So I’d called Sadie.
I had lied and told my parents I’d gotten financial aid and a part-time job as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic. It had worked for a while, until they found out where the money really came from and had kicked me out of the house. Everly’s grandmother had been kind enough to take me in, which helped a lot, since all of the money I made from that point on was earmarked for school and building my nest egg.
I had known that becoming an escort would make the road ahead much more difficult. I was prepared for judgment. But I couldn’t deny that I’d lost a little part of myself every time I had slept with a client.
And now that I was done, I had no idea how to get those parts back.
—
When I stepped out of the elevator, I was directed by the receptionist to have a seat in the waiting area.
She had red lips and a sweet little smile. Today, my lips were the same shade, but sweet could never be used to describe anything about me. But I knew there was a man out there who was willing to look past Jade and move toward a future with Grace. I wanted a suit-wearing, college graduate that would blend into the crowd and give me my picket fence and 2.5 children. I wanted someone who would give me normal, and that included sex. No kink. No sharing. Just your regular boring-missionary-with-the-lights-off sex.
“Ms. Nolan?”
I looked up, remembering I was here for a meeting and not to contemplate the sad state of my life.
Collette wore Lane Bryant women’s wear and most likely colored her red hair from a box. Despite being in her early thirties, she looked far beyond her years. All she had to do was ask and I’d be happy to give her some fashion tips. If she was going to be the CEO of a cosmetics company, she needed to step up her game.
Soft music played from a clock radio on a shelf behind her desk when I stepped into her corner office. I swiped my hands behind my butt and thighs, smoothing down my skirt before I sat on the black, fabric chair across from her.
Her office was just as thrifty as her hair and clothing. An old, weathered coatrack sat by the door with an equally weathered trench coat hanging on it. The windows were covered in an inch of dirt and grime, which matched the color of the couch that sat behind me.
“Ms. Nolan, I’ll cut right to the chase.” She settled into her black leather chair and placed her hands on her desk. “Your services are exactly what I’m looking for.”
I had expected small talk. I had expected getting-to-know-you questions and frivolous banter. Instead, Collette Ellery wasted zero time letting me know why I was here.
I liked that.
“You came highly recommended,” she said. “Ken Wilson told me that you’re only interested in short-term contracts, but I was hoping that you’d consider working for me for an extended period of time.”
I definitely wasn’t expecting that kind of offer.
Ken had already done more than enough to help me. And now that he’d recommended me to Colette, it seemed I was indebted to him even more.
“But…”
Of course there was a but. There was always a but.
“You’re also right out of school and I was hoping for someone a little more seasoned, but I am in a desperate situation.” She sat back; the white silk blouse she wore under her black suit jacket gaped open, and I saw much too much cleavage. “I want to change the direction of this company and I want as little resistance as possible.”
A long-term contract was not what I was looking for. Contracts that lasted only a few weeks enabled me to satisfy my craving to meet new people, but also meant I didn’t stay in one place long enough for my history to come up in conversation. Plus, no one wanted to befriend the consultant hired to review their job specifications.
Still, with no other contracts in place, I couldn’t afford to be picky.
“I know you’re a consultant, but honestly…” She leaned forward, her red hair falling over one eye. “I need someone on my side.”
“I’ll admit, I’m intrigued.”
I had always been fascinated with meeting new people, figuring out their backstories and discovering what made them tick. Which made my decision to specialize in organizational behavior a given.
“You’d still be a consultant, but instead of just completing a review and making recommendations, I’d like you to stay on and help with implementation and change management.”
It meant I’d get to stick around and see my recommendations in action. To see if they actually worked, and have the ability to tweak them if necessary, based on the best interests of the company.
“My mother built this company from the ground up, making face cream in our basement. It’s not enough anymore though. I have a vision, of course, but with senior executives who haven’t changed the way they do business since 1985, I’m having trouble convincing them to support my ideas. They are loyal to my mother and to the company, but not to me, so I expect a couple to jump ship now that I’ve taken over, but w
e can no longer operate like the Internet and social media don’t exist.”