“I thought you took it down!”
“I did, but he screenshot your pic and begged me to get in contact with you.”
Creep. “I’m not interested.”
“Hun, you got gypped out of your last payment because of the unfortunate demise of the customer. This is me trying to make it up to you.”
“It’s okay, Sandra.” It’s not like I would’ve taken said customer’s money.
“What about all those bills you still need to pay?”
I let go of the nightstand. I did need money for the overdrafts on the joint bank account I’d shared with Mom, but I didn’t want to earn it doing…that
“Why d’you think Everest insisted I pair you up with Heath Kolane?” she continued.
Sandra believed my cousin, whom she’d met through Becca-one of her girls-had pimped me out so I could earn fast cash. I hadn’t played escort for Heath’s money, but explaining my true intentions would’ve earned me a restraining order instead of a job.
“Real shame he died. He was one of my best customers. Real shame. Anyway, the customer I’m calling ’bout is offering three grand.”
I coughed. “Three grand?”
“You interested now, hun?”
Escort was a job like any other, right? Besides…three grand. I couldn’t exactly turn that down. I still had debts, plus I wanted to reimburse Evelyn for the money she’d loaned me to pay for Mom’s funeral. Even though she insisted she would never take a dime for it, the funeral had been pricey, because we’d wanted to give my mother an ending worthy of the woman she’d been.
“Can you tell me more about the gig?”
“Dinner at Pelligrini’s.”
“No sex, right?”
“Absolutelyno sex! I don’t run a brothel.”
I could do dinner. Dinner was safe. “Why would someone pay three grand for dinner?”
“Can’t give you any details until you agree to it. So, what’ll it be?”
If Evelyn found out… I couldn’t even finish that thought without shuddering. I wasn’t a prostitute-this was just about being arm candy to men who didn’t want to spend time getting to know a person-but most people wouldn’t see the distinction.
I hadn’t, until Everest explained it to me. He’d met Becca through the agency. Too shy to ask a girl out on a date, he’d paid someone else to do it for him.
“Okay. But, Sandra… Don’t keep me on the roster after this, okay?”
“You got it, Candy.”
She finally proceeded to give me the details of my date, which I jotted down on the small pad of paper next to the bed, and told me to wear something fancy.
I had two nice dresses: one was the black sequin number I’d worn for my “date” with Heath Kolane; the other was a cherry-red silk slip with spaghetti straps that used to be Mom’s.
Even though donning something of hers sent a chill straight through my breastbone, I went with the red.
I didn’t want to be reminded of Heath tonight.
I WAS READY EARLY. I’d applied foundation to my fading bruises. Most had already vanished anyway. And I’d swiped mascara over my lashes and lipstick as red as my dress to my healed lips.
Instead of lingering inside the inn and incurring more of Lucy’s inquisition: “Where was I going dressed up like a…like a…” She hadn’t finished the sentence, but I’d heard the end loud and clear. I told her I had a blind date and not to wait up. Not that she would have waited up. She told me not to get knocked up. I thanked her for her unsolicited advice.
I waited in the inn’s driveway, eyes closed, face raised toward the dying sun. The weather was unusually warm for early July, which suited the L. A. girl in me. Winter in Boulder-if I stayed that long-would be especially brutal now that I was used to mild temperatures.
“Someone’s looking mighty fancy.”
I snapped my lids open and found Lucas hopping out of the passenger side of a dark Mercedes SUV decked out with oversized off-roading tires. And then Liam was there, too, in a short-sleeved, black V-neck, his hair artfully tousled, as though he’d finger-combed it back with styling wax but missed a couple locks.
How I wished he was covered in warts; it would’ve made disliking him way easier.
“Where you going, Clark?” Lucas drawled, coming to a stop in front of me.
I was glad I’d worn heels, glad for the extra inches. “I’m going to dinner with a friend.”
“You have friends?” he asked.
Jerk.
Liam jabbed his companion. “You look nice, Ness.”
I frowned, unsure what to do with the compliment. I tightened the black leather jacket I’d added to my dress. “Thanks?” Why, oh why, did it have to come out as a question? “What are you guys doing here?”
“We just came to have a couple beers at our favorite inn,” Lucas said. “Did you think we were coming to hang out with you?”
I balked. “Why would you ever think I’d want to hang out, Lucas?”
He disregarded my comment. “Ready for trial number one?”
“Absolutely.” I wasn’t ready. I still hadn’t changed into my wolf form-I hadn’t even tried. I’d been too busy licking my wounds from paintballing to worry about much else. I’d worry about it tomorrow, and if by Saturday I couldn’t change, I’d fake an illness. They wouldn’t force me to compete sick.
Or would they?
Lucas rubbed his hands. “So…excited to go back to L. A.?”
“Why is everyone so convinced I’m going to lose? And don’t you dare say it’s because I’m a girl.”
His stupid grin widened.
“Leave her alone.” Liam shoved Lucas toward the revolving doors just as a black limo pulled into the driveway
My ride had arrived. I traipsed down toward it. An impressively large driver came out and drew the back door open for me.
I thanked him and got in.