Obsession: Seven Vices Series

by Blythe, Emily

  That's right. My first date as a paid escort.

  I was stunned when Gia called me into her office that morning to tell me that my trial had been successful.

  The second she gave me my paycheck and clothing allowance, I knew it was all real. It was the easiest money I'd ever made. She told me to expect a call from her to confirm my first date. That's what led me to the upmarket boutique that afternoon. I'd called Minty to ask for her advice, and Aspen had begged to tag along.

  I tried on another dress and opened up the curtain to show them. Aspen was complaining to Minty about her poor manicure.

  “You know...” Minty took Aspen's hand and studied her teal nail polish. “You should totally get in to see my girl, Tash. She'll sort you out.”

  Aspen beamed. Minty was like a unicorn to her. A mythical, magical creature that she didn't know existed—glamorous, cool, and confident. Everything a teenage girl wanted to be—minus the paid escort part.

  I cleared my throat. “Excuse me.” I gestured to my dress.

  Minty bit her lip in contemplation, while Aspen sized me up with a constipated expression on her face.

  I hated this.

  Before either of them could critique the slinky black dress I was wearing, my phone rang.

  Minty's eyes lit up. “It could be Gia! Get it!”

  Nerves fluttered in my stomach. I reached for my phone and looked at the caller ID. It was the agency.

  I summoned the courage to answer it. “Hello.”

  “Lola! Sweetheart, I have a gig for you. A client needs an escort for a business dinner, and he specifically requested you. I'm emailing you the details now. It'll include a profile of the client, with any pertinent information you need to know.”

  Someone specifically requested me?

  Who?

  My mind swirled with the possibilities. I'd spoken to at least half a dozen men at the mixer after my awkward run-in with Julian. Luckily, I didn't see him for the rest of the night. I suppose he went off somewhere with Yasmin or one of the others.

  “When is it?” I asked.

  “Tonight. Eight o'clock. You meet him at the restaurant. The details are all in the email.”

  “T-Tonight?” I stuttered.

  “Of course, darling! Now, I need to go, I have so many leads to follow up on after last nights mixer.”

  “Sure. Thank you.”

  “Ciao, Lola!”

  The line went dead. I looked up at Aspen and Minty in disbelief. “I have a job. Tonight.”

  Aspen grinned. “With who?”

  “I don't know. I have to check my email.”

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” Minty made room for me to sit between them on the couch. “Let's see who you got.”

  I hesitated for a moment. I almost didn't want to know. But there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

  I pulled up my email on my phone. There it was, a new message from Una Dea in my inbox. My finger hovered above it for a moment before I clicked.

  Aspen and Minty leaned over my phone as all three of us read the email. When I saw the client name, my heart practically leaped out of my chest.

  Minty looked up at me. She was as surprised as I was.

  “Julian Lewin...” Aspen repeated the name written on my screen.

  “Wait... isn't he the guy--”

  I stopped her mid-sentence. “Yes. The guy who owns the wallet we found.”

  She furrowed her brow. “But how?”

  I could barely believe it myself. Why the hell did he pick me? He didn't seem... interested.

  “He was at the mixer last night,” I responded. “Turns out, he's a client.”

  Aspen was taken aback. “You're kidding? What are the chances?”

  “It's a small world.” I shrugged.

  That familiar mischievous grin formed across her lips. “No, it's fate.”

  I stood up and walked back to the fitting room, shaking my head at the same time. “It's not. It's a coincidence.”

  “Says the girl who wanted to give our cat a wedding to the tabby next door. You're a tragic romantic.” Aspen stood and stalked toward me. “Are you telling me you can't see how weird this is? That we would find his wallet in a dumpster, and then days later, he would end up as your first escorting client...”

  I sighed. “It's weird. But that doesn't mean anything.”

  “Surely, you can see it, Minty?” Aspen paced the room.

  Minty was still sitting on the sofa, observing us. She hadn't spoken a word.

  She cleared her throat. “I don't know about fate, all I know is that Lola is a fortunate girl to have such a good first client. Julian is a gentleman.”

  A gentleman? I thought back to how pissed I'd been to see him checking out Yasmin in front of me at the mixer. That wasn't gentlemanly behavior.

  “Have you been out with him?” Aspen asked Minty.

  Her question piqued my interest. I don't know why I hadn't thought of the possibility before—that Minty might have slept with him. I wonder how many of the escorts he'd bedded?

  “I have been out with him, yes,” Minty said thoughtfully as if recalling a happy memory.

  Well, I guess that answered that question. Minty only did sleepovers, gold service—which meant she'd certainly slept with him.

  Is that what he was expecting from me? Gia wouldn't have booked me for a job like that.

  No. She said it was just a business dinner.

  But why hire me for a date when he could have the full service with one of the other girls? Why me at all?

  A dull headache formed at my temples. I turned back to the girls. “What about the dress?”

  They both turned their attention back to me.

  Minty nodded. “It's perfect. Julian will like it.”

  I wish she hadn't said that. Suddenly, I felt nervous.

  Aspen agreed. “Well, she's the expert, Lola. You should go with it. It makes your legs look amazing.”

  I swallowed, turning back to the mirror. I studied the way the material skimmed at my milky thighs. It looked good. Sexy, but not cheap.

  “Ok then,” I whispered to myself. “It's the one.”

  Several minutes later, I stood with Minty at the counter while the sales assistant wrapped the pricey dress in tissue paper. Aspen was somewhere close by, combing through the racks.

  Minty was still acting strange.

  “Lola,” she looked at me with concern, as if she was contemplating whether to say what she was going to say.

  “Yeah?”

  “With Julian... just be careful, please.”

  “What do you mean?” I wrinkled my brow. “You think he'll hurt me?”

  She shook her head. “No, no, of course not.” She bit her lip. “Just know that he's not as hard as he seems. He's a real person. He's a good guy.”

  “Wait…” I raised an eyebrow. “You think I'll hurt him?”

  She sighed. “I don't think you would, but I also don't know you that well. I know Julian, and I don't want to see him get used.”

  I tilted my head. “I'm not like that.”

  She squeezed my shoulder. “I know. I just wanted to make sure.”

  The saleswoman handed me the bag, and that was that. Minty didn't say any more on the subject.

  But as we left the store and headed toward the subway, I couldn't help but ponder Minty's warning. She'd obviously formed a bond with Julian. I suppose it would be hard not to after sweating between the sheets together.

  The thumping in my head intensified. The thought was unsettling. Not just the fact that she'd probably slept with Julian, a guy I was expected to go on a date within just a few hours, but also the fact that she thought I could hurt him.

  The guy seemed like he was made of Teflon.

  Did she have feelings for him? Did he for her?

  Staying clinical about it all was growing harder by the second. Maybe I wasn't cut out for it.

  But it was too late to back out. Julian was expecting me and I was relyi
ng on that paycheck.

  I had to see it through. And if that meant I had to become as strong as Teflon myself, then I would.

  Chapter Nine

  Lola

  I scanned faces in the crowded restaurant looking for Julian while I sat at the bar.

  I checked my hair for the one-hundredth time. Aspen had pinned back some longer strands, leaving a few wavy fringe pieces to frame my face. Together with the little black dress and the smoky eye I’d applied, I was almost unrecognizable. Aspen said I looked hot, but all I could think about was whether I would be everything Julian expected. I didn’t want to embarrass him in front of his business colleagues.

  As I glanced around, one face in the crowd stood out. It was Cole Gallagher, the client Minty had a crush on.

  An odd coincidence... though we were at Thirty-Eight, the hottest new restaurant in Manhattan. I was surprised Julian had even got a reservation. But then again, he was rich and powerful. Even more than I’d first realized…

  I’d learned that from his file, the one the agency sent to me about him. Julian came from Lewin money.

  Cole was arm in arm with Yasmin. He pulled out her chair, and she took a seat, flashing him a perfectly white grin.

  I’d never spoken to her, but there was something about her that annoyed me. She was a show-pony. But I guess that was the point. We were supposed to be arm candy.

  While I was deep in thought, wondering if other girls from the agency were there too, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

  “Ms. Ingram.”

  I spun around.

  Oh my.

  My mouth fell open. Julian stood before me, offering his hand to help me off the high bar stool.

  He looked even more handsome than I remembered. The white business shirt, the tailored charcoal suit. That perfect hard jaw. Men like that ought not to exist, it’s just not fair to the rest of them.

  “Julian,” I said breathlessly as he helped me down.

  He swallowed, and I swear his eyes trailed over every inch of my body all at once. But I was too mesmerized by his Adam’s apple, which bobbed up and down his stubble covered neck. I’d never been that close to him to notice how hot it was.

  Fuck. I squeezed my thighs together, I couldn’t help it. It seemed to satiate the need building between my legs. It wasn’t a feeling I was used to, at least not in the presence of a guy I barely knew.

  Julian led me over to our table and offered me a chair. After we were seated, I noticed that we were at a table for two, which made little sense.

  “I thought this was a business dinner? When are the others joining us?” I asked.

  Julian looked about the room. “We’ll run into them sooner or later.”

  “Sorry?” I raised an eyebrow.

  He turned back to me. “There’s a real estate developer, Roger Williams. I’ve been trying to close a deal with him for three months. He’s gun shy, keeps canceling our meetings. But… every Thursday night for the last month, he’s dined here with his girlfriend, Thalia.”

  I looked at him blankly. What was he getting at?

  He smiled. “It would be awfully helpful if I ran into him, don’t you think?”

  My eyes widened. “So, you can close your deal.”

  “Exactly. That’s the way business works in this city. It’s all about who you know... and in this case, I know the reservations manager of this restaurant. Roger will be walking in any minute now.”

  “Smart,” I replied. It wasn’t a platitude. You don’t become the number one broker in the city by accident.

  Before Julian could respond, a waiter came to read out the specials. He used a bunch of words I didn’t know. To be honest, most of the menu items sounded positively weird—what the hell was a spatchcock?

  “Would you like a moment to look over the menu?” The waiter asked.

  Julian looked at me as if it was my decision.

  “Well...” I looked hard at the menu, trying not to scrunch up my nose. It was no use. I plonked the menu down and looked up at the waiter. “Do you have fries? And sliders or something?”

  Julian suppressed a smile. The waiter looked at him as if to say, ‘Is she serious?’

  “You heard the lady,” Julian quipped. “Fries and sliders.” He took both our menus and handed them back to the waiter. “I’ll have the same.”

  The waiter plastered on a forced smile. “Of course, Sir.”

  “And which wine would you pair with that?” Julian asked him.

  The waiter pursed his thin lips. “To go with the fries and sliders, sir?”

  Julian threw me a playful glance. “Yes.”

  He sighed and recommended an Italian wine I’d never heard of, and Julian ordered it.

  Once he’d walked away, I looked at the man across from me curiously.

  “What?” Julian asked.

  “I didn’t think you were the fries and sliders type of guy, that’s all.”

  He leaned forward as if he was going to tell me a salacious secret. “The truth is, I wasn’t always a spoiled little rich boy.”

  He leaned back, looking satisfied. Everything was a game with this man, every conversation a dance. I couldn’t deny it, it was exciting.

  “Well, I guess I haven’t done all my homework then.” I took a sip of water.

  Julian’s eyes fell to my lips, which were adorned with magenta lipstick. “So Gia’s dossier isn’t very comprehensive, I take it?”

  “You know about that? I didn’t read it all, to be honest.” He was referring to the file I’d been given about him. I’d only skimmed the information, which covered his career, family, reputation.

  He nodded. “I know about it. I can’t imagine that there’s anything in there that you won’t have already garnered from the media. Although, it sounds like you were bored to tears by it.”

  The waiter came by with the wine, and I took a sip. Again, Julian’s eyes flicked to my lips.

  “Actually, that’s where you’re wrong.” I set down my glass. “I grew up in a commune in the middle of nowhere. We didn’t have access to tv or computers. World War III could have broken out, and I wouldn’t have known about it. So your family name didn’t ring a bell.”

  He looked stunned. “You’re joking.” He leaned back in his chair with a curious glint in his eyes. “You grew up in a commune. You mean... like a cult?”

  I chuckled. “No. Well... I guess some people would see it that way. But really, it was just a bunch of hippies who formed a co-op in the seventies. My mother moved there from San Francisco with some friends when she was eighteen. She’s lived there ever since.”

  “Well, that explains it.” He took a sip from his wine glass.

  “Explains what?”

  “Why you’re so...” He was trying to find the words. “Out of place.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “You said that to me at the Una Dea mixer, and it didn’t exactly endear me to you.”

  “And I told you, you have it all wrong. I don’t mean that you look out of place. You’re refreshing.” His expression was sincere. “You’re beautiful. There’s no doubt about that.”

  I could feel my cheeks flush. “Thank you.”

  We were both quiet for a moment. I flicked my eyes away from his, the intensity of his gaze making me uncomfortable.

  I changed the topic. “So, fill me in. I read your bio. It didn’t mention anything about your childhood. Did you grow up here in New York?”

  “I didn’t.” He hesitated for a moment. “I grew up in a small town with my mom and two brothers, Will and Eli. We were dirt poor. Will, my twin, moved here with me when I was eighteen. We ended up living with my cousin, Oliver, for a while. My aunt and uncle left him the family fortune when they died.”

  He searched my eyes for a reaction.

  I circled the rim of my glass. “I didn’t realize,” I whispered.

  From what I’d garnered from the dossier, the Lewin boys were notorious in New York, especially Julian’s cousin Oliver, who was in the tabloids ev
ery other day. I had just assumed that he’d grown up in money.

  “I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover...” I held his gaze. “Or a man by his dossier.”

  Julian offered a weak smile. “So, my file. Are you going to let me see it?”

  “Why are you so obsessed with the file?” I laughed. “Are you worried that I know all your deepest darkest secrets?”

  His eyes sharpened. “There isn’t a dossier big enough to hold all my secrets.”

  I clutched the stem of my glass. I wasn’t sure if he was joking. Was he talking about his stint in prison? Before I could think about it, Julian’s eyes were drawn to a couple being seated a few feet away.

  “Just on time.” He grinned, rising from his chair. “I’ll be a minute.”

  He buttoned up his suit jacket and waltzed over to the couple. He shook hands with the man and kissed the cheek of the woman. After exchanging a few words, Julian said something to the waiter, and before I knew it, the three of them were heading back to our table.

  “Lola, this is Roger and Thalia.” His eyes glinted as he introduced me to both of them. By the time the pleasantries were over, the wait staff had brought two extra chairs over to our table so it would seat four.

  His plan had worked. I offered Julian a knowing look as we took our seats.

  The rest of the evening flew by. Boring business dinners weren’t my cup of tea, but Julian was charming and engaging. He was in his element. He directed the course of the conversation toward the project he wanted to do with Roger. At the same time, he ensured that the couple was plied with as much food and alcohol as the waiter could keep up with.

  It was lavish. And I couldn’t take my eyes off Julian. This was a side to him I hadn’t seen. The couple was enamored, particularly Thalia, who couldn’t keep her long, manicured claws off him. I wondered if Roger noticed how often she was reaching out to graze Julian’s arm as he delighted them with another anecdote.

  We sat drinking and cajoling late into the night until Roger Williams approached the matter of working together once again.