Obsession: Seven Vices Series

by Blythe, Emily

  Julian gestured to our table. “Join us.”

  “No!” I blurted out.

  All three of them looked at me, perturbed. “I just mean…” I continued, sounding calmer. “I’m sure you two want to have lunch on your own. We can’t crash your date.”

  I threw daggers back at Julian, who looked intrigued by my discomfort.

  “Well, we’re actually meeting some of Nina’s friends here,” Noah replied, offering a fake smile. What was his deal? He seemed uncomfortable.

  “Then sit with us until they get here.” His eyes pinned Noah in place. It was a stare that even Noah wouldn’t dare say no to.

  Noah and Nina pulled up some chairs, and we sat at the table. I awkwardly picked at the remaining pasta on my plate while Julian ordered them drinks from the waiter. His treat. Noah tried to refuse, but Julian insisted.

  “So, Noah, what do you do?” Julian asked after the waiter left.

  Noah sat up straighter than usual. “I’m a writer. I have a book coming out.”

  “Congratulations. Which publisher?” Julian took a swig from his coffee, studying Noah. I couldn’t help but notice how he took in his clothes—the too-low neckline on his t-shirt, the rips in his skinny black jeans, and his characteristic bed hair.

  It was quite a sight to see the two of them chatting at the same table. They couldn’t have been more different. In fact, Julian was everything Noah hated about New York. Pissing on about Wall Street types was practically a sport amongst Noah and his hipster friends.

  I knew Noah would hate him. I just knew it.

  But what Julian would think of Noah? I had no idea.

  “Peyton Publishing,” Noah replied. “I have a two-book deal.”

  “Never heard of them,” Julian shot back. “But you’ve got to start somewhere, don’t you?” He plastered on a smile, but his eyes were unyielding… anything but friendly.

  Noah’s voice wavered. “Yeah. I suppose.”

  Nina rubbed her thumb over Noah’s hand as if she was soothing him.

  Why was Noah acting so weird? He was usually so relaxed and confident.

  Was it because of Nina? Or was Noah intimidated by Julian?

  I shook the idea from my mind. No, that wasn’t the Noah I knew. He wasn’t insecure in the slightest.

  “So you and Lola grew up together, right?” Julian asked Noah.

  “Yeah, we did.” Noah’s eyes flicked to Nina’s.

  Was he purposefully vague? Did Nina know about One Tree? Noah rarely liked to talk about the commune with his city friends.

  Noah changed the topic. “So, how did Lola end up working for you?”

  “We ran into each other at a bar.” I thought on my feet. “A freaky coincidence.”

  If we were going lie about it, I at least wanted to be in control of the narrative.

  “That’s weird.” Noah looked skeptical.

  Before I could give further explanation, something piqued Nina’s interest, and she squeezed Noah’s hand. “They’re here.” She rose from her chair.

  Apparently, Noah and I weren’t the only ones feeling awkward. Nina couldn’t wait to get away.

  Noah leaned over the table and shook Julian’s hand. “Thanks for the drink, Julian. We should go, our friends are here.”

  I gave Noah a departing hug, and he offered me an incredulous look.

  He’ll have questions later. I’d have to think of a way to explain myself.

  When I sat back down at the table, Julian had a knowing look on his face. “So, you and Noah…”

  “Yes?” I asked.

  Julian took a final swig from his coffee cup. “You like him.”

  My heart skipped a beat. Or maybe two. “No I don’t.” I scrunched up my nose. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Well, for starters, there’s the fact that you look at him so adoringly.” He tilted his head as if contemplating the situation. “And you’re clearly uncomfortable around Nina.”

  “That’s the first time I’ve ever met her.” I stared at him for a moment before I realized how ridiculous this was. “Why the hell am I defending myself to you?”

  Julian put up his hand as if surprised by my reaction.” Okay, okay, I touched on a sensitive subject. I can see that.”

  We were silent for a few moments.

  “Well, thank you for covering for me.” I cleared my throat. “Although you could have gone a little easier on Noah. You didn’t have to be such a jerk.”

  “A jerk? You gotta be kidding me.”

  “Making fun of his publisher?” I shook my head in disapproval. “That wasn’t nice.”

  “I was just being honest.” His jaw tightened. “For your information, I don’t make a habit of lying. I was covering your ass. I didn’t want to assume that Noah knew all about your new profession.”

  He was right. He didn’t have to do me a favor.

  “Well, thank you. At least for that.”

  Julian looked at his phone. “I’ve gotta go. I have a meeting with a client.”

  “Of course,” I said, trying not to let the relief sound evident in my voice.

  We both stood up, and I rifled through my purse, looking for any remaining change in the bottom that I could use to pay for my meal.

  Julian put up his hand. “No, no. I’m the client, remember. I pay.”

  “Oh.” I shuffled my feet. “Right. I forgot.”

  I immediately regretted saying it.

  Julian swallowed hard, looking confused. “You know you make a terrible escort don’t you?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not going to disagree with you.”

  We parted ways with a platonic hug goodbye. As I pulled away, I couldn’t help but take in his scent. Cologne, mixed with something fresh, but distinctly him. It was intoxicating.

  As I walked away, I shook my head.

  Now you’re into the guy’s body odor? What is happening to me?

  I darted through the crowds as I made my way to the subway. I tried to focus on the work I had to get done on my sample dress that afternoon. It was almost finished. But I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering to the strange twist my life had taken ever since I’d taken up the escorting gig.

  Today wasn’t a day I would forget soon—helping a millionaire broker sell a mansion. Who would have thought?

  I never imagined I’d ever know someone like him. Well, know is a strong word.

  He was a hard nut to crack, and the conversation I had overheard earlier hadn’t made things any clearer. That morning, when I walked into the corridor and approached the living room, I had distinctly heard the tail end of Julian’s phone call.

  I couldn’t piece it together. Why was he on the phone with a detective? He was so angry. It was a side of him I’d never seen before. It shocked me to be honest… but then again, the guy had been to prison. That’s when I realized… I knew him even less than I thought.

  This man was a stranger. Yet, when I was around him, it felt like I’d known him forever. I didn’t know what to make of it.

  I had to shut it out of my mind. I had to shut him out of my mind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lola

  Lillian held open the door as I struggled to get inside the apartment with the four bags of groceries I was carrying.

  “Woah!” Lillian caught one of the paper bags before it fell from my grip and placed it down on the kitchen bench. “What’s all this for?”

  I raised my eyebrows excitedly at Lillian. “I’m cooking tonight. Beef stroganoff.” I began putting things away. “And I noticed the cupboards were a little bare.”

  Lillian sat on a barstool at the kitchen counter and watched as I put the ingredients in the refrigerator.

  “Oh. I almost forgot!” I pulled some cash from my pocket. “Here’s next month’s rent.”

  Lillian just about fell off her stool.

  “Next month? Already?” She took the cash from me with a skeptical gleam in her eyes. “I had no idea an assi
stant’s salary was so good.”

  In the corner of my eye, I noticed Aspen sauntering out of the hallway. She entered the kitchen to refill her mug of green tea. We exchanged a moment of panic. She had heard Lillian’s comment.

  Lillian looked me up and down. “New clothes—expensive ones at that. Your shopping habits are concerning. Is there something you need to tell me? You can’t possibly sustain this amount of spending.”

  I stood awestruck in the middle of the kitchen. Aspen, who was halfway through pouring hot water into her mug, shot me a sideways glance.

  “Oh, Mom, I forgot to tell you,” Aspen commented casually. “Lola’s been giving some tutoring lessons to some of my friends. That’s why she has extra cash.”

  “Tutoring?” Lillian look surprised.

  “Yeah,” Aspen said. “Lola needed some extra money, and she is practically a math prodigy.”

  I glared at Aspen. I was awful at math. Not that Lillian knew that.

  Aspen was remarkably calm as she finished pouring out her tea and walked back towards the hallway. “Hey Lola, are you going to show me that thing?”

  I cleared my throat. “Oh, yeah. That thing. Of course.”

  I offered Lillian a weak smile. She glanced between the two of us, then shrugged and opened a packet of pretzels I’d bought from the market.

  I followed Aspen into my room and shut the door behind us.

  “Well that was close.” I muttered as I flopped onto my bed.

  Aspen did the same. “Nah. She totally bought it.”

  I raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Trust me,” she continued. “I know when my mom has bought into one of my little white lies.”

  “But was it a white lie?” I brushed my hand back through my hair. “This feels wrong. Maybe I should just tell her the truth?”

  Aspen sat bolt upright. “No way! She would freak out. Especially if she knew that I helped you get all mixed up in this. You know, by calling Una Dea to get you the interview in the first place.”

  “She wouldn’t blame you, Aspen. But, she would blame me for getting you involved, and she’d have a right to be mad.”

  “Just stay calm. You only need this job until you finish the semester. That’s not long. We can hold this together for a few more months.” Aspen nibbled on her bottom lip. “Maybe just try to lay off the shopping sprees until then?”

  She had a good point.

  We talked for a while longer about her day and mine. A few minutes later, my cell phone rang. When I saw the caller ID, I immediately became nervous.

  “Gia,” I answered.

  “Lola, darling. I have good news. I have a last-minute booking for you for tonight.”

  “Tonight?” It was already early evening, so it wasn’t much notice. But the thought of seeing Julian again only intensified the butterflies in my stomach.

  “Look. We don’t have much time. You need to be ready in an hour for the ballet. The date is with Cole Gallagher. Yasmin just canceled on me out of nowhere and Cole suggested you as a replacement. You’ve caught his eye.”

  Cole Gallagher? The butterflies dissipated and were replaced by something else… disappointment?

  “There’s no time to lose.” Gia sounded tense. “Wear a gown, something worthy of the ballet. Mr. Gallagher won’t accept anything less than perfect. So be perfect.”

  “I don’t know if I have anything like that…”

  “Look, Lola, I haven’t had any new bookings for you all week. If you want to keep working for the agency, you need to take all the opportunities that come your way. Make it happen. I’ll text you the details. The car is coming to get you in an hour.”

  Before I could respond, Gia had hung up. I glanced at my phone in confusion and then at Aspen.

  “I have to be ready for the ballet in an hour.” I jumped up from the bed and paced the room, trying to think of whether there was anything in my closet that would be ballet worthy.

  Aspen’s face lit up. “Are you going with Julian?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Someone else. An important client.”

  I walked over to my closet and filed through the various dresses I had. Sure, I had a lot of beautiful designer clothes that I didn’t own before, but most of them were appropriate for dinner dates or cocktail parties. Nothing glamorous enough for a night at the ballet.

  “Shit.” I leaned against my closet door.

  Aspen strolled over and looked through the closet. The look on her face told me she thought nothing was appropriate either. “What are you going to do?”

  “Well, it’s too late to buy anything.” I paced to the other side of the room. I looked at the back of my door where my sample gown was hanging in a garment bag, ready for the showcase. It was finished. Aspen and I both stared at it.

  I unzipped the bag hastily and pulled the dress down, holding it against my body. I looked up at Aspen, and she gave me a knowing smile.

  “It’s perfect.” She walked over and thumbed the delicate fabric. “But isn’t this for your project?”

  I sighed. “I have to submit it to the showcase tomorrow. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t give it a test run tonight. As long as I’m careful, I can get away with wearing it.”

  “It would be a shame if you didn’t get to wear it out at least once. It’s too beautiful to never be worn,” Aspen spoke with a soft voice.

  She was right. It was perfect for a romantic evening at the ballet.

  I looked up at her. “This dress was made for a night like this.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Julian

  “Where are you, fucker,” I mumbled under my breath. I scanned the faces in the darkened theater.

  But it was no use. It was too dark, and he wasn’t in his regular seat.

  “You gonna watch this thing? Or did you just come here to peruse the merchandise?” Minty said as she elbowed me in the rib.

  Great. She thinks I’m checking girls out.

  At least it was better than her knowing the truth.

  “Ballet is not really my thing.”

  “Then why are we here?” Minty shifted in her chair. “This is boring as fuck.”

  “Some of us are trying to watch, you know,” said a voice from behind us.

  “Then watch! You don’t need to hear it, it’s ballet. Eyes forward,” said minty as she snapped her head around in their direction. The death stare she offered them was enough to silence them immediately.

  I yanked on her arm to get her attention. “Stop it.”

  She huffed. “Sorry.”

  Several minutes went past and I still couldn’t find him. He had to be here somewhere. My guy at the ticket booth had given me a heads up that he’d arrived with some gorgeous date. Probably another escort. Yasmin, if I had to guess.

  The lights turned on, signaling intermission, and I practically bounded out of my seat to get a drink from the bar… and to get a better look around the place. I told Minty I’d be gone for a few minutes, and then I exited into the corridor. Crowds of men and women, dressed in tuxedos and sparkling gowns, congregated to talk about the production of New York City Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

  Hundreds of people filed into the corridor. It was a nightmare because I was looking for just one person. A needle in a haystack.

  I lined up at the bar and scanned the room. There was no sign of him.

  Though one thing caught my eye, and at first I couldn’t quite place it. A woman ahead of me in the line looked familiar. I could only see the back of her. Long blonde hair, delicate neck, and milky white skin exposed down to the arch of her back. She wore a stunning pink dress.

  It hit me like a ton of bricks. It was Lola.

  My heart thumped. What was she doing here?

  Was she on a date? With a client… with him?

  I pushed the people in front of me out of the way until I got to her. Without thinking, I grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

  “Let go of me!” She squirmed out of my grip
. Then she suddenly realized who had grabbed her. “Oh. Julian. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to see the ballet.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Well, obviously.”

  Her crystal-clear irises shone brightly under the light of the chandeliers.

  “Who are you here with?” I shot the question at her in a more accusatory tone than I had meant to.

  She was taken aback. “I am here for the agency. With Cole Gallagher.” She eyed the bar in frustration. “And I could really do with a drink, so if you don’t mind…”

  I took her by the elbow, dragging her further away from the crowded bar. “You’ve got to leave. You can’t be here with him.”

  “What are you talking about? I can’t be here with him?”

  I sighed. How could I explain this to her without exposing everything?

  “Just trust me. I can’t explain right now. Just know that Cole is not who he seems.”

  She swallowed hard as she contemplated my words for a moment. Then, her expression changed to one of frustration.” You know, you’ve lost your mind.”

  I shook my head. “I know it sounds crazy, but I think he probably invited you here because you’ve been out with me…” I thought on it for a moment. “Yes, that’s gotta be it…” I said to myself.

  “You think Cole only invited me out because of you?” She raised an eyebrow. “You think this is all about you? That everything is about you?” She strode toward the line for the bar once again.

  I followed her. “No. That’s not what I mean. Trust me, please. Just leave now, during intermission.”

  “I can’t do that. This is my job. Call me crazy, but I don’t know why I should trust anything you say? I barely know you.”

  Fuck. People around us were staring. I probably looked like a real jerk, and no doubt, Lola was thinking the same thing. I should have taken a different approach with her. She was almost as stubborn as I was.

  Lola turned her back on me, making it perfectly clear that she had no intention of heeding my warning. I watched as she marched down the corridor and back through the theater doors.