grinned. “Yours.”
“Don’t play with me.”
“I’m not. This is your new crib, mamacita.”
“What?” Tamia glanced around in shocked disbelief. “I can’t afford this!”
“You don’t have to. Not for a while, anyway.”
She looked at Lou as if he’d lost his damn mind. “Come again?”
He chuckled softly. “The apartment is leased by one of my clients, who had to leave unexpectedly for Singapore. When I told him I was looking for a place for you, he offered to let you stay here while he’s gone. The lease is already paid up through a year, so all you have to cover are your utilities.”
Suppressing a thrill of excitement, Tamia gave Lou a suspicious look. “It sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”
He laughed. “Why does there have to be a catch?”
“ Are you serious ? I just got out of prison. I have no money and no job, yet you’re telling me that I can post up in this fully furnished luxury apartment—rent free—for a whole year? Come on, Lou. Do you honestly expect me to believe there’s no catch?” She eyed him skeptically, lips twisted to one side.
“Why are you being so suspicious?” he protested, shaking his head at her. “Haven’t I always looked out for you? When you told me you needed to find a new place to live, did you think I’d let you move to the projects or some low-rent apartment complex? You deserve better than that.” He gestured grandly around. “You deserve One Park Place.”
At the mention of the ritzy address, Tamia’s eyes widened. “Is that where we are? One Park Place?”
Lou grinned. “That’s right.”
As if needing confirmation, Tamia hurried over to the windows and gazed out at the glistening skyscrapers that defined the downtown skyline. When she worked at Richards Carruth, she’d often fantasized about living in one of the luxury high-rises that she passed on her way to the office every day. She couldn’t believe her fantasy was about to become a reality. There had to be a catch.
As Lou joined her at the windows, she remarked, “Your client must be pretty wealthy to afford a place like this.”
“He is,” Lou confirmed. “But the company he works for is paying for the apartment, not him.”
“Ohhhkay,” Tamia said, drawing out the word slowly. “So since they sent him to Singapore for the next year, won’t they want a refund on the lease?”
“Nah. You know how these corporations work. They get huge tax write-offs for leasing corporate apartments. Besides, my client told them he wants to keep the place for his mistress.” Lou grinned. “Having a love nest is one of the perks of being a top executive.”
“I guess so,” Tamia said sardonically. “But he’d better not show up here one day expecting to get some pussy.”
Lou laughed, kissing the top of her head. “He won’t, mamacita. He knows better.”
“Good.” Tamia hesitated, searching Lou’s hazel eyes. “When are you going to tell me about your new business venture?”
He held her gaze for a long moment, then said, “Come on. Let’s have a seat.”
He took her hand and led her over to the white sofa, which was so elegant and pristine that Tamia was almost afraid to sit down. As she did, she ran her hand over the plush fabric and realized that she could get very used to living here.
Don’t get ahead of yourself , an inner voice warned. Hear what Lou has to say before you make any decisions about taking the apartment.
Still holding on to her other hand, Lou looked her in the eye and said, “I run an escort agency.”
Tamia blinked at him. “You run a what ?”
“An escort agency.”
“Are you serious? That’s your new line of work?”
“Yup.” Releasing her hand, Lou leaned back against the sofa and stretched out his long legs.
“How did that happen?” Tamia asked.
“When the studio went bankrupt, I found myself stuck with all these beautiful actresses who still wanted to work for me. So that’s when I came up with the idea
“Don’t play with me.”
“I’m not. This is your new crib, mamacita.”
“What?” Tamia glanced around in shocked disbelief. “I can’t afford this!”
“You don’t have to. Not for a while, anyway.”
She looked at Lou as if he’d lost his damn mind. “Come again?”
He chuckled softly. “The apartment is leased by one of my clients, who had to leave unexpectedly for Singapore. When I told him I was looking for a place for you, he offered to let you stay here while he’s gone. The lease is already paid up through a year, so all you have to cover are your utilities.”
Suppressing a thrill of excitement, Tamia gave Lou a suspicious look. “It sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?”
He laughed. “Why does there have to be a catch?”
“ Are you serious ? I just got out of prison. I have no money and no job, yet you’re telling me that I can post up in this fully furnished luxury apartment—rent free—for a whole year? Come on, Lou. Do you honestly expect me to believe there’s no catch?” She eyed him skeptically, lips twisted to one side.
“Why are you being so suspicious?” he protested, shaking his head at her. “Haven’t I always looked out for you? When you told me you needed to find a new place to live, did you think I’d let you move to the projects or some low-rent apartment complex? You deserve better than that.” He gestured grandly around. “You deserve One Park Place.”
At the mention of the ritzy address, Tamia’s eyes widened. “Is that where we are? One Park Place?”
Lou grinned. “That’s right.”
As if needing confirmation, Tamia hurried over to the windows and gazed out at the glistening skyscrapers that defined the downtown skyline. When she worked at Richards Carruth, she’d often fantasized about living in one of the luxury high-rises that she passed on her way to the office every day. She couldn’t believe her fantasy was about to become a reality. There had to be a catch.
As Lou joined her at the windows, she remarked, “Your client must be pretty wealthy to afford a place like this.”
“He is,” Lou confirmed. “But the company he works for is paying for the apartment, not him.”
“Ohhhkay,” Tamia said, drawing out the word slowly. “So since they sent him to Singapore for the next year, won’t they want a refund on the lease?”
“Nah. You know how these corporations work. They get huge tax write-offs for leasing corporate apartments. Besides, my client told them he wants to keep the place for his mistress.” Lou grinned. “Having a love nest is one of the perks of being a top executive.”
“I guess so,” Tamia said sardonically. “But he’d better not show up here one day expecting to get some pussy.”
Lou laughed, kissing the top of her head. “He won’t, mamacita. He knows better.”
“Good.” Tamia hesitated, searching Lou’s hazel eyes. “When are you going to tell me about your new business venture?”
He held her gaze for a long moment, then said, “Come on. Let’s have a seat.”
He took her hand and led her over to the white sofa, which was so elegant and pristine that Tamia was almost afraid to sit down. As she did, she ran her hand over the plush fabric and realized that she could get very used to living here.
Don’t get ahead of yourself , an inner voice warned. Hear what Lou has to say before you make any decisions about taking the apartment.
Still holding on to her other hand, Lou looked her in the eye and said, “I run an escort agency.”
Tamia blinked at him. “You run a what ?”
“An escort agency.”
“Are you serious? That’s your new line of work?”
“Yup.” Releasing her hand, Lou leaned back against the sofa and stretched out his long legs.
“How did that happen?” Tamia asked.
“When the studio went bankrupt, I found myself stuck with all these beautiful actresses who still wanted to work for me. So that’s when I came up with the idea
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