“What does?”
“Julian — why he is the way he is.” She turned her attention back to me. “You know, whenever I had a booking with him, it was always platonic. Even if he booked me for the night, nothing physical ever happened between us. A few times I made advances towards him, because, you know, he’s hot. He still refused, even though he’d paid for me.”
She shook her head as she continued. “I knew he was hurt. I just didn’t know why. Now I get it. The love of his life was an escort, and she went missing because of some crazy client.”
“I know.” I gripped harder onto my sketchbook. “I never understood why he was involved with escorts. But he’s just doing this to find out the truth. It’s not about sex, it’s not about getting attention from women. It’s all about Hannah. Explains why he hasn’t found a relationship. The space in his heart where a relationship should be has been filled by his obsession. He can’t stop until he gets justice for Hannah.”
My heart sank as I said the words out loud. That’s why Julian regretted kissing me. In my head, I understood, but it didn’t make the rejection any less painful.
“Lola…” Minty’s voice was sincere. “When you kissed him last night… did you kiss him as a client or as a guy you like?”
I didn’t know how to answer the question, and my gaze said as much.
Minty rubbed my shoulder. “Don’t get your heart involved, honey. This is a part of the job. You need to learn to detach. Every client is a little bit broken—every single one of them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need us.”
I nodded solemnly. She was right. I would have to accept that whatever my relationship was with Julian, it wasn’t ever going to be more than a business arrangement.
Minty changed the subject. “Are you going to tell Gia about what Cole did? I mean, it’s not like you can go to the police, we’re escorts.”
“Exactly. I’ve got a meeting with Gia this afternoon, but I don’t know if it will help.” I stood up. “I just feel like I have to do something. I can’t let this guy continue to get away with it.”
Minty walked alongside me as I headed to class.
“Cole must be good at covering his tracks, considering they vetted him for The Reunion, and he passed.” She knitted her eyebrows together.
“What are you talking about?”
“Well I probably shouldn’t say…” She rubbed the side of her neck. “But considering the stakes…”
I stopped. “Tell me, Minty. If you know something, you need to tell me.”
“The Reunion. It’s a private club for the elite of the elite. The members are heavily vetted, and only the best girls can go. In fact, a client has to sponsor you before Gia will even consider elevating you to platinum level. I know that Cole has been cleared to attend these parties, which means he has a lot of power, and somehow they haven’t realized that he’s a total creep.”
“What exactly happens at these parties? Why are they so secretive about it?”
Minty bit her lip. “It’s less of a party and more of an experience.”
“Do you mean like a sex club kind of thing?”
Minty swallowed. “I guess. Group sex, voyeurism, just about every kind of kink you can imagine… they cater for it. But it’s not some creepy swingers party, and it’s not like a normal agency event either. These parties are highly exclusive, for the richest, hottest and most desirable people in New York. Hell, across the country. And it’s intense. I know from experience.”
“You’re kidding? So you’re a platinum girl?”
Minty nodded. “These events aren’t like anything you or I are used to. Once you’re there… it’s hard not to be swept up in the moment.”
“Did you go there with Julian?”
“No, I didn’t. I’ve never seen him there. I don’t think he knows about them. I would guess that if he did, he would have been, right? Because Cole is almost always there. They hold them regularly, the next one is Thursday night.”
“Thursday?” My mind ticked over.
Minty was right, Julian would have gone if he knew. The most concerning part was the fact that Cole was allowed in. Who knows what sort of nefarious activities he could get up to at a place like that.
“Thanks Minty. I know you’re putting yourself on the line telling me this stuff.” I squeezed her hand. “This really helps.”
I waved goodbye and headed towards my next class. But I knew it would be hard to concentrate, given the information I’d just been told. My only consolation was the fact that I knew exactly what to do next.
Chapter Twenty
Julian
Don’t think about the kiss. Don’t think about the kiss. Don’t think about the kiss.
I repeated it over and over as I heard Lola’s voice echo through my phone.
“Hey, Julian.”
Don’t think about the kiss. Don’t mention the kiss. Definitely, do not mention the kiss.
“Hey, Lola.” I tried to sound like my mind wasn’t racing.
Why was she calling? I hope she didn’t want to talk about last night. If she did, I didn’t know what I was going to say. How could I justify my behavior? How could I explain that one part of me wanted to rip that damn dress off her and push her onto the table… while another part of me wanted to run?
No matter which way you put it, I was a fucking mess.
“I just wanted to tell you I’m going to talk to Gia about Cole.”
“Oh.” I leaned against the wall in my office. “I mean, you can, but it’s probably a waste of time. I told her long ago that he’s dangerous, and she refused to do anything about it. I know she can’t get the police involved, but she won’t even let him go as a client.”
“Why?” I could feel the frustration on the other end of the line.
I cleared my throat. “I did some digging. You know how I told you Cole has connections with the District Attorney? He uses that relationship to protect Una Dea from police scrutiny.”
“How?”
“He pays the police off, I guess, with the help of his buddy, the D.A. That’s why Gia won’t get rid of him. It’s also why he’s considered a VIP as far as the agency is concerned. Gia knows Cole is the only thing standing between her and a jail cell should the law ever come knocking.”
“That’s not fair.” Lola raised her voice.
“That’s life, sweetheart.”
She sighed. “Well, if the only way to get him is to keep watching him, then I want to help you do it.”
I rubbed my temple. Not this again. “I already told you it’s—”
“— too dangerous, I know!” She huffed. “But you know what, one thing you don’t have, is information. I know something that you don’t. Let me help, and I’ll tell you.”
“Information, huh?” A paced towards my office window, which overlooked the city and the Hudson in the distance. “I doubt you know anything that I don’t. This has been my life for I don’t know… a decade.”
She was silent for a moment. “Trust me, you want to hear this.”
I contemplated for a moment. She sounded sincere. Enough for it to pique my interest. I sighed. “Fine. Tell me what you know.”
Lola proceeded to tell me that unbeknown to me, Cole had been attending some kind of elite sex club.
“How did you get this information?”
“I have my sources.” She sounded smug.
It should have pissed me off, but instead, it made me smile. That tended to happen with her.
“I’ve heard rumors about places like that. I didn’t realize these things were actually, you know… good.” I tapped my knuckle on the window. “Okay, so I guess I need to go to Gia and get an invitation to this thing.”
“Exactly.” Lola sounded energized. “Tell her you want in, and that you can sponsor me as your guest. I can’t get in otherwise. It means I’m going to have to tell Gia that I’m willing to do more than just silver-level services to get upgraded to platinum.…”
My chest felt heavy. “H
ell no. I’m not letting you do that for me.”
“It doesn’t mean that I’m going to do anything I don’t want to do. I can still say no to bookings if Gia throws them my way. But if I can at least get into The Reunion, then we can dig further into what’s going on. If it prevents another girl from getting hurt. It’s worth it.”
I clenched my jaw. I hated the idea.
“I just can’t.” I sighed.
“Fine. If you don’t want to sponsor me, I’ll just get another client to do it, and I’ll go with them instead. Is that what you want?”
Is that the game she wanted to play? Maybe Lola wasn’t as naïve as I thought.
I couldn’t help feeling we were both playing with fire.
“No, I don’t want that.” I rubbed my temple again. There was no other option. I’d underestimated her willingness to go all in on this with me. “Fine. I’ll do it. But if we’re going to do this, we do it my way.”
I knew she was beaming through the phone. “Great.” She went quiet. “What does that mean exactly?”
“If you get promoted to platinum level, Gia will put you on overnight dates. So, I’ll tell Gia that I want you to come to The Reunion with me, but you are not to be placed on dates with any other clients but me. It’ll cost a pretty penny, but I’ll tell her I want exclusivity.” I shook my head. How the fuck did I get into this situation? “Gia’s going to make a fucking fortune out of me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Lola
By the time Thursday night rolled around, Julian and I had formulated a basic plan. So far, everything had gone smoothly. Gia agreed to let Julian and I attend The Reunion. She was surprised, but as predicted, delighted by Julian’s request for exclusivity, and told me so when she called me to discuss the terms of our new agreement.
If I was to go to The Reunion, I would be promoted to platinum level. Which meant I was a fully-fledged escort. No more platonic gigs. I would be paid for overnight dates, just like Minty and most of the others. Only, for now, Julian had paid extra to ensure that I was only available to him. I couldn’t be booked with anyone else.
As I got ready for the evening, I had to remind myself that this was a job. Figuring out what Cole had to hide was a heavy responsibility. If Gia wasn’t going to do anything about it, Julian and I would have to do it for her.
I slipped on my black stilettos and examined myself in the mirror. My hair fell in soft waves over my right shoulder, and my make up screamed classic movie star. My black sequined gown hugged my body from top to bottom. A long slit ran up my thigh, almost exposing my panty line.
The instructions had been clear from the agency — formal attire, impeccable hygiene, and no hair from the neck down. I’d done everything that Gia had asked, but the thought that I’d be in the position where anyone would see my bare lady bits seemed far-fetched. We weren’t going there to participate. We had a job to do.
The town car pulled up at the front of my apartment building as Gia had arranged. The driver got out and opened the door for me. My heart pounded faster when I slid in next to Julian, who was dressed in a sharp black tuxedo. He sported his deadly attractive smile, making me nervous.
It was the first time I’d seen him since the night we kissed. We’d only spoken on the phone in the days leading up to the party.
Julian took in my appearance as the driver pulled us away from the curb. He seemed lost for words. Now that I was sitting down, the slit in my dress revealed even more of my upper thigh. “You look… sexy.”
The words left his lips and hit me straight in my core. I could feel my face heating from my neck to the tips of my ears. “Thank you.”
“I think I’ll have my work cut out for me tonight… trying to keep every guy in this place from wanting to steal you away from me.” He didn’t say it like he was joking, he was sincere.
I played with the clasp on my pewter clutch. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” I looked up at him. “We’re only there for Cole.”
Julian offered a resigned nod.
He looked out the window. “I wonder where we’re going.”
“Settle in Mr. Lewin, Ms. Ingram. We’ve got a long drive ahead.”
I sat up straighter, suddenly feeling more alert. “Wait — it’s not in the city?”
Julian and I both looked at the driver. He shook his head as he gazed at us through the rear-view mirror.
“I don’t suppose you can tell us where we’re going then?” Julian asked.
“Sorry, sir.” The driver looked glum. “It’s not up to me. It’s the rules.”
“I guess that’s all part of the mystery?” I asked Julian.
Julian tapped his cell phone against his leg. “Yeah, and to protect the anonymity of whoever owns the establishment where these things are held. I doubt they’d want that to be made public knowledge.”
“I suppose you’re right.” I looked back out the window. Stripes of white light from the traffic on the opposite side of the road swept past us.
After traveling for what seemed like forever, it appeared like we were getting closer to our destination. While we were stopped at a traffic light, the driver handed us each a strip of thick black satin. “You need to blindfold yourselves.”
Julian raised an eyebrow at the driver and paused as if he was waiting for him to say that it was a joke. But he didn’t. The driver was serious.
I shifted in my seat. This was starting to feel ominous.
We took the blindfolds from the driver. He watched as we covered our eyes with the blindfolds and fastened them at the back. After that, all I could feel was the movement of the car and the sound of Julian shifting in his seat.
“It’s a good thing I’m not claustrophobic. This could drive a person insane,” I muttered.
“Tell me about it.” Julian replied. “Driver, how much longer?”
“Just a few minutes away now, that’s why you have to wear those. You can take them off as soon as we pull up.” He was silent for a moment. “Don’t worry, nothing bad is going to happen to you. It’s a precaution that we take with all the guests.”
The driver could tell that I was freaking out. Maybe it was because I was gripping hard onto my seatbelt to feel grounded, without my vision to give me spatial awareness.
My other hand rested on the seat between Julian and I. I felt his large warm hand encapsulate mine. He squeezed my hand in reassurance. My instinct was to look at him, but I was blindfolded, so I couldn’t.
Whatever his intentions, the gesture put me at ease, and I sunk into my seat, resigning myself to my fate. I felt like as long as Julian was around, I was safe.
A few minutes later, I felt the car come to a halt. Next, I heard the driver exiting the vehicle and opening the door beside me. I let out a long relieved breath as the cool night air hit my face.
“You can take the blindfold off now,” said the driver.
I did as he asked and got out of the car. At the same time, Julian had removed his blindfold and was walking around the car to be at my side. Before us, stood a grand mansion, beside a small lake. Surrounding the property were expansive manicured gardens with a dense tree line beyond that.
“Where do you think we are?” I whispered to Julian as he took in the surroundings himself.
“No idea. If I had to guess, upstate somewhere. This house is impressive.” He studied the imposing white facade.
My heart beat a little faster in my chest as we walked up a short stone pathway. By the front door stood a slim, middle-aged woman dressed in a sleek royal blue gown. She smiled graciously as we approached. “Mr. Lewin. Ms. Ingram. Thank you for attending The Reunion this evening.”
She shook both our hands, while Julian and I exchanged a confused look. She knew who we were. She didn’t even have a list, we didn’t even give her our names. This event was on a whole other level, and even Julian, who was used to fancy parties, seemed taken aback by the whole thing.
“Some guests have already arrived, and the pa
rty is underway. As this is your first time here, please follow me and I’ll give you a short tour and a rundown of some of our traditions.” She gestured for us to follow her.
“Traditions?” Julian asked as we followed her into the grand foyer. It made Julian’s brownstone mansion look like a dollhouse.
“Yes. The Reunion has been attended by some of the countries most influential and historic personalities for over a 120 years. There are certain traditions and guidelines we still follow to this day, in honor of its history.”
“I had no idea…” I whispered. It became clear that we had stumbled onto something bigger and more complex than we could have imagined.
The foyer opened on to a large living room. It was filled with glamorous guests who were dressed like they were attending a prestigious awards show. Some girls I recognized from the agency. The others were a mixture of men and women whose faces I’d seen in magazines, but I didn’t know them by name. One thing was certain, everyone was extraordinarily attractive. Even the older guests were exceptionally fit and good-looking, their bodies indistinguishable from those twenty years younger than them. Being hot was an entry requirement, it seemed.
A few heads turned as we followed our guide into the room. I could feel the gazes of both men and women assessing us. Maybe they were trying to place our faces, perhaps, to determine if we were rich and famous.
The main thing that struck me was the fact that nothing out of the ordinary was taking place. Apart from everyone being unusually attractive, it seemed like any other upscale cocktail party. Champagne was flowing, and guests were huddled in groups of three or four engaged in small talk. Others were in deep discussions about business or the latest tabloid gossip.
I looked at Julian, who was taking it all in too. Had he noticed the absence of a particular person, we both had hoped to see that night? Cole Gallagher was nowhere to be seen.
“There are two main components to our events. This is the Meeting Gallery. A place for our guests to relax with a drink and get to know each other and catch up.” She smiled. “Countless friendships and business partnerships have been forged in this room over the decades.”
Obsession: Seven Vices Series Page 11