The Arrangement

by Melissa Tereze

  “Okay, stop,” Lindsay said. “Just breathe, Sam. This isn’t the end of the world.”

  “Oh, I think it is.” She dropped her head to the palm of her hand. “What the hell am I doing? Have I lost my mind?”

  “No, you're just ready to explore.”

  “How can I explore an escort, Linds? I'm paying a woman to have dinner with me. What the hell is there to explore?”

  “I-I don't know.” Lindsay sighed. “But at least you’ve made some kind of step.”

  “To what? Whoring myself out, effectively?”

  “You know that’s complete rubbish.” Lindsay laughed. “If you want to book an escort, that’s your business.”

  “It still doesn’t feel right.”

  “Okay, but what happens if you meet her and sparks fly?” Lindsay asked, the line suddenly becoming silent. “Sam, hello?”

  “Sparks?” Sam snorted. “What planet are you on, Linds?”

  “Hey!” Lindsay admonished her sister. “You don't know what the outcome of tonight will be. That woman could fall head over heels in love with you!”

  “And you need professional help if that’s what you really think,” Sam quipped. “I have to go. My work won't do itself.”

  “Avoiding!”

  “I’m not. I’m just not prepared to listen to you talk rubbish anymore.”

  “Fine.”

  “I’ll call you tonight when I realise I've made a mistake again and run out on a beautiful woman.”

  “Step one, accomplished.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You just referred to her as a beautiful woman…”

  “So?”

  “You’ve just gone from ‘whoring yourself out’ to meeting a beautiful woman in a matter of minutes.”

  “No, I was simply stating the obvious.” Sam cut the call and threw her phone down onto her desk. She should have known that her conversation with Lindsay would be pointless, but she could still pretend it had been worth her while.

  Sam relaxed back in her seat, kicking her heels off beneath her desk. She swiveled around in her chair, facing the water through the gigantic windows Lucia had installed when Sam bought the building. The light they let into the office was incredible, but Sam had every trust in the woman she loved. Lucia always had an eye for the finer things in life, and that extended to her wife’s office. This room had been a personal project of Lucia’s, with Sam banished from it until her wife had given her the key the morning they officially opened. The desk sat central in front of the panoramic windows, providing Sam with a view that was simply breathtaking. When the dark nights approached, it was as though she was staring out into the abyss, only the occasional light from a ship sailing down the river reminding her what sat outside the comfort of her office.

  When she worked late during the summer months, the pink and purple hues in the sky were enough to bring tears to her eyes. Hues that Lucia was conjuring up only for her wife. That’s when it hit the hardest, when Sam was alone in the office, contemplating ending it all. For months after her wife’s death, she wondered how she could continue coming into the office every day. She wondered how any of this was normal behaviour. Then it hit her, as it always did. Lucia didn’t want Sam to retreat inside herself. She didn’t want her to live a life of loneliness, only conversing with those closest to her. She wanted Sam to live her life. A life they were supposed to live together.

  “Babe?” Sam dropped her bag, closing the heavy wooden front door as she slid her blazer from her shoulders. “Luce?”

  “In here, honey,” Lucia called out to her wife, the scent coming from the kitchen confirming her whereabouts. “I made you your favourite.”

  “You’re too good to me.” Sam approached her wife from behind, her arms settling around Lucia’s waist as she leaned in, kissing the skin of her neck. “I thought you were coming by the office this afternoon?”

  “I got held up with an old client.”

  “Anyone I know?” Sam asked, taking a glass of red wine from the kitchen island worktop.

  “No, he’s a client from way back.” Lucia stirred the tomato sauce on the stove before lowering it to a simmer and meeting her wife’s eyes. “It was awful.”

  “Why?”

  “He lost his wife,” Lucia said. “Jude…she was wonderful. I worked with her when I first started out.” Lucia was an architect, meeting Sam when she was just twenty-five. “She had a stroke. He turned off her machine.”

  “Sorry to hear that.” Sam took Lucia’s hand, pulling her against her. “Can I do anything to make it better?”

  “Just having you home for dinner is good enough.” Lucia leaned in, her lips softly pressing against Sam’s. “But it got me thinking…”

  “Uh-oh.” Sam smirked. “That’s never a good sign.”

  “Hey!” Lucia swatted her wife’s shoulder. “It got me thinking about us. If that time ever came…”

  “Babe, don't.” Sam lowered her eyes. “I don't want to talk about death with you. Nothing is going to happen. We’re both healthy and thriving.”

  “I just want you to know that I’d want you to move on. If anything happens to me, mourn me, but find someone to share your life with.”

  “Luce…”

  “That’s all I’ll say about it, but I mean it, Samantha. I want you to find love again. I don't ever want you to be alone.”

  “Nobody could ever compare to you…”

  “And I wouldn’t expect them to.” Lucia smiled as she cupped Sam’s face. “That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t deserve to be happy again. Or me…”

  “Uh, I've got no plans to die and leave the most beautiful woman in the world alone.”

  “Good. Me neither.”

  Sam closed her eyes, remembering her wife’s voice. At one time, it was too painful to hear Lucia, but as the months wore on…things became easier. Now, she often replayed their videos. Their wedding day. Anything that kept Lucia alive inside her. As much as she wanted her wife to walk through her office door, Sam had made peace with the fact that it would never happen. As she slept alone night after night, she knew she would never breathe the same air as her wife again.

  Lucia had that something about her. Whenever she walked into a room, she stole people’s breath. Sam’s included. That had never lessened over the course of their relationship and their marriage had only secured them more. Her dark Italian eyes gave off an intrigue that Sam had never witnessed before, and the moment Lucia spoke, her soft, sensual voice lulling Sam into another world, she knew she would love her forever. She knew that wherever they were in the world, together or apart, she would never love another woman like she loved Lucia Phillips. When she told her wife that nobody could ever compare to her, she meant it. As the years passed since Lucia’s death…that fact still remained. Nobody on the planet held Sam’s attention for even a fraction of a second. Not that she had been looking, but still, not a single woman had come close to turning Sam’s head. None.

  “I’m leaving for the day,” Cheryl said, startling Sam as she stepped into her office.

  “Christ!”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “No, you didn’t.” Sam placed her hand over her chest and spun around in her chair. “I was just thinking. Must have gotten carried away.”

  “Did you need anything before I go?”

  “No, thank you.” Sam smiled. “Enjoy your evening.”

  “Any plans?” Cheryl asked, her light jacket draped over her arm.

  “Nothing,” Sam lied. “Home. Dinner for one. The usual.”

  “You’re more than welcome to come over to mine if you wanted some company.”

  “Thank you, but I have stuff to do at home.” Sam slid her thick, black-rimmed glasses down her face, sitting them perfectly on her nose. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” She focused her attention on the blueprints in front of her. “I’m leaving in the next hour or so.”

  “Okay
, goodnight, Mrs Phillips.”

  Four

  Sam stopped at the dock entrance, gathering herself for a moment before she turned the corner and made the biggest mistake of her life. Since she’d left the office, she’d continuously wondered what her wife would make of the evening she had planned. Sitting in a high-end restaurant with another woman. An escort. Talking freely about life and one another. Sam didn’t know the first thing about how to approach this evening, but it was too late to back out now. There wasn't enough time to turn around and head home, leaving Alexis sitting alone in a bar. Even if she did have time for that, Sam would never do that to another woman. Regardless of who she was.

  She steeled herself and blew out a deep breath, pushing her thick, dark hair away from her left shoulder. The temperature was hovering above average this evening, so she’d opted for a little black dress, falling just above her knee. Her dark, smoky eye makeup would hopefully hide the puffiness of them since she’d spent thirty minutes crying before she took a shower.

  Okay, the sooner I get inside…the sooner I can leave.

  She walked towards the corner of the dock front and turned, heading for the restaurant she’d arranged to meet Alexis at. Long summer nights brought a stress-free vibe to the city. Patrons relaxing on the outdoor seating of the local bars, live music enticing customers to come inside and try a craft beer or two. Where Sam was headed was her usual choice of dining, but nothing about this meeting felt as relaxing as it usually would. Of course, she could go in there in business mode, but what impression would that give to the woman she was paying this evening? On the other hand, how could she attempt to be calm and collected when her heart was beating harder than it had in a long time?

  Sam quickly removed her phone from her bag and pulled up her assistant’s details.

  S: You know when you book one of the women…do you pay for everything?

  Her phone buzzed, giving her less time than she thought she had to think up a response.

  C: Why are you asking such a random question?

  S: Intrigued, I suppose.

  C: Well, yes. You pay for her and everything else.

  S: Okay. Thanks.

  C: Who did you book?

  S: What? I didn’t…

  C: Sure. Enjoy your evening.

  S: I will. Home in my PJs.

  C: Sure you are.

  Sam chose not to respond and instead, shoved her phone back into her bag. Cheryl wasn't stupid, she knew that, but she didn’t have the time for a million and one questions from her assistant. Once she answered one question, it would snowball and she would never make it inside.

  She pushed the heavy glass door open to be greeted by a familiar waiter. This tapas bar had become a regular for her and Lucia over the years, and every time she came back, Sam was welcomed just the same.

  “Sam, it’s been a long time…” Xavi, the waiter, held out an arm. “Your usual table?”

  “Oh, no.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll wait at the bar for another.”

  “Of course.” He smiled, his chiseled look fitting in perfectly with the dim Spanish surroundings. “Please, follow me.”

  Sam moved through the foyer and towards the bar, glancing around for any sign of Alexis. Discovering that she wasn't yet there, Sam calmed her nerves and took a seat on the high bar stool in front of the distressed wooden counter top. Perhaps she’s going to stand me up. Sam pondered that thought for a moment, relieved that it could be a possibility, but then the doors opened and the first thought on Sam’s mind was to run out the back door. Alexis was incredible. Her long, naturally blonde hair fell over her shoulders and sat above her midsection, the colour of an organic honey. The bluest eyes lit up the entire restaurant, causing Sam to swallow hard. But it was the effortless beauty radiating from Alexis that suddenly felt intimidating to Sam, which caught her attention above all else.

  Her eyes found Alexis’ and Sam could do nothing other than smile. She climbed down from her stool, and Alexis leaned in, kissing her on the cheek.

  “You must be Samantha.”

  “Sam.”

  “Whatever you prefer.” Alexis gave her a full, beaming smile. “Have you ordered?” she asked, elegantly pulling herself up onto the stool next to Sam’s.

  “No, not yet.”

  “May I order?” Alexis crossed her impossibly long legs. “This bar has some of the best cocktails around.”

  “You come here?”

  “All the time,” Alexis said. “Usually with friends. Not clients.”

  “Oh.” Sam’s hands trembled. “Okay, whatever you think is good.”

  Alexis nodded, turning her attention to the barman. Upon arrival, she’d noticed the older woman’s beauty. She’d also noticed it the moment she was contacted earlier today. Alexis didn’t make a habit of just meeting with any client who contacted her. If she didn’t get a good vibe, a positivity, she would simply decline. When Sam’s name and profile popped up for her to read through, Alexis was blown away. Now, sitting beside her, she knew she’d chosen the right one out of a long list of potentials.

  Sam hadn’t realised it in the moments that Alexis approached her, but this woman made her feel comfortable. Nothing seemed forced. Okay, they’d merely spoken a few words to one another, but she imagined it to be different. Nerve-racking, perhaps.

  “Am I late or did you arrive early?” Alexis turned her attention to Sam, placing her head in her palm.

  “Oh, I think I was early. Habit, sorry.”

  “Don't apologise.” Alexis laughed, sending Sam’s heart rate soaring. “You look like someone who has never been late in their life.”

  “I think you could be right.” Sam couldn’t recall a time she had ever arrived late to anything. She’d like to believe it was the businesswoman in her but growing up had been the same. Her parents had drilled it into both Sam and Lindsay that punctuality was important in life. Unfortunately, Lindsay never lived by that, and Sam knew that was why she struggled to hold down a permanent job during the day.

  “Sam, your table…” Xavi approached Sam and helped her down from her stool. “You have company this evening.”

  “Business,” Sam said, bristling.

  “Yes, this way.”

  Once seated, Sam rested back in the booth, her eyes fixed on her hands sitting in her lap. It wasn't very often that she was a woman of few words, but something had genuinely caught her tongue tonight. Her guess, that something being Alexis.

  “You’ve never done this before, have you?” Alexis asked, her voice low as the waiter brought them their cocktail order.

  “N-No.” Sam shook her head, glancing up at the waiter. “Thank you, Steve.”

  “Good to see you, Sam.” He smiled as he acknowledged Alexis and left the table.

  “But I did check online and it stated I'm to pay you before the evening gets going…”

  Sam didn’t like this. Not the money side of it. While she was perfectly happy to pay Alexis for their evening together, she didn’t like doing business over the table of her most frequented restaurant.

  “Don't worry. We can fix that later.”

  “No, I play by the rules.” Sam reached for her purse.

  “Samantha, it’s okay.”

  “Sam.” Her eyes shot up, her brow furrowed as her hands stilled. “It’s just Sam.”

  Alexis noted the tone of Sam’s voice. “Right, yeah.” She nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  “Only my wife calls me Samantha.” The words left Sam’s mouth faster than the speed of light. Closing her eyes, she internally winced, her admission catching her off guard.

  “You know, I have a lot of married clients. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Alexis tried to lighten the mood, effectively putting Sam at ease, but her client’s eyes told a different story. This woman…she didn’t want to be here. Perhaps she did to some extent, but this really would be a night of dinner and nothing more. That, to Alexis, was her ideal night.


  “Excuse me?” Sam’s eyes fluttered open.

  “My clients…a lot of them are in relationships or married. What we’re doing, it’s actually quite normal.”

  “I’m not like your other clients.” Sam shook her head. “I’m not a cheat. At least, I don't think I am.” Her words hung in the air as she contemplated them. Was she a cheat? This, what she was doing, could be considered that to some.

  “This is just dinner, Sam.”

  “Alexis, you’re wonderful…” Sam paused. “…but I don't know what I'm doing here. I don't know what to say to you or how to approach this.”

  “What do you want this evening?” Alexis asked, her sincere tone appearing to calm Sam as her shoulders relaxed.

  “This. Dinner,” she said. “Conversation with someone rather than the four walls at home.”

  “Then that is what you can have.”

  “If this becomes a thing.” Sam motioned between them. “Us, meeting or whatever… I only want dinner and conversation.”

  “You mean, you're not booking me for sex?” Alexis placed her hand over her chest, feigning shock. “I’m horrified.”

  “Okay.” Sam laughed, nodding. “I like you.” She lifted her glass and sipped, surprised by how good her cocktail tasted. She was more of a wine woman, but when Alexis suggested something different, she found herself unable to overrule. “What is this?”

  “It’s called a Godfather Part Three.” Alexis lifted her own drink and winked. “Cheers.”

  “Yeah, cheers.” Sam narrowed her eyes. Were all escorts this polite and laid back or had she just chosen right?

  ***

  “And that was why I became an escort.”

  “So, you're telling me…” Sam studied Alexis’ face. “…that you enjoy good food, good company, and women…so that’s why you're an escort?”

  “Pretty much.” Alexis shrugged. “And you should know, Sam, I don't agree to meeting with everyone who contacts me.” As the evening wore on, Alexis found herself willingly flirting with the woman sitting across the table from her. It wasn't foreign, not by any means, but Alexis didn’t usually react this way. If someone wanted nothing more than dinner or friendship, she would usually oblige, but tonight… she found herself being lured in by Sam’s deep eyes. Her smile. Everything.