Evelyn gasped. “He can’t come? This is your sister’s wedding! What do you mean he can’t come? What kind of a boyfriend is he? You know what kind of boyfriend he is to put work before family? He’s a bad boyfriend. He’s one who doesn’t care about you now and he’
s not going to start caring about you. You need a man who is going to put you first and make you his number one priority, and it’s not Theo,” she huffed and Julia thought to herself that her mother was pretty spot on about that assessment.

  “When I met your father and I saw what a good man he was, why, I didn’t let him out of my sight until he walked down the aisle with me, and now we’ve been happy together for almost fifty years. You know, you’re much older now than I was when I got married. Shoot, by your age I was already walking around with three babies! I don’t know what in the world you’re waiting so long for. Your body wasn’t meant to wait, young lady. You need to get your priorities together and get started on making a family! Time is flying right past you and you don’t even know it!”

  Evelyn was on the rampage, and Julia knew that if she didn’t stop her mother soon, she would go on a lecture bender and it would be three hours of discussion and speeches before her mother let her off of the phone.

  “I know Mom, you’re right about that, but you know I need to find the right guy before I agree to settle down with anyone. I’m not sure that Theo is the right guy for me. I mean, we’ve been together a while, but if he pulled out a ring right now, I’m not sure I’d say yes,” she told her mother, prepping her for what would be the “we broke up permanently” phone call that she would make to her mother well after the wedding.

  Evelyn was way ahead of her. “Honey, I’m not trying to interfere, but I don’t think he’s a good man for you. I think you need a real good man in your life; one who puts you first, puts your family first, and who will always be there for you. I have just the thing, the perfect solution for your problem. Now, you’re going to have to trust me on this one, but I’ve got a lot more experience than you at this, and I know exactly who you should be with, and he’s going to be at the wedding, so it works out that Theo isn’t coming.”

  Julia could hear the thrill of a setup in her mother’s voice. “Mom...what are you doing? What are you talking about?” she asked in concern.

  Her mother continued. “Well, you know that young man that you used to go to school with? Ronald Williams? Well, we invited him to the wedding, and he’s coming to see your sister get hitched, but he’s also coming to see you, too. Do you remember how much he used to like you? He would come around the house all of the time and try to see you when you were home. You were always out with other people, but he has always set his heart on you. You remember him, honey?”

  Julia did remember him. He was the president of the chess club in high school, as well as the debate team, he had run for every class office there was, and he never, ever stopped going after something when he wanted it. Everyone they had gone to school with knew that he was the original over-achiever and if anyone in their class actually had a real shot at being a successful politician or a millionaire, it was going to be him. He had developed a crush on Julia in middle school, and it had not gone away. She had never liked him, she had never wanted to date him, and he had been pushy and insistent all the way through school. He never gave up chasing her until they graduated and she disappeared. Now her mother had invited him to her sister’s wedding. How nostalgic, she thought.

  “Yes, Mom, I remember him,” she said with less than no enthusiasm.

  Her mother bubbled on as if it was the greatest thing in the world. “Isn’t it wonderful! I bet it’s been forever since you saw him, and I know he’s going to be so excited to see you. Did I tell you I was talking to his mother Maryanne the other day, and Maryanne told me about all the work he’s doing in the tech industry. The man is going to be a millionaire someday baby, and all he can think about is seeing you. Now, I know you like Theo and you’ve been with him a while now, but you two always have your ups and downs and I think you need to give this Ronald a chance, baby. You need to try and find some love with a man who is successful!” her mother sounded extremely excited.

  “Mom, I thought you just said that I need to find a man who is going to treat me well and take care of me and love me all of my life; a good man. Now you’re telling me I need to date a successful man?” she said, trying not to groan.

  “Well, I think you need both, and I think he’s both. In fact, I’m sure of it. So since Theo isn’t coming, I’m going to make sure that you are seated beside Ronald and we’ll get you set up with him by your side all weekend!” she could practically see her mother glowing.

  She sighed. “Mom, please don’t.”

  “Oh honey, don’t you worry about it. You know I’m taking good care of you. I just bet that you two hit it right off and he’ll wind up proposing to you in no time, and then you can catch up with your sisters. You’re falling behind baby, and that’s not okay. You’re going to miss the best years of your life just playing cat and mouse with that fool Theo. Now here’s a good man who is doing well for himself, and who has loved you almost all of his young life. Now you get down here to Los Angeles and you give him a chance. Do you hear me?” her mother told her without really asking.

  “Mom, actually, Theo said that if he can get the time off of work, he might go with me, so I don’t think it’s fair to get Ronald’s hopes up or make him think that he might be with me this—” her mother cut her off.

  “Honey, now don’t you worry about it. You just get down here and I’ll take care of the rest.” Her mother giggled a little bit. “Love you honey, bye now.”

  Her mother hung up and Julia looked at her phone in sagging disappointment. She knew she wasn’t going to wiggle out of it. The only person in Julia’s life more persistent and stubborn than Ronald was her mother, and she knew that between the two of them, she was probably going to be married before the end of the weekend.

  Julia set her phone down and continued to hang up clothes with a deep frown on her beautiful face. She moved back and forth between her bed and her closet, hanging up all of the rejected clothes she loved when her looks weren’t crucial.

  As she worked, her mind went over and over the conversation and she tried to think of any kind of a possible solution that might help her evade her mother’s good intentions. As she was hanging up the last of the outcasts, her mind clicked on something and she grew hopeful and excited all at once.

  Julia raced to her computer and typed in few words into her favorite search engine, and a short while later she was perusing men on an escort website. One of her friends had once told her that whenever she had to go to company parties and she didn’t want her colleagues to know who she was dating, she would hire a man from an escort service to go with her so that she had someone who dated professionally as her companion; someone who knew how to handle curious friends and associates, and dissuade them from getting any nosier and finding out the truth about what her life was really like.

  Julia had thought of her friend and had made it a point to go to the website that she knew her friend used. She had a terrible, great, awful, wonderful idea in mind: she was going to hire a male escort for the weekend to be her date. She’d tell her family that he was Theo, and that he had gotten out of working at the last minute and was able to make it down to the wedding with Julia. That way, her family would think she was in a serious relationship and not try to hook her up with anyone, especially Ronald, and Ronald would get the hint that she wasn’t as available as her mother liked to tell people that she was.

  She looked at several men, clicking on their profiles and reading through a litany of descriptions and bios, each of them making the men sound more and more like gods than men, but finally she happened on a nice looking man. Owen Jacobsen. He was well-built, not bad looking, and black. He was what Theo could be if Theo ever got his life together and quit chasing women.

  Julia clicked on his link and read everything about him. He seemed perfect. She only needed him for the weekend, after all. She clicked on the reservation line and soon she had him booked for three days of paid work in Los Angeles.

  Satisfied with her handiwork, she left her computer and finished putting clothes away. Ten minutes after she
had sent the request to him, he accepted it and sealed their deal, making plans to meet her at a coffee shop around the corner from her house. She said she would be there in the morning and he said that would work well for him.

  Her heart floated at the thought that she was going to keep her freedom a while longer, and while she felt bad for lying to her family, she knew that this was the best and right thing to do to avoid being stuck with Ronald or anyone else that happened to come to the wedding looking for a date.

  She finished packing for her long weekend and took a hot bath, hoping to relax some before her drive down the coast and the time she was going to spend with her family. She loved them dearly, but she preferred to love them from a distance. She did wish that Samantha lived in San Francisco; she would really love to be able to see her sister more often and spend much more time with her, but Samantha was busy with college in Los Angeles, and then she met Kevin Daniels at school, and now Kevin and Samantha were getting married. There was no time for the two of them to be around each other as they had been when they were growing up.

  Julia was working as the director of marketing at a major tech company that had been a startup and had grown into a multimillion dollar company. She worked hard for them and had plans to stay with them as long as possible. They were her career and she loved everything about it.

  Climbing out of her bath, she dried off and slipped into her pajamas, heading to bed with her nerves already tingling about the weekend. She had a ball of nerves in the pit of her stomach that kept tugging at her about taking a fake boyfriend with her to her own sister’s wedding just to trick her parents and Ronald into thinking that she was happily involved so that they would leave her alone.