Page 18 of The Alpha Escort Agency
“Oh no, don't tell me you paid all that money and the dude didn't even keep you hydrated,” Maria calls from behind the fridge door.
“No, he made sure I drank and ate — and can you see all the food he left me in there?” She kneels up on the sofa and rests her arms and chin on the back, observing Maria.
“Where?” Maria disappears further inside the fridge.
“In the tupperware boxes.”
“Shit. There're loads.”
“And there're brownies over here.” Alice smiles, strangely smug.
Maria heads over, grabbing a cake as she does, and snuggles down on the opposite end of the sofa, kicking off her boots and tucking up her feet.
“I'm sensing it was good then.” She beams at Alice, her tongue curling behind her teeth, before taking a gulp of the beer.
“Uh huh,” Alice says, unable to help but beam back.
“Wow, that good, huh?”
“That good … let's just say they must put those escorts through a rigorous training programme because he clearly knew what he was doing and—” She stops.
“And what?” Maria peers up at her while struggling to prevent sponge tumbling from her mouth as she bites into the brownie.
“And I need another brownie. Pass me one, will you?”
Alice gazes to the dining table, while her friend reaches over to the plate of brownies. The Alpha's half-drunk cup of tea still sits on the tabletop from earlier. She should tell Maria about that too. She should confess her suspicions that the sex being good was nothing to do with any training and more to do with the man himself. But Maria would have words to say about fraternizing with the hired help. No dating the clients, no relationships with customers. They have the same rules at her own agency too.
“So what did you do this weekend?” she asks Maria, pulling the brown sponge apart with her fingers and popping a lump into her mouth. “Please tell me you didn't do your snooping?”
“Hmmm, yes and no,” Maria peers down at the floor. “I didn't break into his emails, but I did check out his story.”
“His story?”
“Yeah. He told me he had to go in to run through a case with John, his colleague, so I had a teeny rummage around John's Facebook page and guess what?”
“What?” Alice sinks into the sofa, a sudden chill sweeping through her.
“John's been posting pictures of his romantic trip to Paris with his wife all weekend!”
Alice stares at Maria. “You're kidding?”
“Nope. I don't know what the fuck is going on.” Alice holds open her arms and Maria snuggles into her embrace. “Apart from the secretive goings on, he seems himself. Affectionate, caring. He made me breakfast in bed this morning and there was no way I could talk him out of coming over here with his baseball bat. I don't understand it.”
Alice strokes Maria's hair. There's not much else she can think of to do.
???
Lisa is waiting for Alice in her office when she arrives on Tuesday morning, hovering on the edge of her desk, pencil skirt, spikey heels and hair that has obviously been blow dried at the salon on her way to work. Alice wonders how early in the morning Lisa must rise in order to look so glamorous and still beat her to the office.
Why is she here? Alice prays it is not to quiz her about the heat she's just spent with an escort. Maria is the only person who knows about that and she wouldn't be stupid enough to tell Lisa, would she? Because once Lisa knows, then everybody else in the entire agency will know too. Lisa has an insatiable appetite for office gossip.
“Good morning, Lisa,” Alice says, hanging up her coat and eyeing Lisa.
Lisa simply grins at her in response.
“What?”
Lisa grins wider.
