Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 55093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55093 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“I wouldn’t be so hasty, now tell me what happened.” I don’t see what she’s missing; she’d just read the same terse note I had. ‘Ms. Bronson, sorry, something came up, wouldn’t be needing you for the rest of this week. Will get in touch when I return to town.’ Sounds like a brush off to me.
I sat on the edge of my bed a little dazed and I must admit, more than a little hurt. I gave her a rough rundown of the previous night leaving out the more salacious parts of course, but I did tell her that things got a little hot and heavy without going into too much detail. I knew once I told her the name of the restaurant we’d gone to that she’d get some idea of what had transpired and she did.
“Oh, so things did get a little heavy. Okay let’s think, let’s put together all the pieces and we’ll figure out what has our boy running scared.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Running scared? More like he got what he wanted…”
“But he didn’t, you would’ve told me if you’d gone all the way, or I would’ve guessed. So something else happened and I’m thinking things got a little too intense for our boy. Oh he’s too cute.” She’s nuts.
“Listen, I don’t know what you read on that screen, but what I saw does not support anything you’re saying.”
“Listen, I know people. I know what I saw yesterday when he came to pick you up. And then there’s this.” She threw the morning paper at me. “Page six.”
I snatched the paper up and turned to the page she mentioned and got the shock of my life. “Oh my…” The picture was of me and Storm in the dark corner of the club. I was looking up at him with a look of hungry need. His face was in profile, but there was something so sexual, so heated about the shot. And I well remembered what we were doing.
“Do you think he saw this?” The headline was even worst than the picture. ‘Broke socialite, and daughter of the late Mark Bronson has found herself a new sugar daddy.’ The story went on to talk about daddy’s misdeeds and all the people he’d supposedly swindled over the years. There was very little about Storm and I, mostly speculation. Though they did remember to mention all the women he’d been linked with in the past and I have to say I didn’t necessarily match up very well to some of them. No wonder he’d pulled a runner.
“Don’t listen to that crap, what do they know? They’d write anything to sell that rag. Now let’s put our heads together and come to a sensible conclusion. The man I met last night doesn’t run from shit and I know he’s totally into you. Did you take a good look at him in that picture? The way he’s looking at you? Sheesh, I’m hot just looking at it. So do tell, just how hot and heavy did you and the delightful Mr. Storm get last night?”
My face gave me away and she howled with laughter when all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock. I stared at the picture trying to see what she saw. I’ll admit that from what little his angle allowed, it did look as though he were looking at me with the same hunger that was so evident on my own face. So why did he disappear this morning with a cold impersonal text?
“It doesn’t matter what the picture says, it obviously didn’t mean anything to him or he wouldn’t have left.”
“I’m telling you you’re wrong. Maybe you’re too close to the situation so you can’t see what I do. And things between you two did move kinda fast, but I’m telling you there’s something there.”
There was no putting her off, and I knew from experience that once she got like this she’s like a dog with a bone. I drowned her out while I tried to come up with a good reason for this turn of events and came back to the present when her last words penetrated.
“…So something else is going on here. Besides, he said this week, not forever.”
That’s something else about Simone; she’s an eternal optimist. “I’m not sure. I mean this was his idea and now this happens,” I flicked the newspaper with my finger, “and he disappears with a text. That sounds like someone who wants out and doesn’t want to deal with the drama of a phone call.” She rolled her eyes and joined me on the bed.
“Okay, I know a little something about that ‘restaurant’ he took you to. I have a pretty good idea what goes on there. Obviously something happened there that you’re not telling me. If you want me to help you have to tell me more and don’t leave out anything. I want sights, sounds and smells.” She was serious.