by Ashley Goss
Relief filled my heart. Good. I won’t hurt her this time.
I finally made it to the study room, hoping that no one would burst in. I spread out on the couch with a new book in my hand, when Angela stormed inside. “What are you doing? It’s like 9 o’clock. Why are you reading at this hour?” Angela yelled at me like she’s my mother. Who did she think she was? Why does she always have to be so damn mean? Nothing good ever comes out of her mouth.
“I was just enjoying the peace and quiet. Well, until you walked in anyways.” I replied.
She rolls her eyes and sits next to me, frustration all over her flushed face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, assuming there was chaos in her life.
“Kevin hasn’t called me in two days. He said he would call me after our date, but he hasn’t. I thought we both had a good time but obviously not.” Placing her hands over her eyes, she let out a whimper that hit the ceiling. I sighed and sat up.
“Let me ask a question. Did you sleep with him on the first date?” I had to ask her. Everyone knew how Kevin was. If you put out on the first date, then he would move on to the next one. If you didn’t, he would keep asking you out until you gave it up. Plain and Simple.
“Well, yeah. What does that matter?” She asks not realizing the monumental mistake she made. I shrugged and laid back down with my book.
“You left nothing for him to call for. He got exactly what he wanted without having to go on a second date.” I told her.
She looks at me like I’m the evilest bitch she has ever met, but it’s true. Hell, she barely knew the guy. Sleeping on the first date usually means there won’t be a second unless he’s just really a relationship kind of guy. Kevin was not. I have a couple of classes with him, and he’s a lady’s man. He takes them home and then never calls. I knew I should have told her that before they went out. But she had been so anxious and excited that she rushed out.
“Whatever, I’m going out. I need a stiff drink. You coming?” She paced towards the door turning around waiting for me to get up.
“Nah, I’m going to stay in tonight, read a little bit more and then get some sleep,” I replied as I put my face back in my book, ignoring her.
“God, you are so fucking boring. No wonder you don’t get laid.” She flipped me off and slammed the door behind her.
I smiled widely at her as she walks out the door. Angela, and pretty much everyone else that knew me, had no idea what went on with my sex life. I valued my privacy and liked to keep people at a safe distance. Besides, It was none of her business. For all she knew, I was a virgin. I laid back and read my book, reveling in the fact that I had a date with a hot, rich guy the next day.
Chapter 4
Lacey
The next morning, I woke up with a killer headache. I read most of the night, but even after I crawled into bed, too tired to function, my mind was on overload. Apart from me worrying about my parents, I still couldn’t get myself to be one hundred percent okay with the escort thing. I went back and forth between being excited, and then wanting to contact Dr. Gregory and call it all off.
But this meeting would help me pay off my debts. I had no choice but to at least try and go through with it. Besides, I knew there wasn’t any added pressure of me having to sleep with him. Escorting was supposedly different from being hooker, and I wanted to keep it that way. I couldn't bear the thought of someone finding out I slept with a man for money. Not only would I feel shame for the rest of my life, I wouldn't be able to face anyone. This needed to be my little secret. After it was all over and I got my money, I would never look back.
I had my delicious date on my mind though. Where would he be taking me? What would he be like? I wondered if he was a hyper masculine guy who liked to call all the shots, or a sweet, sensitive guy. Where was he from? What was his style like? My mind was flooded with questions. I had every right to be curious though. It’s not like the email gave me much information on who he was as a person. My pulse was racing. I needed to know at least something about him. Out of the corner of my eye, my bright pink laptop seemed to twinkle. Researching the guy, you’re going with is always important. At least that’s what my mom would tell me.
I crawled over to my laptop then flung it open, my fingers typing away fiercely. I tried typing in his name but I got way too many articles about people who weren’t him. So, I decided to go the sleuth route. I took his picture from the email, pasted it to the search engine, then awaited my results. Almost immediately, I got result after result. There were tons of articles about the infamous Matteo. Not sure which one to choose, I randomly chose the first article that popped out at me. As soon as I read the title though, I knew it was trashy. The article tried to make him appear like the bad guy. It even said he was gay! Rolling my eyes, I knew better than to believe that. Tabloids lived to make their subject sound a lot worse than they actually are.
I stared at his picture once more. His eyes were so deep that I wondered what they were thinking when the picture was taken. I wondered what his voice sound like when he got angry, or when he was hurt. Who was he before he was an enemy of the tabloids? Shaking my head, I searched on.
The next article explains what he does for a living. It’s an article from about five years ago naming him The Smartest Guy Under 40 in Decades. Apparently, he came up with some new technology after graduating from MIT. Since then, he had one of the largest and most profitable companies in the technology industry.
My jaw fell open. He’s definitely more than what I thought. Intelligent and rich? That wasn’t a mixture was used to. My heart started to leap in my chest. Why would he need me? I was a nobody. Sure, I was a part of the escorting business, but compared to him, I might as well be a flee. My upbringing was anything but rich. Closing my eyes, I fell back onto my bed, thoughts of my childhood completely drawing me in self-doubt. What if I couldn’t make him happy? What if he turned out to be just like the guys in high school? They were always so concerned about what girls could physically offer them. My cheeks started to feel hot, leaving me with an overwhelming feeling of anxiety.
My phone’s alarm quickly went off, reminding me that it was time for me to get ready. I peeled myself off my bed, dragging myself to the shower. Turning the water the hottest it could go, I let the steam hit my skin, latrine my body in the warm heat. I let the waterfall over my hair, hoping it would relax me enough to forget about my worries.
After my shower, I quickly through on an outfit I secretly stashed from Angela’s closet. It was another dress, but slightly longer with puffy sleeves, and it was a nice coral color. My mother always told me coral looked gorgeous on my complexion, and as I tugged the skin-tight dress, I realized that she was right. I admire my newfound figure in the mirror, shocked as to why i never dressed like that before. The matching heels I wore, also stashed from Angela, made my toned calves protrude, and gave length to my legs.
Fuck, I looked good.
Before heading out, I spritzed my favorite peach perfume on, then exhaled deeply and strutted out of my room with the last ounce of confidence I had left. As I walked through the halls, I could hear muffled whispers. Some commenting on my dress, other asking who I was. A grin formed on my face. How could I not love it? I usually was the invisible one, completely overlooked by everyone. But tonight, I’d be the eye of attention, and Matteo was sure to fall to knees at the sight of me. I finally reached the outside of my building, and saw the familiar black cat waiting for me. Taking a deep breath, I strutted over to it, opened the door, and slid in.
Freddie, as usual, kept his eyes ahead and said nothing. I felt as if we an unspoken connection though, so I sat in comfortable silence. The card quickly sped to the agency’s location, whipping past oblivious college students. There was a part of me that felt like I was a movie star living a secret life. I had a secret date with a hot billionaire, and I was being paid for it. God, it didn’t get any better than that!
We finally reached the agency, at exactly 6:30. As soon as I s
tep foot out of the car, I noticed that Shepard was waiting outside for me. Nerves immediately took over my entire body. He had on his usual grey attire with a red tie, and his wispy brown hair was flying back, due to the heavy wind. Dropping the cigarette in his hand, he let it fall to the ground, putting it out with his red wing tip shoes. I took a deep breath and swung the door open, then stepped out the car. As I turned to face him, I saw that he immediately frowned at the sight of me. Pursing his lips, he marches over to me. Dr Shepard’s short frame scurried over to me, his legs moving impossibly fast.
“Good even-,” I started to say.
“What are you wearing?” Dr Shepard cuts me off. He rips off his grey shades and looks me up and down with disgust.
Shit, was it too conservative?
“He asked me to dress more conservatively since it will be around his family. What’s wrong with it?” I asked him beginning to feel self-conscious.
“Uh--- nothing. You just look so innocent. If you had shown up for your first interview like that, you definitely would have been turned away.”
I’m not sure how to take his words. Was that a compliment or a put-down? It doesn’t matter. I’m not here for Shepard.
A limo pulled up behind me while Shepard was talking. His words become inaudible to me as i watch the limo stop, and Matteo smoothly step out. He was dressed in all white, and his thick, black hair was slicked back. His goatee looked nicely trimmed and outlined, and there was certain glint in his dark eyes that made me melt
“Good evening, Gita . Are you ready to accompany me this evening?” He asked politely.
I glanced back at Shepard and smiled, “Yes.”
I took his extended arm and joined him inside. He smiled and waved to Shepard as we drove off.
Matteo was looking at me but not like checking me out in a sexual way. He was trying to look over my wardrobe and body.
“This kind of outfit will work perfectly for the trip. Nothing too revealing but a bring home to mom girl.” He said while still checking me out.
“I’m glad you like it,” I replied but felt very violated. He wasn’t looking at me like he wanted to jump my bones but more like he wanted to evaluate my effectiveness for this trip. Was how I looked that important to his family? What the hell was I getting myself into to?
After that, there was no more talking on the ride to the restaurant. Completely and utter silence drove me nuts. Hopefully, this was not what I had in store for the evening. Although, it kind of hurt my feeling that he hasn’t once complimented me on my looks. Had I become shallow like the girls from high school? I need to pull myself together.
“Is there anything you would like to discuss before you make your final decision?” I asked because I would like to know more about the trip, my reason for going and what was in store for me. A week was a long time to spend with someone I don’t know thousands of miles away.
Matteo replied, “Your job is to sell that we are a couple. I’m sick of my family thinking I’m gay because I never have girlfriends. I work too damn much to have time for anyone. Hell, I barely even see them but holidays and special occasions like this one.”
Sell that we were a couple? This was going to be an interesting trip. A couple will be loving towards each other, show affection, hold hands in public. Was he ready for that sort of thing?
“Just to be clear, so you want me to hold your hand, show affection in front of your family?”
“Well yeah, whatever people normally do in a relationship. Honestly, I haven’t been in one in over five years. I can’t remember a thing about them.”
Poor guy must be lonely. Five years without affection. I could never go that long. How does he do it? There would be no way I could go that long. Kudos. I commend him for being able to hold out that long. Although, I highly doubt he hadn’t had sex in five years. He’s a man. Men had needs that had to be fulfilled. I looked into his eyes, trying to get a feel for him. I needed to know he was going to be up for this. I leaned over and take his hand in mine, look into his eyes, and attempted to kiss him subtly.
He pushes me off, “What the hell are you doing?”
The way he looked at me was of disgust. I can’t believe he just shoved me off him. This will never work if he’s going to be like that. “You said you wanted to see if we had chemistry? Shouldn’t we try to make sure we both enjoy the little things we will often be doing in front of others? You can’t look at me like that when your family is around. They will catch on instantly.” I had a point. If he looks disgusted every time we kiss, no one will buy I’m his girlfriend. He needs to lighten up.
“I didn’t mean tonight. To be honest, I don’t enjoy the thought of you touching me, but I’ll have to get over it for this trip.”
Wait, what? What the fuck was that supposed to mean? No man had ever insulted me like this before. “Excuse me?”
“You are hired to help. Don’t touch me unless it’s part of the deal which tonight it’s not.”
My cheeks grew hot as I was filled with embarrassment. What an arrogant asshole. Privileged much? He just called me hired help. This trip will be harder than I anticipated. He doesn’t have any interest in me besides using me to please his family. He had no desires to use me to satisfy himself. I hate that Matteo was so good looking because it kept me from wanting to kick him in the groin a couple times. Plus, the thought of a $10,000 paycheck will be nice too.
The rest of the dinner was spent in silence. I didn’t have anything to say to him. Mostly, I just didn’t want him to say anything that would warrant me slapping him and walking out. I have a bit of a temper. It took everything in me not to slap him tonight. He was not what I was expecting going into this. In his picture, he looked like a kind man. He was the complete opposite. I knew why he had to pay someone for company. Who the hell would want to be around that man willingly?
He dropped me off at the edge of campus and handed me a ticket and a time to be at the airport in the morning. Honestly, a horrible thought crossed my mind walking back to my dorm. What if I got stranded out there? What if things went so horribly wrong that I didn’t have a way back? It’s possible I might not be able to put up with his attitude for a week. I needed to have a backup plan. I called Dr. Shepard immediately.
“Lacey, er, Gita, is everything okay?” He answered.
I looked down and realized it was getting kind of late. “Yes, I just wanted to make sure that if this doesn’t go well, that I won’t be stranded out there. He is nothing like I thought he would be.”
He laughed into the phone, “Honey, I could have told you that. You picked him. But yes, your plane ticket is a round trip. If you need to come back sooner, just take to the airport and they will put you on the next flight back.”
I started to reply but he cut me off, “But Lacey, for the amount of money he is willing to pay you, I would ride it out. No man is going to pay that amount to any girl here. You got a damn good deal for this trip. Do whatever you can to make it work.”
Sadness started to settle in. What was I going to do? He was an asshole, but I needed the money. I sighed and hung up the phone, completely exasperated by the turn of events.
Chapter 5
Matteo
Lacey was not what I expected going into this meetup. She had an attitude but what woman doesn’t. When I picked her up, she looked like an innocent girl which meant she could play the part around my mother. That’s was biggest thing for me. My mother had to believe this, or it would end badly. As the night went on, I could see the attitude and that made me uncomfortable. I don’t need a girl that’s going to speak her mind. This could potentially cause problems, but I don’t have any time to request someone else. She would have to work. I shook my head when I thought of how wrong things could go. As the night progressed, she got silent. I’m not sure if it’s because she was having second thoughts like I was or that she was bored.
I knew I was being a dick to her but it’s all I knew to do anymore. After Kelsey killed that side of me, I
knew I could never be the sweet guy I was before. I would never go down that road again. Women couldn’t be trusted. They were all gold diggers or used me for my connections. True Love was never going to find me. At first, I thought maybe I had found that with Kelsey but then it blew up in my face. I wouldn’t give Lacey the opportunity to do that to me or any girl. I’ve been closed off for so long that I don’t know if I could ever get the sweet side of me back. It was gone, locked away in a part of me that wouldn’t ever be found again.
One thing about the night that really infuriated me was she felt the need to touch me and attempt to kiss me. I could understand while we were in the Bahamas, but we were at a restaurant having dinner. No need to do that just yet. I did follow her reasoning behind it, to see if we even could do it believable. It just wasn’t going to happen. The thought of her touching me was repulsive. Lacey was an attractive girl, but I didn’t want to get intimate with her. We were going to be enclosed in a hotel room together for a week. No need to complicate things.
It had been five years since the situation with Kelsey, and I would like to keep it that way. The last thing I needed was to fall for someone again. It only ever ended badly. I’ve had enough heartbreak for a lifetime. I will continue the route I’m on and just indulge in some activities every once in a while, with a woman who had no idea who I was. It’s the only way it would work without complicating things.
Kelsey was someone I was once very fond of. We were together for almost a year before I found out her real intentions behind being with me. She had wanted to gain connections to a vital person within the community. The only thing was she used me to get close to him. Once she got what she wanted, she left me. The sad thing was I was going to propose to her the next day. Naturally, I felt like a total fool to think I had believed her charade the entire time we had been together.