The Escort (4 page)

"She's a good friend?"

"The best, We've gone through some stuff together." Max laughed. "She's the only thing I've ever stood up to my dad about."

"Are you going to tell me?" he asked, licking the last of the sauce of his fingers. Max lost her train of thought for a moment, concentrating on the way his lips moved, his mouth sucking on his fingers and she so wished he would use them on her. Anywhere. "Max?"

"Sorry. Yeah, sure. My father was in town, never let me know of course, and surprised me with a whirlwind visit. Came to check my grades, stopping by was a spur of the moment thing, quite unlike my father. Anyway, Robin answered the door, she was in her Buddhist phase. A bit of a scene happened. I wasn't there, but he rang me. Said I had to kick her out. I said no. He said he would stop supporting me, and I told him to go ahead."

"Did he?"

"Yep. Cut me off. We had to downsize until I got a job. There were a couple of months when Robin supported me, but then I graduated."

"Your dad's a hard man."

"I have nothing to compare him to. But I would agree, he gave orders, and I was expected to obey."

"So Robin is your family?"

"Yes. You could say that. She's the closest I've got to it anyway."

"What did your mom do through all this?"

"Absolutely nothing. I think they had separated, but only privately. When he wants her on his arm she obliges. She couldn't fend for herself."

"So you worked hard to win his approval?"

"God, no. I worked hard so I would never have to depend on a man for anything," she snorted. "No offence," she added, seeing his down turned face.

"None taken. I just find it sad. My family is everything to me. I'll do whatever it takes to keep a roof over their heads."

"There aren't many of you out there."

"I'm not special, Max. I have my failings. Perhaps I should have been more career minded."

"OK." she stood up. "Enough of the past. You promised me dancing."

And he delivered. They went to a club, but not the kind younger people frequent, full of flashing lights and music so loud you couldn’t think straight. This was tasteful, with a live band. The décor was a little eighties, but not tacky, and above all the lady's room was clean. Max found she liked it here.

"My mom brought me up on good live music."

"Do you come here a lot?" She had to lean forward to make herself heard, not that she minded having to move closer to him.

"Not so much these days. A few years ago it was my regular haunt. But then my mates settled down, and it's not much fun on your own."

"I suppose it's hard to settle down with a job like yours." He looked blank, so she continued, "You know, all the women you see."

"Oh. Yeah. Lots of women." His eyes dropped from hers, and she knew he was hiding something. Maybe a broken heart. Had Dan got himself into the escort business to bury a failed relationship? Stranger things had happened. "Shall we dance?"

"OK. But I'm a little rusty."

"You are in very capable hands. I know just how to fine tune your body."

"Promises," she countered, giving him what she considered a flirty look, batting her eyelashes. Damn if he didn't bring out the sexy woman in her. He was like a male version of Robin, able to tap into her inner wild child.

***

"I need to catch my breath." Dancing until her feet ached, Max's adrenalin fuelled body needed a rest from the frantic pace the music demanded. What had started off as mellow, had warmed up to a pulsing beat that dragged her along, beyond what she thought her body capable of.

She wasn't complaining, dancing with Dan, their bodies weaving together, before stepping away, her gaze taking in every movement of his fit, toned body. His muscular frame belying his lithe, supple movements. And damn was he sexy.

Women glared at her, no doubt wondering what hold she had over him. Max pushed that from her mind, deciding to go with it and not think about the money she was paying him. He dealt in fantasies, no doubt, and she was going to enjoy hers.

"We deserve a drink," he said, pulling her towards the bar. "What do you like?"

Max wondered if she ought to choose something sophisticated, but that wasn't her, and the time for putting on airs and graces had passed. "A nice cold beer, please."

"A woman after my own heart." He grinned, and her insides turned to liquid fire. She wanted him, the barrier between her pride and the need to feel his body next to hers was quickly evaporating.

When he handed her a bottle of beer, she gulped it down, trying to quench the heat inside her. "Thank you, that is just what I needed." She wiped her forehead, only then realising how hot she was.

"You don't hold back do you?" he asked.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Yes, you're a completely different woman to the one I met in the street. You've relaxed, I like it." He lifted his beer to his mouth, saying, "I like it a lot," before taking a mouthful.

She stood watching his throat work, his Adam’s apple moving with each mouthful. More than anything she wanted to stroke his neck, run her fingers along the short stubbly hair which stopped above his colour. To feel all the contours of his body, all the different textures of him.

"I need the ladies room," she said abruptly and put her half empty bottle down on the bar, watching it teeter dangerously when she pulled her hand away too soon.

Clasping them together to stop them trembling she headed across the room, not to sure where she was going, only that she needed some distance between them, before she made a fool of herself.

The way she felt now she didn't want to wait until tomorrow night to have sex with him. She would go and empty her bank account just to feel his hands on her breasts, tweaking her nipples, his mouth sucking them until he brought her to her knees in sweet surrender.

For a woman like Max, this was dangerous territory. Her whole, safe life might be in danger of crashing down around her feet. All because of a man.

Risking a backward glance, she stopped mid step, he was staring at her, watching her every move as she sought sanctuary away from him. Their eyes met, he smiled, but his eyes were filled with more than friendship, lust was there too. She took a backwards step, unable to break the contact between them. Her head was screaming at her that this was what she was paying him for, to make her feel special, to make her want to sleep with him, because that would mean a bigger tip. Robin had joked about that. Payment for the evening, and any extras were on top, discretionary. She was a foolish woman.

Turning to fall headlong through the crowd, desperate to get to the bathroom so she could clear her head, Max tore herself away. Blindly she found a corridor, the air cool against her inflamed cheeks. Above her head a sign showed the way to the bathroom, a little numb now, she pushed the door and stepped inside.

It was busy, a few people glance at her, and she ducked her head, closing the door behind her when she found an empty cubicle. Hanging her bag on the back of the door, she leaned back against the wall, unable to face going back out.

Instead she opened her bag, found her compact and began to powder her nose, aiming to redo her lipstick, using it as barrier against his lips.

"Shit," she said out loud, starting guiltily at the sound of her voice. However, her outburst was justified, her eyes belonged to a panda, big dark smudges where her make up had slid down her face in the middle of her sweaty dancing. How could any man find her attractive?

That proved it to herself, he only showed an interest because he had to. Not because he was in anyway attracted to her sweaty lumpy body, but because of the promise of a big wad of cash. Plain and simple. The sooner she got that through her thick head, the easier it was going to be to spare herself disappointment and heartache.

Leaning back against the wall, her face restored to normal, she tried to figure out what to do. This needed to stop, she had to distance herself from the feelings all jumbled up inside her. This was not a date, this was business, she needed to search inside herself to find the successful, professional business woman. Not easy when his face kept appearing in her head, his easy smile, relaxed manner, and perfect abs.

Shaking the tension from her body, she unbolted the door, and went out, taking a careful look in the mirror. Other women jostled for space, no one taking much notice of her now her panda eyes were gone, she was back to where she liked to be, unnoticed. Liar. She bit her bottom lip, telling her inner voice to shut up, she didn't need any more fuel poured on the inner turmoil she was experiencing.

Back into the corridor, she gave herself a minute to fully assess her options. She could either go home, or go back out to Dan, spend the rest of the evening with him, but this time keep herself on a tight leash. Max knew the sensible thing would be to go home, and tell him to forget tomorrow night too. But she wasn't quite back at sensible yet. Especially when she looked up and saw him standing there watching her.

"I thought you'd run out on me."

Straightening up, she went for a low blow, hating herself for it. But he was being paid to like her, so he should have a thick skin. "Thought I'd taken my money and run. I've had a great time, Dan. I wouldn't leave without paying you."

Watching the expression on his face change, she was intrigued to find she had hit a nerve. In her job she was good at reading people, and now she had calmed down her intuition came back to her fully. He didn't like this side of it. Max wanted to know why, but didn't feel she had the right to ask him. Some things were private.

"Sorry," she said. "That wasn't fair."

"Yes. It probably was. But thanks for the apology anyway." He leaned forward, keeping some distance between them, and passed her the bottle of beer.

"Thank you." She took a long drink, appreciating the cold bitter taste. "That is good." She looked at him again, and smiled. "Half full or half empty?" she asked, holding her bottle out to him.

"Most definitely half full. You can always add something to fill it up, mix it up a bit."

She looked at the bottle again. "I like that. Sometimes we don't need to be more of the same, we can change into something different."

"Exactly. Two halves make one whole. It's not important if those two halves are exactly the same."

"I think I might need more beer to understand that," she said, draining the rest of her bottle.

"Then let's go. I wouldn't like to disappoint a lady."

She snorted, just managing to stop the beer coming out of her nose. "Despite what you think, you know the fancy restaurant and everything, I am not a lady."

He came right up close to her, his body heat penetrating her dress, warming her ample flesh. "Prove it to me."

"What do you have in mind?"

"A kiss."

She stood up straight, tension in her body. "A kiss, Dan, look, I know what you probably think about me, but you're wrong. I am not interested in "extras", She made the little movement with her fingers to emphasise her words.

"Don't worry, this one is like the beer, on the house."

"Dan, this is not a good idea, I've enjoyed this evening, and I would really love it if you would accompany me to my firms charity dinner tomorrow."

"Come on, Max, you've been wondering what it would be like to kiss me all night. I know because its the same thing I've been wondering."

"What if I'm a terrible kisser?"

"Is that what you've been thinking, that these lips would feel bad against yours?"

"Yeah, really bad. So bad one kiss won't be enough. That's why I find abstinence the best way forward."

"So you've thought about it. I knew it,” he said triumphantly.

"Don't give your self so much credit. Look at you, every woman wants to kiss you. In the restaurant. Here. They look at me as though they can't work out why you would be seen dead with a woman like me. And they're right, you're only with me because I'm going to pay you."

"What if I told you I didn't care about the money, that I want to kiss you any."

"I'd say bullshit."

"You are so sure of yourself, so sure I wouldn't look twice at you, despite this been the best evening I've had for years."

Her heart raced, although she stopped breathing. Was that even possible? She guessed so, because her head felt light, while her heart thumped in her chest. She knew he must be able to hear it, to read her like a book, she wanted him to say more. His tongue could spill all this rubbish out, and she would lap it up, because she wanted to believe it.

"I think I need to go home."

"I'll walk you."

"No. It's fine."

"Do you even know the way back to your car?"

"No," she said petulantly.

"Then I will walk you back." He held his hand up. "Don't argue with me. It's non negotiable."

"Really. I find everything is open to negotiation."

"Not this, I’ll simply follow you."

"I'll all the police."

"And say what? The man I paid to take me out to dinner won't leave me to walk home alone?"

"Do you always get your own way?"

"No. This would be the first in a while. Come on, let's get you home." He held out his arm, she looped hers through, and tried to ignore the closeness of his body against hers. It must have been the beer that made her sway into him, even though she never got tipsy on one beer usually.

"Favourite season?" Dan asked, breaking the silence which had settled on them.

"Winter. It gives me a reason to hide indoors, or wrapped up in coats so no one can see my body." Yes, she was deliberately pushing him away, making fun of herself, something she had grown out of.

"Shame. I like your body, especially the way you shimmy."

She slapped him playfully in the stomach. "That is not nice."

"Why? I was being serious. You have rhythm, Max. And once you get going there's this wild abandonment. You make dancing look so fun."

"You mean funny?"

"No. Don’t do that. Don’t put yourself down."

Changing the subject, she asked, "So your turn."