A Bona Fide Gold Digger

by Allison Hobbs

  “I’m expecting one of my advanced students. I didn’t take your coat because I knew you wouldn’t be staying very long. I’m sorry, you’re going to have to leave, Milan.”

  Milan wanted to cry from disappointment.

  Gerard reached for her hand and helped pull her up. Though he was kicking her out, the tenderness in his eyes made it a little less painful.

  “When can I see you again?” she wondered aloud.

  “In a few days. I’ll call you.” Before opening the door, his eyes swept over her. “In the future, don’t wear any makeup or fancy clothing or hairstyles. I want to see you in your natural state. I want to see who you really are.”

  He opened the door, welcoming in the same Asian woman Milan had seen the other day. The woman was breathtaking. She didn’t wear much makeup, just eyeliner to accentuate her slanted dark eyes. She was a natural beauty—the kind of woman Milan instantly despised. This time she wore an expensive-looking, white, waist-length, down-filled jacket with a fur-trimmed hood that shouted money. Her clingy workout wear showed off a to-die-for body. As if being a ravishing beauty with a great body weren’t enough, the woman had the nerve to be rich.

  “Milan, this is Ming. Ming, Milan,” Gerard said, introducing the two women.

  Besieged with envy, Milan forced a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

  “And you.” Ming extended her hand. The gesture seemed condescending. Though the day would come when Milan would be rich too, until Noah’s money was transferred over to her, she was still just ordinary.

  The amounts of money Noah doled out were too inconsistent to make a difference in her current financial status. Since they’d agreed to wed, he no longer paid for her sexual favors. The money she’d managed to squirrel away would have to tide her over until her dying fiancé finally gave up the ghost.

  In the meantime, the promise of his entire estate was supposed to be a comfort, like having money in the bank that you couldn’t touch for eons. Feeling terribly impoverished, Milan gave Ming a quick, self-conscious, glove-covered handshake. She noticed a big gleaming diamond ring and a platinum wedding band on Ming’s other hand. She was married. Good!

  “I’ll call you,” Gerard repeated, opening the door wider.

  Kicked out into the cold and feeling dazed, Milan took unsteady steps to her car.

  chapter twenty-four

  Milan stood motionless, shocked at finding Noah sitting in the dining room. He sipped his disgusting soup while Irma flitted around him, her chubby body moving with amazing swiftness as she reattached the Velcro-strap of his awful terry-cloth bib that had come undone. She reached over to smooth out the front of the bib, her doting gestures making it clear that her loyalty lay with Noah Brockington. The cook was sucking up so flagrantly, it wouldn’t have surprised Milan if the woman had the sudden notion to hand-feed her wealthy employer.

  Milan detected a healthy color in Noah’s cheeks, which she found displeasing. Gazing at him suspiciously, she also noticed with much annoyance that he seemed to have put on some weight. What was Irma putting in his soup? Probably the same weight-enhancing substance that she’d used to lace Milan’s nutritious meals. Did this burst of sudden well-being have anything to do with Noah’s desire to produce healthy sperm? Milan winced at the thought.

  Noah lifted a spoonful of the chunky milk-colored concoction to his mouth. Irma hovered nearby, her lips puckered as if prepared to blow and cool off the chowder with her own breath.

  “Noah, what are you doing downstairs?” Milan said tersely. “There’s a draft down here. Where’s the nurse?” She shot an accusatory look at Irma. “We need to get him back in bed. He’s much too ill to—”

  “It was his idea,” Irma said, sounding defensive. “After he got that phone call, he perked up and wanted to come downstairs.”

  “What phone call?” Milan asked Irma. She hoped Greer hadn’t telephoned and put ideas in Noah’s head.

  “Don’t chastise Irma,” Noah interjected. “As she said, it was my idea. And by the way…where have you been, my dear?” He took a loud sip of soup. “Your comings and goings are becoming rather frequent. Do you have a secret lover, my dear?” Noah asked with a taunting glint in his eyes.

  Noah’s question, a ringing accusation, put the room on pause. Irma stopped fussing over him; she folded her arms, squared her shoulders and waited for Milan’s comeback.

  Milan was momentarily stumped. But not for long. Fast on her feet, she rapidly assembled believable explanations. “I’ve been looking for a nutritionist and a trainer. I need to be in the best shape of my life to carry and deliver a healthy baby.” She cut an eye at Irma. “Oh, you didn’t know, did you? Noah and I are going to be parents.” Milan faked a big smile.

  “Umph,” Irma grunted, obviously displeased.

  “I found a personal trainer. But I’m still interviewing nutritionists,” Milan said and then turned her attention to Irma. “No offense to your lack of good nutritional information and low-level culinary skills, but during my research I discovered that certain fruits and vegetables were discovered to have extremely high levels of pesticides—even after they’ve been washed.” She paused, noticing both Noah and Irma hanging on to her words. “I’m switching to an all-organic diet and it would be wise for Noah to consider doing the same.”

  Milan returned her attention to Noah. “A good nutritionist could create a more appealing and much healthier meal plan than Irma can come up with. And, darling, a healthy diet promotes abundant and healthy sperm,” Milan informed her fiancé with a broad smile. Noah looked impressed and Milan sighed in relief. She had to give herself a “thata-girl” pat on the back. Milan always came out of any corner she was backed into, swinging wildly.

  “I do feel a bit of a draft,” Noah finally concurred with a shiver.

  “What were you thinking, Irma? How could you allow him to sit downstairs without a sweater?” Milan chastised. “Come on, darling, let’s get you back upstairs.” Milan made the motions of helping her fiancé out of his seat, and then hissed at Irma, “Get that nurse in here!” Irma scurried away.

  Moments later, Ruth Henry rushed into the dining room. “I’m sorry, Ms. Walden. I wouldn’t have left him if Irma hadn’t told me it was all right.” Intending to exercise her newfound clout, Milan whipped around to verbally reprimand Irma, but the worthless cook was conveniently out of Milan’s eyesight. Milan could hear her rattling pans in the kitchen. Milan sucked her teeth in exasperation.

  As the nurse escorted Noah up the wide staircase, he turned and looked over his shoulder at his fiancée. “My dear, if it’s not too much trouble, would you pay me a visit?”

  Off the hook of having to soothe her patient, Ruth Henry smiled adoringly as if Noah had just said the cutest thing. “I’ll help him out of his pajama bottoms,” the nurse offered, her voice lowered to a confidential whisper.

  Milan rolled her eyes. She felt like backhanding Noah. If he knew what was good for him, he’d drop dead soon after they tied the knot. Lingering around too long might not be a wise decision because she couldn’t promise that elder abuse was beneath her.

  She didn’t know what Noah wanted, however, anal play was out of the question. She’d passed that assignment onto the nurse. Dressed in little girls’ attire, she joined him in his bedroom.

  “What a pleasant surprise. It’s been ages since I last saw you. Have you been busy with your studies, little girl?” he addressed Milan.

  “Yes,” she replied in a childlike voice, despising herself for having to play along. But competing with that rich Asian bitch was going to be expensive. If she was going to outshine the heifer, she needed Noah’s money more than ever.

  Noah sat up straighter and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Have you been keeping up with your studies?”

  With her mind on Gerard, Milan didn’t know what Noah had just asked her. Genuinely perplexed, she shrugged her shoulders.

  “And what kind of response is that?” Noah asked sternly. “Give me a straight an
swer.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “No!”

  She ventured a guess. “Um…No.”

  “And what has taken precedence over your studies? Boys?”

  Before Milan could come up with an answer, Noah pointed to the nightstand. “Get the paddle. You’ve been a very naughty little girl.”

  Up until that point, Milan had been distracted. But now, facing a paddling, she was suddenly alert and unafraid.

  Quite willingly, she retrieved the leather paddle and gave it to Noah. Obediently, she lifted her skirt, bent over, and exposed her bottom. Noah struck her, but of course, he was much too weak to cause her any pain, and his light flogging distracted her; relieved her from having to interact with him. With her back to him, she didn’t even have to look at him. She was able to let her imagination run wild. “Gerard,” she whispered with each soft blow, pretending that it was her trainer who lovingly whipped her ass.

  chapter twenty-five

  Milan expected to be ecstatic when Gerard finally summoned her, but she was far from thrilled. In fact, she was profoundly disappointed when, instead of inviting her to his home, Gerard told her to meet him at the gym in Ardmore, the same gym where they’d met. She’d been looking forward to some uninterrupted private time with him, not grunting and sweating amidst a large group of anonymous people. And she positively did not relish the idea of another encounter with that little snob, Casey. Hopefully the spoiled-brat receptionist was back at school or on a ski trip in Aspen or wherever little rich bitches spent their time.

  No such luck. Perched behind the desk was none other than the utterly detestable redhead. Doesn’t she ever go to school? Milan wondered in agitation.

  “I’m supposed to meet Gerard here,” Milan said. She hated having to address the bone-thin brat.

  “Name?” Casey asked, curtly.

  Milan frowned. “Milan Walden.”

  Casey perused a large black appointment book. “He wants you to wait for him in the consultation room,” Casey said, her lips pursed with animosity as she pointed at an open door across the room.

  Milan’s scowl deepened. She would have loved to get ghetto on Casey. Keeping her hostility in check and her head held high, Milan turned away.

  “Excuse me,” Casey said in a snooty voice.

  Sighing, Milan spun around. “Yes, what is it?”

  “The consultation isn’t free, ya know.” She sounded snippy. “It’s two hundred dollars. You’re assigned to two consultants. That’ll be four hundred dollars.”

  “Two consultants?”

  Casey gave her a sideways glance. “Is that a problem? I can cancel, ya know.”

  “No, no. I wasn’t expecting two consultants.” Hell, she wasn’t expecting a consultation at all. Hadn’t he already done a full body scan in his basement gym? But if Gerard felt she needed a second consultation, she had no choice but to go along with his request.

  “Cash, check, or credit card?”

  Milan paid in cash. Looking for Gerard and the mysterious second consultant, Milan scanned the room as she moved with lead feet toward the consultation room.

  The wait inside the sparsely furnished room seemed endless. Milan apparently spent more time waiting for Gerard than actually being in his presence.

  At last the door opened. To Milan’s astonishment, Gerard entered with Ming. “How’s it going, Milan?” Gerard asked. Ming, carrying a clipboard, was decked out in stunning pink activewear. Why the hell did Gerard bring his disarmingly pretty student along?

  Responding to her look of bafflement, Gerard explained, “Ming recently received her personal training certification. She’ll shadow me for a few weeks and then spread her wings,” Gerard said, nodding at Ming proudly.

  Milan felt deflated, like she’d been punched in the face, kicked in the stomach, and stabbed in the back all at the same time. What was going on here? According to her bejeweled left hand, Ming was married. But were Gerard and Ming having an affair? She needed to know. “Are you and Ming, um…?”

  “Partners?” Gerard filled in.

  Milan nodded dumbly.

  “No, not yet. Ming is married to the guy who owns this place.” Gerard and Ming laughed. Excluded from the inside joke, Milan gave a tight smile. “But in the near future, she’s going to be opening her own personal training center with a team of experienced and highly qualified trainers, and we’ll be working together as partners. She’ll bring the capital, I’ll bring my extensive expertise,” Gerard responded while Ming silently beamed.

  “You’re married to the owner? The receptionist, uh, the redhead is your daughter?”

  “Casey’s my prize possession. She’s my stepdaughter,” Ming said crisply.

  Before Milan could process the information, Gerard murmured to Ming. “Okay, we’ll start the assessment.”

  “I need you to undress,” Ming told Milan.

  Milan shot her a searing gaze, then turned a softer look toward Gerard. “Is this necessary? You already told me which areas of my body needed work.”

  Gerard’s face darkened. Remembering how seriously he took fitness, she was sorry she’d opened her mouth. “But I guess there’s no harm in a second look.” She chuckled, feeling like a complete fool as she came out of her coat. With Gerard and Ming staring at her, she felt clumsy and awkward as she stripped down to her bra and panties. Ming’s presence in the consultation room humiliated Milan in a way that did not bring on any sexual urges.

  “I want you to mark the areas on her body that need work.” Gerard handed Ming a black marker pen and took the clipboard from her hand. Milan wanted to recoil but determinedly stood tall.

  With her brow furrowed, Ming studied Milan as if she were an inanimate object. She placed Xs on both Milan’s shoulders and then searched Gerard’s face. He nodded his approval. She put a big X on the center of Milan’s chest. Stepping back to inspect Milan from a different perspective, she came forward, her expression intense as she vigorously marked Milan’s stomach, hips, and thighs. Milan could have cried from mortification.

  “Turn around,” Ming said sharply. To prove to Gerard that she was serious about fitness, Milan obeyed the Asian bitch’s stern order. She flinched at the feeling of the cold marker tip as Ming drew Xs up and down the length of her back. Milan prayed Gerard had not given Ming an indelible marker.

  “Pull down your panties, I want to take a look at your gluteus maximus—the largest muscle in your body.”

  Milan’s face grew hot with embarrassment. She cut her eyes at Gerard.

  “She has to assess your body, Milan. Do as she says.”

  Cringing, Milan pulled down her panties.

  “Clench your glutes,” Ming demanded.

  Milan quickly obeyed, tightening her butt muscles.

  “She doesn’t have much of a butt,” Ming remarked with a tsk. “Unclench,” she ordered. Again, Milan did as she was told. “It’s small but saggy,” Ming told Gerard, disgust coating her words. She marked each butt cheek with long angry strokes.

  “All right, cover your butt,” Ming said snippily. She gave a soft but disrespectful smack to Milan’s ass. With a flurry of Xs, she finished off the back of Milan’s thighs and legs. “Put your clothes on,” Ming barked.

  While Gerard and Ming observed her, Milan got dressed. Hurriedly, she stuck her legs into her sweats, pulled her top over her head. Had Milan been light complexioned like Sweetie, her face would be a bright red. Mercifully, her dark complexion hid her burning shame.

  “Great job, Ming,” Gerard told the Asian woman.

  “Thank you,” Ming sang the two words as she snapped the cap on the marker pen.

  “Milan,” Gerard said, “congratulations, you’re in.” He gave her a big smile. “You’ve proven yourself. I’ll train you in my home gym. As I told you, my fee is one hundred and seventy per session. You’ll need at least three sessions a week. We don’t need a contract, do we?”

  “No, I won’t miss a session,” Milan said eagerly.

&nbs
p; “Cool. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon.”

  She’d endured Ming’s cold pen and stinging criticism. And now she’d finally have Gerard all to herself. For Milan, tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.

  With dollar signs in her eyes Milan paid Noah a late-night visit. She skipped into his bedroom suite dressed in a frilly yellow polka-dot dress with white ruffled anklets.

  Having to pay Gerard a little over five hundred a week would deplete her savings in no time. Noah was going to have to supplement her income. Discussing money with Noah had become quite awkward, but she sincerely hoped they could work out a payment arrangement.

  Noah didn’t so much as blink or nod in approval when she approached dressed in the fantasy costume. She hated it when he didn’t respond appropriately to the effort she put into fulfilling his perverted desires. The man had such gall.

  “I noticed a great deal of dust while dining downstairs this afternoon. It appears the house isn’t being properly cared for. Perhaps doing housework as well as preparing meals is overwhelming for poor Irma,” Noah stated when Milan entered his room. She hadn’t planned on discussing the appearance of his home and she couldn’t have cared less about Irma’s work load.

  “You’re absolutely right. I’ll look into a cleaning service tomorrow,” Milan said, quickly.

  “Good idea. Now, when is your ring being delivered? You should contact the jeweler and tell him to put a rush on the order.”

  Milan regarded Noah with a look of bafflement. Since when was he interested in anything that concerned the wedding other than trying to entangle her into an absurd legal commitment to bear his child?

  Responding to her perplexed expression, Noah said, “I had a telephone call today.”

  Milan’s ears perked up. She was relieved that he’d finally decided to shed some light on his clandestine phone calls.

  “I invited my dearest friends, a chap named Hayden McIntyre and his wife, Emma, to our wedding. They’re prominent people, very influential, and Hayden has agreed to be my best man. Knowing that my time is limited…” Noah Brockington sighed, closed his eyes, and wrung his hands as if he now dreaded the imminent death he’d claimed to have made peace with. “Hayden was rather taken aback when I told him we hadn’t set a definite date.” Noah waited for Milan to respond. She didn’t. She was too stunned to speak. Noah had friends! That dear friends had materialized out of the blue and were attending their private ceremony was a bit unsettling, to say the least.