Page 7 of Hold Me
“Fine.” There’s a tic in his jaw and he grabs me by the arm. “You’ve got what you wanted. This night officially sucks thanks to you. I hope you’re happy.”
“Did you tell your parents you broke up with Mark?” Katherine breaks the silence, arching an eyebrow.
“Yeah.” I groan. “Maybe a thousand times, but my mom won’t listen. She thinks Mark and I are perfect for each other, and that we’ll get over our rough patch.”
Katherine stares at me. “What’s your mom smoking? I want some of that. What on earth makes Mark and you a perfect match?”
“Well, he’s incredibly rich, and that’s what matters most to her. And... our dads are working together. I think they’re planning to invest in another chain of hotels somewhere abroad. Maybe they’ve finally reached an agreement.” I should’ve asked my mom why my dad is hosting the party.
“Can’t you just rescind Mark’s invitation?”
“No.” I lick my dry lips. “I can’t do that to my dad. Imagine the scandal if his business partner’s son isn’t allowed to come to the party. And Mark would be ecstatic if he knew I don’t want him there.”
“I’d tell you not to show up for the party, but you have to do it, right?” Katherine presses her lips together, and when I don’t respond, she narrows her eyes at me. “What are you thinking?”
“There’s only one way to force Mark to leave me alone.” I meet her eyes. “I can’t go alone to that party.”
She grins. “Okay. When’s the party?”
“Next week.” But how can I find a boyfriend so fast?
“I can call one of my guys and ask him for a favor.” Katherine twirls a strand of her hair around her finger.
“No.” I scowl. “I don’t want one of your guys. Mark could recognize them and they could tell him the truth. I need someone very good-looking and discreet.”
“I know what you’re thinking, but do you really believe your little whore wouldn’t say anything? He’ll just ask Mark to pay him for the info first.”
“He won’t do that, and don’t call him a whore. His name is Caleb,” I snap.
“Ah, he has a name. Lovely. You know that’s not his real name, right?” she drawls. “Are you really willing to trust him that much? When he finds out who you really are and how much money you really have, he could ask for more or even blackmail you.”
“Actually, I trust him. Other guys are far more likely to blackmail me than someone who also has a lot to lose if people find out what he really does for a living.” Somehow I don’t think Caleb would be telling his family and everyone how he gets all the money. Maybe he even has another job. He’s pretty secretive about himself, too, and I don’t think he’d want everyone to know.
“Fine.” Katherine clasps her hands together. “I hate your idea, but Mark would never assume anyone other than men or old, desperate women would pay for sex and escorts. If your Caleb is as hot as you say he is, then I just can’t wait to see Mark’s face when he realizes you have moved on and have someone. If you won’t take a photo, I will.”
My lips spread into a smile. Mark would be green with envy. I really shouldn’t care what he thinks, but I don’t want to pass this opportunity to get back at him at least a little bit. I just hope Caleb will be available and agree to be my escort. I’ll have to steal the guest list from my dad and make sure none of the invitees would be able to recognize Caleb. Maybe they wouldn’t talk for their own sakes, but I don’t want to take any risks.
I stare at my nearly empty glass as I trace my finger over its edge. Some guy is eyeing me from across the bar, but I decide to ignore him.
“Lil, hey! I came as soon as possible.” Alessandra plops onto the high stool next to me, a big grin spreading her cherry red lips, her hazel eyes sparkling with delight. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long for me.”
“It’s okay.” I wave my hand. In all the years I’ve known Alessandra, she’s never come on time. My stomach does a nervous flip as I look at her. “Did you talk to... um, your acquaintance about Caleb?”
“I did.” She tucks a strand of her long dark brown hair behind her ear and leans in. “Caleb was reluctant at first because he doesn’t really do that kind of thing, you know, go out in public with someone and all. But he went through the guest list and he didn’t recognize anyone, so that’s fine. And since the party is a private one and there’ll be no press, he agreed to go with you.”
I let out a sigh of relief, then raise an eyebrow at her. “Really?”
“Yeah.” She grins. “He’ll charge you for the whole night though, so after the party, you can have some fun with him if you want.”
“That’s...” I don’t know what to say. “I’m glad he agreed.” I can already picture Mark’s face, and I know my night will be perfect. My body tingles at the thought of spending a night with Caleb, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
“You should really check the price first.” Alessandra takes her phone out of her red purse and runs her finger across the screen. My eyes widen as she hands the phone to me.
“Whoa, that’s a lot of... numbers.” I place the phone back into her hand. “But it’s not a problem. I’ll pay it.” Is it worth paying a small fortune for a perfect night? Yes, if it will wipe that annoying smile off Mark’s face forever.
“Great.” Alessandra tucks her phone back into her purse, her lips slightly curving up. For a moment, I wonder if she’ll be getting any of my money for being an intermediary. I’m a little surprised Caleb hasn’t contacted me himself, but I guess he’s worried about his privacy.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” she says. “Where do you want him to meet you?”