silence. I finish first, still not used to getting food so easily. When Andrew is done, he gets some cash from his wallet and leaves it on the table.
“Ready?” he asks, standing.
I take a deep breath. “Ready.”
Quinn
I’m crying. I didn’t think it would be this hard to leave Bethy. She clung to me when I left the room five minutes ago. It was her brave smile when she finally let go that did me in.
Dawson ignores my tearstained face when he stands up from a bench in the hotel lobby.
“Quinn,” he says. “Good to see you again. You must’ve done well.”
I shrug.
“We have a lot to do today,” he says.
“It’s not your day off either, then?”
He laughs. “Sunday is my only day off.”
“Is Andrew demanding?”
He leads the way to a dark SUV parked in front of the hotel and opens the door for me. After he slides in next to me and the driver pulls away from the curb, he answers.
“That’s a tough one. I suppose he is. He wants what he wants when he wants it, and he wants it done just right. But he pays his people exceptionally well.”
Don’t I know it. I’m officially one of his people since I accepted the blank check that was delivered to the hotel’s front desk in an envelope addressed to me earlier. It was harder than I’d expected it would be to pass that check over to Bean.
I trust Bean, sure, but money has never been on the table. Survival is all we’ve ever considered. And now that I’ve given him ten thousand dollars, will he remain honorable? It would be so easy for him to disappear and leave my sister high and dry.
I’d whispered in her ear as we hugged that she should go to Anna if anything went wrong. I planned to check in with Anna every day to see if Bethy had contacted her.
“So,” Dawson says. “We’ll be getting you clothes, shoes, makeup and a mani/pedi today. I’m having your cell phone delivered to Andrew’s office, and he’ll bring it home for you.”
“I don’t need a cell phone.”
“Yes, you do.”
I shake my head. Guess I’ll just take it and never use it.
“Next week we’re going to the doctor and dentist.”
“The dentist?” I balk at that one. “And the doctor? I’m perfectly healthy.”
“You need to get on the birth control shot.”
I look at the rearview mirror to see if that statement gets me a glance from the driver. Nothing.
“Oh,” I say, my cheeks warming, “but . . .” I can’t complete the sentence; it’s too embarrassing. I hardly know the two men in earshot, and I don’t want to discuss sex semantics with them.
“What?” Dawson prods.
“You know, I just figured we could use . . . I mean, he could use . . .”
“Ah. No. He wants it this way. I have his clean bill of health from the doctor to put your mind at rest. He just had a blood test a couple weeks ago.”
Well, with twelve women before me . . . yeah, I could see how he’d need to be tested regularly.
“Why am I talking about this with you instead of him?” I ask, my cheeks still burning. “It’s kind of . . . intimate.”
“I’m Andrew’s right hand. I take care of all the details in his life he doesn’t have time for.”
I hum my dissatisfaction with that. “Like me?”
“Yes. Make no mistake, Quinn, this isn’t love. And it never will be.”
“I don’t want him to love me. I just figured for what he’s spending—”
“It’s pocket change to a man like him. He can hire people for his every need. I’m one of them, and you’re another.”
I sit back in my seat, feeling rebuked.
“I hope that doesn’t seem harsh,” Dawson says. “I’m just looking out for you. If you feel like you’re the next Pretty Woman . . . don’t.”
I scoff. “Trust me, I know what men are about. I’m here for six months and not a day longer.”
The driver slows to a stop. I reach for my door handle, but Dawson stops me with a light touch to my arm.
“Let the driver get it.”
I want to open my own door, but I decide to choose my
“Ready?” he asks, standing.
I take a deep breath. “Ready.”
Quinn
I’m crying. I didn’t think it would be this hard to leave Bethy. She clung to me when I left the room five minutes ago. It was her brave smile when she finally let go that did me in.
Dawson ignores my tearstained face when he stands up from a bench in the hotel lobby.
“Quinn,” he says. “Good to see you again. You must’ve done well.”
I shrug.
“We have a lot to do today,” he says.
“It’s not your day off either, then?”
He laughs. “Sunday is my only day off.”
“Is Andrew demanding?”
He leads the way to a dark SUV parked in front of the hotel and opens the door for me. After he slides in next to me and the driver pulls away from the curb, he answers.
“That’s a tough one. I suppose he is. He wants what he wants when he wants it, and he wants it done just right. But he pays his people exceptionally well.”
Don’t I know it. I’m officially one of his people since I accepted the blank check that was delivered to the hotel’s front desk in an envelope addressed to me earlier. It was harder than I’d expected it would be to pass that check over to Bean.
I trust Bean, sure, but money has never been on the table. Survival is all we’ve ever considered. And now that I’ve given him ten thousand dollars, will he remain honorable? It would be so easy for him to disappear and leave my sister high and dry.
I’d whispered in her ear as we hugged that she should go to Anna if anything went wrong. I planned to check in with Anna every day to see if Bethy had contacted her.
“So,” Dawson says. “We’ll be getting you clothes, shoes, makeup and a mani/pedi today. I’m having your cell phone delivered to Andrew’s office, and he’ll bring it home for you.”
“I don’t need a cell phone.”
“Yes, you do.”
I shake my head. Guess I’ll just take it and never use it.
“Next week we’re going to the doctor and dentist.”
“The dentist?” I balk at that one. “And the doctor? I’m perfectly healthy.”
“You need to get on the birth control shot.”
I look at the rearview mirror to see if that statement gets me a glance from the driver. Nothing.
“Oh,” I say, my cheeks warming, “but . . .” I can’t complete the sentence; it’s too embarrassing. I hardly know the two men in earshot, and I don’t want to discuss sex semantics with them.
“What?” Dawson prods.
“You know, I just figured we could use . . . I mean, he could use . . .”
“Ah. No. He wants it this way. I have his clean bill of health from the doctor to put your mind at rest. He just had a blood test a couple weeks ago.”
Well, with twelve women before me . . . yeah, I could see how he’d need to be tested regularly.
“Why am I talking about this with you instead of him?” I ask, my cheeks still burning. “It’s kind of . . . intimate.”
“I’m Andrew’s right hand. I take care of all the details in his life he doesn’t have time for.”
I hum my dissatisfaction with that. “Like me?”
“Yes. Make no mistake, Quinn, this isn’t love. And it never will be.”
“I don’t want him to love me. I just figured for what he’s spending—”
“It’s pocket change to a man like him. He can hire people for his every need. I’m one of them, and you’re another.”
I sit back in my seat, feeling rebuked.
“I hope that doesn’t seem harsh,” Dawson says. “I’m just looking out for you. If you feel like you’re the next Pretty Woman . . . don’t.”
I scoff. “Trust me, I know what men are about. I’m here for six months and not a day longer.”
The driver slows to a stop. I reach for my door handle, but Dawson stops me with a light touch to my arm.
“Let the driver get it.”
I want to open my own door, but I decide to choose my
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