Chapter 9
Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, babe. Red lips and rosy cheeks say you'll see me again, even if it's just pretend - Taylor Swift
As soon as I reached my floor, I let out a muffled scream. The shock of finding the concierge standing practically motionless in front of the elevator nearly gave me a heart attack.
"Jesus, kid!" I pressed both hands over my heart. He immediately apologized, keeping a respectful distance. "Are you trying to kill me? Are you waiting for someone?"
"Are you Megan Woods?"
"I am. How long have you been standing here waiting for me?"
"About forty minutes, Ma'am." He handed me a small envelope. "A message for you."
I thanked him and marched toward my room, eager to collapse onto the sofa in the anteroom. I kicked off the high heels that had been crushing my toes all night and, after massaging the ache away, I picked up the envelope and opened it. The handwriting was perfect.
"Miss Woods, It was a pleasure to have your company tonight. I would like to invite you to breakfast in my suite at 8:00 AM in two days. My team will be joining us.
P.S.: I knew that watching you dance would be perfection. You didn't have to run away, it could have been even better."
"I didn't run away," I whispered to the empty room, shaking my head. I looked at the clock, marveling at the sheer audacity of someone sending a message like that at this hour. I grabbed my phone and, even though it was four in the morning, I took a picture of the note and sent it to Sarki with a quick summary of the night’s events.
I took a long, hot shower to relax my muscles.
The night had been a cocktail of sensations I wasn't used to: being away from everyone I knew, losing control over the situation, and losing control over my own body.
I closed my eyes as I leaned my arms against the shower wall.
My mind was a blur of moans, intense gazes. .. and orders.
Before finally crawling into bed, I set my alarm for 9:00 AM. I needed at least a few miles on the treadmill to keep my sanity in check. I adjusted the pillows and let Morpheus claim my consciousness.
It felt like only minutes had passed when my phone flashed at 7:00 AM. It was Sarki. As soon as I answered, she blurted out a curse word.
"I wanted to call the second I got your message, but Elisa insisted it wasn't that urgent. I’m putting you on speaker."
"Should I even ask why you two were awake at 4:00 AM and are already up now?" I croaked.
"The first answer is: exactly what you should have been doing with that hot businesswoman. The second is that Sarki is driving me to the airport." I heard Elisa shouting in the background, and Sarki cut her off.
"What’s the verdict, Sarki? I know you’ve been researching her life since the moment you saw that text." I heard Elisa laughing in the background.
"Look, she has a massive history in the export business," Sarki said.
"In the 'women' business too!" Elisa shouted from the background.
"She seems legit, Megs. Don't get me wrong. She’ll be accompanied at the breakfast, the note mentions her team. If that turns out to be a lie, you just make an excuse and go back to your room."
"That’s the plan," I said, kicking the sheets off my legs to get up and change. "What did you think about the bathroom situation?"
"It reminded me of that case you spent almost two months on," Sarki replied. "You know, with all the complications and delays? The guy who was asphyxiated at that BDSM club."I remembered the case and nodded to myself. "Maybe that's the only sane part of all this."
"Remember how you made me study that case with you so we could understand the dynamics?" I saw Lisa leaning over Sarki’s shoulder, smiling broadly at me through the video call. "We actually adopted a few things from that study. Except for the morbid parts, obviously."
I raised an eyebrow, and they both gave me a knowing smirk.
"Calm down, we’re just talking handcuffs and a few slaps. We don't even consider ourselves practitioners. Maybe just... curious."
"I really need to stop knowing so much about your private lives," I teased. "But anyway, she said she’d let that woman be the wife of one of the senators. What do you make of that? Is she like a Domme?"
"It could be an arrangement between them," Sarki suggested. "That was one of the points you used to exonerate that Dominatrix, remember? They had a contract, and the security footage showed he was the one asking for more."
"So, an arrangement involving a billionaire, an export empire, an escort, and the prize is a senator. I’m intrigued. I’m going to go for a run and chew on that. It’s a hell of a story."
"It definitely is. I have to run, Elisa is heading to a fashion event and won’t be back until next week," Sarki said with a pout.
"Have a safe trip, Lisa! It’s going to be amazing."
"Of course it will be, babe! Tell me everything you find out later. I love the drama you guys get yourselves into," Lisa said, gathering her coats.
"Before you hang up, Megs! Peter showed up alone at a Republican event yesterday afternoon," Sarki added. "It was some 'old boys' club' thing to introduce new party members. I have no idea what he’s up to."
"Republican? Of course. Adulterous, white, and rich," I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my laugh. Sarki joined in. "It’s so typical of him to get involved in something like that."
"Maybe the 'angel' is showing up just to make your life miserable. Lisa and I don't get why he was alone when he could’ve taken his 'perfect' family out for a stroll." I heard Lisa laughing and saying something I couldn't quite catch. "We have to go, she can't be late. Love you!"
"Love you guys!"
I hung up, took a quick shower, and checked the temperature by sticking my hand out the balcony door. Freezing. Absolutely freezing.
???
The moment I laced up my running shoes, I noticed that coffee had already been set out in the suite’s antechamber. I sat for a moment, quickly downing some orange juice and finishing a fruit salad before heading out.
Hotel gyms are usually excellent, rarely more than two people at a time, which is exactly how I like it. When the elevator doors opened on the gym floor, I was pleased to find the room completely empty.
After a quick stretch, I started a steady, gradual run while my headphones played the local news.
When my watch beeped at the thirty-minute mark, I slowed the treadmill to a pause.
I looked to my side and nearly jumped. Kelsey was there, wearing a black sweatsuit, running on the machine just two spots over.
Our eyes met, and she offered a small smile. I grabbed a hotel towel and wiped my face, which was already dripping with sweat.
She moved over to the treadmill directly next to mine and said something I couldn't hear over my music. I pulled one earbud out, and she repeated herself: she’d just said "good morning" and hadn't meant to startle me.
"I was happy to see you wearing the necklace," she added.
"I figured someone else had picked it out for you," I replied, taking a long drink of water. "I assumed you wouldn't even know what it looked like." I felt like I needed another two hours of cardio just to process the sudden spike in my heart rate.
"I don't let anyone else choose my gifts." She rested a hand on the treadmill rail and turned her face toward me. "Especially when it was chosen just for you."
"Let’s get straight to the point, Kelsey. What’s the endgame here? The flirting, the gifts... what are you after?"
She offered a discrete, knowing smile. "Technically, the gift came first." I snorted and rolled my eyes. As I moved to step off the machine, she reached out and gently caught my wrist. "Wait. I’m sorry."
"I’m not in the mood for games," I said, though her fingers were already releasing me. I draped my towel over the side.
"Your career is impressive, Megan. I followed your work closely because of your father. It felt like every time I was around, you weren't, or perhaps he just didn't see a reason to introduce us."
I felt the same way, though I’d never admit it to her. She smiled to herself and shook her head.
"He probably didn't want his daughter anywhere near someone who represented his greatest fears," I sighed, grabbing my water bottle again.
"Yeah. He always acted like you were immaculate." She looked at me intently. I wanted to laugh, but I just took a deep breath. "When I saw your name on that Wilmington lawsuit, it was like seeing you for the first time. And wow... you are< really more beautiful than before, Megan."
I stepped back onto the treadmill and started a slow walk, giving her my full attention now.
"So, you chose a gift and then 'coincidentally' found me at the only party meeting I’ve attended all year?"
"The gift was a choice, yes. But I wasn't actually planning on coming to this meeting. I’ve already done three this year. Then Donald mentioned you’d be there. I cleared my schedule."
"And now that you’re here... you want to...?" I pointed a finger at her, waiting for the confession.
"Ask you out. To dinner. I want you, Megan." She ran a hand through her sweat-dampened blonde hair, pushing it back from her face. "And last night... I can’t get it out of my head."
"What exactly?" I paused the treadmill again and arched an eyebrow.
"You. The slit in that dress. The way your back looked." She stepped closer to my machine, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "I know you liked what you saw in the bathroom."
I kept my expression carefully neutral, refusing to let my emotions betray me. "The slit in my dress... you were paying close attention."
"I was," she whispered, her fingers grazing mine as if by accident. "More than I’d like to admit."
"Then explain the relationship between your 'companion' and the Senator she was eye-witnessing at the bar while we were talking," I countered, taking a deliberate sip of water and letting a few drops fall onto my shirt.
"I really shouldn't be explaining political strategy in a hotel gym."
"Explain it, and I’ll accept the breakfast invite."
She smiled, looking like she’d just won a bet. "Frank is a good Senator and a decent man. He’s single because his fiancée left him for her doctor during a COVID stint. I need him to help release some iron mining permits."
"And you were going to introduce him to your 'girlfriend'?"
"That was the plan, but he was faster. He went after her himself. I’ll admit, I asked my assistant to find an escort who matched his specific 'type.'"
"You thought of everything," I remarked. "Does that include everything you've planned for me?"
"First, let's clear the air so there's no 'communication noise.
' My agreement with her had nothing to do with him directly.
The goal was to introduce them, let them hit it off, and eventually have me at his family dinners.
But they decided to start making out in the corners of the ballroom. So, I decided to punish her."
I almost laughed at the idea of "punishment" being sex in a public restroom. If only all punishments were that severe.
"Punish? Seriously?" I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Like me, she’s a practitioner. Our contract included pleasure deprivation as a penalty for stepping out of line." She shrugged, her tone as casual as if she were discussing the weather. "I suppose the 'Princess of the Judiciary' never imagined anything like that."
"Don't be petulant, Kelsey. I studied BDSM for a case a few years back. I just didn't realize you were a practitioner. Then again, a month ago, I didn't realize anything about you." I gripped the sides of the treadmill and stared her down.
"That means I’ve managed to invade your thoughts," she said with an ironic smile. "And sorry about the 'Princess' comment. I didn't mean to be offensive."
"It was mocking. And I need to finish my run." I clicked the treadmill back on.
"Regarding you... I only planned as far as the necklace," she said, her eyes meeting mine while I walked. "The rest was just luck."
"Luck?" Our eyes meet without me stopping.
"Pure luck. Especially since you’re so discreet about your private life that no one even knew about your divorce until you mentioned it yourself."
"I like to keep my personal life separate from my professional one. It keeps people from having ammunition. And... fine. I’ll take you up on that breakfast. I’ll see you there."
I flashed her a quick, sharp smile, slid my headphones back on, and started running. As she headed for the exit, she gave me a nod, which I returned. I’ve always appreciated explicit flirting. It makes things so much simpler.