“Oh,” I replied, taken aback. That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. “Are you gay?”
I knew he wasn’t, not unless he came out after his wife died. In response, he shook his head and laughed. “I’m not gay.”
“Then why do you bring women here if you’re not interested?”
Guilt was clearly written all over his face, but over what? Why was he so fucking hard to read? Blowing out a heavy sigh, he leaned his head back on the couch. “I bring them here hoping I get the desire to fuck them. It just never happens, at least not until I met you. Even then, I still don’t think I have it in me.”
“Me? What makes me different?”
He ran his hands over his face, gaze weary. “You remind me of my wife.”
“I didn’t think you were married,” I lied.
“I was married. She died a few years back. The night I saw you I thought I was in the twilight zone. You both have the same red hair and blue eyes. For the longest time, I thought I could move on from her death, but I can’t. I’m not ready. The only reason I would have sex with you is because it’d be easy to imagine it was her.”
“So you haven’t slept with anyone after her death?” He shook his head. “Wow, I honestly don’t know what to say. I’ve lost my parents, but never someone as close to me as a lover. I can’t imagine the pain.”
“At first, it was unbearable, and it didn’t help that Blackwell and Davies kept trying to get me to fuck other women. I decided then to put on this charade so they stay off my back.”
“If you don’t sleep with the girls, what do you do with them when you tell them you don’t want their services?” Purse in hand, I was ready to grab my gun if need be. He didn’t look like he was about to attack, but you never knew. Grief could make you do fucked up things, but I wasn’t expecting what came out of his mouth next.
“I give them money for their silence and send them on their way.”
“Silence? What do you mean?”
“I give them money to say we had sex even though we didn’t. That way it gets the guys off my back and it makes them think I’m fucking other women.”
“Never would’ve thought that.”
Finishing his beer, he set the bottle down on the table. “Well, there you have it. How much do you want to stay quiet?”
My heart went out to him and I could feel my eyes burning. Hesitantly, I reached over and placed my hand over his. He tensed at first, but then slowly relaxed. “I don’t need anything, Mark. As far as anyone’s concerned, we had sex tonight and it was mind-blowing. The money isn’t important to me. Besides, I already have a purse filled with it.”
He turned is hand over in mine and squeezed it before letting it go. “That you do. How about I take you home?”
“That’s not necessary. I can find my own way,” I insisted, getting to my feet.
He got up and grabbed his keys off the counter. “I’m sure you can, but I’d feel better knowing you got back safely.”
“Thank you. Do you mind if I use your restroom first?”
“Not at all. It’s over there,” he said, pointing across the room. I hurried over and shut the door, pulling out my phone.
Me: Heading to the hotel. Or at least I think I am.
Jason: What happened?
Me: I’ll tell you later. Right now he wants to take me home. Are you close?
Jason: In the parking deck. I’ll see you when you get off the elevator.
After putting my phone away, I flushed the toilet and washed my hands before opening the door. “I’m ready to go.”
Mark was by the front door and he opened it for me. Sliding past, I waited for him to lock the door and join me by the elevator. “Just so you know, it’s not because you’re not beautiful,” he murmured.