direction, he found a group of shady men lighting up and Talia
accepting a cigarette from the shortest in the group. He marched to
her and slapped the cigarette from her hand.
“What
the fuck?” Talia scowled at him and walked away from the men in
the opposite direction of the club.
Landon
followed her, but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t let
her continue to walk in this direction alone. She was downtown after
hours and all sorts of unsavory people were known to linger about.
At
the next corner, Talia turned and Landon followed, completely taken
by surprise that she was now heading in the direction of his
apartment building. “Where are you going?”
“Leave
me alone.” She kept walking on, gradually picking up speed.
“Are
you crazy? I’m not leaving you alone out here. Do you know what
kind of weirdos lurk in alleys and dark corners at this time of
night?”
“Yeah,
ones named Landon. Now leave me alone.”
“No.
I’m not going to leave you alone just so that I can see your
dead body on the morning news tomorrow. As long as you insist on
walking these streets, I’m going to stay right behind you and
make sure you’re safe.”
“Damn
it.” Talia stopped, leaning against the nearby ecru brick, the
brick of Landon’s apartment building. She clasped her hands
behind her neck and asked, “What do you want from me?”
Landon
stood frozen, briefly staring up at his bedroom window and rubbing
his hand over the stubble on his chin. He couldn’t tell her
what he really wanted: to simply get her under him and get her out of
his system. She had no idea who he was so he would have to go about
this a little more delicately. Finally putting thoughts in motion, he
answered, “A date.”
Talia
hooted, “A date? You’re kidding, right?”
“Not
at all. I would like a date with you,” he smiled, “tomorrow
night.”
“No.”
She stepped away from the wall and began pacing. “No way.”
“It’s
either that, or I keep ruining every Friday evening for you.”
Knowing it was habit for Talia and her friends to go to Satin on Fridays was to his advantage.
“Who
says I can’t stop going to Satin ?
You can’t blackmail me into going on a date with you.”
“Wouldn’t
your friends wonder why they couldn’t go back to the club they
seem to love so much? Would you really spoil their fun just to avoid
one person?” Landon was playing dirty, but he had to pull out
all the stops.
“Ugh.
I can’t believe this,” she muttered to herself and Landon
had to stifle a chuckle before he stopped her from what he knew came
next. “If I agree to one date will you leave me alone?”
A
smirk of victory pooled across his face. “If you never want to
see me again, I’ll leave you alone.”
Chewing
her lip, Talia looked up into his eyes. “One date. Tomorrow
night.” She paused to watch a small throaty
sports car drive by. “At Sergio’s on the east side. Do
you know where that is?”
Landon
nodded, his shit eating grin nearly cracking his face. “Yeah.
Eight o’clock okay?”
“Fine.”
Talia began walking back toward the club, not waiting for Landon to
follow.
“Thank
you,” he spoke softly, sweetly. Now that he had her in
submission he couldn’t be cocky and push her away. They walked
in silence back to the club where Camey, Sara, and Reina were waiting
on the curb. “Looks like you’re safe. I guess I’ll
head home.”
“That’s
it?”
He
smiled. “For now.” He kissed her cheek and, lingering
close to her, said, “See you tomorrow, Petal.”
Chapter 3
For the First Time
Sirens
blared on the busy Dallas streets below Landon’s bedroom
window. Even four floors up, he could hear the hustle and bustle of
the morning traffic below. He had been lying in bed for almost an
hour just staring at the ceiling recalling his walk with Talia. What
evil fate had her stopping at his front door? It was like destiny was
playing a sick joke on him. If she’d known he was an escort,
Landon wasn’t
accepting a cigarette from the shortest in the group. He marched to
her and slapped the cigarette from her hand.
“What
the fuck?” Talia scowled at him and walked away from the men in
the opposite direction of the club.
Landon
followed her, but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t let
her continue to walk in this direction alone. She was downtown after
hours and all sorts of unsavory people were known to linger about.
At
the next corner, Talia turned and Landon followed, completely taken
by surprise that she was now heading in the direction of his
apartment building. “Where are you going?”
“Leave
me alone.” She kept walking on, gradually picking up speed.
“Are
you crazy? I’m not leaving you alone out here. Do you know what
kind of weirdos lurk in alleys and dark corners at this time of
night?”
“Yeah,
ones named Landon. Now leave me alone.”
“No.
I’m not going to leave you alone just so that I can see your
dead body on the morning news tomorrow. As long as you insist on
walking these streets, I’m going to stay right behind you and
make sure you’re safe.”
“Damn
it.” Talia stopped, leaning against the nearby ecru brick, the
brick of Landon’s apartment building. She clasped her hands
behind her neck and asked, “What do you want from me?”
Landon
stood frozen, briefly staring up at his bedroom window and rubbing
his hand over the stubble on his chin. He couldn’t tell her
what he really wanted: to simply get her under him and get her out of
his system. She had no idea who he was so he would have to go about
this a little more delicately. Finally putting thoughts in motion, he
answered, “A date.”
Talia
hooted, “A date? You’re kidding, right?”
“Not
at all. I would like a date with you,” he smiled, “tomorrow
night.”
“No.”
She stepped away from the wall and began pacing. “No way.”
“It’s
either that, or I keep ruining every Friday evening for you.”
Knowing it was habit for Talia and her friends to go to Satin on Fridays was to his advantage.
“Who
says I can’t stop going to Satin ?
You can’t blackmail me into going on a date with you.”
“Wouldn’t
your friends wonder why they couldn’t go back to the club they
seem to love so much? Would you really spoil their fun just to avoid
one person?” Landon was playing dirty, but he had to pull out
all the stops.
“Ugh.
I can’t believe this,” she muttered to herself and Landon
had to stifle a chuckle before he stopped her from what he knew came
next. “If I agree to one date will you leave me alone?”
A
smirk of victory pooled across his face. “If you never want to
see me again, I’ll leave you alone.”
Chewing
her lip, Talia looked up into his eyes. “One date. Tomorrow
night.” She paused to watch a small throaty
sports car drive by. “At Sergio’s on the east side. Do
you know where that is?”
Landon
nodded, his shit eating grin nearly cracking his face. “Yeah.
Eight o’clock okay?”
“Fine.”
Talia began walking back toward the club, not waiting for Landon to
follow.
“Thank
you,” he spoke softly, sweetly. Now that he had her in
submission he couldn’t be cocky and push her away. They walked
in silence back to the club where Camey, Sara, and Reina were waiting
on the curb. “Looks like you’re safe. I guess I’ll
head home.”
“That’s
it?”
He
smiled. “For now.” He kissed her cheek and, lingering
close to her, said, “See you tomorrow, Petal.”
Chapter 3
For the First Time
Sirens
blared on the busy Dallas streets below Landon’s bedroom
window. Even four floors up, he could hear the hustle and bustle of
the morning traffic below. He had been lying in bed for almost an
hour just staring at the ceiling recalling his walk with Talia. What
evil fate had her stopping at his front door? It was like destiny was
playing a sick joke on him. If she’d known he was an escort,
Landon wasn’t
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