Chapter 2
Matteo
“Are you seriously gonna be single for the rest of your life?” Abigail whined to me over the phone.
Rolling my eyes, I fake a quick excuse and hurry off the phone. Abigail had always jumped down my throat to get a girlfriend. Ever since I broke up with Lauren, she pressed me over and over, swearing up and down that having a significant other would take my mind off the hurt. I knew she only wanted me to be happy, but it never occurred to her that maybe I was happy with myself. So, I tried to avoid her exuberant phone calls, especially when I had a good enough excuse. However, amidst the news of Abigail's engagement to my best friend, I knew something had to be done.
Abigail constantly tried to set me up on blind dates. The last one turned out to be the worst mistake. The lady was older, in her mid-thirties, and bored me the entire night. She couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation to save her life.
It wasn’t just Abigail either. My whole family wanted to see me with a girlfriend. So, with the appearance of a girlfriend, perhaps they would get off my back.
There’s only one place that gives full access to quick girlfriends. It’s a good little business on the side one of my old-time pals told me about. I was a little hesitant because the last girl I took to an event really caused a mess in my life. About three years ago, I had a significant event to attend, but my PR thought it would be better if I showed up with a date, so that’s where Dr. Shepard came in. He swore he had the perfect girl for me, only she turned out to be the complete opposite. Sure, she was drop-dead gorgeous, but she expected me to sleep with her. I wasn’t interested. To add to the mess, she accused me of being gay, sending in floods of reporters to capture the moment. The memory of it wasn’t something I like to remember. It’s the reason why I was hesitant on even trying again. I told myself I would never go back there, but I was desperate. All I wanted to do was get my family off my back.
I called Freddie to pick me up. All trips to and from their office had to be with Freddie. It was early morning, so I knew he’d be open for business. I swiftly threw on my blazer and walked out the door. Right on cue, a limo was waiting for me. I slid onto the plush seats then ripped off my shades.
“Hello, Matteo. I haven’t seen you in a while. Ready for your appointment?”
“Yes, thank you, Freddie. I have lots to discuss with Dr. Shepard today,” I replied, hoping Dr. Shepard could ease my fears.
The ride was swift, thanks to the speed racer, Freddie. I hopped out of the car and smoothly walked into the building. I nodded at the secretary but moved past her swiftly while she started to click frantically through her appointment sheet on the computer. I made it to Dr. Shepard's door before she could realize I had, once again, ignored the obligatory "by appointment only" rule. I swung the door open and walked straight into his office. Dr. Shepard jumped up from his desk, shuffling papers together in the process.
“Matteo?” he asked, wide-eyed.
I threw my blazer on a chair before sinking onto the large couch beside his desk.
"You are a keen observer, Shepard," I smirked and leaned forward with my hands folded together. "Listen. I know I haven’t been here in a while, but I’m in dire need of your service."
“How can I help you?” Dr. Shepard asked with caution.
I nodded and stood abruptly, crossing my arms across my chest. “I need someone presentable and intelligent. The occasion will be a wedding. It’s a seven-day trip so they would need to be free for an extended period.”
Dr. Shepard opened his file cabinet and shuffled through folders. There was picture after picture of gorgeous young women. Some were thin; some were curvy.
“These are our most current girls,” he informed me.
I held the thick brown folder in my hands. “Current?”
“Yes, meaning they’ve been with us anywhere from a day to six months. They’re fresh and the best to choose from.”
I nodded and started to flip through them. Blonde. Busty. Too Thin. Too plastic. I exhaled heavily as I flipped through option after option.
“This isn’t very encouraging,” I grumbled.
“Well, there’s a lot of girls in there. I’m sure you’ll find one you like,” Dr. Shepard assured me.
“Maybe this is a mistake—” I paused. My finger grazed a picture at the bottom of the heap. Anxiously, I pulled it out, stunned by the treasure I had found. She was young with long chestnut hair and bright-green eyes. My heart pounded in my chest.
“You like her? I was just out with her last night. She’s brand new but delightful. I think she would be perfect for this event,” Dr. Shepard said as he leaned back in his seat.
“How old?”
“Twenties. Five foot four. One hundred and ten pounds.”
I waved at him to continue. "What else. No need to narrate a picture; I have one in front of me."
He winked. "Smart. In college and is a wonderful conversationalist. She made a client who is a highly respected physician and his buddies do a double take last night when she started talking about politics."
My mouth started to water. God, she sounded perfect.