the boss today.”
I bit my lip. Was this him wanting to be dominated? Would I be in control for as long as I wanted?
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Most, um, ‘dates’ kind of depend on where the customer wants to go, what he wants to do.”
“I think you’ll find this to be unlike most dates you’ve been on,” he said smoothly, taking a melting ice cube from his drink and crunching it between his teeth. “I’ve been out of the game for so long that I don’t know what people even do on dates anymore. That’s why I’m going to have to depend on you to show me a good time, to take me on a date, to renew my faith in human beings again.”
I swallowed. That was kind of a tall order. Renew his faith in human beings again? What had happened to the poor man?
“So you don’t know where we should begin?” I asked hesitantly. “There’s nothing in particular you want to do? Are you hungry?”
“It all depends on you, Sol,” he said happily, putting his hands behind his head. “You need to know where to begin, what to do. Are you hungry? That’s the real question.”
I felt my forehead wrinkle in a way I was sure wasn’t sexy in the least. I tried to puzzle out Xander’s request, tried to figure out what, exactly, it meant for me.
This was a game. This was a business transaction and this was a game. How was I going to play it?
Realization — troublesome but offering some kind of insight — dawned on me.
“I suggest you close out your tab,” I said. “I’m going to go slip into something a little more comfortable and grab my bag, and I’ll meet you right back here in no more than five minutes.”
“A woman with a plan,” Xander said. “I like that, Sol. Perfect. Let’s do this.”
I practically dashed in the direction of the dressing room, making a quick pit stop at the DJ booth.
“Parker,” I called up, not wanting to chance climbing the stairs with my tall heels. “Would you take me off rotation? I’m going to escort.”
Her head popped into view, and she studied me for so long that I was afraid she hadn’t heard me over the music blaring.
“I’m escorting,” I called again, raising my voice even higher.
“I heard you,” she replied coolly. “Who’s the lucky gentleman?”
“Table six, VIP,” I said, jerking my chin in the direction.
I breathed easier when Parker directed her piercing gaze toward Xander, and was gratified, even, when the corners of her mouth quirked up a little.
“Good for you,” she said. “Check in once it’s done, or if you have any issues.”
“All right, thanks,” I said, scooting off to the dressing room. What had Parker seen when she’d eyed Xander? What had made her almost smile? I hoped it was a good sign, and not a bad one — though I could hardly imagine Parker taking delight in the misfortune of anyone. Parker was lots of things, but cruel wasn’t one of them.
In the dressing room, I wiped off most of my makeup, flung my dress off, and wriggled into the jeans and camisole I’d worn when I first arrived at the club this morning. Xander was asking for a first date, and I was going to give it to him. I balled up the dress and shoved it into my purse, along with a pair of heels that could very nearly pass as normal evening wear shoes. I wore plain leather sandals, fretted a little at my chipped toenail polish, and gave myself a quick once-over in the mirror.
I looked like a
I bit my lip. Was this him wanting to be dominated? Would I be in control for as long as I wanted?
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Most, um, ‘dates’ kind of depend on where the customer wants to go, what he wants to do.”
“I think you’ll find this to be unlike most dates you’ve been on,” he said smoothly, taking a melting ice cube from his drink and crunching it between his teeth. “I’ve been out of the game for so long that I don’t know what people even do on dates anymore. That’s why I’m going to have to depend on you to show me a good time, to take me on a date, to renew my faith in human beings again.”
I swallowed. That was kind of a tall order. Renew his faith in human beings again? What had happened to the poor man?
“So you don’t know where we should begin?” I asked hesitantly. “There’s nothing in particular you want to do? Are you hungry?”
“It all depends on you, Sol,” he said happily, putting his hands behind his head. “You need to know where to begin, what to do. Are you hungry? That’s the real question.”
I felt my forehead wrinkle in a way I was sure wasn’t sexy in the least. I tried to puzzle out Xander’s request, tried to figure out what, exactly, it meant for me.
This was a game. This was a business transaction and this was a game. How was I going to play it?
Realization — troublesome but offering some kind of insight — dawned on me.
“I suggest you close out your tab,” I said. “I’m going to go slip into something a little more comfortable and grab my bag, and I’ll meet you right back here in no more than five minutes.”
“A woman with a plan,” Xander said. “I like that, Sol. Perfect. Let’s do this.”
I practically dashed in the direction of the dressing room, making a quick pit stop at the DJ booth.
“Parker,” I called up, not wanting to chance climbing the stairs with my tall heels. “Would you take me off rotation? I’m going to escort.”
Her head popped into view, and she studied me for so long that I was afraid she hadn’t heard me over the music blaring.
“I’m escorting,” I called again, raising my voice even higher.
“I heard you,” she replied coolly. “Who’s the lucky gentleman?”
“Table six, VIP,” I said, jerking my chin in the direction.
I breathed easier when Parker directed her piercing gaze toward Xander, and was gratified, even, when the corners of her mouth quirked up a little.
“Good for you,” she said. “Check in once it’s done, or if you have any issues.”
“All right, thanks,” I said, scooting off to the dressing room. What had Parker seen when she’d eyed Xander? What had made her almost smile? I hoped it was a good sign, and not a bad one — though I could hardly imagine Parker taking delight in the misfortune of anyone. Parker was lots of things, but cruel wasn’t one of them.
In the dressing room, I wiped off most of my makeup, flung my dress off, and wriggled into the jeans and camisole I’d worn when I first arrived at the club this morning. Xander was asking for a first date, and I was going to give it to him. I balled up the dress and shoved it into my purse, along with a pair of heels that could very nearly pass as normal evening wear shoes. I wore plain leather sandals, fretted a little at my chipped toenail polish, and gave myself a quick once-over in the mirror.
I looked like a
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