Around the World in 80 Men Series Boxed Set 1-10

by Brandi Ratliff

  She'd worry about the how's later. For then, she'd just go upstairs and pay the woman a visit. Morgan also made time to call the front desk to have a few of her gowns picked up for cleaning, because hopefully, she would wear one that night at dinner with Julianne.

  “Cade? Wh...what are you doing here?” Morgan brought her hands to her chest in surprise. On the elevator was the first man she had 'practiced' with...the man who had first taught her the golden rule that Morgan often told herself, 'make him want me.'

  “Morgan!? Well fuck me, look at you!” Cade wrapped his arms around the girl before the large doors even shut and hugged her tightly.

  “If I remember correctly, we already did that.” Morgan slapped his arm when he finally set her down and they both laughed.

  “Touche, but damn. You look great...I mean, not that you didn't look like walking sex before, but you look...different...” His eyes walked slowly over her body, stopping longer than need be over her large breasts.

  Morgan didn't think she looked any different. If anything, she could use another hair appointment, and her spray tan that he had seen her with had faded more than a month before. The only thing that she knew for a fact was different was her attitude. For the first time in her life, she was content. She held her head higher, and smiled even more than before-which was a lot to begin with-but her confidence level was at an all time high. I guess the saying that confidence is sexy is true after all.

  “Well, thank you, Cade. You didn't answer my question though...” Morgan gave him a raised eyebrow, but the elevator stopped and the doors opened before she could get an answer.

  It was no shock that he got off on the same floor. He was probably going to Julianne's room as well. “Julianne is still..recruiting,” Cade told her when they stopped in front of their boss's room.

  “Oh,” Morgan replied. Guess that makes sense. She wondered if Dennis was around too, but figured she'd get the answer soon enough. She also wondered if any of the women failed the 'testing'....is that even possible? Can you fail at sex?

  The blonde girl pushed away her questions and reached to knock on the door, but Cade beat her to it and knocked with much more force than she would have given it. In a few seconds, Morgan was face-to-face with the woman who had changed her life. In that moment, she realized how much she had actually missed Julianne. Hearing her wisdom through the phone was always reassuring during a time of need, but to see her in the flesh was a different story.

  Morgan couldn't help herself, and wrapped her arms around the thin woman's neck, and Julianne hugged her back, only briefly. “Okay, child, okay. I'm not dead...” the older woman took a step back to get a good look at her girl. “I don't think I've told you dear, I am so proud of you.”

  Julianne never talked about the other girls, but most of them had their share of problems. Recruiting was hard, and finding the right girl was even harder. The girl Julianne had found a week after Morgan had only gone to three clients and quit. The one after that had failed to tell Julianne she was three months pregnant. Then there were the girls who just decide that they're not cut out for it and don't even show up for the first client or the girls who get sent back before their first week is over.

  Very few of her employees turned out like Morgan, and she was truly proud of the young girl. Cade pushed by the two women and helped himself to the kitchen. “Don't touch that pie, Cade!” Julianne warned the sexy man. She knew what he was after and he wasn't getting her chocolate delight pie.

  “Jules! C'mon, just one slice?” Cade popped back around the corner with a fork in his hand. Julianne shot him a warning look and he dropped the fork with a sigh. He mumbled something about wishing Dennis was there so that he could have some pie-stealing-diversion.

  Julianne leaned in close to Morgan and told her it was a special pie...the kind of pie that only two women with a visit from Aunt Flow should enjoy. The Chocolate Cure, was how she put it. Morgan smiled and nodded. Her mouth watered just thinking about it, but it could just be the fact she was still hungry. She thanked Julianne for the earlier compliment, and for the pie.

  “I was thinking about going back to Canderson's...for old time's sake. You want to join me?” Morgan followed Julianne into the room and the other woman shut the door behind them. Canderson's was the restaurant in which Morgan had first met her boss. She already knew the food was great, and she had a desire to dress up nice.

  “I can't dear, I'm leaving tonight for Cleveland, but I'll return on Tuesday or Wednesday,” Julianne explained. “But, the limo is all yours for the week, so enjoy.”

  “Oh...thank you!” Morgan nodded again. It wasn't exactly how she thought the week would go, but the look on Julianne's face told the young girl that her boss also wished that she could stay and visit. “I hate that you have to leave, but I'm still so happy that we'll have Thanksgiving together.” She hugged Julianne one last time before leaving the room.

  “Cade, give me a hug, I'm taking off.” Morgan ran into the kitchen where she found him sneaking a small slice of the chocolate pie. “She's going to kill you.” Cade turned and hugged her as they laughed.

  “Here, I'll cut you a few slices to take with you, and she'll never know.” She gladly took her portion, although one of the pieces still had his fork mark in it, and yelled her goodbye's one last time to both of them before leaving.

  Morgan stopped briefly in her room, just long enough to put the pie away and grab her purse, then went to the bottom floor. She figured that since she had even more time to herself, with Julianne going out of town, she would spend the afternoon catching up on much needed beauty attention. First, however, she would stop the grumbling in her mid section.

  The following four hours was a whirlwind of scissors, spray tans, and nail polish; all of which reminded Morgan of the first time she had gone through the process in the same salon. She was, however, quite a pro that time around in comparison to the first time. Morgan even laughed at the idea of trying to hide herself during the tanning process, and that time she stood unashamed in the small cubicle as she waited for the color to dry. By the time she got back to her room, she looked and felt like a million dollars.

  “Great!” Morgan looked over her freshly cleaned clothes that had been returned sometime during the afternoon, and grabbed the red beauty on her way to the bathroom. It was nearly seven o'clock by the time she had finished with her day of pampering, but it wouldn't take long for her to get ready as her hair and makeup were already done to perfection.

  “Even Angel would be impressed.” She smiled at her reflection and turned her head slightly both ways, wishing that she could achieve the 'smokey eyed' look on her own. She thought of the last time that she had tried to do it, she ended up looking as if she had gotten smoke in her eyes.

  The ride to the restaurant was surreal, sitting in the back of the limo and watching familiar buildings pass by, and a hint of sadness tugged at her heart. I would still be waiting tables, wishing a guy like Jack would care about me, if I had stayed here. Riding in the lush limo, wearing a gown that cost more than she used to earn in a month, and a professional make over were the furthest things from the life that she once had.

  By the time she reached the restaurant, she knew that her time that week in Ohio would most likely be one of her last. She wanted to put her past behind her and keep it there, and it was also at that moment that she wondered if that was the reason that Julianne had left her hometown. In a matter of days, Morgan would find out, but for right then, she was going to enjoy her last few days in Canton, Ohio.

  She was seated at a window table, one that she normally would have avoided because she didn't like the idea that people passing by could see her eat. As she took her chair, she smiled at herself at how much it didn't bother her anymore, and took it as another sign that maturity had taken another step. When she was greeted by her server, it was that same maturity that answered the question of what she would like. “I'll have a steak, the largest one you have, med
ium well. I'd like a salad with house dressing on the side, and a glass of Moscato. Oh... and when the first one is empty, bring me another one.” Morgan thanked the young girl and then took a few moments to look around and seal the memory of the place into her mind.

  Why was I so impressed? She looked at the bar where businessmen lined every available seat, then to the banquet room that was hosting a small wedding party. The main dining room, that she realized was fairly small by comparison to some of the other restaurants that she had dined in recently, was full of ordinary people having an ordinary night out. How could I not have seen this before?

  Had she gone through her whole life like that? Seeing everything around her like an outsider? Those questions were easily answered, and sadly, she knew that she had. I'm here now. Sitting even more straight, and smiling widely as she looked around the room once more, Morgan knew that she had finally joined life instead of hiding from it.

  Her steak was nearly gone when her second glass of wine arrived. She thanked the server then made her way to the restroom to freshen up, mostly to repair the damage to her lipstick that devouring her dinner had done, and when she walked back out, a blast from past stopped her in her tracks.

  “Jack?!” The asshole that had stood her up in that same restaurant, the asshole that had been willing to use her for as long as he could, and the asshole that had trouble even remembering her name, was also leaving the restroom and nearly plowed right into her.

  “Morgan? I thought you were in Australia?” His, I-knew-it-all-along look made her wish that she could smack the look right off his face.

  “I was, but I'm back. Now if you'll excuse me...” she tried to walk around him but he stepped in her way.

  “You look great, ya still staying in that little shit-hole place off thirty ninth street?” He moved closer, while he brought his hand up to touch her hair, the move that she had fallen for when he did it long ago.

  Morgan moved out of his way again and laughed at the whole situation. She could have set him straight, but would it matter? Would he even believe her? No, it wouldn't matter and she knew it.

  “Yeah, I still live there, why?” When he said that he might try to swing by that night, it took everything she had not to laugh in his face again.

  Instead of answering him, she just nodded quickly and ducked around him, freeing herself from the ridiculous situation. What the hell did I ever see in that guy? She was still shaking her head and smiling as she took her seat.

  Morgan finished her wine as her eyes searched the dining room for Jack. She wanted to know where his table was so that she could see him coming if he tried to approach her again. There was no worry about it, however, when she found him. He was with a date, the poor thing, and his back was to Morgan.

  She watched the pretty young girl, starry eyed and full of enthusiasm with each word that Jack spoke. Morgan knew that he was most likely talking about himself, his favorite topic, and probably hadn't asked the girl one thing about herself. It was time to make a difference, one that she wished someone would have made for her before she wasted so much time on the arrogant shit.

  “Excuse me...,” Morgan made a quick stop in front of their table on her way out, “hi. I wanted to let you know that your date here, Jack..” she pointed to the man who's face was already turning red, “just told me outside of the ladies room that he wants to have sex with me tonight. Well, have a nice evening.” She waved at both of them and held her head high as she walked out of the restaurant.

  Chapter Two

  “What do you have? Okay...great. Mhmm...yeah, I'll take all of that. Yes, I'm serious. Sounds great. Okay.” Morgan set the phone back in the receiver and laid her head back on the pillow.

  “Am I serious?” she huffed. Morgan was hungry, and she didn't know what she was in the mood for, so she ordered everything on the breakfast buffet. Maybe she wanted grapes and sausage, or pancakes and eggs...she just didn't know yet.

  She had thought about going out for breakfast, as she had actually woken up quite early, but her plans changed when her cramps decided to kick into overdrive and land her curled up back up in bed. After a few moments of letting the pain subside, Morgan decided she'd just order room service and enjoy the day in the king size bed.

  By the time her food arrived, the girl had nearly fallen back asleep and the sound of the knocking at the door nearly caused her to fall off the bed. “I'm coming, hold on!” she called out, trying to find her balance. “Shit!” Morgan had been one second from opening the door before she realized she still had on a white night tank and panties. “One sec!” she called again with another loud knock and ran into the bathroom to grab a robe.

  She answered the door, still wrapping the long belt around her waist, then grabbed her food and thanked the middle-aged man at the door. Before she let him leave, she grabbed her purse and retrieved a tip, in which he was more than grateful for. Morgan had no idea how to pay room service, but she supposed it was something she'd learn over time.

  There were four boxes of food, all of which were carefully organized with three compartments of various breakfast items. When the hungry girl scarfed down her fill, she headed to the fridge to store her leftovers. “You'll be seeing me later,” she told the biscuits and gravy as she slid the box onto the shelf.

  “I'm bound to get fat, eating like this!” Morgan rubbed her full belly, then stretched her arms above her head, trying to make room in her stomach to finish the orange juice.

  The better part of her morning and afternoon were spent printing out some of the pictures she hadn't had the chance to do, and adding them to her scrapbook. The ones she didn't print, and there were over five hundred of them, were finally organized into virtual folders on her laptop.

  During her walk down memory lane, looking at photos of all of her clients and friends, she was reminded that it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with all of them. When she wasn't with a client, she had just been too exhausted to give her friends the attention they deserved.

  Morgan walked her bare feet across the floor and grabbed her phone, then the slices of pie from her fridge, and got into her crossed-legged position on the bed. After a few adjustments of the numerous pillows, she laid her back against the mountain, put the box of pie on her lap and turned her phone on.

  It took nearly two minutes for the notifications and vibrations to stop as message after message came through. It had been a few days since her phone had been on, so she wasn't really surprised, but she was thrilled to get to all of them.

  “Alright, guys, who's first? Oh, I know!” Morgan remembered her promise to Alrik, and she sent him a text first, letting him know she had made it safely home. That's all he had asked of her, so she'd follow though. Messaging him reminded her of Felix and that was the next order of business. She wanted to tell him that she knew who Rose was, but when she called, he didn't answer. In fact, it didn't even ring. Felix was already out of town, and out of a service zone.

  “Well, I guess I'll try later,” she spoke as she hung up the phone. Her news couldn't be relayed through a text message and she worried that if she were put on the spot with a voice message, she'd say too much.

  “Fin!” Morgan nearly yelled when the handsome Scot answered the next call on. “Yay! I get to hear your voice!”

  “Aye, if ye would call me once in a while ye would hear it more,” Finlay replied. Hearing his voice was always a reminder of how much she missed him and she had a hard time controlling her excitement. But she did tell him that she'd have to see him soon or she was bound to go insane. He agreed and they both laughed. Finlay asked her all about her latest adventures, but was careful to add that he didn't want to know all of the details.

  “Well, I'm back home right now...in Ohio. I'm having Thanksgiving dinner with Julianne,” Morgan explained after telling him all about Aiden and New Zealand, Alrik and Sweden. She didn't mention Tanner nor Felix.

  “I can be there in two days, lass.”

&n
bsp; Two days. Shit...I mean...I'd love to...I can't... “No...I'm uhm...you can't right now.”

  “Why the fook not?” his deep voice and sincerity made her giggle.

  “Fin...I'm on my monthly thing...” she paused. “And when I see you, I'd like to give you more than just...”

  “Lass, I doona care 'bout that. Just seeing your beautiful face and holding ye in my arms would be all I need,” he explained.

  Morgan nearly dropped her phone. How sweet...he'd spend time with me, knowing there'd be no sex? She thanked him, and said that would make her very happy too, but she remembered why she was in Ohio in the first place. “I'm going to spend the week with Julianne, but I promise, I'll see you soon, Fin.”

  “Aye, you better.” They both laughed and said their goodbyes. When Morgan hung up, she laid back on her pillow and thought about their conversation. Would he really be okay with it? She knew a lot of their attraction for each other was based on physical attraction, so the fact he'd still be willing to see her meant a lot.

  When Morgan got back to reality and got her thoughts off Finlay long enough to make another call, Tanner was next on the list. He didn't answer his phone, but Morgan replied to all five of his goofy messages. One reply would have been good enough, but the fact he had sent so many made Morgan laugh with each one of her replies. “God, I miss you,” she spoke to him before clearing it off her screen.

  She then called Kole. It seemed so long since she had heard his voice, and the first thing she told him was how bad she had missed it. Of course, Kole played like he was mad that Morgan hadn't gone to Hawaii for the holidays, but Morgan reminded him that she'd be there for Christmas and he was happy. They talked for over an hour, catching up on each others' lives, then Kole handed the phone to Angela. Angela told her all about Kala and how they were falling more in love every day. Morgan pretended to gag into the phone and both girls giggled. When Angela asked, Morgan told her friend all about her most recent clients, then told her all about Angel. They both agreed that Angela would absolutely love him and they'd have to meet one day.