DAY 1
“ Ouch! ”
“Oh, sorry, I should have warned you about the coffee table.”
Charlotte wanted to lean down to rub her throbbing shin, but with Tiffany’s hands clamped securely over the scarf covering her eyes it was impossible. “Are we almost there?”
She knew they had to be in one of the up market hotel’s bedrooms. From the lobby, where Tiffany had insisted she tie the scarf around her face to stop her seeing the surprise, they’d ridden up in a lift, walked about forty feet, and finally she’d heard the click of a lock and a door opening, at which point Tiffany had added her hands to the scarf. Charlotte could feel her at her back, almost bouncing with excitement as they stopped.
“Okay, we’re here,” Tiffany said.
Charlotte lifted her hands to remove the blindfold.
“No, no,” Tiffany said, not releasing her, “in a moment. Now, hasn’t your birthday been fun so far?”
“Yee-ss.” Charlotte drew the word out, not because she hadn’t had fun, but because her best friend was notoriously unpredictable and she was slightly worried about what was going to happen next.
“And I bet you’re wondering why we’re here, given that it’s ten o’clock and nearing your bedtime.”
“I’m not a nun, Tiff,” Charlotte said.
“You’re not far off. Which is why I have got you the best present ever.” She let go, whipped off the scarf blindfold and held out her arms with a grin. “Ta-daa! Am I the best friend you’ve ever had, or what?”
Charlotte looked around. They were standing in the centre of one of the Excelsior Hotel’s large, modern bedrooms. Sleek and stylish, it screamed taste, the polar opposite of Charlotte’s own bedroom.
There was a man standing by the huge double bed. He was also sleek and stylish. Probably Tiffany’s new boyfriend. He was just her friend’s type, although Charlotte couldn’t deny he was handsome, in a too perfect kind of way.
Charlotte smiled at him and continued her perusal of the room. “Um, what am I looking for?”
Tiffany deflated and dropped her arms. “Oh, Charlie, has it been so long you’ve forgotten what a man is?”
Charlotte whipped her head round to look at Tiffany. Then she looked at the man again.
“I... what?”
Tiffany gestured towards him. “Charlotte, this is Jason. He’s all yours for the night. Happy birthday!” She bounced a little.
Charlotte’s jaw dropped. For a few seconds, she couldn’t remember a single word of the English language. Her eyes flicked between the man, who was now wearing an expression of apologetic amusement, and her friend, who was grinning from ear to ear as if she’d just found the cure for the common cold.
“He’s... I don’t... what?”
Tiffany heaved a sigh, put her arm around Charlotte’s waist and steered her towards him. “Jason, meet Charlotte, my clueless but very nice friend. Charlotte, meet Jason, the male escort I hired for you.” She took hold of Charlotte’s right wrist and raised her hand towards him.
Jason took the limp appendage and shook it briefly. “It’s nice to meet you, Charlotte.” When he let go, her arm dropped to her side again.
“Well, that’s my cue to leave,” Tiffany said. She kissed Charlotte’s cheek and gave her an exaggerated wink. “Have fun!”
The slamming door startled Charlotte back to her senses. She looked around and panicked when she found herself alone in the room with Jason the male escort.
The male escort.
She looked back at him. “I... I don’t... um...”
He pushed his hands into his pockets and smiled. “I’m guessing this is all a bit of a surprise.”
“You could say that.”
She suddenly felt the need to sit down. Her eyes went to the bed.
Definitely not.
There was a sofa by the window and she fled to it, dropping onto the plush cushion before she fell down. Tiffany had done some over the top things in the ten years Charlotte had known her, but this was far and away the wildest.
A male
“ Ouch! ”
“Oh, sorry, I should have warned you about the coffee table.”
Charlotte wanted to lean down to rub her throbbing shin, but with Tiffany’s hands clamped securely over the scarf covering her eyes it was impossible. “Are we almost there?”
She knew they had to be in one of the up market hotel’s bedrooms. From the lobby, where Tiffany had insisted she tie the scarf around her face to stop her seeing the surprise, they’d ridden up in a lift, walked about forty feet, and finally she’d heard the click of a lock and a door opening, at which point Tiffany had added her hands to the scarf. Charlotte could feel her at her back, almost bouncing with excitement as they stopped.
“Okay, we’re here,” Tiffany said.
Charlotte lifted her hands to remove the blindfold.
“No, no,” Tiffany said, not releasing her, “in a moment. Now, hasn’t your birthday been fun so far?”
“Yee-ss.” Charlotte drew the word out, not because she hadn’t had fun, but because her best friend was notoriously unpredictable and she was slightly worried about what was going to happen next.
“And I bet you’re wondering why we’re here, given that it’s ten o’clock and nearing your bedtime.”
“I’m not a nun, Tiff,” Charlotte said.
“You’re not far off. Which is why I have got you the best present ever.” She let go, whipped off the scarf blindfold and held out her arms with a grin. “Ta-daa! Am I the best friend you’ve ever had, or what?”
Charlotte looked around. They were standing in the centre of one of the Excelsior Hotel’s large, modern bedrooms. Sleek and stylish, it screamed taste, the polar opposite of Charlotte’s own bedroom.
There was a man standing by the huge double bed. He was also sleek and stylish. Probably Tiffany’s new boyfriend. He was just her friend’s type, although Charlotte couldn’t deny he was handsome, in a too perfect kind of way.
Charlotte smiled at him and continued her perusal of the room. “Um, what am I looking for?”
Tiffany deflated and dropped her arms. “Oh, Charlie, has it been so long you’ve forgotten what a man is?”
Charlotte whipped her head round to look at Tiffany. Then she looked at the man again.
“I... what?”
Tiffany gestured towards him. “Charlotte, this is Jason. He’s all yours for the night. Happy birthday!” She bounced a little.
Charlotte’s jaw dropped. For a few seconds, she couldn’t remember a single word of the English language. Her eyes flicked between the man, who was now wearing an expression of apologetic amusement, and her friend, who was grinning from ear to ear as if she’d just found the cure for the common cold.
“He’s... I don’t... what?”
Tiffany heaved a sigh, put her arm around Charlotte’s waist and steered her towards him. “Jason, meet Charlotte, my clueless but very nice friend. Charlotte, meet Jason, the male escort I hired for you.” She took hold of Charlotte’s right wrist and raised her hand towards him.
Jason took the limp appendage and shook it briefly. “It’s nice to meet you, Charlotte.” When he let go, her arm dropped to her side again.
“Well, that’s my cue to leave,” Tiffany said. She kissed Charlotte’s cheek and gave her an exaggerated wink. “Have fun!”
The slamming door startled Charlotte back to her senses. She looked around and panicked when she found herself alone in the room with Jason the male escort.
The male escort.
She looked back at him. “I... I don’t... um...”
He pushed his hands into his pockets and smiled. “I’m guessing this is all a bit of a surprise.”
“You could say that.”
She suddenly felt the need to sit down. Her eyes went to the bed.
Definitely not.
There was a sofa by the window and she fled to it, dropping onto the plush cushion before she fell down. Tiffany had done some over the top things in the ten years Charlotte had known her, but this was far and away the wildest.
A male
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