by Emily N. Kay
Tyler just smiles widely. “That’s––not a very detailed story, but I’ll take it.”
Luke clears his throat. “How’s your modelling career? Going fine I suppose?”
I stare at Tyler. He really is a model.
“Great, great. I have a show in Paris next month, so it’s all good.”
Paris? “Wow…” I let out a sound, and Tyler can’t suppress his grin.
Luke gives me an annoyed glare before turning to Tyler, “If you’ll excuse us. My girlfriend and I need some alone time.”
“Of course,” Tyler says with a smile. And I feel bad for Luke. He’ll never know that Tyler is very on to him.
“Son of a bitch,” Luke mutters.
“What?”
“Fucking hate that guy. He’s the worst of them all,” he says through clenched teeth. “Always so handsome-looking, always looking down on me.”
“Tyler?” I ask, surprised. He doesn’t seem like that type of a person. I guess you can’t really judge a person based on what you see.
“You say it like you know him.” He slides his eyes to me, ready to accuse me of conspiring against him for the past ten minutes or so that he’s been away.
“I don’t!” I dispute with my voice high. “How would I know him?”
“Yeah, right. Do you want to sit down?” He nods at the sitting area near the elevator.
“Yes, please.”
We sit there for a while. Then Luke turns to me, his face nervous. “Kiss me. Now,” he says, not moving his lips.
“What, now? Here?” I’m startled at this sudden request. Then I follow Luke’s gaze to a gorgeous, blonde woman with short, wavy hair standing in front of us. She is talking with two other women, and she’s glancing at us from time to time.
Before I could say anything more, Luke grabs my face and kisses me. Bewildered, I calm myself and kiss him back.
When he pulls back, his gaze drifts to the woman. She looks at him with surprise. And I’d go as far as to say that she’s impressed.
“Thank you,” he whispers in my ear, placing a kiss on my cheek.
I am about to ask him who this woman is, but at the corner of my eye, I see Nick standing before the elevator, looking scarily pissed and ready to kill someone. Tyler soon joins him, joyous to see his friend who finally arrives. Until he sees Nick’s piercing gaze on me, and his smile’s gone.
I’m truly screwed.
Chapter 20
I don’t wait for Nick to come to me.
“I’m going to the restroom,” I tell Luke, hastily getting up.
“I’ll be here,” Luke says with his eyes still on the woman. Good. He’s occupied.
I make my way toward Nick, my face burning and my heart is about to burst. “I can explain,” I say, praying that he’ll not explode with anger and make a scene here––in front of Luke.
“You think?” He spits, each word a needle through my heart.
Tyler sends me an empathetic look, then he removes himself without a word, disappearing into the crowd of people behind.
I let out a shaky breath. “Please… I don’t have much time.”
Nick’s jaw clenches. And I can literally see heat radiating from his body, which sends shivers down my spine.
He turns back to the elevator and push the button. I try my best to hide myself from Luke’s sight. But his eyes are still on that woman and nothing else.
We are down to the hotel lobby. It’s pretty much empty. There is no one else except for the two receptionists behind the counter and a guard in front of the glassy door.
Nick grabs my wrist and drags me to a quiet corner, behind a huge set of marble stairs that lead to the ballroom.
“Ow! You’re hurting me!” I shrug my wrist off of his grasp.
He turns around to face me. “We have a deal.”
“Yes, but––”
“You went off on our deal,” he says slowly, emphasizing every word.
I look at him pleadingly, wanting him to listen to me. “This is different. Luke just needs me to act as his girlfriend. There’s nothing else going on––”
“Are you serious right now?” Nick yells, his voice echoing. Then he lowers his voice. “You let him kiss you!”
“Yes, I did. But it’s just a part that I had to play. It’s not a big deal, Nick.” Now I’m starting to get annoyed…
Nick’s face contorts into a scowl. “Not a big deal? Kissing him is not a big deal? Well I guess if you have to sleep with him, you will be happy to do it, right? No biggie.”
His words feel like a slap to my face. My whole body has gone numb, tears welling up in my eyes.
Nick’s face softens as he realizes what he said. But he doesn’t say sorry. Or anything else.
I compose myself before I say with trembling voice, “You’re acting like I’m cheating on you.”
He pauses, staring into my eyes. “It sure feels like it.”
“Is this really what it’s about?” I look at him in the eye, searching for what he really wants.
“What.” Nick snaps.
“It’s not the fact that I broke our deal that pisses you off,” I say, fisting my hands to keep them from shaking. “It’s because I’m with him––that I kissed him. And you are jealous.”
“Don’t,” he warns me with a sharp gaze. “Don’t go there again.”
I draw a breath. “I’m quitting Vixens, Nick.”
Nick stiffens. “What?”
“If you don’t believe me, I can show you the text. I told Lacey that this will be my last favor to her.”
“And what made you do that…?”
Because I don’t see the point in letting men touch me and call me pretty anymore! I want to shout it to his face, but I bite back the words.
“I mean, don’t you think it’s about time? Sooner or later I’ll have to quit, right? Isn’t that the whole point?”
Something shifts in his face. “So that means the deal is off now…”
“It has to,” I say, my voice small.
A realization hits me just then. I won’t get to see him outside of school ever again. And I don’t know why, but that thought alone makes me sad more than it should… The thought didn’t even occur to me when I impulsively told Lacey I’m quitting. What did I expect anyway? That he’ll continue to see me after our deal is over?
And that makes me aware of one thing––I want to keep seeing him.
He scoffs, his throat bobbing. “Okay, good. That’s good for you. Then I suppose you no longer have to torture yourself with me any longer. Congratulations, Alice.”
“Torture? You think that’s how I feel when I’m with you?” I let the words out before I could think.
He doesn’t answer me.
So we’re just still standing here, staring at one another, refusing to move. So many feelings hang above us like threads. Words that I want to say but I can’t. No––shouldn’t.
“I don’t care how you feel, Alice. I’m just glad you’ve finally made the right decision,” he says drily.
I swallow down a sob and nod. “Okay then. Congratulations, Mr. Chase. Your work here is done. I hope you’re happy with yourself.” I turn back and walk away from him. “See you at school.”
I count down the minutes I have left with Luke. Every minute is a torture. I want to go home. I don’t want to be here anymore.
Forty-five minutes left.
Luke asks me to dance with him, and I do it. Luke asks me to kiss him again, so I kiss him. I fix my attention solely on Luke and not anything or anyone else.
“Is everything okay with you?” He asks, suddenly looking concerned.
I give him a tired smile. “Everything’s fine.”
Luke then goes on to tell me how grateful he is that I’m here with him. He says that Catherine, the woman I saw earlier, used to be his biggest crush in high school. Luke tells me that she never glanced his way before, and he wasn’t brave enough to ask her out. I also learn that Tyler went out with her. Well, Tyle
r went out with everyone according to Luke.
Then my gaze turns to rest on Nick, who is now leaning against the bar counter, talking to some guys, his face tight.
“Do you know him?” I nod at Nick. “The guy in blue shirt and red tie.”
“Nick Chase? Yeah, why?”
“What’s he like?”
Luke squints his eyes at me suspiciously. “You know you can’t go for anyone here even if you want to, right?”
“I know that. He just seems like the nicest guy here. So I guess I want to know––if he’s mean to you like others, that’s all,” I lie casually.
Luke lets out a laugh. “Right, nicest guy. Well, at least he’s the nicest in his group of jerks,” he says. “I don’t really know much about him, just that he broke up with his fiancé.”
The world stops moving, and I with it.
“Fiancé?”
“Yeah, back in summer I think. What’s wrong?” he asks as he sees me freeze on the dance floor.
“Sorry. I just––I need some air.” I get away from the crowd, and walk over to lean against a rail, facing the view. The cold wind is blowing toward my face, but I can’t seem to breathe.
Nick had a fiancé? And it was only last summer––that wasn’t long after he moved here at all. Did he move here for that reason? To cope? To get away? He said he was only in love once when he’s in college, is it possible that he could be referring to his fiancé? And why didn’t he say anything about having a freaking fiancé? A tons of questions flood into my head like flies, and I need to shut my eyes.
Luke’s cool hand touches my shoulder, and I flinch.
“Hey, do you want to go now?” he asks, his voice gentle.
“No, no, no. I’m fine. We still have some time left.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ve done more than enough for me tonight. We can go now if you want.”
I look at Luke gratefully. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you.” I smile genuinely at him. “You’re a good guy, Luke. I wish you could see that. You don’t even need me tonight. I’m sure if you would just try, Catherine will see what I see in you.”
His face turns red. “Was that… part of the service or something?” He laughs nervously. “But it was nice of you to say. Come on, I’ll drive you home.”
“Oh, you don’t have to. I can call an Uber. Just… go talk to Catherine. It’s about time.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Go!” I laugh.
“Ah! You’re the best, Clarissa Jones.” Luke leans over and quickly kisses my cheek. He pats my head once before he walks away, making his way to Catherine.
I look after him with a small smile, realizing that he still doesn’t know my real name.
There goes my last appointment as an escort.
Chapter 21
I’m waiting for my Uber outside the hotel, shivering and suddenly regretting not having brought a jacket with me. I should add that to the things that went wrong tonight…
The Uber finally arrives.
And as I’m about to get on it, someone yells, “Alice, wait!” I twist to see who it is, and I’m disappointed when I find Tyler there.
“Just a moment please,” I tell the driver.
“We need to talk,” says Tyler. I glance at the driver. He looks kind of confused now. “Go ahead, she’s with me,” he tells the driver off.
I glare at him. “That was my ride!”
The driver gives us a head shake. “People these days,” he spits and drives away. Guess my Uber rating is going downhill tonight.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll drive you home,” Tyler says dismissively. He watches me shivering, and he takes off his blazer and hands it to me.
“I’m fine,” I say stubbornly, my trembling voice betraying me.
He sighs with annoyance and basically pushes me back inside the lobby. We sit on the two long cushioned chairs, facing a small fountain. The sound of the water splashing is the only sound in this lobby.
“Did Nick tell you to come after me?” I ask with a spark of hope––that he at least still cares about me.
“No, it’s me. I want to talk to you.”
“Oh,” I say, hope deflating. “You’re here to make sure I stay gone. Got it.”
Tyler frowns. “What?”
I give him a look. “It’s clear you don’t like me, Tyler. You don’t like that I spend so much time with Nick, because I’m his student, and it weirds you out.”
He chuckles. “Yes, it grosses me out. A lot. The fact that my best friend is practically and literally seeing his student. And also because you don’t look like one,” he says, his lips turn a little downward. “You know what, you’re right––everything happened because of me.”
I glance up at him.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but… when I look past the fact that you’re his student, I think I might be okay with it,” he says.
My heart twists. What exactly is he getting at? Is he saying me and Nick should be together?
Tyler continues, “You make him happy, I can see that. And I want my friend to be happy.” He heaves a long exhale. “I guess what I’m trying to say is––you two can work it out. I mean, after you graduated or something.”
I scoff. My heart beats faster, and I’m starting to panic. “And what makes you think that I want that? Or if he even wants that. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tyler looks at me and doesn’t say anything for a long time. “What are you so afraid of, Alice?”
My throat closes up. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
He raises an eyebrow.
I sigh. “Okay, fine! Maybe…” I swallow. “Maybe I do feel something. I don’t know what it is, but…” I trail off, realizing the thing that I’m afraid of admitting for the past few weeks. “I mean, I enjoy spending time with him, that’s all. He’s my teacher, Tyler. I can’t possibly…”
One corner of his lip tugs up. “So that’s what you’re afraid of,” he says. “You’re holding back your feelings because he’s your teacher. Got it.” Tyler nods. “He’s doing the same thing, Alice––denying his feelings because you’re his student.”
I draw in a breath, trying not to get ahead of myself. “And because of his fiancé…?”
Tyler’s expression changes. “You know about that? Nick told you?” he asks, his voice high.
“I wish he’d told me.” I shake my head. “No, Luke did.”
“That son of a bitch,” he grumbles.
I glance up at him. “Luke said you’re the biggest jerk, you know.”
Tyler’s eyes go wild, mouth opened. And I thought he’d say something mean back about Luke, but he says, “I wasn’t… exactly the greatest guy back in high school. I regretted a lot of things. Bullying him was one of them.”
“Don’t explain yourself to me. You should tell him that yourself,” I say. And surprisingly, Tyler seems to consider it. “And no, it’s not Luke’s fault for telling. I asked him about Nick, and he just told me what he knows,” I explain. “Anyway, he doesn’t know much though. But I bet you do…” I peer at him meaningfully.
“It’s not my place to say.”
I nod. I get it, I wouldn’t want to talk about Zoe’s personal stories to anyone either.
“If it makes you feel better, I can tell you this.” He looks at me. “It’s been a really, really long time since I’ve seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you. The way he acts around you…”
My stomach drops. “After his fiancé?”
“Ex-fiancé,” he corrects. “And honestly, not even her.”
“But she was his fiancé…”
Tyler shrugs. “I’m as confused as you are.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “How’d you know all about that anyway? Weren’t you here while Nick was back in LA? You talk about him like you’re with him every day.”
Tyler chuckles. “Hey, I’m a model. I go back and forth. My agency i
s based in LA, so whenever I’m there, I’m crashing at his place. And I’m there like… a lot of the times.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway, back to you.” Tyler twists to look at me, one elbow resting on his knee. “Like I said, you two can make it work.”
I look down at my hands. “It would be a lot nicer to hear Nick say that himself.”
Tyler laughs in his throat. “He may not want to admit it, Alice. But I know he cares for you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He flashes me a knowing grin. “Because I’ve tried.”
“What?”
“I tried to convince him to stop seeing you. I even introduced him to some of my super gorgeous model friends.”
I blink. So that’s what they talked about outside… “And?”
“He had a drink with one of them. I think he agreed to it just so I could stop trying.” Tyler smiles. “But then it didn’t go well. And when I asked him why, he couldn’t answer me. And that’s when I know––that he’s in love with someone else.”
My heart skips.
Is he implying Nick is in love with me? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve heard. Suddenly, Nick’s own words come back to me: love is a strong word, Alice. And now I agree with him whole-heartedly. Although I was the one who told him that I’d know it for sure when I feel it, I still can’t allow myself to admit it. Because maybe I do know how it feels. Only I’m too afraid to admit it…
I try to laugh and keep my voice light. “Are you even sure that someone is me?”
Tyler scoffs. “Again, I’m not an idiot, okay? And I’m sure you’re not one either.”
Seeing how sure Tyler seems to be, my heart is expanding. Which kind of confirms what I’ve been suspecting. I do feel something for Nick. Love or whatever––it is something. And it’s not like previous times with my old crushes––where I want them to go away, where I wish their feelings for me wouldn’t progress so that I wouldn’t have to deal with the aftermath. With Nick––I want him to feel the same way that I feel for him. And I sure as hell don’t wish for him to go away…
Tyler doesn’t wait for me to respond. “He is afraid, Alice. You have to understand. Most woman he’s been with… they all wanted something from him. It’s hard for him to trust anyone, to even have feelings for someone. And it doesn’t help that you are also his student.” He pauses. “Who is much, much younger.”
