He’s curious now and watching me. He’s also picked up my hand and is stroking my thumb. I force my heart beat to slow. Obviously, he’s used to touching people, considering his profession. This doesn’t mean anything special. He’s just being sweet.
“I don’t know,” I mumble. “Well, actually I do. Sara talked me into it.”
He nods. “Red-headed friend from the other night?”
I nod.
“Figures,” he mutters. Then he looks at me again. “You don’t need to do shit like this, Allison. You’re beautiful the way you are. God invented razors for a reason- to use. You don’t need to get waxed.”
I smile for the first time this evening.
“I might love you now,” I announce. And he grins.
“Don’t get too attached,” he kids. “I never fall in love with clients.”
And even though he was joking, his words hit home with me. I’m a client. I pay him to be nice to me. What the hell am I doing?
Shade looks at my expression. “I was just kidding!” he says quickly. “I mean, I don’t date clients on a personal basis…but…”
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “You don’t have to explain. How did you get started in this job, anyway?”
He settles back on my cushions and stares at the ceiling, biting his lip for a second as he thinks.
“I don’t know. I had a friend who talked me into it. I’m a guy, and of course, I like to have sex. It seemed like a good idea. My dad wanted me to go into the business field and I don’t think that’s for me. But I don’t know what I want to do yet.”
I think about that.
“Did you go to college?”
“Yep. I graduated with a degree in Sociology. I don’t know that I want to go to graduate school, but my father is convinced that I need an MBA.”
I stare down at his leg, which is pressed against mine. His is strong and long.
“You don’t need an MBA if you don’t want to go into business,” I tell him. “But it wouldn’t hurt to have in case you do eventually decide to go down that road. You’re still young. You’ll figure it out.”
“I know,” he tells me, turning onto his side and pushing a stray lock of my hair behind my ear. “I have confidence in that. My father is the one who doesn’t.”
“Oh, he’ll come around,” I say absently as I look down at Shade’s gorgeous body. I still can’t quite believe I have a sexy guy like him on my bed right now and I am completely out of commission. I curse every sex god that there is.
Shade sits up and pokes at the tea bags. “These are cool enough now. Hold still.”
He arranges the wet, clumpy bags on my bald, bald vagina.
“Let these sit for a while,” he instructs. “Something about them soothes the skin. I can’t remember why. But I do know that it works.”
“Okay,” I answer, because honestly, it feels better already. “This is a whole new definition of tea-bagging, you know.”
He laughs, true amusement passing over his face which causes his gorgeous eyes to sparkle. It reminds me of how young he is.
“I should go before Sophie comes home,” he says. “Thank you for letting me get my watch.”
“Thank you for rubbing aloe onto my vagina,” I answer.
He grins. “Surprisingly, that’s something I don’t hear every day.”
I laugh and my phone rings.
I start to reach for it and wince.
Shade shakes his head and retrieves it, handing it to me.
“Hello?” I answer. Shade motions toward the bathroom. I shake my head. Of course he can use it. His penis has been inside of my body. It isn’t a problem for it to be inside of my bathroom, too.
“Allison? It’s Brian. From work.”
I freeze.
Oh God. Not right now. Really?? Right now, when I am lying with my female business exposed and rubbed with aloe and covered in wet tea bags, and while my gigolo is within hearing distance? What kind of sick joke is Fate trying to play on me? But of course I don’t say that.
“Hi Brian,” I say instead.
“Hey, I hope this isn’t a bad time. But I was thinking about you today. And I know it’s hard after a divorce to get back out there. And I’ve been through that. So I just thought I’d ask you to dinner. If you’d like.”
Long pause.
There is no way that this is coincidental. But the question is, how did Sara get to him? This is her handiwork. I can feel it.
But worse, I can feel Brian’s nervousness. He is nervous about calling me and I find that I can’t bring myself to reject him. Even though Shade has emerged from the bathroom now and is leaning against the doorway watching me with interest.
“Oh. Um. Yes. I’d love to. Just a friendly dinner? That would be fun.”
That was me, subtly pointing out that we would be going out as friends.
I hope he gets the point.
“Absolutely,” he answers, obviously relieved. “Just a friendly dinner. Friday night?”
“Sure,” I answer.
“Great. We can settle the details later. Have a great night, Allison.”
“You too, Brian.”
We hang up and I want to throw my phone.
“Freaking Sara!” I grouse. Shade looks even more interested, so I explain. And he’s amused. I’m not so much.
“This could be fun,” he assures me. “Trust me. Weren’t you going to make an appointment with me on Friday night?”
I look at him, not seeing his point.
“Yes. But I still can… I’ll just go to dinner first.”
Shade nods, a mischievous light in his blue, blue eyes.
“You sure will,” he says and I am instantly nervous.
“What are you thinking?” I ask. If I weren’t in so much pain still, I would back away slowly.
“I’m going to send you something,” he tells me. “It will be fun. I want you to wear it when you go out on your date with Brian—before you come see me. Do you promise?”