“Is this something illegal? Because I’m no criminal.”
“No, it’s not illegal.”
“Okay, shoot me with it.”
She grinned and then slid farther back into her seat. “I’d like to pay you to date my daughter.” She smirked as she poured a brown liquid out of a crystal container into a crystal glass. It smelled like liquor, which was fitting since I was almost positive this bitch was drunk.
“You wanna pay me to do what?”
“You heard me.”
“You’re joking, right?” I snorted.
“No, this is no joking matter, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat it like one. I’m offering you a serious business proposition,” she said aggressively.
I sobered and got rid of my smile. If this lady was serious, I was going to be serious, too. This could very well be the break my dad and I were hoping for. Still, being paid to date someone didn’t sit well with me. The girl must be some kind of God-awful creature if her mom had to pay a dude to date her.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked.
“Excuse me?”
“No offense, but if you gotta pay someone to date your daughter, there’s gotta be something wrong with her.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my daughter. There’s something wrong with all the boys who can’t see how wonderful she is.”
“So, she’s ugly?”
“Absolutely not!” she snapped. “She has a small weight problem, but she’s beautiful, and that’s exactly how you will treat her. Take her out, show her a fabulous time, and make her feel like she’s the most gorgeous creature you’ve ever seen.”
“Basically, you want me to blow smoke up her ass?”
“Stay away from her ass, but yes… whatever you have to do.”
“Exactly what do I get out of this and how long do I have to do it?” I asked.
“In return for you dating my daughter, I’ll pay your unpaid balance to the bank. If I heard correctly, you have ninety days. When the ninety days are up and as long as my daughter’s happy and you’ve done your job correctly… I’ll pay it.”
“You can’t be serious.” I choked. “You’re gonna pay me eight thousand dollars to date your kid? How old is she anyway? She not like some high school kid, is she?” I asked.
“Is that all you owe? Sounds perfect. Yes, I’ll definitely pay you eight thousand dollars, and no, my daughter’s not a high school student. She’ll be twenty-one next month; you’re kind of an early birthday present.”
This couldn’t have happened at a better time. Actually, it was kind of freaky how convenient it was, but at this point, I’d be willing to do almost anything. I couldn’t refuse if I wanted to. It wasn’t likely that another opportunity like this would fall into my lap.
Eight grand was pocket change for this woman.
“Make it fifteen thousand, and we got a deal,” I said.
If I was doing this, I might as well get something out of it, too. Lucy was going to look good with her new paint job.
The car wasn’t moving anymore, and the silence in the small space was suffocating as she thought it over. I still couldn’t believe this was happening. It was wrong to lead some poor, fat girl around, making her think that I wanted her, but I knew I could pull it off. We needed this money—I could do this for Jenny.
“Fine,” she gave in. “I’ll pay you three grand to start. We’ll call it a courtesy payment. There are a few rules, though. You screw this up, and you will not get the other twelve grand in ninety days. Plus, I’ll personally make your life a living hell. I’ll make it my mission to make sure that you and your loved ones lose everything… and Mr. Michaels, I’m filthy rich. Don’t think for one minute that I can’t ruin you.”
“What are the rules?” I snapped. I wasn’t too happy with being verbally threatened.
“First of all, don’t put your filthy hands on my daughter. I understand that you’re probably going to kiss her. You’ll be dating her for at least three months, and I know that kids do that sort of thing in that time. You’re not allowed to do anything more than that. The last thing I want is my daughter getting touched by some countrified chop shop boy.” She huffed. “Do you understand?”
“Well, golly jeez, Miss, I think I reckon I understand what you’re sayin!” I said sarcastically with my deepest fake southern drawl.
Kissing? Hah! It wouldn’t even go that far. I could make this girl feel like a princess without touching her. Playing women was kind of my niche.
“How can I find her?” I asked.
“She works. As much as I hate it, she’s the manager at Franklin’s Jewelry store downtown on Meeting Street. You can find her there. Also, she spends a lot of free time with friends at a little café called Mirabelle’s. Are you familiar with these places?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said, opening the limo door to get out.
“And, Mr. Michaels… my daughter better not ever find out about this agreement, do you understand?
“Yeah, I got it!” I snapped.
“Good. I’m glad we understand each other. Her name’s Lilly, and you better not screw this up. I’ll be in touch, and you’ll get your first installment when I’m sure that you’ve started the job, so I suggest you get to it.” She straightened her top.
“I gotcha covered,” I said as I climbed out of the big, black limo that was now parked in front of my house.
It was a little creepy that she knew where I lived without me telling her. It was like she had done her homework and dug up information on me. This lady was clever, and clever ladies were dangerous. I’d be watching my back around this one.
“See you soon, kid,” she said as I slammed the door in her face.
I watched the limo drive off. The whole scheme was crazy, but I had to do what needed to be done. One thing was for sure: Dad would never approve, which meant he and Jenny could never know. I needed to think long and hard about where I’d tell him I got the money from, but that would come later. One thing at a time, and right now, I had a chubby chick to enchant. Doing hurtful things to strangers wasn’t my thing, but desperate situations called for extreme measures.
I now had three things that I had to do first thing in the morning. One, I had to make Renee think that I’d be out of town for a while. I’d just make up an uncle in Georgia or something. There was no way she’d keep her trap shut long enough for me to finish the job if she thought another girl was getting something she wasn’t. Of course, there was money involved, so maybe I could just buy her something and shut her up.
Second, I had to clean myself up a bit. If I was going to win some girl over, I really needed a good shave and a haircut. Third, I had to put on my charming face. I had to get rid of “asshole Devin” and bring out the nice boy that I knew I could be.
It could be fun. I’d get to go out a little on someone else’s money with a girl that I’d never have to see again in three months. It really wasn’t a bad deal.
I stripped down to my boxers and jumped into my bed. Before I could do anything, I needed some sleep. Within minutes, I passed out and slept better than I had in the last two weeks.
After finally convincing Renee that I was going to visit family for a while, I made my way toward Charleston. Driving with the windows down, I let the cool wind cut across my face. I could use as much fresh air as humanly possible. The radio was off as I contemplated how to go about pursuing this girl. As crazy as it sounded, I’d never really had to pursue a female before.
The rumble of Lucy’s engine soothed me. I had to stay focused. I’d be fine as long as I remembered that this wasn’t just for Dad and me. I was doing this for Jenny, for our home, and for our business. No matter what, I couldn’t allow my conscience to get the best of me. This was a cut-and-dry job, and all I had to do was not get involved. Being emotionally disconnected was easy for me, so this job should be a piece of cake.
I got to Franklin’s Jewelry store, and it took me three tries at parallel parking before I got it right. Digging o
ut some change for the parking meter, I sat and gave myself a “hell yeah” pep talk. I was sure I looked like a creeper just sitting in my car, but I wanted to plan. I just needed to go in, buy something, and get a good look at her so I’d know what I was dealing with. I should’ve asked to see a picture so I’d at least know who she was. Hopefully, she was the only fat girl working there.
After putting two dollars in the parking meter, I walked to the store. The entire time I prayed that everyone inside wore name tags.
It’d be more believable if I approached her at the little café, so right now called for just a little harmless flirting as I browsed the jewelry. Getting her to notice me was my number-one goal.
The little bell over the door rang out as I walked into the empty store. The only reason I knew the place was even open was because of the big, bright open sign in the front window.
I walked to one of the jewelry counters and started to look at all the expensive rings in the case. Making my way down to the earrings, I decided they were more in my price range. In all reality, I didn’t have a price range, but I figured this was worth digging out of the savings for the loan payment. Besides, if this worked, I’d have all the money we needed plus more.
“Anything, in particular, you’re looking for?” a female voice called from in front of me.
I looked up at the girl on the other side of the counter. She was short and chunky. Long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, while a thick set of bangs swooped over her right eye. Her cute, round face boasted clear skin and a juicy set of pouty lips.
Stylishly dressed in a low-cut top, I was able to see the rise of her soft cleavage from my height. One of the perks of being a big girl had to be an amazing rack because she sure as hell had a nice set of tits on her.
She reached up and pushed her bangs from her face. The movement pushed a wave of feminine scent straight at me. She smelled amazing, like vanilla and cherries. It was really nice, not too overbearing like the horrible perfumes Renee liked to smother herself in.
I took a better look at her as she pushed her hair out of her face and smiled. She had the biggest brown eyes, deep-set bedroom eyes with a sexy tilt that hid the secrets of a sensual woman. Honestly, she was kind of pretty, in a chunky, cute girl kind of way, if you were into that.
While I checked out her tits, her name tag popped out at me. She was Lilly, my financial savior.
“Actually, I’m kind of lost when it comes to jewelry,” I said as I nibbled my bottom lip. I was happy to see her eyes dip to my mouth. “I’m not really sure what she likes.” I shot her my, “I want you” smile and let my eyes noticeably wander over her face.
I relished in the deep blush that invaded her cheeks since it signified that I was doing my job well. I was just getting started, and she was already blushing. This was going to be a walk in the park.
“What kind of girl is she? What do you think she’d like?” She nervously bit the inside of her mouth.
“I don’t really know. What do you like?” I leaned my elbows against the counter to be eye level with her.
“I like lots of things.” She quietly giggled as she started to fidget. It was charming. “But she may not like what I like.”
“Ah, come on. Play along with me. If you could have anything in here, what would it be?” I asked.
I kept hoping she’d show me something that wasn’t too expensive. This chick was rich, and I didn’t want her thinking I was a poor guy when I couldn’t afford what she picked out.
“You’re serious? You want me to pick out jewelry for someone I don’t know?” She flashed me a weird, confused look.
“No, I want you to pick out jewelry that you like. I’m positive that if you like it, then she probably will, too. Humor me, please.” I tilted my head and gave her my puppy dog eyes.
Her face turned pink again, and I felt a rush of primal satisfaction. I’d affected woman before, but for some strange reason, seeing her reaction gave me a rush.
“Okay, well—um—I’m more of a necklace girl,” she said as she walked down to another case.
“I’m not really into expensive jewelry,” she continued, “so, that knocks out everything on this side of the case.”
A rich girl who didn’t like expensive jewelry? Fascinating.
I listened as she continued picking out the perfect necklace for herself.
“I prefer silver over gold, so that knocks out half of the necklaces on this side of the case.”
Her fingers moved softly over the different necklaces and for a brief moment, I wondered what those hands would feel like against my skin. She had cute fingers… nice nails, too. I appreciated that her medium-length, baby pink nails were her own. I hated those God-awful acrylic nails that most girls wore. Short was fine, but some girls went overboard with the length. My boys and I would laugh as we wondered how girls wiped their asses with nails that long.
She swung her hair around once more and again, the light scent of vanilla and cherries rushed me.
“What kind of perfume are you wearing?” I blurted out without thinking.
“Um… I’m not wearing any perfume. Why? Does something stink?” Her perfect brow pulled down in question.
“Actually, something smells really good, and since I didn’t smell it until you came around, I just assumed it was you. You smell sweet… I like it,” I said as I threw out another flirty smile.
Her face lit up darker than before, and I swam in my playboy ego for a bit. She didn’t stand a chance… poor girl. Her breathing picked up and her large chest pressed against her low top with every breath. It’d been a while since I held a good handful that weren’t bags of silicone, and Lilly was definitely more than a real handful. My mouth watered with the thought of tasting vanilla and cherries. Oh, she’d been a sweet snack if I were allowed to taste.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. She was untouchable to me, but I was in need of a good tease.
Brown eyes flickered away from me as she put her head down. Her deep breaths cut through our silence until she finally snapped her head up and held out a necklace.
“What about this? Do you think she’d like this?” she asked.
She wasn’t making any eye contact at all.
After being with so many aggressive women like Renee, her shyness was kind of a turn on. I liked how sexy she made me feel without even realizing it. I made her uncomfortable in a good way, and she couldn’t even look me in the face without blushing. It was a boost to my manly pride since her reactions were genuine, and not like the usual overly dramatic reactions of a slutty girl trying to get laid. I liked her response to me, and I liked how she made me feel. A soft growl of appreciation slipped from my throat, and it earned me a brief flicker of chocolate eyes. I fought the tilt of my mouth.
The necklace she held up was nice. It was a sterling silver rope chain with a silver, heart-shaped locket. It was only a hundred and fifty bucks so I could afford it, and she liked it so I’d buy it.
“I think she would,” I said. “What do I put in it?”
“Anything you want really. You could put a picture of the two of you in it or maybe have something engraved on the inside. That’s completely up to you.”
“Okay, I’ll take it.”
I followed her up to the cash register and watched as she neatly put the necklace in a little, red box. She did everything so softly; she wasn’t in any rush. Her plump fingers brushed gently across the necklace and then lightly over the box. I watched as she rang it up, touching the cash register again with what seemed like the softest touch. I found myself wondering how soft her hands felt. Her touch was relaxing, and it blasted me with a quick rush of chills.
I looked up at her when she gave me the total, again noticing how deep her eyes were. “You have really beautiful eyes,” I blurted out.
That wasn’t a part of my strategy. It was a stupid moment of unwelcomed honesty. I’d be sure that didn’t happen again.
The tips of her chee
ks warmed. “Are you flirting with me?” Genuine confusion laced her expression.
I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know she was thinking of how unlikely it was for a man like me to be flirting with a girl like her. That or she really had no idea what flirting looked like and really wanted to know for reference purposes.
“Maybe.” I smirked and shrugged my shoulders.
Her eyes filled with panic, and the part of me I never used with strangers lit up with sorrow for her. She really had no idea how to respond to me and my tiny advances.
“Um… thank you, I guess. For… for the eye comment,” she stuttered.
“Don’t thank me… it’s the truth.” I held out the money to her.
She finished the transaction and then put my receipt in the black bag containing the necklace. I stood there a minute, smiling at her and enjoying how nervous I made her, before I thanked her and left the store.
Part one of my mission was complete.
I ended up sitting in the café her mother told me about and drinking way too much cappuccino. I paid close attention to all the people coming in. I heard every order they made… a double shot of this and an extra pump of that. I’d never sleep again if I drank something like that. Shit, I was probably not going to sleep tonight after all this cappuccino.
“Come on already, Lilly,” I whispered into the lid of my coffee cup.
I was about five minutes away from giving up for the day and trying again tomorrow when I noticed her through the window. She walked in and breezed right by me. I was happy she didn’t notice me right away. I pretended to focus on the car magazine I had in my hand as I listened closely to her order.
“Hey, Joey, just the usual,” she said.
“Hey, girl! How’s it going? No mom meeting today?” He laughed.
“That’s not funny, punk.” She giggled. “No, there’s no meeting today. I’m on my lunch break. Go ahead and throw in a turkey sandwich with that.”
She sat at a little table in the corner across the café from me. I watched as she pulled out a little book and started to write something. This was it; this was the perfect time to go and join her. I stood up and grabbed my cappuccino. Slowly, I walked over to her table. She was so involved in what she was writing that she didn’t even hear me approach.
Thick & Thin (Chubby Girl Chronicles Book 3) Page 28
