Page 12 of Games We Play
“Wow.” Leah looked around the Mercedes again. “That explains a lot. So I guess that means this is your car, huh?”
“What kind of escort service would send a woman around in a car like this? Not even the Chateau goes to these extremes.”
“The what?”
Sloan rolled her eyes. “Never mind. You wouldn’t have heard of it.” She pulled her checkbook out again. “I want to sincerely apologize for the mix up, Ms. Leah. It appears that we were not meant to meet Saturday night.”
Leah sucked in her bottom lip. “But we did.”Thank you, Jesus! You finally came through!“We met. Stuff happened.”
She said it with a sheepish smile. Maybe this was Leah’s big chance.Chance for what? A relationship?Yeah, right. Sloan didn’t appear the relationship type. This was a woman who happily called herself the Biggest Cunt in America and got her kicks with escorts, probably because she didn’t have the time for traditional dating.She’s a woman who knows what she wants, isn’t she?What she wanted in her everyday life. What she wanted from her career…
Ooh. What she wanted in the bedroom!
It had been years since Leah last outwardly flirted with a woman, let alone one so far out of her league. Yet Sloan had no problems kissing, handcuffing, groping, and fingering Leah the other night. Maybe she wasn’t out of her league, after all! Maybe it was worth leaning in toward her and batting eyelashes like the coy princess she pretended to be in her fantasies.
“You’re right. We did.” Checkbook in one hand and cell phone in the other, Sloan looked as if she didn’t know which path to take. She eventually dropped her checkbook and brought up the contacts list in her cell phone. “Again. My sincerest apologies. I will… I shall refer you to my lawyer, if you can get me in contact with yours.”
Leah was only slightly taken aback. “Pardon me?”
“I think it’s best if we part ways now. For legality’s sake.”
“What?”
“Quite frankly, I don’t know what you want from me. At first, I thought you might be after a different kind of pay day. Now? It’s one thing for you to besmirch me in a supposed hit and run judgment, Leah, but it would be quite another for you to suggest that what happened was somehow… unethical.”
It took Leah a few moments to realize what she meant. “I… I don’t think that you… oh my God, no!” How could Sloan suggest that?The last thing I’m thinking is that Saturday night was a sexual assault!Hell, Leah had wanted more! She couldn’t have consented any harder if she took out an ad in the paper to declare it to America!“I don’t think it was unethical at all! I thought it was… I thought it was fun.” Her chin had pointed toward her lap by the end of her sheepish declaration. “Like I said, I thought you were someone else. Looks like we both mistook who the other person was.”
“Yes, and now we’re in this… wait, you liked it?”
“Well, yeah! You were there! You think I was faking it?”
“I’m not surewhatI think right now. Other than I paid for something I never actually got from that person. How shady are the agencies in this town, anyway?”
“I wouldn’t know.” Leah’s hands curled in her lap. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m gay. Obviously, you are too. Or so I’m assuming.”
“Quite.”
“We’re two gay women who were brought together under a giant misunderstanding, but there was no harm or foul, right? I don’t want anything from you, Ms. Sloan.” So thatwasher real name.You bet your ass I’m looking it up later.“I don’t need you to pay me off, and I’m not going to sue you for anything. Please don’t worry about that.”
“You say that, but how am I to trust you? I don’t think you understand the kind of shit I’ve dealt with before. There’s always someone trying to take something from me.” Sloan gazed out her window as they made yet another lap around the block. “Money… dignity…” Her eyebrows shot up her forehead. “My pride. Excuse me if I’m not quick to take your word.”
“I could put it in writing.”
“Still not good enough. I think it’s best for our lawyers to settle this matter in a legally satisfactory manner.”
“I don’t have a lawyer.”
Sloan sighed. “I bet you don’t. So, then, what do you propose? How in the world are you going to settle my nerves?”
I know how I’d like to do that.If Leah suggested that, though, she would be the one getting sued instead! “Do something that would absolutely discredit me in court.”
Sloan leaned her elbow against the car door. Her body language kept her far from Leah – not even her legs were crossed in her guest’s direction – but the glint in her eyes suggested she was open to more conversation. “Likewhat?”
“Like…” Leah couldn’t believe she was being this bold. Her! Leah! The woman who couldn’t stand up to her boss or take her mother’s criticisms without wanting to curl up in bed and pretend the world didn’t exist! “Be seen with me in public? Your lawyer would destroy me in court if we’re seen having a nice dinner together after the supposed incident in question.”
“Diabolical.” Sloan pushed a button next to her window. It turned on the intercom to the driver’s seat. “Take us to that place Preston Bradley recommended for dinner, Sean.” Her finger slipped off the button. “Fine. If you want to play games, Leah, we can play some games.”
Leah grinned.
