by Folsom, Tina
“Not really, but at least it got you talking.”
“Who says I want to talk?”
“Midday, alone in a bar, hard liquor. Yeah, you’re here for a talk. Seen the type.”
“What is it with you guys? Do you all have degrees in psychology?” Irritated, Daniel sniffed.
“Personally I don’t, but I can’t speak for the rest of my colleagues. So, what’s she done?” he asked casually while taking out a tray of wet glasses from the dishwasher.
“Who we’re talking about?”
“The woman who’s driving you into a bar at midday.”
God, that bartender was one pain in the ass. Maybe he should just finish his drink and leave. There had to be another bar somewhere nearby with a less irritating bartender.
“Why does there have to be a woman if a man wants to have a drink?” He wasn’t going to cave in that easily.
“There’s always a woman. That’s what makes us tick.” The words of wisdom just rolled off his tongue like a penny down a steep street—and just as valuable, Daniel was sure.
He was ready to bite back with sarcasm but thought better of it. There was no need to waste his energy. “So what?”
“So, she doesn’t want you. Is that it?”
“Has nobody ever told you how unwelcome your advice is?” Daniel kicked back the rest of his drink and stood. “Here.” He put a bill on the counter, not bothering to wait for his change. “And just so you know, she does want me. And I’m going to make her realize that.”
Daniel strolled through the streets until it was time to meet with Misty Snyder, the owner of the escort service, or rather the Madam. As soon as he entered the elegant but sparse office, he knew she ran a tight ship. The receptionist was dressed in a conservative business suit and wore minimal makeup. There was a waiting area and several private offices.
Nothing gave away the fact that these were the offices of an escort service. There was nothing smutty about it. If anybody saw him in the waiting area, they would think he was here to meet his accountant.
Frankly, he had expected something different, some frills, something over the top, not the neat and clean office he was impatiently waiting in.
“Mr. Sinclair,” a middle-aged woman greeted him and shook his hand. She was dressed in an equally conservative business suit as her receptionist and wore her hair in a loose bun. She was attractive and gave him a charming smile.
“Ms. Snyder.”
“Eva, show Holly into the conference room as soon as she arrives,” she instructed her receptionist before she directed him toward one of the doors. “Please.”
“Holly is coming here?” Daniel asked as soon as the door closed behind them.
“Yes, I find it prudent to discuss such lengthy bookings with my employees. We don’t want there to be any misunderstandings later.” She gave him a serious look.
“That’s very wise.”
“Especially given your request of exclusivity, I feel that Holly needs to agree to all terms. Don’t you think so?”
Daniel could tell she was curious why he required exclusivity, but he wouldn’t say more than he absolutely had to in order to strike the deal. He was an experienced negotiator and knew not to show his hand. “I agree.”
“You’ll of course understand that the daily cost for such a booking will be higher than what you’ve been paying for her evenings. Since we won’t be able to charge her out during the day, we’ll have to factor this in.”
Misty was a shrewd business woman, he could tell. She was already positioning herself so she could get the best price from him. If she only knew that money was no object when it came to Holly.
The truth was he didn’t care if she charged him five times the going rate, as long as it guaranteed that he could be with Holly and no other man laid a hand on her. And the sooner this happened, the better.
“There’ll of course also be a cancellation fee should you decide to terminate early.” Misty searched his face for any objection to her suggestion. There’d be no early termination. By the time the end of the week rolled around, he’d have Holly right where he wanted her, and—
The door opened, interrupting his thoughts when a young blond woman stepped in.
“Eva said to come right in, sorry.”
Misty waived her in and pointed to a chair. “Sit down, Holly. I’m just going over the terms and conditions with Mr. Sinclair.”
Holly? Daniel jerked and stared at the woman. This wasn’t Holly. This had to be a mistake. This wasn’t his Holly. The blond woman looked directly at him as if she wanted to tell him something, but she didn’t say another word.
Realizing something was fishy, he addressed the Madam. “Ms. Snyder, would you mind if I talked to Holly privately for a few minutes?”
Misty raised her eyebrows and seemed to debate whether it was safe to leave them alone. “I’ll be right outside.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as the door shut behind her, Daniel turned back to the blond woman.
“Who the hell are you, and where is the real Holly?”
“I am the real Holly,” she insisted.
“Listen, I don’t know what kind of bait and switch operation this is, but don’t take me for a fool. I’ve spent the last two nights with Holly, and that’s the Holly I want.” His tone was determined. If they tried to play him, he’d make sure they’d be sorry later.
The blonde pressed her eyelids together quickly, then looked back at him. “God, I had no idea this would happen. I was sick that night I was booked to see you, so I had somebody fill in for me. Misty doesn’t know.”
A sense of relief flooded through him. “No problem. Just tell me what her name is, and I’ll book her. No offense.” He’d have to get used to calling her a different name, but that was the least of his problems.
“Well, that’s a problem.”
“That’s not a problem. I’ll just tell your boss that I changed my mind and then book your colleague.”
Holly shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She nervously flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “She isn’t a colleague.”
“You mean she’s from a different agency?” Daniel was getting impatient. He didn’t want to waste his time here. Every minute he was separated from his Holly meant some slimy guy could get his hands on her.
“Who is she? Do you want me to call Ms. Snyder in here?” If he had to threaten her, he would.
Holly held up her hand to stop him. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.”
Daniel got up. “I’d better discuss this with your boss.”
“She’s my roommate. She’s not an escort,” Holly stopped him.
The implications of her words didn’t immediately register with him. Her roommate. Not an escort. He fell back onto the chair.
“Hold it! What did you say?”
“She’s my roommate.”
“No. Not that.”
“She’s not an escort.”
“But …” He stopped. “But she was with me. The last two nights.”
“Because I was sick,” Holly explained. “Misty would have fired me if I hadn’t taken the booking, so I talked her into it.”
God, his Holly wasn’t an escort. “She’s not an escort. She’s a real person?”
“Thanks a lot!”
“Sorry, didn’t mean it. She’s not an escort. She’s … What’s her real name?”
“Sabrina.”
“Sabrina.” He let it roll off his tongue and immediately knew it suited her so much better. Then he suddenly remembered the incident at the law offices.
“If she’s not an escort, what the hell was she doing with that pig at the office?” Daniel was angry just thinking about it.
“What pig at what office?”
“Brand, Freeman & Merriweather. She was there this morning and came out of somebody’s office all ruffled.” He gave Holly a questioning look.
“The pig you’re referring to is Hannigan. He’s been harassing her ever since she
started working there.”
Anger flared up from his gut, and he slammed his fist on the table. “I’ll kick the shit out of that bastard.”
“Get in line. I’ve got first dibs on that asshole.”
Daniel settled back into his chair. It pleased him that Sabrina had a friend, who was willing to go to bat for her. He gave her a smile. “She works there?”
Holly nodded. “She’s an attorney.”
Now it dawned on him. At the reception she’d simply reverted to being herself. No wonder she’d been able to handle Bob.
“Hastings Law School?”
“How did you know?”
“She mentioned it at the reception I took her to. I thought she’d trip herself up. I guess I didn't have to worry.” He paused, now serious. “Holly, tell me what’s going on. I don’t understand why she did it.”
“Why? I’m very persuasive. She knew what was at stake for me. I just wish I would have never asked her to do it.” She gave him a serious look of her own.
“What do you mean? She wasn’t with anybody else but me, was she? Has she done this before?” Anger boiled up in him again. If somebody else had touched her, he’d be ready to kill him.
“No! It was just you. So you tell me something now. Why the hell was she crying her eyes out last night? What did you do to her?” Holly moved forward to emphasize that she wanted an answer.
“She cried? Oh God, I’m an idiot.” Daniel raked his hands through his hair.
“Hey, I’ll be the first one to agree with you if you give me more details.” Holly sat back, clearly getting ready for a juicy story.
“Last night my ex-girlfriend showed up at the hotel,” he explained.
“Oh, boy. That’s not a good start.”
“It didn’t end well either. I think Holly … sorry, Sabrina thought I was cheating on my girlfriend with her. She didn’t know that Audrey is my ex. She just showed up thinking she can have me back.” He winced at the memory. Now he understood why Sabrina had run. It wasn’t some company policy to get out of the firing line between couples. She’d left because she felt betrayed by him.
“And, are you taking her back?” Holly wanted to know.
“Audrey? Not in a million years. The woman is completely shallow and self-absorbed. Unfortunately, she managed to make Sabrina think I was still with her. So she ran off. And I haven’t been able to get in touch with her since. I called the office last night after she left, but they wouldn’t give me any information.” He paused and looked straight at her. “You have to help me.”
“Help you with what?”
“I want Sabrina back.” It was straight forward. He wanted her.
“Excuse me, but didn’t you hear what I said earlier? She’s not an escort.”
Daniel gripped Holly’s forearms and made her look at him. “Holly, I want Sabrina back. I need her.”
“Are you crazy? She’s not for sale. You can’t just book her.” She shook her head and pulled out of his grip. “What the hell do you want from her?”
He couldn’t answer that question, not if he didn’t want to admit to himself why he wanted her and why he got angry every time he thought of another man touching her.
“I need to tell her the truth about Audrey. I don’t want her to think I’m some cheating son-of-a-bitch. Please, you have to tell me where I can find her.”
“And let her know that you know she’s not an escort?”
“Excuse me? Of course. I’ll clear everything up with her.”
“The hell you will!”
Was this woman crazy? What reason could she possibly have for not telling Sabrina the truth?
“If she finds out that you know she’s not an escort, she’ll be horrified.”
“Horrified?” He had no idea what Holly was talking about.
“She doesn’t trust men, because too many assholes treated her badly. Before you, she hadn’t had sex in three years. Now I finally get her to let go of her inhibitions, and you’re going to destroy it all by telling her you know she’s not an escort. Fabulous!” Holly huffed indignantly.
“Why would that destroy anything?”
“Because she only slept with you because she thought she’d never see you again, so you couldn’t hurt her. And besides, she felt safe because she could pretend to be somebody else. She could pretend it wasn’t her having sex with a stranger. She could pretend it was me.”
And then it dawned on him. “You planned this?” Startled, he looked at her.
“It took me long enough. I had to wait for the right man for her.”
Her admission shocked him. What kind of person would knowingly send her friend into the lion’s den?
“You couldn’t have known that I’d be the right man. You could have sent her in with some pervert. Are you crazy?” Daniel was furious.
Holly sighed impatiently. “Do you really think we’re amateurs? We get bios and detailed background checks on anybody who books us. Trust me, we know who we’re dealing with. Why do you think you pay through the nose for our time? All that background work has to be paid for somehow.”
“You knew who I was?”
She nodded. “Pictures, birth date, social security number, birthmarks, family background, gossip, jobs, investments. When I saw your picture I knew she’d like you. Hell, I would have done you, but—”
“—you were sick that night,” he sarcastically completed her sentence.
“No. I have the constitution of a horse. I took some stuff to make myself throw up so it would look realistic. Otherwise she would have smelled a rat. So, there’s no way you’re going to tell her now that you know she’s not an escort. She’s not ready for that.”
Holly crossed her arms in front of her chest, a sure sign that she wasn’t going to budge.
“Fine. For now. But I’m not going to let her continue thinking I lied to her about Audrey. I’m going to fix this. So you, Holly, will help me just the same. I’ll book Holly for the next week, and you will make sure she will take the booking.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“Oh, I’m dead serious. You’ll tell her today that as of tomorrow morning she’s with me.”
“She’s never going to agree. She thinks you lied to her. She’s hurt.”
He wouldn’t be dissuaded. “That’s why you’re going to give her my cell number and have her call me tonight.” He wrote his number on a card and handed it to her. “Tell her whatever you have to. Tell her if she doesn’t want to take the booking, she’ll have to convince me to cancel with your boss, otherwise you get fired. I need to speak to her.”
Reluctantly, Holly put his card into her bag. “Had I known how stubborn you are, I would have never asked her to do this.”
“You know what, Holly? If it had been you that night, I would have never had sex with you. No offense, you’re a gorgeous woman, but I wasn’t looking for sex that night. I just needed somebody to fend off those single women at the reception. But when I saw her, everything changed. And I’m not just going to let her go.”
“Remind me again why I’m helping you.”
“Because you love your friend,” he responded simply. “And because I could still get you fired if I told your boss.”
Daniel got up. “I will pay the entire exorbitant fee your boss suggests since we don’t want anybody to smell a rat. Whether you give the money to Sabrina or not, doesn’t matter to me.”
“She didn’t take the money for the first two nights. Flat out refused it,” Holly admitted.
He smiled and relaxed. “I figured as much.” She hadn’t taken his tip either, and the thought of it pleased him now that he knew who she was. If Sabrina needed to pretend she was an escort in order to be with him, he’d play along—for now. Until he could figure out a way for her to trust him enough to be with him because she wanted to and not because he paid for it.
“Hey, buddy. One more thing: if you hurt her, I’m coming after you to kick the living daylights out of you.” Holly gave him a firm
stare.
Daniel nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
13
“No, I’m not doing this again,” Sabrina announced angrily. “I’ve had enough. You’ll just have to go to Misty and tell her.” She stormed into her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Seconds later, it opened again.
“I can’t. She’ll fire me,” Holly retorted as she stepped into the room. “The only way we can get out of it is if you can make him cancel the booking from his side.”
“And how am I going to do that?”
Holly handed her a card with a number. “Call him, and tell him you can’t do it. Tell him you find him disgusting, whatever it takes to make him cancel.”
“I don’t want to talk to him!”
“Well, I’m afraid that’s the only way this is going to work.”
Sabrina stared at her friend. She didn’t understand why Holly couldn’t be more supporting. After all, she’d helped her out of a jam, and at least she could be more understanding about her refusal to see Daniel again. She could make up any excuse with Misty to get out of the booking, but she flat out refused to do just that.
Instead, Holly insisted that Daniel was the one who cancelled so she would be out of trouble. Perfect.
Sabrina didn’t know why Daniel still wanted to see her. Hadn’t his wife or girlfriend gotten back last night? How had he managed to get rid of her that quickly? Lying, cheating bastard!
She felt like sinking into the ground for shame about what they’d done the night before. She’d let him use her. Jerk! The gall he had to request her for a long-term booking after all he’d done. Cad!
She was in the right mood to tell him just what she thought of him! Self-righteous philanderer!
Sabrina grabbed the phone off the hook then gave her friend a sharp look. “Can I get some privacy here?” she barked.
Holly instantly shuffled out of the room.
The line was picked up instantly.
“This is Daniel.” His voice was as smooth as it had been the night before.
“It’s S … Holly.”
“I’m glad you’re calling.”
“I’m only calling to tell you that I can’t take the booking.” She kept her voice tight. “So, if you’d please call Ms. Snyder to cancel, I’d appreciate it.”