“Why?” William pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Look at you. You’re a mess. I’ve never seen you like this, William. You’re clearly in love with this girl. Unlike the others, from what little I know of her, I can see why. So, I wanted to check her out, see if she was worth the trouble. That’s how I found this.”
William stood and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the hustle and bustle of the Vegas strip. “What is it you expect me to do with it? She made her decision.”
“Based on a lie.”
“I don’t want that lie to be the reason she chooses otherwise, Carl. Don’t you see? If she doesn’t love me, showing her this isn’t going to change that. And if it did, it’d be for all the wrong reasons.”
Carl remained neutral. “So you’re not going to tell her, sir?
William stayed quiet for a long time, so long that Carl thought maybe he had
n’t heard him. Finally, he spoke so quietly, his voice barely audible. “I can’t hurt her like that. Clearly she was doing the same thing, so who is to say she doesn’t already know? It’s quite possible she’s even ok with it.” William knew better, even before the words were out.
“Do you want me to do some more digging, sir? Find out?”
“No. Let it be.”
Carl stood. “Of course.”
William turned from the window and looked Carl in the eye. “Oh, and Carl? Make sure that her name is never mentioned again. Understood?”
Carl nodded and shut the door behind him, certain that tonight’s events would be worse than any other.
Fifteen
Addie was rushing out the door when her cell phone rang. She dropped everything she was holding and searched to find where the ringing was coming from, finally finding it in her pocket. Of course, it was Sondra. Who else would cause so much trouble?
“Morning Sondra.”
“My God, who in their right mind sounds so chipper this early?”
Addie paused. “Still not feeling any better, huh?”
“No. But listen, I have a client I need you to see. This evening.”
Perfect. She had some frustration. It wouldn’t hurt to get out. “Ok.”
“I was going to take this one myself, but this parasite that resides inside me isn’t allowing me to stray too far from the nearest toilet bowl. They tell me it’s a baby, but I’m not so sure.”
“All right.” Addie replied matter of factly, downing the last of her coffee.
“Here’s the thing. I need you to listen to me very carefully. And do exactly as I say. Do you understand?” Sondra said, her tone harsh.
Addie sighed. “Uh huh.”
“This is serious, Addison. This one’s important. You must stay in character and in charge at all times. No matter what. Do you understand? You have to promise me, because if you mess this one up, it’s all over.”
Addie rolled her eyes. So dramatic. Just get on with it already. “I understand.”
“Good. I’ll check in with you before the session. I had Liselle pull his client profile. It’s sitting on my desk. I also had her send for an outfit for you. This client prefers that a mask is worn. It’s the number-one rule, ok?”
Addie checked the window. Her driver was waiting. She had to go. “Great. Anything else I should know?”
“Just do as I say, ok? Stick to the rules. No matter what happens. That’s the most important thing.”
“Will do.”