Page 38 of Pretty Mess

“Did you mean that to sound rude?”

“I was going for flirty.”

“You managed it for a brief shining second before it turned seedy.”

“Thank you.”

He stares at me, his clever eyes busy, and then his phone sounds. He jerks, as if for a moment he’d forgotten where he was, and I feel a sense of triumph. He grabs his phone and glances at the screen. When he turns back, I deflate. He’s once more closed off.

“I have to go,” he says perfunctorily. He pulls on his jacket, shrugging his shoulders until the material settles, observing me as I sprawl on the bed.

I sit up as realisation dawns. “Oh, of course. I won’t be a second.”

“No.”

I pause my momentum. “Pardon?”

“Stay here if you want. Have a shower, order food, and have it put on the bill. That will be settled in the morning, so you can stay the night.”

His words are cool and calm with no trace of the amused, sardonic man I’d seen a glimpse of before. The sentiment is kind, but the tone is dismissive, and my spirit sinks in disappointment.

“Thank you,” I say awkwardly. “But I think I’ll be going.”

He blinks, and I wonder if I’ve broken one of Julian’s rules. I imagine Julian is very regal in his own dealings. It seems that men proffer allegiance to him, and he accepts that as his due rather than being silly like me.

“I suppose this is it, then,” I say, pushing my hair back and looking up at him.

He studies me, his eyes taking in every detail. He hesitates, and he seems to be struggling with something, but what do I know? I’ve only met him twice. I wait him out and he straightens, grabbing his bag.

“Would you be amenable to meeting me again?”

For a second, I think I imagined his words, and I stare at him until he shifts awkwardly.

“We could make this a weekly occasion and meet every Wednesday.” He names a figure, which I don’t even blink at now. At some point, these telephone-sized figures have become almost commonplace in my life.

I swallow hard. I didn’t expect this. Everything is moving at lightning speed. What I did last night was to pay my tuition fees. Today had been a way of paying some of the debts and shoring up my money in case Tyler makes another run at it. Now I could earn this amount weekly, and he’s offering me a chance to get my entire finances sorted and help my brother at the same time. I seem to be tumbling into prostitution very quickly.

I eye his handsome face and body.I’d do you for free, I think wistfully and dismiss the thought immediately.

“That would be great,” I say softly.

He relaxes, offering me a small smile that is a shadow of the ones he’d gifted me earlier. This one is polished and urbane—the businessman front and centre.

“Excellent. Let’s meet at the same time every Wednesday. I will text you the room number in the morning.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I eye him. “Are you sure you can’t stay?” I say impulsively. “We could order food and watch a film or something.” I know it’s a mistake as soon as the words leave my mouth, and I watch as he closes down.

“No, I don’t do that,” he says coldly. “I never stay.” He moves towards the door, opens it, and then pauses and turns back to me. His face is set, and my heart starts to hammer for some reason.

“I must insist that while we are doing this, you are not undertaking a similar arrangement with someone else.”

“What?” I shake my head. “Ofcoursenot. Jesus, you’re paying me a lot of money, Cormac. I’m yours while this goes on.”

The words seem to discompose him, because he frowns and then nods. “Until next week.”

The door closes behind him, and I eye it as though he’s going to suddenly appear again, even though he’s obviously not a man who ever backtracks or apologises.

I tap my finger against my lip absently while I examine my feelings. I just got paid again for sex. I cock my head. Fucking good sex, though.