Honor Roll

by Collins, Kelly

  “Screw you.” She flew me a double bird. Just goes to show you that being rich didn’t guarantee decorum.

  “It will cost you three hundred and fifty bucks, but I’m game if you are.” I pulled off her shoes and rubbed her feet. I’d learned from both River and Jade that pregnant women always had sore feet.

  She wiggled her toes in my hand. “I’d reach over and slap you if you weren’t so good at rubbing my aching feet.”

  “You do look tired, Luca. What gives?” River was always the empathetic one of the group. She was the perfect mother, friend, and mentor.

  “Do you have a week? Let me get my coffee, and I’ll tell you why this twenty-six-year-old looks and feels like he’s forty.” I gently put Jade’s feet back down and went to get my regular bold brew. When I got back, River and Jade eyed me with concern.

  Jade’s lip twitched. “All right, spill.” They both leaned into the center of the table where we divulged all secrets.

  “Ms. Badass got fired, and so, in turn, I was let go.” We always used code names. When River was seeing Jonathan before he became her husband, she called him Mr. Broom. We called Jade’s men The Duo.

  Both women gasped and said, “No,” in unison.

  “She’s your number one. You were supposed to work for her. How in the hell does that happen?” River’s face was ashen. She knew what that meant for me.

  “It’s not a situation I ever considered. Now I’m scrambling to make things work.”

  “Shit, Luca, that sucks. I can hire you to rub my feet until I pop out this next heathen.” Jade rubbed her tummy. She talked tough, but she was an incredible mother. How she managed two men and her little girl Gabrielle, I had no idea.

  “I may have to take you up on it. Do you think Eric and Todd will pay me three-fifty an hour to rub your toes?”

  “Good luck with that.” Jade pulled out her phone and began tapping at the keys. “The nanny wants to take Gabrielle to the park today. I’m just reminding her to bring sunscreen.”

  “Speaking of nannies, where’s JJ?” River was rarely without her baby boy.

  “He’s with his daddy. Jonathan wanted to give me some time to feel like an ordinary person. Most days, JJ is attached to my boobs, but I pumped today. So I’m free for a few hours. I figured I’d see you and then get a pedicure.”

  “Look at you two. Too bad there’s not a wealthy woman who wants to marry me and set me up for life.” I glanced out the window and caught a glimpse of Mim walking across the campus. She appeared to be in a hurry. I watched her until she disappeared completely out of view.

  “Earth to Luca.” The kick to my shin brought me back to the coffee shop. “Who’s that?” River asked.

  “Did I tell you my favorite professor went on sabbatical, my graduate project is now due three weeks early, Sandra put me on call, I’m over fifty grand from my goal, and I met her?” I tossed my head in the direction Mim had disappeared. “She’s the one.”

  “Who is she?” Jade asked.

  “That's Mim.” When I closed my eyes, I could see her smile and hear her laughter. “She’s the assistant for my new professor. She’s different. Bad attitude. Cute smile. Sexy accent.”

  River reached across and held my hand. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “It’s not like that. I asked her to dinner, and she told me I was taking her out on Thursday. So now I have to decide if I’m going to show.” Deep inside, I knew I’d go because even though Mim was frustrating in the few encounters I had with her, she was the most real thing I had right now besides these two.

  Jade sat up and leaned in. “I call bullshit. You get a soft, warm look on your face when you say her name.”

  “She says she loves Italian.” I bit my lip in that sexy way women liked and winked at my friends.

  “Yes, but you can love Italian, or you can looove Italian. Which is it going to be?” River asked.

  “I’m putting off the looove part,” I said, mimicking River’s drawn out word, “until I finish with the sex part.” I picked at the side of my cup until I’d straightened the curled edge.

  Jade leaned into the center of the table and gestured for us to join her. Her words weren't safe for all ears. “Screwing for money is way different from screwing for pleasure or love. When is the last time you had sex because you felt like it?”

  “Too long.” It was a simple and honest answer. I felt something with Claire the other night, but it wasn’t love or affection. I wondered what it would feel like to bury myself in Mim. The thought gave me an immediate twitch in my dick.

  River sat back, serious and contemplative. “You know, you don’t have to finish to be a winner, Luca. There is no shame in coming out of college with some debt.”

  “I know, but that wasn’t the plan. Besides, outside of the debt, I now have to get gainfully employed, and that’s not going to be easy.”

  “Do you want me to talk to Jonathan? He might have a position open. I can also call Ben.” River was a dreamer, full of hope and everything sweet. Jade was brutal reality, filled with tough love and hard truths. I was often the jokester, full of shit. That’s why it worked for us. We all brought something to the table beside secrets.

  “Let me see what I can work myself. Hell, I’m seeing the Face First client starting on Saturday. She’s my new norm for the next twelve weeks.”

  Jade choked on her coffee. “No way.” I’d told them about her last year when I’d first met Diane. “At least, you can find out who her tailor is.”

  “Don’t be mean.” River looked at Jade and scowled. “Do you remember the guy with the button for a penis?”

  Jade and I nodded.

  “He was the nicest man, and we learned a lot about each other in a short period. Luca, I’m going to challenge you to make her feel like a beautiful woman. In return, you might see her as one.”

  We finished our conversation with pictures of the babies and hugs all around. Our meetings had become less frequent since they had married, but it was those meetings that reminded me how lucky I was to call them friends.

  * * *

  I ran off to class and then rushed home to get ready for my clients.

  I met Meredith at her house. She always offered me a cocktail, but I always declined. I had Shelby right after her, so it wouldn’t serve me well to get drunk.

  Meredith was pretty. She was pushing mid-forties, and she was single. I imagine that all boiled down to the fact that she didn’t like dick. She was oral all the way. The good thing was, I didn’t need to be in the mood; I just needed to go through the motions. This client felt most like an ordinary job. I showed up, I did my job, and I left. Easy as that.

  “Meredith, you look beautiful tonight.”

  She did; her red hair flowed down her back, and her wide hips swayed as she walked me into her bedroom. The jade green spread was new and looked lovely against her alabaster white skin.

  “Thank you, Luca, I hope your day went well.” Little did she know, today had been my best all week. I was ready to pleasure her.

  “It’s better now that I’m here.” My head was in the game. My new mantra was one lick, one dick, one tick off my list, and another day done. “Do you want to hug and cuddle or just get down to business?”

  She looked at the clock on her nightstand. “Let’s get to it. I’m a bit tired tonight.”

  She reached into her drawer and pulled out the thin rubber dam we used as a barrier. I hated the taste of them, but precautions were needed when you worked in the sex trade. I pulled off my gray pinstriped jacket and laid it over the beige upholstered chair that sat next to the bed. Slowly and seductively, I peeled her pants and underwear from her body. She was bare from the waist down. I ran my fingertips up her legs and drew them across her stomach. Her muscles tensed under my touch. I typically didn’t remove her shirt. She’d never requested it, but tonight I wanted her to experience something different.

  “What are you doing, Luca?” she asked as I pulled her top over her head. Her full
breasts spilled over the edge of her bra.

  “Something different. I want you to feel good and loved when I tuck you in tonight.”

  What was I doing?

  River’s comment about making Diane feel like a woman hit home. I’d been doing less of that lately with all of my clients, and so tonight I would start again with Meredith.

  “Hmm,” she hummed when I released the front snap and let her heavy breasts fall into my palms. “Why now?”

  “Why not?” For some inexplicable reason, I wanted to give her more. If there was one thing I was an expert at, it was a woman’s body. I’d had enough of them over the last two years to make me a specialist.

  I focused on the rosy buds that had puckered to attention and ran the heat of my tongue over them until she squirmed across the bed. Her breath was labored, and she gripped handfuls of the comforter with each inhale. I sank to my knees, pulled the thin almost nothing rubber dam over her sex and focused my attention on her pleasure. Within minutes, she was shuddering and moaning, and I was pleased with myself. Pride in workmanship was something Dad had pounded into me. I wonder if he’d be proud of me now?

  After a hug goodbye, I worked my way across town to Shelby. We had dinner and then a quickie in her car. I don’t make the rules, I just follow directions—mostly.

  Chapter 4

  I saw Mim twice before school let out for the day. Once walking away from me, and once running to the financial aid building. I thought about running to catch up with her, but I wanted to savor her like a fine wine, so I just leaned against a tree and watched her. She ran with purpose, arms and feet pumping like she was on a machine at the gym, her hair blew in the breeze behind her. I closed my eyes briefly to capture the moment, and when I opened them again, she had disappeared into the building. I pushed off the tree and headed home to get ready for my date with Judith.

  * * *

  “Judith, I’m Luca.” The older woman stepped out of the limousine draped in sapphires and diamonds. “I’m your escort for the night.” With her arm tucked in mine, we walked into the Marriott Marquis.

  “Sandra was right. You are a treat to the eyes.” She gripped my elbow. “A little candy for my arm.” Up ahead, the elevators waited to whisk us to the event.

  The ballroom was full of people whose pockets were full of money. Someone was getting fleeced tonight.

  “What are we here for?” I pulled two glasses of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and handed one to my past-her-prime date. She pinched her lips together and sipped at the bubbling liquid in the crystal fluted glass. More of her orange lipstick stayed on the glass than on her lips.

  “We’re here for a fundraiser for a new wing at the hospital. I’d love to have a wing named after me.” She stopped, handed her glass to me and spread her hands in front of us both like she was unveiling something. “The Kent Center for Reproductive Health has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Good reproductive health generally led to kids. “Do you have children?”

  She took back her glass and emptied the contents in one gulp. “No.” The word spat out of her mouth.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” She obviously wasn’t able to have children, and I’d touched on a taboo subject.

  “No reason to be. I never wanted children, so I opted not to have them. In my day, you were supposed to get married and have a handful of children, but diapers and bottles never appealed to me. I wanted a boardroom, not a nursery.” Her voice held no regret. “Besides, I can rent whatever I need.” She straightened my bowtie and grinned. “Now smile and look handsome, Luca.”

  “Who will people think I am to you?” I rolled my lips into a Hollywood smile.

  “Who cares? I just love for them to wonder. Let’s keep them guessing.” We walked up to the man in the center.

  He had familiar blue eyes, but I knew I’d never met him. I always remembered names and faces, and despite his eyes seeming familiar, the rest of him drew a blank.

  “Judith, you came. I can always count on you for support.” The man leaned in and kissed both of Judith’s wrinkled cheeks in a warm, friendly manner. “I see you brought a toy.” He raised his brows in a you-can’t-fool-me manner.

  Offering my hand, I said, “I’m Luca Gregorio.” The man widened his eyes at the mention of my name. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I waited for him to introduce himself, but he didn’t. He pinched his lips between his fingers and stared.

  Judith broke the silence. “This is Marcus Knight. He’s the reproductive specialist raising money for the new wing. Be a dear and get me a scotch on the rocks, will you?”

  I nodded to Judith, then to Marcus before I went in search of the bar. Looking over my shoulder, Marcus Knight never took his eyes off me.

  The line at the bar was ten deep and moving at a slug's pace when a tap on my shoulder drew my attention.

  “Hey stranger, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  Mim stood in front of me, looking like she’d stepped out of a fashion spread. Before working as an escort, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish between Prada and a chain store brand, but now I could pick out couture from crap at a glance. It was training that came in handy when you courted high-end women.

  “Is that Prada?” I touched the soft fabric on the shoulder of her black and white cropped jacket. “It’s very Jackie-O.”

  “Yes, it is Prada. Should I be concerned that you know that?” She reached up and tugged my black bowtie to the right. “Most men couldn’t pick Prada from The Gap.”

  “I have an appreciation for a finely dressed woman.” I stood back and took her in. I’d only seen her in slacks and yoga pants, but in her above the knee, hounds-tooth skirt, her legs took my breath away. All of that work on the elliptical certainly paid off.

  Mim looked past me toward where I’d left Judith talking to Mr. Knight. “I saw you arrive with an older woman. Is she your grandmother?”

  How could I explain Judith to her?

  “Something like that.” I hoped my vague answer would suffice. How could I tell the woman I was attracted to that I sold myself for cash? I couldn’t, so I’d leave it vague.

  “What does that mean?”

  Shit. I should have known ambiguity wasn’t going to fly with someone like Mim. She proved herself formidable when she boldly told me we were going out on Thursday. She was someone who got what she wanted, and for some crazy reason, she wanted me.

  “She’s a friend of a friend who needed a plus one for the night. I stepped in when she asked.” Finally, at the bar, I ordered Judith’s scotch on the rocks and a diet soda for myself. “Can I get you a drink?”

  Mim nodded and asked for a glass of white wine, then followed me to where Judith was in deep conversation with Mr. Knight.

  “Hi, Daddy.” Mim leaned into Mr. Knight’s side and kissed him on the cheek. “This is Luca, the man I have a date with on Thursday.” Mim smiled up at her father.

  My hand shook as I gave Judith her drink. What were the odds that I’d run into her dad? Judith grinned and began to laugh. Marcus scowled.

  “She could do worse, Marcus. I can tell you his manners are impeccable.”

  Judith sipped her scotch as if nothing was happening, but something huge had occurred. Mim’s father knew what I was, and by his scowl, he didn’t approve. Marcus had referred to me as a toy, and he wasn’t too far off the mark. I was a plaything for wealthy women.

  “Miriam, can you take Judith to the model of the wing? Luca and I will join you in a moment.”

  Miriam? Was that the long form of Mim?

  Marcus slapped his hand on my back. It was man language for follow me, son, or suffer the consequences.

  Mim wrapped her arm through Judith’s. “Be nice to him, Daddy. I’d like to get through the first date before you run him off.” Her giggle floated through the air while she walked away.

  Once the women were out of earshot, Marcus let loose on me. “You will cancel your date with my daughter. She deserves
more than a gigolo.”

  “Yes, she probably does, but I like her, and I haven’t liked anyone since I started hating myself two years ago.” It was the truth, and he needed to hear it because, in spite of the fact that I didn’t deserve Mim, she made me feel a potent combination of irritation and desire, and I wanted to investigate where it could lead. “What I do is not who I am.” I looked around the room to make sure no one could hear me. “I’m the oldest of five boys. I’m a son, a brother, a student, and yes, I sell my time. I’m not proud of what I do. It’s a means to an end, and it will end—soon. Haven’t you ever had to do something you weren’t proud of because it was the best option at the time? This lifestyle wasn’t an easy choice, but at the time it was the only option.”

  “I can’t tell my daughter who to date or who not to. She is a stubborn woman. In fact, if I told her to drop you, she’d probably rush to the nearest chapel to marry you. I’m simply going to warn you. You do anything to hurt my daughter, and I’ll shove your dick so far inside of you, no one will take you for a man ever again.” His tone was even, but the red that flushed up his neck was an excellent indicator to the truth of his words.

  I wanted to throw my hands in the air in defeat, but Mim was too important. I needed to find a way into the good graces of her father. “Are we finished here, sir? I have to take care of Judith. By the way, if you called the wing The Kent Center for Reproductive Health, I’m sure she’d write you a check tonight.”

  I found Mim with Judith looking over the model of the wing. It was a large undertaking and would require millions of dollars in backing.

  “Hello, Luca. Mim was just telling me how you two met.” Judith left Mim’s side and rested her hand in the crook of my arm.

  I placed my hand over hers and patted. “Did she also tell you she’s ruined my social life by requiring me to present my graduate project three weeks early?”

  “Good women always keep their men on their toes. Be a doll and guide me to that group in the corner.” Judith pointed to a group in the corner that could rival England’s queen for jewels. “It was nice meeting you, Mim.”