Chapter Three
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
THREE MONTHS LATER
I t’d been raining off and on all day, and between errands, I had to open and close my umbrella multiple times. If I had only thought to do all of this pre-work stuff yesterday, I wouldn’t be in this predicament today.
I hadn’t, so I was now stuck dashing between the spa, nail salon, and dress shop. Tonight, I had a campaign party to attend with a repeat client, and after just returning from Philadelphia in the wee hours, I’d be exhausted by the time the night was through.
Life as a call-girl, whether high-end or not, was not always easy, but it did have its perks.
Take tonight, for example. I’d be accompanying a man who had political aspirations of his own to what would likely be a pre-victory party for another.
Since returning to New York, and Manhattan more specifically, life had gotten better for me.
Not that it had been bad back in Russia, but that would’ve changed had I stuck around long enough to be taken.
Aram was still out there looking for me, and it was something my father had confirmed to me while in hiding.
After I fled to America, I did the only thing I was willing to do to help the man, and it was to provide him a place to go.
There wasn’t a large Bratva presence here in New York City, but I was able to connect and arrange something with one of them.
It was the most I was willing to do, even for him.
Tonight’s date, Stephen, had hired me multiple times over the last couple of months.
We’d even made the local society pages, which had me seeing red.
While there was something to be said about hiding in plain view as I currently was, there was another altogether to advertise your whereabouts when on the run.
“You’re violating my privacy,” I’d told him.
“I’m not sure what you’re upset about. You’re not in some sort of trouble, are you?”
“Of course not,” I’d lied. “I just want to remain inconspicuous, and it is all detailed in the NDAs you signed on the agency site.”
I’d almost refused to see him again, but he realized he’d been in breach of our contract, then subsequently threatened the sleazy gossip rag until they removed the pictures of us and any stories. While it helped some, it still gave me cause for concern.
Tonight, I’d have to be much more careful when it came to being photographed.
Andreas Daniro was certain to be elected mayor in the upcoming election, and from what I had seen, there could’ve been worse candidates.
All in all, I was pleased enough, especially since the older man had introduced me to his grandson, Kyle, who had become a client too.
In fact, he’d been the one I had just accompanied to Philadelphia the night before.
Kyle, like Stephen, was a nice enough guy, but there was no chemistry between us, which they both knew and understood. Still, I faked it when on either of their arms. Stephen tipped extremely well, which helped me keep a roof over my head.
Money had never been anything I’d had to worry about in my entire life until now.
I’d gladly endure this over the alternative.
I’d prefer death over the alternative if I was truly being honest. My freedom, security, and way of life had been tilted off its axis, but with ample dates like this one, I might be able to make enough money to flee somewhere no one would ever find me again.
I hated worrying about the future, so I forced my thoughts to something else.
Thankfully, I had help in the form of my cell phone.
I looked down and saw Rebekah’s photo appear on the screen.
She headed up the agency I now worked for, so she was technically my boss, even though we’d been friends first.
“Hey!”
“I just wanted to check in and make sure everything’s set for tonight.”
“Stephen will be at the hotel to pick me up in a few hours. I’m about to grab my dress, then head there to wait.”
“Be safe out there. I’ll check back in with you later.”
I smiled as she hung up. Rebekah had been my roommate at the boarding school and the only person I had kept in touch with since first leaving this country.
After my father had dropped the bombshell about Aram Grigoryan on me, she had been my only hope.
She came through for me, and our friendship was stronger than ever.
I’d never had any siblings, so she was like a sister.
A sibling...Bestie...Boss...She also ran a lucrative company that so many still looked down upon, including those who booked our services.
I’d been hesitant when she’d first offered me a position because I’d heard horror stories about others in the industry.
No one I knew grew up wanting this to be their life, but sometimes life didn’t always go according to plan. It certainly hadn’t for me.
I stuffed my cellphone back into my purse, then realized the rain had ended once more. After I looked both ways before crossing the street, I closed my umbrella. As I went to stuff it into my bag, I encountered resistance in the form of a wall of muscle.
Realizing it was a person, fear filled me. Jumping back, I quickly glanced up at a pair of emerald eyes. I faltered on my feet until the stranger grabbed both of my arms to steady me.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“That’s obvious,” he replied, and the bluntness shocked me momentarily. I glanced back up at him and was about to say something else, but he cleared his throat. “Your distraction turned out to be my good fortune. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. If you hadn’t been there, I likely would have faceplanted onto the sidewalk.”
“Then it must be your lucky day as well as mine.”
“I guess so,” I said before politely smiling. “Thank you for helping me.”
“It was no problem at all. I’ll let you get back to your day.”
And from there, he just walked off. Something was weird about the encounter, but I ignored that fleeting suspicion.
I did have to finish getting ready because time was truly getting away from me.
All I had to do before heading home was grab my dress from a local boutique.
It had required an alteration to it, and they’d already left me a message to tell me it was done while I’d been busy with my manicure.
T he dress boutique was a few doors down, and while the scent of coffee as I passed the small café called to me, I had no time to stop and enjoy a cup.
I dashed into the shop just as a few large drops of rain hit my bare arm.
It was about to pour again, but with any luck, it would stop again before I got back outside.
The bell rang as the door closed behind me, and a woman stepped out from in front of a mannequin. She had a needle between her lips, and after she removed it from her mouth, she smiled at me. “May I help you?”
“I’d dropped off a dress yesterday, and Missy called to let me know it was finished.”
“Ahh, yes. Missy’s at lunch, but I’ll get it for you. Would you confirm your name for me?”
“Ekaterina Petrov,” I lied having used my mother’s maiden name instead of my own. Aram was looking for me, and I refused to make it easy for him.
“Thanks. It’ll be one minute.”
She set the needle and thread down, then disappeared into the back of the store.
While I waited, I decided to glance at a few of the gowns on a nearby rack, especially the blue one, which happened to be my favorite color.
These were much more formal than anything I’d ever wear on a date or for a night out.
They were so intricate. It would be much more fitting for a wedding, and that was one event where I had no intention of starring.
As I moved the dresses across the rod, the hairs on my arms stood up.
I turned, expecting to see someone there, but not finding anyone.
I shook my head, then continued my perusal, but the same suspicious thoughts came creeping back in.
This life was hard because I was always looking over my shoulder.
Aram was a powerful and resourceful man, and one who wouldn’t give up the fantasy of me becoming his wife and bearing his children.
As I continued to look toward the door and window, I still didn’t see anyone, so I began to assume it’d been some passerby.
“I found it,” the woman announced as she returned to the front of the store.
I stepped away from the rack of dresses and over to the counter.
The alteration was to fix some stitching by the bodice.
While I didn’t sleep with my clients as some of the girls did, it didn’t mean a client hadn’t tried to get handsy with me.
The last time I’d worn this particular gown, the judge’s large hand had tried slipping into my dress, resulting in a tear to the delicate stitching.
I unzipped the dress bag to make sure that everything was fixed, and now that I had finally accomplished my last task, I only needed to pay for the alteration, then be on my way. I zipped the bag back up, then reached for my wallet.
“Is everything to your liking?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
I settled the tab, then tossed the dress bag over my arm.
When I got back outside, it was now raining heavily again.
I was thankful my gown was secure and would stay dry, even though my pastel pink heels would not.
The satin material on them would stain with the dirty water from the street puddles, so I’d have to toss them out.
A new pair of Louboutins would now go on my to-buy list.
Once the umbrella was up, I stepped out from under the awning.
The streets that had been semi-crowded just a few minutes before were now scarce.
With all of my morning errands on the same block, I hadn’t parked too far away.
About ten minutes later, I pulled out onto the street.
The luxury hotel I always booked for dates was a little over a mile away, but with the usual afternoon congestion now starting to build, it wouldn’t be as short a commute as I’d hoped.
Still, it’d leave me just enough time to get ready for Daniro’s party.
After, I’d return to the hotel alone and wait for the money to fully hit my bank account.