escort. What was her friend thinking?
Jason followed her to the sofa and sat on the far end. He handed her a glass. “You look like you could use this.”
When she’d ascertained it was just water, she took a long drink. “Thank you.”
She looked at him properly for the first time. She had to hand it to Tiffany, he really was handsome. His dark blond hair curled over his collar and his eyes were the most startling shade of dark blue. He was wearing a white shirt beneath a suit that matched his eyes. It looked expensive. Not that she was an expert in men’s clothing, but it certainly fitted him well.
Realising to her horror that she was staring, she looked away.
“I get the feeling you’d rather your friend had bought you a box of chocolates,” he said. “She didn’t tell me you wouldn’t know.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, “it isn’t you. I’m sure you’re a lovely person and very good at... well... your job.” She stopped and looked at her lap, well aware she was blushing. The sound of laughter made her look up again. “You’re laughing at me.”
“No, not at all,” he said, eyes sparkling with amusement. “It’s just, you look so uncomfortable while trying to be nice. It’s cute.” One side of his mouth hitched up. “Puppies and male escorts; two things you should never give as a gift without being sure the person wants one.”
Despite herself, Charlotte laughed, covering her mouth.
“Look,” he said, “your friend has paid for me to keep you company until eight tomorrow morning, but I can leave if you’d prefer. Or we can do whatever you want to, go out, stay in, talk, play video games, anything. Or we can have sex. Whatever you want. It’s your decision completely.”
Her blush returned with a vengeance at the mention of sex. “Um, I, well, not that last thing. Not that you’re not... I mean, if I was going to, you would be perfectly acceptable...” Her eyes widened. “Oh no, I didn’t mean just acceptable...”
Sighing, she gave up and closed her eyes in dismay. What was wrong with her? She must look like such an idiot right now. A touch on her arm made her open her eyes again.
“Okay, no sex, understood. Most of my clients aren’t as beautiful as you, so it’s kind of disappointing for me , but...” He shrugged and smiled.
A frisson of excitement zipped through her stomach before she realised he probably had a whole range of compliments on tap to deliver to his clients.
Oh no, I’m a client.
“Please don’t do that,” she said.
“What?”
“Give me fake compliments. I mean, I know you probably do that all the time, but I’d rather you didn’t. Then you can just be yourself and I don’t have to feel awkward.” Like that was going to happen.
He leaned back on the sofa, studying her. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. I won’t say anything I don’t truthfully mean, but then you have to believe whatever I say. Deal?”
She gave it some thought. “Seems reasonable. Alright, deal.”
He smiled. “So what would you like to do, birthday girl?”
Was she really considering this? Spending the evening with a man her friend had bought for her? On a purely moral level it was iffy at best.
But she had no intention of sleeping with him. And it had been a long time since she’d been out with anyone, not that her social life had ever been a sparkling funfest of excitement. And he seemed nice. And he certainly wasn’t hard to look at. Would it be so bad, just this once?
“Well, Tiffany did take me to dinner earlier, but it was one of those uber-trendy places that charge thirty quid for two carrot sticks and a cubic inch of pork and I’m still hungry. So I’d quite like to eat something that takes me more than two bites. Does that make me sound really unclassy?”
Jason laughed and stood, offering his hand. It was warm and smooth and, above all, manly . Charlotte performed an internal eye roll when he’d let go after she was standing. It was only a hand,
Jason followed her to the sofa and sat on the far end. He handed her a glass. “You look like you could use this.”
When she’d ascertained it was just water, she took a long drink. “Thank you.”
She looked at him properly for the first time. She had to hand it to Tiffany, he really was handsome. His dark blond hair curled over his collar and his eyes were the most startling shade of dark blue. He was wearing a white shirt beneath a suit that matched his eyes. It looked expensive. Not that she was an expert in men’s clothing, but it certainly fitted him well.
Realising to her horror that she was staring, she looked away.
“I get the feeling you’d rather your friend had bought you a box of chocolates,” he said. “She didn’t tell me you wouldn’t know.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, “it isn’t you. I’m sure you’re a lovely person and very good at... well... your job.” She stopped and looked at her lap, well aware she was blushing. The sound of laughter made her look up again. “You’re laughing at me.”
“No, not at all,” he said, eyes sparkling with amusement. “It’s just, you look so uncomfortable while trying to be nice. It’s cute.” One side of his mouth hitched up. “Puppies and male escorts; two things you should never give as a gift without being sure the person wants one.”
Despite herself, Charlotte laughed, covering her mouth.
“Look,” he said, “your friend has paid for me to keep you company until eight tomorrow morning, but I can leave if you’d prefer. Or we can do whatever you want to, go out, stay in, talk, play video games, anything. Or we can have sex. Whatever you want. It’s your decision completely.”
Her blush returned with a vengeance at the mention of sex. “Um, I, well, not that last thing. Not that you’re not... I mean, if I was going to, you would be perfectly acceptable...” Her eyes widened. “Oh no, I didn’t mean just acceptable...”
Sighing, she gave up and closed her eyes in dismay. What was wrong with her? She must look like such an idiot right now. A touch on her arm made her open her eyes again.
“Okay, no sex, understood. Most of my clients aren’t as beautiful as you, so it’s kind of disappointing for me , but...” He shrugged and smiled.
A frisson of excitement zipped through her stomach before she realised he probably had a whole range of compliments on tap to deliver to his clients.
Oh no, I’m a client.
“Please don’t do that,” she said.
“What?”
“Give me fake compliments. I mean, I know you probably do that all the time, but I’d rather you didn’t. Then you can just be yourself and I don’t have to feel awkward.” Like that was going to happen.
He leaned back on the sofa, studying her. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. I won’t say anything I don’t truthfully mean, but then you have to believe whatever I say. Deal?”
She gave it some thought. “Seems reasonable. Alright, deal.”
He smiled. “So what would you like to do, birthday girl?”
Was she really considering this? Spending the evening with a man her friend had bought for her? On a purely moral level it was iffy at best.
But she had no intention of sleeping with him. And it had been a long time since she’d been out with anyone, not that her social life had ever been a sparkling funfest of excitement. And he seemed nice. And he certainly wasn’t hard to look at. Would it be so bad, just this once?
“Well, Tiffany did take me to dinner earlier, but it was one of those uber-trendy places that charge thirty quid for two carrot sticks and a cubic inch of pork and I’m still hungry. So I’d quite like to eat something that takes me more than two bites. Does that make me sound really unclassy?”
Jason laughed and stood, offering his hand. It was warm and smooth and, above all, manly . Charlotte performed an internal eye roll when he’d let go after she was standing. It was only a hand,
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