Page 33 of Pretty Mess

I fumble for the box, and the phone slides out. The home screen is a photo of a navy-blue painted door, and I stare at it. “Is that the new Apple wallpaper? I’ve never seen it before.”

“No.” Julian frowns. “That’s the door of the club.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Why is that there?”

I tap the phone to open it. The message box has a red notification. My heart hammers as I open the app. The messages are brief and to the point which rather describes the man I met last night.

This is Cormac Reilly.

I’m willing to pay the same price as last night. I will be at the Excelsior Hotel in the city at three pm.

Room 324.

Don’t be late.

Julian gasps. “The same price? Fuckinghell.”

I blink. “That’s seventy grand.”

“I know. He’s given you a phone,” he says slowly.

“Isn’t that normal?”

He shakes his head. “Not for him, as far as I know, and Idoknow a lot. It does imply that he might need to contact you again after the next meeting.”

“Does it?”

“Well, otherwise he could have just sent a message for this time.” He looks up at me, his eyes alight with interest. “You must have made a very big impression.”

“To be honest, I thought it went rather chaotically.”

His eyes narrow. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, nothing,” I say quickly. He doesnotneed to know about the clusterfuck that was my attempt at conversation. He wouldn’t approve.

Excitement fills my belly with nerves—excitement, lust, and concern. The latter is mainly because I’m too full of the first two.

“What are you going to do?” he asks.

I lick my lips. “I’m going, of course. He’sgorgeous.”

I move towards the bedroom to get ready but stop as his hand stays me. “And the money.”

“Pardon?”

“He’s paying for sex with you, darling,” he says very deliberately, his eyes full of what looks like concern. “And that’s why you’re really going. Isn’t it?”

“Of course,” I say immediately. “It’s a lot of money.” I think of Tyler’s potential new bills, and my mood dims a little. “And I think I’m going to need everything I can get.”

“Hmm. Remember my advice, please.”

“It’s simply impossible for my brain to hold all that information in one go.”

“Try,” he advises me.

I race off to get ready.