The Escort
The Escort
Complete Series
Note from the author:
My book (or the book's title) was written, produced and edited in the UK where spellings and word usage can vary from U.S. English. The use of quotes in dialogue and other punctuation can also differ.
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All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
© 2014 Harmony Raines
Silver Moon Erotica
Kindle Edition
Book One
"I feel sick."
Robin laughed down the phone. "Don't you dare bail. Do you know how hard I worked to fix you up with Drake?"
"I know. And I appreciate it, but now I'm here, I don't think I can go through with it."
“It's what you want isn't it? Or are you going to turn up tomorrow night on your own?"
“You know I can’t do that. I would look such a fool.”
"Listen Max, pull your big girl pants up and do this. You’ll have a blast, he’s a professional.” She paused, and then asked, “You don’t have your big girl pants on do you?” Doubt etched in her voice.
“No. Not that it would matter anyway. This is dinner, that’s all. So we can get our stories straight for tomorrow.
Robin snorted down the phone. “You tell yourself that, but once you see him you’ll want him to whisk you off to bed. Screw dinner, there are much more enjoyable ways to get to know a person.”
“Not happening, Robin, there is no way I am ever going to pay a man for sex.”
“Maxine?”
Max spun around, he was early. She spluttered into her phone, vaguely hearing Robin say something along the lines of “I told you so”, and laughing, before Max cut her off. Her face flushed a nice shade of fuchsia, and she tried to remember what she had been saying about sex, and whether he might have heard her.
“Maxine?” he asked again.
“Oh, yes. You must be Drake.” She held out her hand, keeping it formal. “And please call me Max.” Yes, very formal, but god he was handsome. Tall, broad, with fair hair, cropped short around his neck. He reminded her of a soldier, muscles earned through real work rather than inside a gym. Not at all what she expected, and wondered if Drake was a stage name, or pseudonym.
“Max.” His hand enveloped hers, and a tingling sensation threaded it’s way through her body, waking up feelings and emotions she had long thought buried for good. “How are you? You look beautiful.”
“Oh, thank you.” She grinned like a fool, then her expression changed, she was a fool. He was being paid to be nice to her. This was purely business and the sooner she got that into her head the easier this was going to be. “I’ve made reservations at Brantana’s.”
“Wow. Expensive.” Then he checked himself, and said, “Shall we go?”
He offered her his arm, and she took it, although her body stiffened. He frightened her. Not in the way men usually frightened a woman, there was nothing overbearing or thuggish about him, it was the opposite. He made her feel like a woman, worse, he made her feel special, and that was one thing she knew for a fact she wasn’t.
With a round face, and equally round bottom, her curves were the first thing you noticed. Many people didn’t look any further than that, especially men. Women often treated her as though she were a lesser human being because of her plumpness. It was a battle she fought every working day.
It was also the reason she had gone along with Robin’s idea to buy a boyfriend for the evening.
Yes, that’s right, she was going to pay Drake a big wad of money to pretend to be her boyfriend tomorrow night at an important charity dinner thrown every year for employees of the bank where she worked. Not attending was out of the question, attending alone wasn’t much better. So this was her solution, it sounded sensible before tonight, but only now, with him escorting her across the road, did the enormity of her decision hit her. If this backfired she would be laughed all the way out of her career. A career she had spent all her life fighting for. She should let him go, tip him handsomely and tell him she had made a mistake.
But in her head she could hear Robin’s voice telling her to go with it, take a chance and live a little. So she made a deal with herself. See how tonight went. If it was a disaster, then she would call it off, no damage done, and she would at least have some company for a few hours. She only wished she were more outgoing like Robin, who could laugh and flirt, charming everyone she came into contact with. Carefree, the opposite of Max, in so many ways. It was why they were best friends.
The idea of hiring Drake had materialised, on the Friday evening Max had come home with the news the date of the annual charity dinner being announced, and that she was expected to take a guest, having bought two tickets. When she had invited Robin, she’d laughed out loud.
“They’ll think you’re a lesbian.”
“No they won’t.” Max insisted.
“Yes. They will. Everyone else will be there with their significant others, and you’ll have me.”
“I’ll explain you’re my flat mate.”
“Your live in lover.”
“Robin. They’ll never think that.”
“Why not? When have you ever taken a man to one of these things?”
She had a point, but Max had given up sex for her career, or sex had given up her, she couldn’t decide which way it worked.
“You need a man to accompany you.”
“Obviously, I’ll just call and order one from the local dating shop.”
“That is an excellent idea. Online dating.”
“No. There is no time to vet a potential date before the dinner. And I am not going to risk my career taking someone I’ve only just met.”
“Then pay someone.”
“No!”
“I know lot’s of women who do.”
“Name one.”
“Mary Henderson.”
“Oh, is that who I remind you of? That woman is a fifty five year old spinster.”
Robin raised her eyebrows.
“I am never going to turn out like that.”
“Really. Because if you don’t get out there and sell yourself soon, you’ll be stuck on the shelf.”
“This is the twenty first century, not the dark ages.”
“Look at how much competition there is. If you don’t do something soon all the good ones will be taken.”
“So your advice is to buy a husband?”
“No.” Robin came and sat down beside her. Picking up her hand she turned her palm over and ran her thumb along the lines. “See this. It’s your life line. Each day you hide yourself away in that office of yours pretending you don’t need love, this line gets thinner. You need to live, and to love.”
“It’s not easy. Men fall over themselves for you, but not for a woman like me.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re perfect as you are. But you need to build up your confidence, so why not kill two birds with one stone. Hire a man who knows how to make you feel good, and take him to this dinner.”
She wasn’t sure how, but she’d admitted it was a good idea, and then forgot about it until Robin dropped a bombshell.
“Right, Maxine.” Robin had announced matter of factly. “I have the number of a very discreet escort. A couple of my friends have used him, for all his services.” She smiled at the red glow in Max’s cheeks. “So what do you want to do?”
“I can’t Robin. Really I would be too embarrassed.”
“OK. What if I ring him, and see what he says?”
“I’m going for a shower.” Max headed for the bathroom, Robin right behind her.
“Come on, Max. Let me at least call him.”
Max poked her head back round the door. “If I say no, I’m never going to hear the end of it am I?”
Robin shook her head, smiling. “You shower, I’ll call him.”
Max went into the bathroom and shut the door. She sat on the toilet, head in hands. What should she do? Live a little, take a risk, or carry on with the life she had carved out for herself?
Robin knocked on the door, and eased it open, coming inside she knelt down in front of Max. Listen, why not meet him for dinner, my treat if you like. Then, if you get on, he can take you to the dinner. If not I’ll go with you.”
Max nodded her head. “OK.”
Robin gave her a quick hug, and disappeared out of the door. While she undressed, Max could hear Robin talking on the phone. Her fate was sealed.
Then something surprising happened, for the first time in a long while she felt excited. It had been so long since she had launched herself into the unknown. This could be good, or a disaster. But she would never know unless she tried.
That was how she found herself standing outside one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city, with a stranger.