This is news to me. I wonder if Chloe knows. “She did?”
A smirk forms on Sadie’s lips as she leans closer, her eyes brimming with excitement. She would get along famously with Chloe, both of them bonding over a shared love of gossip. Maybe that’s why I’ve formed such a strong bond with Sadie after only a few days. She reminds me so much of Chloe.
“It’s quite the scandal,” she whispers. “Last summer, after the Fourth of July, she was mysteriously absent from all festivities, forcing Ethan to attend alone. Then, earlier this year, she was rumored to have been staying with another man while on location for an upcoming movie that was shooting in Vancouver.”
“That’s not exactly a scandal, Sadie,” Christopher interjects, rolling his eyes.
“That’s not the scandalous part,” she insists, her gaze floating to his before returning to mine. I’m with Christopher. Two celebrities ending their relationship isn’t newsworthy these days. “It’s rumored this man was a male escort.”
My interest piques at this tidbit of information.
“Which sounds ridiculous. I mean, why would someone like Sonia Moreno need to hire an escort? Any man would love to be with her, so why should she pay someone to sleep with her?”
“Maybe it’s not about sex,” I argue, my own words surprising me. All eyes instantly zero in on me, so I explain, using information I’d gleaned from my brief conversations with August Laurent. “Men and women are programmed differently. As such, they typically hire escorts for different reasons. Yes, most men do so in order to have a quick romp in the sack. Women are different, and I would argue far superior to the male species.” I wink as I bring my Champagne flute back to my lips, taking a sip.
“I won’t argue with that,” Christopher quips. “Not if I want to sleep in the same bed as Sadie tonight.” He looks to Julian. “And I wouldn’t argue if I were you, either, not if you want to share Evie’s bed with her.”
“Duly noted.” Julian’s eyes find mine, wistful and eager. A part of me wonders if he wishes he could share my bed, too.
“As the superior gender,” I continue, tearing my gaze from Julian’s, “our reasons for hiring an escort are much more complicated than simply wanting to get laid. We do so to feel a connection, to feel adored, to feel beautiful.”
The instant I say the words, the air is sucked from my lungs. That is precisely what Julian’s done for me. After only twenty-four hours with him, I’m no longer clinging to a life I may never have again. All because he made me feel beautiful. And if Julian, an amateur, can make me feel like this, I can only imagine what August Laurent could do for someone over the course of a month.
“If it’s true, I understand why she did it. An escort is discreet.”
“Especially this one,” Sadie says. “Apparently, he’s the most sought-after escort in the country.”
My eyes practically bulge out of their sockets as I choke on my Champagne. “August Laurent?” I cough out.
She smiles deviously, waggling her brows. “You’ve heard of him.”
“Evie’s working on a story about him for her magazine,” Julian explains, his tone boastful. “She hopes that giving the world the inside scoop on the elusive escort will land her a promotion to assistant editor.”
“I’d pick up the magazine for that article alone.”
I clear the last remnants of Champagne from my throat. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
“How’s the research going? From what I hear, the guy’s an enigma.”
“You seem to know a lot about him, Sadie,” Christopher teases.
She playfully jabs him in the stomach. “I need to stay educated in case I ever need to use his services.” She winks, then turns her gaze back to mine.
“Somehow, he caught wind that I’d been looking for him and reached out to me. I won’t reveal too much of what he’s told me because I want you to buy the magazine.” Everyone laughs politely. “But based on the little information I’ve gathered so far, I can understand why someone like Sonia Moreno would hire him, especially if she were in the middle of a problematic separation. My boyfriend of twelve years just broke up with me. Ending a long relationship is difficult, even if you’ve fallen out of love. You think no one will ever love you again, that you’re past the age where anyone will find you beautiful. That’s what Julian’s done for me.”
I tilt my head, meeting his eyes. The past twenty-four hours have been a whirlwind, a constant battle of not wanting to get swept up in the fairy tale. Maybe I deserve the fairy tale, regardless of the fact that it’s bound to end. That didn’t stop Cinderella from going to the ball and dancing with her Prince Charming, even though she knew it was over at midnight. Maybe it’s time I take a page out of her book. Stop planning for a future. Live in the moment. Not care about what awaits me a month, a week, a day from now. Right now, I’ve never felt so cherished, even if this man was a stranger mere days ago.
“He’s made me feel beautiful,” I continue. “Even if this is just a fleeting romance, I’ll always have that.”
Staring into his deep pools of blue, everything around us seems to disappear into the background as we share in this moment, this realization that, no matter what happens, I’ll forever be grateful to Julian for the gift he’s given me. His lips curve into a smile, our mouths inching toward each other.
“Ah, young love,” Christopher sighs playfully.
Julian and I snap our heads forward, reminded that we’re not alone. He wraps his arm around my waist, then kisses the top of my head. “That it is.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Julian and I spend the next few hours dancing and mingling among the upper crust of the Hamptons. He’s unmistakably surprised by the familiarity with which I speak to several of the women, ones who had their noses turned up at me yesterday because I was the new girl. But, just like in high school, people eventually come around.
“And here I was, worried about how you would get on without me,” he jokes after dinner as we all file to the expansive exterior verandah to watch the fireworks display.
“I suppose knowing that I’ll never see these people after this summer relaxed me a bit. Yes, some of them still don’t like me, probably because they secretly wish they were sharing a bed with you instead of their overweight, balding husbands. But the others…” I shrug. “Once they heard our story, they couldn’t get enough. I had them swooning and sighing in the salon. They’re not much different than anyone else. They want the same things all women do.”
“And what’s that?” His blue eyes sparkle as he smiles down at me, everything about him relaxed.
“Love. Happiness. And the occasional mind-blowing orgasm.”
Julian’s throaty laugh fills the air, music to my ears. “Is that all?”
“It’s not too much to ask, is it?”
We come to a stop at the stone ledge and I lean on it. “Of course not. We all deserve love and happiness.”
“Don’t forget mind-blowing orgasms. I’m pretty sure those will inevitably lead to love and happiness. Let’s face it. If I found someone who could give me a mind-blowing orgasm, I’d fall in love with him. Which is probably why I’ve fallen in love with Mr. Winky.”
Julian passes me a bemused look. “Mr. Winky?”
I love how easy conversation is with him. Now that I’ve stopped worrying about a future and am simply living in the moment, I’m no longer on edge. Yes, there are still intense moments between us, but I don’t care whether it’s real. It doesn’t matter. All that does is that I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time, all because of Julian.
“Please don’t tell me you nicknamed Trevor’s dick, because I’ll never be able to look at him the same way again.”