Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91182 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
“Giselle,” Killian whispers, “you weren’t going to give me this? Why?”
“Well, because it only cost me like twenty bucks to make. I just had the photos printed. Like I said, it’s a coffee table book. You leave it on the coffee table as decoration.” I shrug. “You bought me this beautiful necklace and outfit. It really isn’t comparable.”
Killian’s eyes meet mine, and if I’m not mistaken, they’re a tad glossy. “I love…it. I love it. Thank you.”
He reaches over and pulls me into a hug. “I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” He sets the book down on the table and stands, walking in the direction toward the restrooms.
My phone pings with a new email. I still have it out because I never showed him the items I found for his condo. When I check it, I see it’s from Bianca. I click on the schedule, and once again, it’s filled with an entire week of Killian. My heart drops at the thought of him spending all this money on me. He might be able to afford it, but that doesn’t mean he should have to. I glance toward the restrooms and notice Killian is still gone.
I dial Bianca’s number. She answers on the first ring.
“Giselle, how can I help you?”
“We need to talk. I can’t allow Killian to pay to see me anymore.”
Twenty
Killian
I need a moment to breathe. To think. When I opened the gift Giselle gave me, I almost told her I loved her. I had to walk away before I did something that would push her away. I’m falling hard for this woman, but we aren’t quite in sync yet. I’m sprinting down the field toward the end zone, waiting for her to throw me the ball. I’m completely open and ready, but she isn’t. She doesn’t trust us enough yet. She’s scared of not making a complete pass, so instead she keeps throwing it out of bounds. That’s okay, though, because I’m willing to wait until she trusts in us enough to make the play, and when she does, I’ll be right here ready to catch whatever she throws. And I can assure you, it will most definitely be a fucking touchdown.
As I stand in the bathroom, rinsing my face off, my phone rings. It’s Bianca, Giselle’s boss. Confused as to why she would be calling, I answer the call.
“Killian, this is Bianca. I’m calling to let you know Giselle is no longer available to escort you. If you would like to see the women who are available, I can have my assistant send you over their profiles.”
Shocked by this turn of events, it takes me a second before I respond. “Giselle is who I choose. We spoke about this.”
“Giselle is no longer available to you effective immediately. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but as I said, I can send over—”
I cut her off. “I don’t want anyone else. If she isn’t available to me, who is she available to?”
There’s a slight pause, and then Bianca says, “I am not at liberty to disclose my employee’s clients with you.”
Without responding, I hang up.
This can’t be fucking happening. For the last ten years I’ve focused on my career, my family, my friends. This is the first Valentine’s Day where I’ve actually taken a woman out. I’m aware that, up until right now, I was technically paying for her to escort me places, but these last couple weeks haven’t been about her job. They’ve been about us. She wasn’t paid to spend her nights with me in my bed, tucked into my side. She wasn’t paid to take her lunch break with me. She definitely wasn’t paid to go with my niece and me skating and to the zoo. She’s been doing all of those things because she wants to. Giselle has come to mean so much to me in such a short amount of time. She isn’t just some woman I want to help or date. She’s important to me. We have fun together. We laugh and joke and we have a lot in common.
I saw the gift she gave me. That wasn’t from a woman who doesn’t want to be around me. She wouldn’t do this. She wouldn’t refuse to see me anymore, only to see other men. But she also isn’t in a place to quit her job…
Not wanting to cause a scene, I decide not to bring up Bianca’s phone call while we’re at dinner. We will definitely talk about this, but it will be later. I adjust my suit then head back out to our table. The food has arrived, but Giselle is waiting for me to eat. I lift my fork and knife to cut my steak, but then Giselle looks up at me and smiles sweetly, and my earlier decision flies straight out the window. My blood boils at the idea I was so inconsequential to her she could just walk away from us and smile at me like nothing has happened—like nothing has changed.