Chapter 4
Lacey
The next morning, I woke up with my head pounding. I read most of the night, but even after I crawled into bed, too tired to function, my mind was on overdrive. Apart from me worrying about my parents, I still couldn’t get myself to be one hundred percent okay with the escort thing. I went back and forth between being excited, and then wanting to contact Dr. Shepard and call it all off.
But this meeting would help me pay off my debts. I had no choice but to at least try and go through with it. Besides, I knew there wasn’t any added pressure of me having to sleep with him. This needed to be my little secret. After it was all over and I got my money, I would never look back.
I had my delicious date on my mind. Where would he be taking me? What would he be like? I wondered if he was a hyper masculine guy who liked to call all the shots, or a sweet, sensitive guy? Where was he from? What was his style like? My mind was flooded with questions. I had every right to be curious though. It wasn’t like the email gave me much information on who he was as a person. My pulse was racing. I needed to know at least something about him. Out of the corner of my eye, my bright-pink laptop seemed to twinkle. Researching the man you’re going out with was always important. At least that was what my mom would tell me.
I crawled over to my laptop then flung it open, my fingers typing away fiercely. After researching his name, hundreds of results populated, but none about him. So, I decided to go the sleuth route. I took his picture from the email, pasted it to the search engine, then waited. Almost instantly, I got results. There were tons of articles about the infamous Matteo. Not sure which one to choose, I randomly chose the first article that popped out at me. As soon as I read the title though, I knew it was trashy. The article tried to make him appear like the bad guy. It even said he was gay. Was he? It would make sense why he would pay so much money for a pretend girlfriend to please his family.
I stared at his picture once more. His eyes were so deep that I wondered what they were thinking when the picture was taken. I wondered what his voice sounded like when he got angry, or when he was hurt. Who was he before he was an enemy of the tabloids? Shaking my head, I searched on.
The next article explained what he did for a living. It was an article from about five years ago naming him The Smartest Guy Under 40 in Decades. Apparently, he came up with some new technology after graduating from MIT. Since then, he had one of the largest and most profitable companies in the technology industry.
My jaw fell open. He was more than what I thought. Intelligent and rich? That wasn’t a mixture I was used to. My heart started to leap out of my chest. I was a nobody. Sure, I was a part of the escorting business, but compared to him, I might as well be a flea. My upbringing was anything but rich. Closing my eyes, I fell back onto my bed, thoughts of my childhood completely drawing me in self-doubt. What if I couldn’t make him happy? What if he turned out to be just like the guys in high school? They were always so concerned about what girls could physically offer them. My cheeks started to feel hot, leaving me with an overwhelming feeling of anxiety.
My phone’s alarm went off, reminding me that it was time for me to get ready. I peeled myself off my bed, dragging myself to the shower. Turning the water to the hottest it could go, I let the steam hit my skin, warming up my shivering body. I let the water fall over my hair, hoping it would relax me enough to forget about my worries.
After my shower, I quickly threw on an outfit I secretly snatched from Angela’s closet. It was another dress, but slightly longer with puffy sleeves, and it was a nice coral color. My mother always told me coral looked gorgeous on my complexion, and as I tugged on the skin-tight dress, I realized that she was right. I admired my newfound figure in the mirror. The matching heels I wore, also snatched from Angela, made my toned calves protrude and gave length to my legs.
Before heading out, I spritzed on my favorite peach perfume, then exhaled deeply and strutted out of my room with the last ounce of confidence I had left. As I walked through the halls, I could hear muffled whispers. Some commenting on my dress, others asking who I was. A grin formed on my face. How could I not love it? I usually was the invisible one, completely overlooked by everyone. I finally reached the outside of my building and saw the familiar black car waiting for me. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to it with my head held high, opened the door, and slid in.
Freddie, as usual, kept his eyes ahead and said nothing. I felt as if we had an unspoken connection though, so I sat in comfortable silence. The car quickly sped to the agency’s location, whipping past oblivious college students. There was a part of me that felt like I was a movie star living a secret life. I had a secret date with a hot billionaire, and I was being paid for it. God, it didn’t get any better than that!
We finally reached the agency, at exactly six thirty. As soon as I stepped foot out of the car, I noticed that Shepard was waiting outside for me. Nerves immediately took over my entire body. He had on his usual gray attire with a red tie, and his wispy brown hair was flying back due to the heavy wind. Dropping the cigarette in his hand, he let it fall to the ground, putting it out with his red wingtip shoes. As I turned to face him, I saw that he immediately frowned at the sight of me. Pursing his lips, he marched over to me. Dr. Shepard’s short frame scurried over to me, his legs moving impossibly fast.
“Good even—,” I started to say.
“What are you wearing?” Dr. Shepard cut me off. He ripped off his gray shades and looked me up and down with disgust.
Shit, was it too conservative?
“He asked me to dress more conservatively since it will be around his family. What’s wrong with it?” I asked him, beginning to feel more self-conscious.
“Uh—nothing. You just look so innocent. If you had shown up for your first interview like that, you definitely would have been turned away.”
I wasn’t sure how to take his words. Was that a compliment or a put-down? It didn’t matter. I wasn’t here for Shepard.
A limo pulled up behind Shepard. His words were inaudible as I watched the limo stop, and Matteo smoothly stepped out. He was dressed in all white, and his thick black hair was slicked back. His goatee looked nicely trimmed and outlined, and there was a certain glint in his dark eyes that made me melt.
“Good evening, Lacey . Are you ready to accompany me this evening?” he asked politely.
I glanced back at Shepard and smiled. “Yes.”
I took his extended arm and joined him inside his limo. He smiled and waved to Shepard as we drove off.
Matteo was looking at me but not like checking me out in a sexual way.
“That kind of outfit will work perfectly for the trip. Nothing too revealing. A girl I can bring home to mom,” he said.
“I’m glad you like it,” I replied, but I felt very violated. He wasn’t looking at me like he wanted to jump my bones but more like he wanted to evaluate my effectiveness for this trip. Was how I looked that important to his family? What the hell was I getting myself into?
After that, there was no more talking on the ride to the restaurant. Complete and utter silence drove me nuts. Hopefully, that wasn’t how the evening would be.
“Is there anything you would like to discuss before you make your final decision?” I asked because I would like to know more about the trip, my reason for going, and what was in store for me. A week was a long time to spend with someone I didn’t know, thousands of miles away.
Matteo replied, “Your job is to sell that we are a couple. I’m sick of my family thinking I’m gay because I never have girlfriends. I work too damn much to have time for anyone. Hell, I barely even see them except for holidays and special occasions like this one.”