Page 100 of Playboy For Hire

“Jealous?” Thea said sweetly.

“Of that man? He may be good-looking, but who wants to hear all that yapping about history? It’s all Napoleon this and Wellington that. You’d think he fought in that damned war himself.”

“At least he’s educated, unlike some—”

“Ladies, ladies,” I broke in. “I hate to interrupt, but I think we might have wandered a bit far from the topic at hand.”

“You see.” Thea nodded like I’d proved some sort of point. “The boy doesn’t want to hear about your loose ways, you slattern.”

“Or your high-minded prattle,” the other woman shot back. “Just who is this young man anyway?”

“This is Ryder Olson,” Thea said, waving her hand by way of an introduction. “The young man from the agency you recommended. Ryder, this poorly-mannered harridan is Violet Winthrop.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” I said, sticking out my hand to shake hers.

Violet eyed me suspiciously, then held her own hand out, fingers first. Obviously, she expected me to take it and kiss it. I blinked, then did as she wanted. No reason to get off on the wrong foot. Then something Thea had said caught my attention.

“Did Thea sayyouwere the one who recommended Heartbreakers Anonymous to her and Quinn?”

I tried to keep the surprise out of my voice. Surely a woman Violet’s age hadn’t needed to hire someone for a date. But it was a big world. Who was I to judge?

“She did,” Violet said airily. “I know someone who knows someone who’s used your company’s services in the past.” Then she grinned. “Thea and Quinn would be nowhere without me. Now what exactly are you doing here?”

“Thea asked me to help her pick a dress for your dance next week. Do you think you could help her with the zippers on a few of these outfits?”

“Interesting.” Violet peered at me like a bird examining a worm. “You think you have good taste, do you?”

“You see how nicely the boy dresses,” Thea said, gesturing at me. “And I showed you that picture of him and Quinn at the anniversary party.”

“What picture?” I asked, but neither woman seemed to hear me.

“Not a bad idea,” Violet said. Her eyes gave me another once-over. “What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?”

“I don’t know,” I said, confused. “Studying for finals, probably?”

Actually, most of my finals were group projects, not tests. One of the benefits of being in business school. But macroeconomics had an exam, and I’d still have to be there in person to present the group projects. It wasn’t like I could completely stop caring.

“You can do that later,” she said firmly. “Tomorrow, you and I are going shopping.”

“We’re what?”

“If Thea’s pulling out all the stops, I want to as well. Can’t let her show me up. But I want something new. Have you heard ofLa Boutique de Perles?”

“I have,” I said cautiously.De Perleswas very expensive. I had one shirt from there, and a tie I particularly liked. “Is that where you want to go?”

“That’s where we’ll start,” Violet said. “Be here at noon tomorrow. We’ll see where the day takes us.”

“I—I’m not really—” I stammered, but another knock sounded on the front door.

I looked at Thea, who said to Violet, “I told Marjie to come over too.”

“Why would you do a thing like that?” Violet grumbled. “Now we have to share Ryder with her, too.”

Once again, the door-knocker entered the apartment without waiting for an answer, and revealed herself to be a short, spindle-thin old lady with white hair, glasses on a beaded chain, and a crocheted shawl draped over her shoulders.

“So this is where the party is,” she said when she saw all of us crammed into Thea’s bedroom. Her eyes landed on me. “Oh,aren’t you handsome.” Her gaze narrowed. “But why do I feel like I know you? Have I seen you before?”

“This is Quinn’s friend,” Thea told her. “Ryder. I showed you that picture of the two of them. Ryder, this is Marjorie.”

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