of his
words sent it boiling over. “ Don’t .” she bit out through clenched teeth.
“The only thing I need from you is for you to get out of my life. Now.”
She pointed at the back door,
breath quick and short. Heat burned in her cheeks like a fever as Henry rose,
his face grim. “Sophie—”
“Out.”
His shoulders slumped. Darren
opened the rear door, motioning for him to exit. Henry went, pausing on the
threshold at the last second. His dark eyes were deep and wide with apparent
remorse. “I’m sorry, Sophie. If you change your mind, you know how to reach
me.”
“Goodbye, Henry.”
The second the door closed behind
him she began to shake. Darren was at her side in an instant, wrapping her in
strong arms as she wept.
“Oh, god, Dar. What am I going to
do?”
“First things first. Let’s get
the heck out of here.”
She sniffled. “I like that plan.”
They quickly gathered their
things, not bothering to turn off the lights in fear that they might alert the
paparazzi to their escape. At the back door, Darren took her elbow and gave it
a reassuring squeeze. “Ready to go?”
Sophie nodded. “Beyond ready. If
I don’t get away from them now I think I’m going to scream.”
Darren swept open the rear door
and ushered her through it. “Your wish is my command.”
Chapter Ten
“Oh god, I’m going to explode.”
Sophie pushed her plate away. The gesture was an empty one, since the plate was
scraped clean. Wayne chuckled.
“But, there’s lemon meringue pie.
Or coconut cream. Or Boston cream.”
Sophie groaned. Boston cream pie
was her favorite dessert. Which Wayne and Darren knew, of course. Just like
they knew she liked baked ziti and French cut green beans and salad loaded with
radicchio. And Shiraz. They’d plied her with all her favorite foods from the
minute Darren had ushered her through the door of their cozy Bed-Stuy
apartment. As if comfort food, no matter how delicious, would make her forget
her new reputation.
“Let’s have some coffee,” Darren
suggested. “Watch a movie. We can have pie later.”
“Guys. I really appreciate all of
this but pie or no pie, I’m still ruined.” She gulped her wine.
Wayne patted her shoulder.
“There’s always Henry’s propositi—”
“No,” she and Darren answered in
unison.
Wayne held up his hands. “Okay,
okay. Plan B. You could sue for libel?”
Darren grimaced. “I don’t think
she can. For one thing, that would take too long. By the time she won a case,
the damage would already be done. And they didn’t claim she was an
escort. They just speculated as to the reason Henry Medina would be handing a
gorgeous woman an envelope full of cash.”
Sophie thunked her forehead against
the table. “See? I couldn’t even really prove them wrong. Like I told him .”
she sneered the pronoun. “We did sleep together, and he did give me money. So I
guess I am what they say I am.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Darren
said. “The two events are unrelated, remember? And even if they weren’t, you
didn’t take the money.”
“So I’m not even good at being an
escort. Great.”
“Well,” Wayne said. “You’re in
good company. Julia Roberts wasn’t either.”
Sophie’s head jerked up. “What?”
Wayne’s brows merged with his hairline
they shot up so high. “Pretty Woman. The movie? How have you never seen that?
We have to watch it. Right now.” He began tugging her up from the table. Sophie
gave a soggy giggle.
“Honey,” Darren warned softly. “I
don’t know if that’s the best choice right now.”
“Oh.” Wayne’s shoulders slumped.
“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, Soph.”
“No, it’s fine. Let’s do it.
Clearly my cinematic education has been lacking. Show me this Pretty Woman you
speak of.”
Wayne moved to the DVD player and
sorted through the collection of movies him and Darren stored beside it. “You
know we’re going to back out of the deal,” he said as he pulled a movie from
the
words sent it boiling over. “ Don’t .” she bit out through clenched teeth.
“The only thing I need from you is for you to get out of my life. Now.”
She pointed at the back door,
breath quick and short. Heat burned in her cheeks like a fever as Henry rose,
his face grim. “Sophie—”
“Out.”
His shoulders slumped. Darren
opened the rear door, motioning for him to exit. Henry went, pausing on the
threshold at the last second. His dark eyes were deep and wide with apparent
remorse. “I’m sorry, Sophie. If you change your mind, you know how to reach
me.”
“Goodbye, Henry.”
The second the door closed behind
him she began to shake. Darren was at her side in an instant, wrapping her in
strong arms as she wept.
“Oh, god, Dar. What am I going to
do?”
“First things first. Let’s get
the heck out of here.”
She sniffled. “I like that plan.”
They quickly gathered their
things, not bothering to turn off the lights in fear that they might alert the
paparazzi to their escape. At the back door, Darren took her elbow and gave it
a reassuring squeeze. “Ready to go?”
Sophie nodded. “Beyond ready. If
I don’t get away from them now I think I’m going to scream.”
Darren swept open the rear door
and ushered her through it. “Your wish is my command.”
Chapter Ten
“Oh god, I’m going to explode.”
Sophie pushed her plate away. The gesture was an empty one, since the plate was
scraped clean. Wayne chuckled.
“But, there’s lemon meringue pie.
Or coconut cream. Or Boston cream.”
Sophie groaned. Boston cream pie
was her favorite dessert. Which Wayne and Darren knew, of course. Just like
they knew she liked baked ziti and French cut green beans and salad loaded with
radicchio. And Shiraz. They’d plied her with all her favorite foods from the
minute Darren had ushered her through the door of their cozy Bed-Stuy
apartment. As if comfort food, no matter how delicious, would make her forget
her new reputation.
“Let’s have some coffee,” Darren
suggested. “Watch a movie. We can have pie later.”
“Guys. I really appreciate all of
this but pie or no pie, I’m still ruined.” She gulped her wine.
Wayne patted her shoulder.
“There’s always Henry’s propositi—”
“No,” she and Darren answered in
unison.
Wayne held up his hands. “Okay,
okay. Plan B. You could sue for libel?”
Darren grimaced. “I don’t think
she can. For one thing, that would take too long. By the time she won a case,
the damage would already be done. And they didn’t claim she was an
escort. They just speculated as to the reason Henry Medina would be handing a
gorgeous woman an envelope full of cash.”
Sophie thunked her forehead against
the table. “See? I couldn’t even really prove them wrong. Like I told him .”
she sneered the pronoun. “We did sleep together, and he did give me money. So I
guess I am what they say I am.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Darren
said. “The two events are unrelated, remember? And even if they weren’t, you
didn’t take the money.”
“So I’m not even good at being an
escort. Great.”
“Well,” Wayne said. “You’re in
good company. Julia Roberts wasn’t either.”
Sophie’s head jerked up. “What?”
Wayne’s brows merged with his hairline
they shot up so high. “Pretty Woman. The movie? How have you never seen that?
We have to watch it. Right now.” He began tugging her up from the table. Sophie
gave a soggy giggle.
“Honey,” Darren warned softly. “I
don’t know if that’s the best choice right now.”
“Oh.” Wayne’s shoulders slumped.
“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, Soph.”
“No, it’s fine. Let’s do it.
Clearly my cinematic education has been lacking. Show me this Pretty Woman you
speak of.”
Wayne moved to the DVD player and
sorted through the collection of movies him and Darren stored beside it. “You
know we’re going to back out of the deal,” he said as he pulled a movie from
the
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