Falling For Mr. Nice Guy

by Nia Arthurs

  “Hello, darling,” the man cooed.

  “Good night, darling,” her cousin replied, hanging on to the older man’s arm and leading him toward the curb. “This is the girl I was talking to you about. Jada, meet Gus.”

  Jada dipped her head in greeting.

  “But… where’s your friend?” Chelsea asked, straining on her tiptoes to search the premises of the lot. The gorgeous driveway, lined with pruned hibiscus bushes and towering trees, failed to offer any hints of the second… employer.

  “He got tied up so he’s sending someone else in his place,” Gus said, his attention shifting to take in Jada like a man sizing up a fresh piece of meat. She fanned her cheeks and avoided his unabashed gaze, but when his words registered, she whipped her head up.

  “Someone else?” Jada hissed, her eyes flitting to Chelsea. “What does he mean ‘someone else’?”

  Chelsea gritted her teeth and then pasted a smile for Gus’s benefit. “I’m sure that’s alright. Though we could have used some warning. Jada is a little nervous about all this.”

  Gus eyed her again and Jada got the distinct impression that she was being undressed in his mind. The thought caused her to shiver and she gripped the hem of her white skirt, reminding herself that this was for Papi.

  “There’s no need to be nervous, Jada,” Gus said, his voice as smooth as oil. “We’ll take good care of you.”

  Chelsea playfully smacked Gus in the chest. “You’re supposed to be taking good care of me.”

  “I will,” he winked.

  Jada cleared her throat. “What do you know about this other guy, Gus?”

  “He should be arriving any minute,” Gus said, checking his thick, silver watch. Jada didn’t know much about timepieces, but even she could tell that the watch was worth its weight in gold.

  “Shall we wait out here?” Chelsea asked her date.

  “No, let’s head up.”

  “But…” Jada stuttered.

  “Yes, of course! We don’t want to miss out on anything. You’ll be fine,” Chelsea whispered as she passed by. “I’ll meet you upstairs.”

  “Chels!”

  “It’s okay,” her cousin said quietly.

  As the well-dressed couple strolled inside, Jada stomped her feet and craned her neck to glare at the sky. She had no idea what her employer looked like, and she briefly wondered if the Big Guy was giving her an opportunity to keep it that way.

  Using all her willpower, Jada pushed her better sense aside and remained in place. Her shoes tightened around her foot and the pulsing sensation was enough to drive her crazy, but she refused to move.

  “Think of the money, Jada,” she mumbled to herself. “Don’t think about anything else but the money and just endure it for one night.”

  She could do that. Right?

  ***

  Adam slowed down in Maruba’s driveway. He threw the car into park and frantically straightened his blue tie, glancing at his reflection in the mirror while he did so. He eventually gave up and stuffed the mass into the white vest.

  Though Brenda had located the black suit for him as fast as she could, it had taken longer than he’d thought to get ready.

  He wondered if the woman his father had hired would still be here. In his heart of hearts, Adam hoped she wasn’t. The evening would go a lot smoother if he didn’t have a gold digging stranger invading his personal space.

  Satisfied with his appearance, Adam stepped out of the vehicle and absently tossed his keys to the young kid who moved forward to catch them. Eyes fixed on the point ahead, he headed for the giant revolving doors leading into the foyer of the hotel.

  His hand darted out to push the handle when a flash of white sparked in his periphery. Curiously, he turned his head and noticed a woman in bare feet sitting on a cushioned stool. Her dark hair was braided into an elaborate bun, exposing the beautiful symmetry of her face and neck.

  Light brown skin, smooth as butter, and a trim figure with just the right amount of curves was perfectly flattered by her white dress. Adam trained his eyes back to her face as a sinking feeling pounded into his spine.

  She was attractive enough to be a paid escort, though something about her air and disposition seemed much more innocent than he thought her job would allow. He observed her bare feet again and the sight gave him pause.

  Surely a woman experienced in this line of work wouldn’t be so carefree with her appearance. His father usually went for the prissy, Barbie doll types—at least those seemed to be the requirements for his second and third wife.

  Beyond the surprise that was her skin color, something about this woman’s earthy, humble beauty seemed out of Dad’s realm.

  Putting his phone to his ear, Adam called Brenda. She picked up on the third ring. He should definitely work on giving her a raise.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you this late at night, Brenda.”

  “It’s okay, Mr. Lockwood.”

  “Could you send me the picture that Dad emailed tonight?”

  “Of the young—uh—lady?”

  “Yes.”

  “Right away, sir.”

  “Thank you, Brenda.”

  He hung up, his eyes gravitating to the woman once more. Her head was bent down and she seemed transfixed by something on her phone. The soothing tones of her quiet laughter danced over the tiled stairs to his ears.

  Adam was again struck by the thought that she was too innocent to be ‘her’.

  His phone buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket. Maneuvering to the message app, he clicked on Brenda’s name and opened the image she’d sent. The headshot of a pretty girl with sparkling eyes and an open, honest face filled his screen.

  Adam looked between the picture and the woman sitting on the chair before it dawned that they were one and the same.

  She’s an escort?

  A tide of sympathy washed over him as he tried to imagine what would have turned the young lady to this type of employment. Adam shook his head to clear the thought. Just as he was here to appease his father, she was here to fulfill her own type of duty.

  He walked up to the girl and cleared his throat. She glanced up and the force of those frank, sparkling brown eyes staring right at him was more powerful than he’d expected. The smile immediately slipped from her face, only to be replaced by wariness.

  “Who are you?” Her voice was soft, quiet, but filled with confidence.

  “My name is Adam Lockwood. I’m the man standing in for your… client.”

  She winced when he said the word and he did as well. The air turned awkward very quickly. Adam wondered if this was her first time or if his discomfort was potent enough to taint them both.

  “Oh,” she said, “I didn’t expect you to be so young.”

  “I’m twenty-seven,” he filled in and then he looked away, wondering why he’d delivered his line with all the enthusiasm of a kindergartner during show and tell.

  “That’s nice,” she said and then her eyes dropped to her feet. She pulled her toes back, trying to hide them beneath the stool, and sheepishly grinned. “I was waiting for a while and the shoes were killing me.”

  Adam blinked, struck dumb by her honesty. He watched as she gingerly climbed down from the stool and fitted her shoe on her left foot.

  “I thought you weren’t going to make it,” she explained as she bent over to fit the shoe properly against her heel. At the sound of her voice, Adam got a grip on himself.

  “Here, let me help.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, but he was already kneeling before her. Grasping the red shoe in his hand, he looked up for permission to touch her feet.

  Dumbfounded, she nodded.

  Adam focused on grabbing her dainty ankle and sliding it into the shoe. When he stood and faced her, she seemed rattled. He wondered why? Perhaps all of her former clients had been hard and abusive in the past?

  The thought made him even more sympathetic to her plight and he determined, for this o
ne night, he could treat her the way a woman was supposed to be treated—no matter who or what she was.

  Chapter Three

  When he lowered himself before her, Jada lifted her hand, poised to slap him if he did anything untoward—like try to lift her dress. To her surprise, he looked up and tilted his head toward her leg, holding her shoe in his hand.

  Completely blown away, she stood in awe as he slipped her shoe tenderly onto her foot, making sure it fit properly. Her tongue lolled and she quickly closed her mouth before she drooled all over herself.

  A man had never touched her feet before, and none had definitely ever slipped her shoe on like she was a princess from a fairytale.

  “There,” he said, rising to his full height. Jada was an average five foot five inches, but she had to look up several notches to catch his eyes.

  His shoulders were broad and the tuxedo he wore gave him a dashing, confident air. When she peered closer, however, she realized his face was rather plain. He had sandy, blonde hair, pale features and hazel eyes that were more green than brown.

  Though the vibrancy of his eyes strained to add something extra-ordinary to his appearance, the large, square glasses he wore detracted from their hue. The quiet smile he gave her hinted at his shy, withdrawn personality.

  “T-thanks,” Jada said when she’d completed her once-over.

  “I’m sorry I kept you waiting.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  “Jada!” she heard her name and swung around to find Sinky, the valet, returning from parking Adam’s car. He wore a thunderous and stomped right up to Adam.

  “What is it?” she asked, surprised by his vehemence.

  “Is this guy bothering you?” Sinky hoofed a thumb in Adam’s direction.

  “No,” she said. “This is my… uh… date. Adam, this is Sinky. He kindly leant me the use of his chair when I was waiting for you.”

  “She was waiting a long time, pal.”

  “Do you know each other?” Adam asked, a confused expression forming wrinkles in his forehead.

  “Oh, no. We just met.” Jada waved her arm. “Thanks again, Sinky!”

  “Sure,” Sinky said, still sending Adam a dark glare.

  Jada grabbed onto Adam’s arm and steered him away. Sinky was behaving far too rudely for her liking. Though she’d been careful not to interact with him in any way that could be misconstrued as flirting, she’d been hard-pressed to reject his offer of a seat.

  She hoped the guy hadn’t interpreted her friendliness and gratitude as anything else.

  “You seem to have found a dedicated male fan,” Adam said.

  “It’s nothing like that.”

  “Alright,” Adam easily agreed. “Have you been to one of these things before?”

  “No. I’m a little nervous.”

  “Relax.” He led her to the elevator and allowed her inside first. “It’ll be a room full of people acting more important than they are.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds stuffy.”

  Adam gave her that strange glance again. It was a look that she couldn’t interpret, as if he was seeing her for the first time despite having spent several minutes in her company.

  “Any other advice?” she prompted.

  “Don’t eat the shrimp?”

  “You’re funny.”

  “And you’re very kind to say that.”

  “It’s what I’m here for,” she joked and immediately regretted it. The air in the elevator thickened significantly and when the doors opened a moment later, both Jada and Adam raced out of it.

  They approached the wide double doors of the banquet hall and Jada inhaled a deep breath. So far, Adam had made a good impression and she believed the night would be tolerable at least. Still, she had to go over the rules with him before she took one step inside.

  “Could I… talk to you for a minute?”

  Adam, who was about to push the doors open, looked over his shoulder. “Right now?”

  “Yes, please.” She led him into the corner near the emergency exits and spoke in a low tone. “I don’t know what your friend told you about me, but I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

  He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head, listening intently.

  “I’ve been very clear about my boundaries and what I’m willing to offer in this arrangement. I’m not interested in a sexual relationship and I won’t stand for any behavior or talk that even hints of one. I know this is kind of last minute, but I can’t go further with you if we don’t hammer this out now.”

  A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “So you’re not willing to have sex with me?”

  She swallowed. Having come so far, Jada hated that all her efforts would be shot down here if he disagreed, but she couldn’t give up on this.

  “No.”

  “Not even a little bit?”

  She blanched, shaken by his insistence. He certainly hadn’t looked it at first, but Adam was pushier than he seemed. While Jada puzzled through the various answers in her mind and searched for the most polite one, Adam snickered.

  “I’m sorry. That was distasteful. Ms. Jada, I’ve never paid for sex and I don’t intend on doing so now. Rest assured, your stand is completely acceptable to me.”

  “Well… good.” She nodded once. “I’m ready to go in.”

  “Alright.” He bent his elbow, his eyes ducking down. She hesitantly slipped her fingers into the space and gripped him lightly.

  Adam walked toward the door and Jada trotted beside him. The minute she stepped into the spacious banquet hall, her eyes bugged and her mouth dropped open. A raised stage to the front was crowded with steel pans and well-dressed musicians filled the air with the tinkling sound of Caribbean music.

  White dressed tables strategically placed throughout the room hosted government officials, ministers, and notable businessmen. Waiters swirled between the tables, serving the guests and refilling wine glasses.

  “Wow,” she breathed, straining to maintain a veneer of class.

  Adam bent over and whispered. “It is rather stuffy.”

  She smiled, glad that he’d disarmed her shock with a bit of his dry humor. She’d needed it. Jada had grown up in a middle class neighborhood with her parents until they died. When she moved in with Grampa, it had taken a while to get used to the village life.

  Though she’d moved out to live with Chelsea and attend the University of Belize in the city, it was still a culture shock to go from the balmy simplicity of a village gathering to the explosion of sophistication and wealth present in this room.

  “Over there,” Adam directed and steered her to the table that Chelsea and Gus occupied. Her cousin eyed her date in confusion and Jada shrugged in reply before Adam captured her attention.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered when she saw the chair that he had dragged out and stood beside. “Is something wrong?”

  “Go ahead,” he said, jerking his head toward the seat. Surprised by his gallantry, Jada fingered the back of her dress before sitting down.

  Adam took the seat beside her and smoothed the front of his suit. Amidst the flickering candlelight on the table, Jada studied him. Why was he being so nice to her? Was this some kind of ploy to get her to bend her rules about sleeping with him?

  The thought fueled her conviction. There was no way this man was catching her off-guard. Undoubtedly, he’d had his fair share of ‘paid dates’ to know just how to weasel his way into a stranger’s affections, but she wasn’t falling for it.

  This was a job with clear boundaries and Jada would keep them if it killed her.

  ***

  Adam could tell that she was nervous. As they sat around the table, Jada barely spoke and only nibbled at the food before her. He had to admit that he’d been a little thrown off by her speech outside the banquet hall.

  He wasn’t sure what type of escort put her foot down when it came to sex, especially since it was par for the course in her line of work. The real
ization that Jada meant what she said took him aback and piqued his curiosity.

  Just what kind of person was she?

  He glanced to the side and observed her through the corner of his eyes. Her hand gripped the napkin and she kept darting looks over to where Gus Grant, his father’s business associate, whispered in a young girl’s ear.

  The woman with Gus had caught his eye as soon as they walked in, but such was probably her intention in the tight yellow dress. Adam hated to assume, but given the huge age gap between Gus and the woman, he figured she was the ‘friend’ that had recommended Jada to his father.

  “That’s it,” he heard Jada mumble. He glanced up and saw fire in her eyes as she threw her napkin against the table and scooted her chair back. “Chelsea,” she turned to the girl next to her, “could you come with me to the restroom?”

  “Are you okay?” Adam asked.

  “I’m fine,” Jada said stiffly. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’m okay,” the girl in the yellow dress said, shakily touching the hair falling over her shoulder. “I’m fine.”

  “Let’s. Go.” Jada grabbed her friend’s hand and tugged her up.

  “I’ll be right back,” Chelsea said to Gus and then she trailed Jada. The women disappeared around a bend.

  Gus slid down to sit beside Adam and wiggled his eyebrows. The man was the sleazy type and Adam had never delighted in his company. It was no surprise to him that the Central American oil mogul had gotten his father involved with Belizean escorts.

  “It’s good to see you, Adam,” Gus said, hitting him on the back. “You still slapping away your dad’s hand at the company?”

  “Gus, always a pleasure.”

  Gus drank back the contents of his wine glass before pointing his beady eyes on Adam. “Take it from me. There’s a limit to a man trying to be independent in this world. If I had all the resources you do, I wouldn’t take it for granted.”

  “My company’s doing just fine without Dad’s resources, but I appreciate the advice.”

  “Yes, yes,” Gus smiled and his gaze trailed to Jada’s mostly filled plate. “How are you enjoying your woman?”