Chapter 10
10
J AMES
My eyes follow her to the top of the stairs, where she turns around and waves me goodbye.
Spellbound, I nod.
She pushes the front door open and walks into the house while I spend a moment trying to adjust to the new reality.
Is this really happening?
Am I so lucky to get another shot at her?
I slip into my car, turn the ignition on, and smoothly veer away. Moments later, I roll my ride through the open gate and leave the property behind.
Within minutes, the town comes into view.
It feels as if I just woke up from a dream, and I see and feel everything for the first time as the images of the last hour spin in front of my eyes, and I’m trying to control my emotions.
It’s hard not to get attached to the idea that I may be able to sway her back.
Tense and torn, and excited like a teenager, I make the trip back to her friend’s party.
This time I park my car in the front and catch sight of Eve as soon as I saunter into the building.
I beckon her to me.
“Hey,” she says, stopping in front of me, her cheeks flushed. “How was it? Was she angry? Where is she?”
“She’s at the Dark House. She’ll stay there for the rest of the week.”
A questioning look slides over her face.
“Is she okay?”
“Yes. Don’t worry. She’s not angry with you,” I say, smiling. “I’m still her number one target when it comes to anger,” I add, and she grins, amused. “Thank you again. You’ve helped me a lot. ”
More blood pools into her face as I kiss her cheek.
I thank her parents for their hospitality and say goodbye to them before I shake hands with Sam and walk away.
Lightheartedly, I climb into my car and swerve onto the road, leaving the venue behind.
Twenty minutes later, I enter Red’s.
“Sir.”
The bouncers give me a soft nod as I swing past them and walk to our booth.
Lex’s blonde hair catches my eye first, and then Ed’s profile.
They both try to decipher my expression as I slide onto the bench across from them.
“Where is she?” Lex asks, his eyes connecting with mine.
“The Dark House,” I say, leaning back in my seat and motioning for a drink.
The hostess takes the order and quickly pulls away.
“How does she look?” Ed asks.
I glower at him.
Lex's hand lands on Ed’s neck, a grin tugging at his lips.
“Don’t fuck with him right now, Ed. Unless you have a death wish, leave him alone,” Lex jokes.
My tension shatters, and my lips tilt into a smile.
“Take his fucking advice, Ed,” I toss at him just as the waitress nears our table and sets my glass of whiskey down.
“Anyone else?” I ask, looking at the empty glasses in front of them.
“We’re good,” Lex says.
The girl spins away.
“So, what’s the plan?” Ed asks, seriously this time.
“We struck a deal. She lets me spend a week with her, and I get my second chance. If I change her mind and convince her to give the whole idea of us another try, she’ll be mine, and her call-girl days are over. If I fail, she’ll go back to her life, and I’ll go back to mine.”
“Try not to mess things up this time,” Lex says.
“I won’t, but it’s not only up to me.”
“What did she say to you?” Ed asks.
“She’s still resentful, but I hope there’s more in her for me than that.”
“Hey, baby.”
A green-eyed brunette sporting a skintight dress stops at our table. Her hand slides smoothly across my shoulder as she takes a seat next to me.
I brush her hair to the side, cup her face, and whisper a few words in her ear.
She swiftly rises to her feet.
“No problem. Let me know... All right?” she says, winking at me.
Smiling, she waves me goodbye and strolls away.
Lex studies me, grinning faintly.
“I’ll be damned. I never thought I'd see this day.”
I fish out a cigarette from the pack and tap its end against the table.
“What?” I ask, slipping the filtered end between my lips.
I flick the lighter open and run the flame over the tip.
“You haven’t seen what?” I ask, smiling around the cigarette.
Ed flashes a grin, entertained.
“You finally getting serious about a woman.”
“This is not just any woman, and I was always fucking serious about her,” I say in a lighter voice.
“Sexton’s style,” Ed adds, his eyes shifting to his phone.
“Why is he even allowed to talk?” I ask Lex, motioning to Ed, who can’t helps himself and chuckle.
“You fuck it up, Sexton, and I’ll take my shot,” Ed comments, his lips arched into a smile.
His eyes are still on his phone.
“Take it easy, kid. I’m way ahead of you,” Lex says, grinning, and Ed laughs again.
“If I mess it up, which I won’t, she’ll go back where she came from, and that’s that,” I say before silence falls over the table.
* * *
JAMES
The morning is bright and clear, the sunlight gleaming over the meadows.
I walk out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my waist. Sliding my thumb over my phone screen, I pull up the messages.
Good. There’s nothing crazy going on.
Minutes later, I finish shaving and enter the walk-in closet. I pull my clothes on––boxer shorts, tailored pants, a slim-fit shirt, socks, and shoes––before rubbing a few drops of cologne against my skin, on my neck and chest.
I toss one last glance in the mirror and run my fingers through my hair before I walk out the door.
It takes me about thirty minutes to make it to the Dark House.
“She’s on the terrace, sir,” Martha, the housekeeper, says.
I nod to her, walk across the living room, leave the small conservatory behind, and head straight to the patio.
The lake sprawls out in front of me, small white crests rolling nearby. The wind has picked up, unsettling the water.
My footsteps make her lift her gaze.
“Morning,” I say, taking her in.
She wears a strapless white dress with a butterfly pattern, and her blonde hair rolls down her shoulders, waving and framing her beautiful face.
She looks like a pin-up girl.
Her eyes are narrowed as she lifts her hand and shields them from the sun, her face lighting up with a smile as I take a seat across from her.
“Coffee for me,” I say as Martha inches closer to the table.
Furtively glancing at me, Rain dabs her lips with an embroidered napkin and checks me out.
I have a hard time holding back a grin.
She notices my struggle, a smile rolling to her lips.
“You look good,” she says.
Smoothly, she sets the napkin on the table and runs the back of her fingers across my jawline, caressing my clean-shaven skin, the intimate gesture warming my face.
Martha sets the cup of coffee on the table before walking away.
I study Rain with narrowed eyes, unable to suppress my smile. Amused, she observes me as I let my gaze move over her face and dress.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks.
“You’re an exquisite woman.”
Her nose creases with a grin.
“You’re biased because you like me now,” she says.
“Now? I liked you when you were an innocent girl. It has nothing to do with that.”
She lowers her eyes, a touch of blush tinging her cheeks.
She’s so many different women in one, and somehow, she has preserved her sweetness while morphing into a gorgeous, mind-blowing woman.
She wiggles her fingers in front of my eyes, trying to pull me back to reality.
“Where are you?”
“Hmm?” I mumble, focusing my eyes on her.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Um, nothing... You slept fine?”
“Yes. Your bedroom is the only room in the house that hasn’t been remodeled.”
“You didn’t like it? You could’ve picked a different room.”
“No, no. I loved it. It reminded me of the first night I spent in your bed.”
She flashes a smile.
“You kept it the same way because of me?”
“Uh-huh.”
Her cheeks are flushed, and a nostalgic smile clings to her lips when she slides a cup of fruit closer and flicks her gaze down.
“Your place is beautiful,” she says. “The town looks pretty too. How come you’ve never thought about moving away?”
“How come you’ve never thought about coming back?”
“I may return one day,” she says.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. I’m thinking about buying a piece of real estate, perhaps my parents’ house, if it’s still on the market.
I sip coffee.
“Hmm... Things do come full circle,” I say, my gaze shifting down as I set the cup on the table.
I raise my eyes and lock hers for a moment. She gives me a small smile before moving her focus to her food.
“You didn’t tell me anything about your other business...” I say.
She’s suddenly pale, a shadow flitting through her eyes.
“What other business?” she asks, guarded.
“We settled for the truth, Rain. And we’ve already agreed it’s a two-way street.”
She sets her fork down.
“How do you know about my other business?” she asks suspiciously. “Have you hired someone to follow me?”
I click my tongue.
“No. Eve told me. I wouldn’t have anyone following you. It’s not my style, although someone must have done it in the past.”
“What do you mean?”
She looks at me, bewildered.
“After Lex had paid you a visit...” I start, and my words make her blush again, “without my knowledge,” I add, prompting her to press her lips together into a guarded expression, “I received a few pictures of him kissing you.”
The light pulls out of her eyes, the color of her skin matching her dress.
And yet, she doesn’t comment.
“Someone saw the two of you that day. Whoever it was, she or he took pictures of you and sent them to me. The person must’ve known our history, and it’s only fair to assume they wanted to hurt you.”
Her jaw locks, anger flashing through her eyes.
“Do you have any idea who it was?” I ask.
“Yeah, I think I know,” she says, irritated. “What about you? Have you been affected by it?”
“Badly,” I say, smiling bitterly.
Her eyebrows tilt up in surprise, but she offers nothing more, and that thing alone makes my stomach clench.
“Who was it?” I ask evenly.
Her eyes turn dull, and sadness drapes over her face.
“My sister.”
“What did she think she’d accomplish?”
“I have no idea why she did it. Most of the time, she does bad things because she’s evil.”
“Have you seen her since?”
She shakes her head.
“No.”
“What was she doing in New York?”
“She dropped out of school and was looking for opportunities to make some money,” she says.
I get a hunch.
“Did she know what you were doing?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… I see. So, back to your other business,” I say, placing a cigarette between my lips.
Silently, she observes me as I light it and take a drag, her eyes glued to my lips as I blow the smoke out.
“It’s an online business,” she says.
“That provides...?”
“It’s a membership-based website that offers…” She pauses, stifling a smile. “It may sound funny to you, but it makes good money. There’s a demand for it, so please don’t laugh.”
“Try me,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“It’s a company that offers fake boyfriends.”
A smile tickles my lips.
“Fake boyfriends?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes,” she says.
“How does that work? And why not real boyfriends?”
“As it turns out, many women are too busy for or don’t need the real stuff. They’re no longer in the dating pool, or their options are subpar, and they’d rather have someone they can communicate with and connect with daily. Someone who sends them texts, pictures, and even love messages. Someone who makes them feel special without the nasty stuff that comes with a real-life boyfriend. This way, they don’t have their stomach tied in knots while waiting for a call or a message or fighting for a sliver of attention. The men providing the service can work on multiple accounts simultaneously if they do it safely and privately and satisfy their minimum quota with each woman. The women pay a monthly membership and can tip the men. There are no awkward dates or lousy sex.”
“Does this shit really work?”
“Yes, it does. The men make a good wage. It’s perfect for those men who are between jobs or college students. They get to hone their communication skills and learn about women and what they want. The women, on the other hand, get some attention without starving themselves to death or competing with a bunch of other women for sexual favors that perhaps they didn’t even want in the first place. Many women crave the attention more than the actual sex.”
“Uh-huh… Okay. Sounds interesting. And, um, it’s kind of new to me,” I say, amused. “Have you tried it?”
“What?”
“Your company’s service?”
“No.”
“How do you know it’s good?”
“We run customer surveys periodically. We also hear back from our clients. They always praise us.”
“Us? Who’s us?”
Her smile falters for a moment.
“I have a business partner.”
“You do?” I say, feigning surprise.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Someone I know?”
She hesitates, his name clinging to her lips.
“It’s David Moore.”