Page 25 of Kings of Desire
‘No!?’
‘I own three strip joints, amongst other businesses. Believe me, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.’
‘Fine,’ I muttered, though without any intention of exposing myself in front of him. With Houdini skills, I slipped an arm under my dress, opening the piece of underwear and removing it without showing any skin. ‘I bet you haven’t seen this one,’ I wiggled the bra in his face then threw it next to my clothes.
‘You’ve got quite a mouth on yourself for someone who was so desperate less than a week ago.’
He did make a point. I sometimes tend to drift off and forget my main goal.
I never was the most obedient person so I guess following so many orders all of a sudden needed a little time for me to become accustomed.
‘This isn’t a coincidence is it?’ I asked, having the impression that I was part of a plan. And it didn’t take him long to confirm it.
‘Let’s go. I’ll tell you what you need to know in the car. It’s a two hour drive and I’m already falling behind schedule because of you.’
I could have nagged him about how he could have asked for the Pleasure earlier since he already had everything figured out, but the man was a ticking time bomb and I wasn’t going to be the one pulling the trigger.
We soon climbed into the same jeep that initially had brought me here, then drove off to continue our journey.
‘We’re going to attend a party for a few hours. You’ll do exactly as I say and you’ll be sleeping in your bed by the morning with the money in your hands.’ The boss of all breathing organisms was ordering me around, placing me as if a pawn on his chessboard.
‘Why did you ask especially for me?’ The question was grinding in my mind, and I couldn’t find peace before having an answer.
Ignoring me, he took a whiskey bottle from the car’s minibar and poured himself a drink. He was going to talk only when he wanted to, or when he felt that it was needed.
I think he left me to boil for almost half an hour, while looking out the window and shifting his glass, stirring the ice cubes in his drink. ‘Did you know that Vanya hires only on recommendation?’ He finally decided to speak, asking a question that I completely ignored. In the rush and madness of everything, I didn’t get to ask how did she find me. But I had a feeling that soon it will all begin to make sense.
‘I didn’t find it necessary. I was just thrilled with the opportunity.’ It wasn’t appropriate to look dumb now, was it? ‘But who could recommend me?’
‘Someone you should be grateful to.’ The tone of self-satisfaction was leaving no room to doubt that he was talking about himself. Not that I won’t be eternally grateful to anyone who helped me like this but thethankfulhewas talking about had a certain connotation to it. Now I owed him, and no debt would remain unpaid when it came to someone like him.
‘Why would you recommend me?’ It had no use in playing the fool since it would have led to the same result.
He downed the alcohol in two mouthfuls, then gazed straight at me ‘I need you for ajob. And I wanted to make sure that you won’t talk without unnecessary headaches. Vanya has her ways of seeing that through.’
‘What kind of job?’ I had to ask since I feared what the word means to him.
‘We’ll go to a party and pose as a couple. I will handle the rest. You just have to look pretty and smile.’
‘Probably like most women in your opinion.’ I mumbled, seeing a stereotype in him.
But before I realized that my mouth was getting the best of me again, his eyebrows narrowed, while his eyes were peering through me ‘What did you say?’ The weight of his body leaned against mine, completely trapping me between him and the seat. ‘Do you think this is a game?’ His eyes were losing the shades of green, changing into the black of the night.
‘No,’ I whimpered, as one of his palms locked on my waist.
‘Then you better start acting like it. You will do what I say, the second I say. Understood?’
‘Yes,’ I puffed feeling my heart trying to leave my chest.
The man was as deadly as he was impressive, and agreeing with him was the only way around this, although I was certain that I will find a way to screw things up.
‘I will be Joshua Davis and you, Milenna Russo for the night. I am an entrepreneur and often do charity work, so we met when you came to our foundation to ask for our help with a local canteen for the needy.’
I couldn’t hold down a laugh, seeing the white thread in everything he was saying. No one will believe this.
‘Do I amuse you, Bea?’ I guess the part when I would be screwing up things was already here.
The smile on my lips suddenly disappeared ‘No.’
