The Arrangement Anthology (27 page)

CHAPTER
8

Being an escort is different than being a call girl. This is much less nerve racking. Actually, I feel okay, aside from the resentment that’s floating in my stomach at having to work for free. But, it’s my own fault. I shouldn’t have thrown that money back at Sean. It just made everything worse. I’m not even sure what the point was anyway.

No, that’s a lie. I knew what the point was and I’m so stupid that I’d do it again. I’m good like that. I don’t learn lessons the way I should. My music teacher pointed this out to me when I was in fourth grade.
It’s not that I couldn’t learn, it was that I refused to change my way of thinking. I thought Bach was a whiny bastard—I still do—so I played the music that way. I never learned to see that things aren’t always the way I thought they’d be.

I though
t Sean would say he loved me. I’m a slow learner.

Maybe it’s more than that. Maybe I just
like to root for the underdog. I hoped that Sean could overcome whatever was holding him back—guess I was wrong about that. No, I
know
I was wrong. The man is hollow. Every last bit of him is heartless. Sex is sex and nothing more. It reflects how severely broken he really is.

Why is
it that I feel the need to fix every wounded person I find? Why do I so carelessly lump guys into the poor puppy dog category? I shouldn’t. Some of them like the way they are—and there’s my damnation, my weak link—
some
of them. It’s like I can’t admit that some people don’t want to be saved, that they like being broken. Or maybe it’s even more malicious than that—maybe they act a certain way on purpose. We all protect our hearts. That part isn’t unusual. Sean just…

I banish the thoughts that
are plaguing me. They’re poison. Sean is gone and I’m better without him. I know this, but I don’t feel it inside of me. There’s a certainty in knowing the truth. It locks into your bones and you can feel it. I don’t feel better off without him, not yet—it’s pure cognition that is disconnected from my heart. It’s a thought and nothing else.

I glance out the window
of the car. The night air is warmer than usual. People fill the sidewalks and linger outside. It’s a lovely night with bright stars thrown against an inky sky. The moon is delicately perched like a sliver of silver just over the city.

Gabe drives the car and explains that we are picking up Henry Thomas. “Since your services are
as an escort, this arrangement allows you both to keep your private lives private. I pick you up at Black’s and then pick him up at the hotel.” Gabe is all brute strength. But, he grips the steering wheel and moves through traffic like a ballerina with grace. There are no jerky lane changes, no blaring horn—not from Gabe. He surprises me.

Smiling, I say,
“That and pulling up in my normal car would have freaked him out.”

Gabe laughs
unexpectedly. It’s the kind of laugh that sticks in your chest and makes your body heave and cough. He glances at me in the rearview mirror. “You’re a funny kid, you know that?”

“Yeah, I tend to make jokes when there’s nothing left to laugh about.” I smile,
but it fades quickly. I suck my bottom lip into my mouth and chew it. The remnants of nervous habits never seem to fade. They poke their heads out at the strangest times.

Gabe stops at a light. He
glances up at me in the mirror as he speaks. “Yeah, ain’t that the truth?” Something changes. I don’t know what, but I see that look in his eyes. Gabe turns in his seat and says more candidly, “Listen, I don’t pretend that it’s my place, but the boss is kind of miffed at you. I like you. I’ve liked you since day one, so I gotta say that you need to make sure tonight goes smooth. No hiccups. You owe too much money. Things’ll get dirty if you can’t work it off, and I don’t want that for you. You get what I’m telling you?”

My eyes drift from the mirror. “I get it.”

A somber feeling snakes out of my stomach and into every inch of my body. I can’t imagine how I could mess up tonight. I’m confident that I won’t make a mistake, that tonight will go smoothly.

I was so utterly wrong that it’s unfathomable.

CHAPTER
9

The car slows in front of a sleek hotel with hundreds of glowing windows. Gabe tells me that he’ll be back and slips out of the car. I slide across the seat to make room for my fake date. From the picture I saw, I know Henry Thomas is in his mid-thirties and all lean muscle. He has that distinct runner’s body, complete with trim waist and narrow hips.

In his picture, Henry’
s arms were folded over his chest. There was a smirk on his lips—like he intends to know my deepest secret and that he’ll enjoy teasing it out of me. Henry is an attractive man, although he’s older than my normal preference. Since I don’t have to sleep with him, I don’t mind. I’ve never really had a relationship with someone so much older than me. All my friends are college age. The oldest is a seventh-year-senior that’s coming up on twenty-six. I wonder what Henry will be like compared to the people I know.

Henry
steps out of the front doors of the hotel and strides toward the car with that same smirk on his face. I wonder if that smile is always there, so easily strewn across his face?

Gabe says something to him, and Henry inclines his head before the car door opens and he ducks inside.
When Henry settles into his seat and looks up, my heart races a little bit. He doesn’t look older than me now. His eyes sparkle like sunlight on the sea. The deep gray color is so unusual that I stare at him a beat longer than I should.

He extends his hand and says, “Henry Thomas. Please
, call me Henry.”

I wrap my fingers around his hand and shake. I nod once. “A
llison Stanz.” That is my alias tonight. No real names is the normal rule, but since we are supposed to be a couple, it would be difficult to have a conversation—or an introduction to his business associate—without having a first name, so Miss Black said I am Allison.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Allison.” Henry looks up after Gabe gets back into the car. “Head toward the restaurant, but take your time about it.” Gabe nods and pulls into the traffic. Henry looks back at me in my blood red gown. His eyes sweep
over me swiftly before landing on my face. “You’re a beautiful woman.”

I smile slightly and tease him. “You sound surprised.”

“Pictures can be deceiving.” His lips curl into a boyish grin. “I suppose you hear this a lot, but you honestly took my breath away. I expected…” Henry sighs and runs his hand through his hair. His silvery eyes sweep over me again before he glances at my face, “I don’t know what I expected.” He laughs. I hear the nerves in his chuckle and want to put him at ease. The jitters don’t help either of us.

I place my hand on his and say, “
It’s okay. I’m glad you’re not an ugg-o, either,” and wink at him before leaning back in my seat.

Henry laughs. His smile lights up his face, creasing the lines around the corners of his eyes. “Oh, tonight is going to be fun.” He rubs his palms together and
chuckles again, like he can’t wait.

“May I ask what the night entails?” I shift in my seat and smooth my skirt. I can’t really breathe
in this dress and hope that I won’t have to think too hard. There isn’t any oxygen going to my brain. I think the gown is shoving all the air into my boobs. I can barely see my lap from here.

“The usual, dinner, dancing, and talking to a complete ass and trying to get him to sell me his patent. You
know, nothing too weird.” Henry leans back in his seat and lets out a rush of air like he’s nervous. “This guy is an arrogant son-of-a-bitch. He’s young and I know that’s part of it. The guy is a certifiable genius. The technology he came up with is perfect, exactly what my company needs. I just have to get him to sell it to me and not someone else.”

“Ah, so tonight is to butter him up? Or do we want to smack him over the head with a frying pan
and toss him into the fire? Just tell me what you need and I’m there.” I’m half serious, half kidding. I glance up at Henry after smoothing my skirt. For some reason I think it’ll help me breathe, even though it doesn’t.

There’s an easy way about Henry, like he knows how to h
andle himself most of the time. “You’d whack him for me?” Henry looks up front and asks Gabe, “Did I call the wrong number? Did you people set me up with an escort or a femme fatal?”

“Miss
Stanz is not authorized to whack anyone,” Gabe says flatly. He doesn’t look at us.

“Ah, well, that’s brilliant.”
Henry’s voice catches and I hear a wisp of an accent.

“Where are you from?”

“Oxford, originally—England.”

I smile at him, at the way he seems certain and uncertain at the same time. It’s kind of endearing. “You mean that big island across the pond? Yeah, I know it.”

“You’ve been?” he asks, interest flashing across his face.

“Once, yes.
I got to hear the Beatles sing, and eat fish and chips next to Twining’s Teashop...” I don’t mean to tease him, so I’m not sure why I am. Henry looks confused. “At Epcot.” I feel bad two seconds after I say it. “I’m sorry. I’m just kidding. I’m a little nervous.”

“Could have fooled me, and a little humor never killed anyone.” He winks at me and adds, “Besides
, life’s too damn short to be dull. Just don’t offend Patent Boy and you’ll be bloody brilliant tonight. That dress alone is enough to distract him. Listen, at the end of the night, if the man is still foolish enough to withhold his plans, I want you to dance with him and see if you can get him to talk.”

I nod slowly. “So, I’m posing as your date—”

“My fiancé.”

“
Your fiancé,” I repeat, and add, “And I’m here to help keep things from turning adversarial, and if all else fails, you want me to try and butter him up?”

“Exactly
, love. A good night would be conversation, food, and a deal for that gizmo of his. A bad night would end with Patent Boy running off the way he usually does when things don’t go his way. That’s where you come in. You just keep him from leaving—apologize for me being ass, and that kind of thing. It’s all a game anyway. The man is as aware of that fact as I am.”

The car turns a corner and I see the restaurant.  “So, keep him there, help him mellow out
, and that kind of thing?” Henry nods. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, why not.”

“Why’d you hire me to do this?” I ask. “It seems like the kind of thing that a friend could have done.”

“Maybe,” H
enry replies, studying my face. I don’t feel like his possession. Call girls and escorts don’t seem to be his normal kind of thing. “But this way, I am sure to stack the odds in my favor. I heard the man favors New York women, beautiful brunettes, stacked with curves, and a bit of a sassy lip. I think I hit the jackpot. I’ve never been so glad I called for a girl in my entire life. With any bit of luck, I’ll walk out with the deal tonight, and you—my lovely date— will be rewarded.”

My heart is pounding and I don’t know why. When the car stops, I feel a chill slink down my spine. Glancing at Henry, I ignore the premonition. He’s so excited and my
job sounds so easy—flirt with the patent man a little bit and make this more of a social gathering. That, I can do.

Henry steps out of the car and I follow. He leans in and whispers in my ear, “I’m serious about the reward. Help me win this guy over and I’ll triple your fee.”

Smiling at him, I say, “Sounds perfect. Lead the way Mr. Thomas, love of my life.”

I’m smiling now. I can’t help it. The past week has been so goddamn awful and tonight feels promising. This is something I can totally do and Mel was right about it feeling like a date. This guy has an agenda and needed someone to help him make it happen. I feel perfectly comfortable and take his arm.

Henry kisses me on the cheek. “For good luck.”

“Come on, let’s get you nailed—I mean, nail that contract.” He
nry’s laughing and so am I.

It feels comfortable, familiar
, even though I have no idea who he is. Henry could be some serial killer with really good manners and a sexy accent for all I know.

Gabe
comes inside. He’s a few steps behind us and passes by to sit at the bar. I’m under observation tonight, but it doesn’t make me nervous, not anymore. Now that I know exactly what I have to do, I intend to do it.

Henry walks to the podium at the font of the
restaurant. He walks by several people that are waiting and nods at the host. The slim man is older with silvery hair slicked back and big black bushy eyebrows. The permanent scowl on his face is intimidating. It makes me wonder how old patent man is and if I can convincingly flirt with him. The aroma of fine food and yeasty bread fills my head. Blue flames are dancing in a fireplace that extends down an entire wall of the restaurant. It’s an amazing thing to see.

Henry smiles at me. I can tell that nervous flitters
are racing through him. After a few moments, a waiter comes over and offers to escort us to our table. I follow along with Henry, my hand wrapped around his arm. Eyes fall on me as we move through the restaurant, but I’m not looking at them. Something in front of me has my full attention. My heart pounds violently in my chest, like it wants to pry apart my bones and crawl out.

Glancing around the waiter, I see a man sitting alone at a large table.
His eyes are lowered and his head is tipped downward, like he’s reading something on the table. Dark messy hair conceals his face, but I know that hair. I know those shoulders and those cheeks covered in light stubble.
This can’t be happening
, runs nonstop through my mind. But it is happening and there’s no way to stop it. It’s like watching a train wreck. You see the two forces speeding toward each other, and they’re on a collision course. I swallow hard, trying to keep my pleasant face intact when we stop in front of the table.

Henry steps around the waiter and extends his hand, “Mr. Ferro, good to see you again. When I heard you were delayed in New York, I couldn’t believe my luck.”

Sean’s eyes lift slowly. He has amber liquid in a crystal glass, no ice. When his gaze falls on Henry Thomas, he seems all right, but when his eyes shift to me—
awh, fuck
. It’s everything I can manage to stand there and act like nothing is wrong. I’m fucked; like totally, miserably fucked. There’s no way tonight is going to turn out well. There is no way that Sean is going to act like he doesn’t know me. I told him to screw off the other day at the beach.

I hate
Sean in that moment. I want to scream and yell, but I don’t. I can’t. I stand there with my plastic expression, pulled into a fake smile. Every ounce of dread that flows through my body is hidden by that grin, but it’s so fake that it wants to crack like a piece of dried out plastic.

T
he final straw falling. This will be the end of me. I’ll find out what Miss Black intends to do about my debt. I’ll find out what Gabe meant in the car earlier. There’s no way back, not now—not ever.

Sean stands and extends his hand to Henry and I. “Sit, please make yourselves comfortable. I took the liberty of ordering desserts since the chocolate
soufflé here is worth crossing the pond for, is it not?” Sean smiles broadly at Henry.

They chatter more and we are all seated around the little table. A single candle flickers calmly in the center. My eyes fixate on the tiny flame. I wonder if I could knock the thing over and make it look like an accident. Then, I’d need to run to
Schenectady and change my name to Mary Higgins or something.

Damn it
. What do I do? Why hasn’t Sean said anything? My stomach twists tighter and tighter until I feel like I’ve been turned inside out.

I
realize I zoned out and didn’t hear half of what they said. Henry is gently touching the top of my hand. “Sweetheart, Mr. Ferro asked you a question.”

I blink and my attention snaps to the hand touching mine, then
up to Henry’s face. I can’t look at Sean. I can’t. “I’m sorry. It’s rather warm in here.” I take a breath and let it out slowly. It would help if I could actually inhale, but I can’t. The dress is so damn tight.

“Please, call me Sean.” Sean is leaning back in his seat. He looks stunning. The stubble on his
cheeks is perfect. His hair has that naturally messy look that I find so appealing, but it’s his sapphire eyes that undo me. As soon as I glance up, I regret it, but I can’t ignore him any longer. For some reason, Sean hasn’t ratted me out—not yet. “And, it is rather stifling in here, Ms. Stanz. There’s a balcony around back that overlooks the park. You could walk the terrace and catch your breath, if you need a moment.” Sean holds my gaze as he says it. Each word feels like a nail in my throat. I’m transfixed by his voice, lost in his gaze.

I
shake the sensations shooting through me away. “I’m all right, although it sounds lovely.” I smile at him and find my footing again. I’m worried about him blowing my cover, but I’m not doing a half-assed job and spending the whole night worrying about it. Today’s the day that I’ll have no regrets. I’ll do the best I can and that’s all I can hope for.

Henry and Sean order the food. I have no idea how to read the menu
, since it’s not in English. I’ve never felt so stupid in my life. Henry leans in when the first plate is brought out and whispers in my ear, “It’s squid and snails in a wine reduction. Try it.”