I shrugged. “You asked for it.”
Looping a finger around the opposite hands first finger I called them off. “Aside from Warren and his help the poor in third world countries, the clients immediately before him were the D’Amico’s. I did the Beauty Comes In All Sizes campaign. News that they hired an escort to model for them could destroy what they built.”
Wes pointed at me. “I actually saw the campaign. Was really proud of you, sweetheart. You looked great. Amazing really.” I beamed under his compliment. It made me feel amazing that Wes was proud of the work I’d done. “Next?”
“Mason Murphy.” Wes’s eyes widened in recognition. “Yep, the famous baseball player for the Boston Red Sox. Was hired by him to be his girlfriend to perfect his image. In the end, it actually worked, and he did find his mate in his PR representative.”
Wes moved to the bar at the side of the room. He lifted the whiskey and I nodded. I’d need a drink to get through all of this. He took two tumblers and filled them with three fingers full of the amber liquid. Yep, it was going to be one of those nights. A straight confessional. I could only hope he wouldn’t crucify me for my sins.
He handed me the tumbler, and I took a sip. The liquor burned down my throat like those Hot Tamale candies, leaving an even thicker aftertaste that sizzled on the tongue and warmed the belly nicely.
“Did you sleep with him?” He sat in the chair opposite me. We were separated by a long, slim glass table. The distance he put between us, whether intentional or not, wasn’t lost on me. Didn’t matter. This is what needed to happen.
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t. Not that he didn’t try.” I grinned, and he frowned. Okay, moving on. “Then before him was Tony Fasano.”
He cocked his head. “The food guy?”
That made me smile. “Yeah.”
“What did he hire you for?” This time when he spoke, it was a little lighter, carried less of that nervous weight.
“To be his fiancée.” I snickered and Wes cringed. “Best part is why he hired me.” I grinned.
The grin must have given Wes relief because he gave a half-hearted smile in return. “Why’s that?”
I pushed my feet under my booty and got comfortable, setting my glass on the arm of the chair. “In order to tell you that, I have to set the scene.”
Wes’s lips lifted into a crack of a smile and I thought that was definitely a tiny victory. “Okay, shoot.” He leaned back and took a swallow of his whiskey. I loved watching his neck and Adam’s Apple bob with the effort. Everything about Wes interested me, especially now that we were together. Hopefully together for longer than this conversation.
“After I arrived in Chicago, the house help put my bag in a room. It was a huge room, much bigger than I expected, even though Tony lived in a penthouse apartment in the city.” Wes didn’t say anything just waited for me to continue. “When the guy left me there with my luggage, I heard the shower running. You can’t imagine how freaked out I was knowing that I was in a room, probably the master bedroom and a guy I didn’t know, a stranger, was in the shower.” For a chick, this would be entertaining and funny. For Wes…not so much. His jaw clenched and he worked a nice grinding motion while I rushed to continue. “So he opens the door and this huge hulking dude is standing there in a towel and that’s when things get really interesting…” I tried to lead into the whammy but Wes just looked pissed off.
“I won’t hold my breath,” he gripped and I rolled my eyes.
“Well I stood there like a fish out of water, not knowing what to say and then out from behind him, another guy with a towel wrapped around his waist hugged my client. As in bare-chested hugging. As in they’d been in the shower…together.”
That’s when Wes gave me the full, beaming pearly whites. “He’s gay!”
“Don’t you read the news? Pay attention to the gossipmongers?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. I avoid that shit like the plague. It’s rarely based on truth, and usually, just ends up hurting the person they are featuring.”
“Anyway, to answer your question, Tony is gay. Been in a long-term relationship with an amazing attorney named Hector Chavez. Actually, during the month I was there, I became really close with Tony and Hector. More Hector than Tony for obvious reasons,” I winked.
“Obvious,” he mouthed.
I drummed my fingers against my leg and took a drink. “Then before Tony was Alec.” Remembering my time with Alec put that pit back in my stomach. I gave a piece of myself to Alec that month. A piece I never wanted back. Simple truth: I loved my filthy talking Frenchie, and I enjoyed being in his bed just as much. Not more than with Wes, but way up there on the list of great people to have sex with, same as Tai.