sector. Angel... How much do you think Thomas’s latest venture cost him?”
“I-I don’t know,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders, taking a nervous sip of my wine.
“Half a billion dollars.”
I nearly choked on the alcohol when I heard the numbers. I put the napkin up to my face and started to cough.
“That’s right,” Anthony continued. “Thomas over here just shelled out 500 million for one of the biggest computer companies in the world.”
“Anthony, please,” Thomas interrupted him. “Let’s not talk about money at the table.”
“Why not? That’s what this celebration is for, isn’t it?”
“I simply wanted to have a get-together for some of my friends.”
“Ah, yes, friends. Haughty old businessmen in suits with sticks up their asses. This is quite the party. Angel, you have no idea what a breath of fresh air you are. I get tired of looking at all of the same old faces at your friend Thomas’s little shindigs.”
He smiled at me and Alina started to cough to get his attention. Anthony turned to her and he started to chuckle as he tried to get back in her good graces.
“Uh, except for you, Alina. I could never get tired of your face.”
“Charming as ever,” she sighed. “But Angel, my dear, Anthony is right in his assessment. Thomas rents out this room out of sheer boredom. Anthony attends these things out of habit and not because there’s something to look forward to. Angel, you might give us some reason to celebrate.”
“Yes,” Thomas said to them. “Angel is a lovely woman, isn’t she? Let’s all enjoy the night and toast to the presence of an angel.”
He raised his glass up in the air and we all followed him. Thomas winked at me and we all toasted one another.
Thomas and Anthony continued their friendly discussion over dinner about numbers. Anthony pushed him while Thomas insisted that there were other more important things to discuss. All the while, I would listen without a clue what they were talking about, taking the time to look out onto the dance floor at the only thing that seemed interesting.
“So, Angel, what is it you do?” Alina said to me from across the table.
I shoved a mouthful of food and started to chew very slowly. At the same time, I shifted my gaze to Thomas, searching for the right response.
“I—”
“She’s my new assistant,” Thomas interrupted me.
“Really?” Alina said. “I had no idea you were in the market.”
“Well, I’m a busy man, Alina. I decided that there are more things for me to do during the day than there is time to do it. Angel here will give me the opportunity to do some things that I can’t quite get around to.”
“Yes,” Anthony said. “An assistant should help with your busy schedule. I wonder if Angel here is as efficient as she is beautiful. And hiring her just when you became single. How convenient.”
Anthony winked at me and I turned my eyes away from him. I looked down at my food and continued to eat, hoping that Thomas would explain our relationship to them. I wasn’t sure whether Thomas wanted them or anybody else to know that I was just a hooker. But Thomas seemed to manage the inquiry with a deftness that mimicked the dancers on the floor in front of me.
“Yes, beauty,” Thomas said. “Angel certainly possesses that. But our business relationship is more important than anything else and I expect nothing less than the best from her.”
“Indeed,” Anthony said. “Looks and talent. Thomas, you really know how to pick them. I guess that’s why you’ve made so much more money as well. Some guys just have all the luck.”
Dinner continued without any further incidents in regard to my profession. Their interrogation was friendly and Alina and Anthony seemed to genuinely enjoyed my company. For the most part, I sat there and silently ate my food, while I soaked in the atmosphere. I had never been around people like this before. It was a fascinating experience even though it wasn’t one I
“I-I don’t know,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders, taking a nervous sip of my wine.
“Half a billion dollars.”
I nearly choked on the alcohol when I heard the numbers. I put the napkin up to my face and started to cough.
“That’s right,” Anthony continued. “Thomas over here just shelled out 500 million for one of the biggest computer companies in the world.”
“Anthony, please,” Thomas interrupted him. “Let’s not talk about money at the table.”
“Why not? That’s what this celebration is for, isn’t it?”
“I simply wanted to have a get-together for some of my friends.”
“Ah, yes, friends. Haughty old businessmen in suits with sticks up their asses. This is quite the party. Angel, you have no idea what a breath of fresh air you are. I get tired of looking at all of the same old faces at your friend Thomas’s little shindigs.”
He smiled at me and Alina started to cough to get his attention. Anthony turned to her and he started to chuckle as he tried to get back in her good graces.
“Uh, except for you, Alina. I could never get tired of your face.”
“Charming as ever,” she sighed. “But Angel, my dear, Anthony is right in his assessment. Thomas rents out this room out of sheer boredom. Anthony attends these things out of habit and not because there’s something to look forward to. Angel, you might give us some reason to celebrate.”
“Yes,” Thomas said to them. “Angel is a lovely woman, isn’t she? Let’s all enjoy the night and toast to the presence of an angel.”
He raised his glass up in the air and we all followed him. Thomas winked at me and we all toasted one another.
Thomas and Anthony continued their friendly discussion over dinner about numbers. Anthony pushed him while Thomas insisted that there were other more important things to discuss. All the while, I would listen without a clue what they were talking about, taking the time to look out onto the dance floor at the only thing that seemed interesting.
“So, Angel, what is it you do?” Alina said to me from across the table.
I shoved a mouthful of food and started to chew very slowly. At the same time, I shifted my gaze to Thomas, searching for the right response.
“I—”
“She’s my new assistant,” Thomas interrupted me.
“Really?” Alina said. “I had no idea you were in the market.”
“Well, I’m a busy man, Alina. I decided that there are more things for me to do during the day than there is time to do it. Angel here will give me the opportunity to do some things that I can’t quite get around to.”
“Yes,” Anthony said. “An assistant should help with your busy schedule. I wonder if Angel here is as efficient as she is beautiful. And hiring her just when you became single. How convenient.”
Anthony winked at me and I turned my eyes away from him. I looked down at my food and continued to eat, hoping that Thomas would explain our relationship to them. I wasn’t sure whether Thomas wanted them or anybody else to know that I was just a hooker. But Thomas seemed to manage the inquiry with a deftness that mimicked the dancers on the floor in front of me.
“Yes, beauty,” Thomas said. “Angel certainly possesses that. But our business relationship is more important than anything else and I expect nothing less than the best from her.”
“Indeed,” Anthony said. “Looks and talent. Thomas, you really know how to pick them. I guess that’s why you’ve made so much more money as well. Some guys just have all the luck.”
Dinner continued without any further incidents in regard to my profession. Their interrogation was friendly and Alina and Anthony seemed to genuinely enjoyed my company. For the most part, I sat there and silently ate my food, while I soaked in the atmosphere. I had never been around people like this before. It was a fascinating experience even though it wasn’t one I
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