By the time we were done eating, the tension between us had eased and I was beginning to feel better about where things were going between us. Maybe it wouldn't take as long as I'd thought to get our friendship back to normal .
“I'll be right back,” Adelle said as she picked up my plate and carried both of our dishes into the kitchen .
Her phone rang before she'd gone more than a couple steps and she quickly tapped the screen to send it to voicemail. She gave me a bright smile and hurried off to the kitchen .
It was nice of her to not want to interrupt our time together, I thought, but the expression on her face had been strange when she'd looked at the phone. My curiosity got the best of me and I reached over to tap on her screen .
Cade.
I frowned. Was there some issue with her paying him? I thought he received his payments up front in case he needed to pay for something for our sessions. Maybe he was scheduling another date for us. I knew it was dangerous to think of our time together as dates, but after the other night, it was hard not to .
“Jocelyn made fresh cinnamon rolls, complete with her famous butter cream icing,” Adelle announced as she came back into the kitchen .
“Is there something wrong with Cade's payments?” I blurted out the question. If Adelle didn't want to pay him anymore, I needed to know. I needed to be prepared to have it end .
Adelle's eyes flicked down to her phone and then back to me. “No, everything's fine.” She sat down across from me and put the plate of delicious-smelling rolls between us. Her smile was tight and it didn't reflect in her eyes. Something was up .
“What's going on?” My eyes narrowed. My trust in Adelle was thin at the moment, so maybe I was reading too much into this, but I didn't think so .
“Nothing,” Adelle said too quickly .
I grabbed her phone, ignoring her protest. If I spoiled some surprise Cade was going to give me, I'd feel bad, but at least I'd know Adelle had been telling the truth. The way she couldn't look at me as I went to her voicemail made me think, however, that I was right. I put it on speaker so she could hear it too .
“Adelle.” Cade's voice was smooth. “I'm just calling to confirm our session for tomorrow night. If there's anything specific you want to use, please bring it with you .”
One look at my best friend's face told me I hadn't misunderstood the message at all. I understood it perfectly. She was still fucking Cade .
Ten
Cade
I looked down at my phone as I ended the call. It was second nature to me now to leave messages like that, reminding clients of sessions, letting them know to bring toys or whatever specific things they wanted to use. I put my phone in my pocket and walked over to the window. I looked out at the city, remembering when the view I'd seen hadn't been so nice. At twenty-seven, I had an expensive condo in one of the nicest neighborhoods in all of Chicago, but I'd only lived here for a couple of years. And the road to get here hadn't been an easy one .
I could still remember the first time I'd booked a client on my own. How nervous I'd been taking that leap. It hadn't been my first time doing what I did, but it had been the first time I'd been the one in charge .
Heather Benedict .
I still remembered her name, everything about her really, down to her peach-colored toenails .
I'd spent nearly a year planning how I was going to break away from the situation I'd been in, how I was going to branch out on my own. I'd saved money, set up a budget and carefully planned everything possible. The one thing I hadn't been able to plan, however, had been client response. If I hadn't been able to find clients on my own, the entire thing would've crashed and burned. And it hadn't been just finding any woman. I'd needed ones I found attractive who'd be willing to pay a fairly steep price. My starting prices had been much lower than they were now, but they'd still been expensive for someone without any backing .
I'd gone into the Ritz-Carlton hotel bar, convinced I'd get thrown out before I could get a seat, and I'd waited there, scouting potential clients. When I'd seen Heather, she'd been sitting by herself, her shoulders hunched as she nursed her drink. I'd approached her, struck up a conversation, and then offered my services. For the first few seconds after I'd said the words, I'd been terrified that she'd laugh or call for security. Instead, she'd slipped a hotel key card into my hand and had told me to wait ten minutes before following .
Looking back, I could see how unsure I'd been, hiding it all behind swagger. I'd spent three hours with her, using everything I'd learned over the previous four years to make her scream, and she'd paid me everything I'd asked. Plus a bit of a bonus. As I'd left her hotel room, I'd felt none of the guilt or disgust that I'd felt before when I'd been with a client. Instead, I'd felt a new kind of freedom, the kind that had come with knowing that I'd regained control of my life. From that moment on, I'd been in charge and I'd never looked back .
I fucked who I wanted to fuck, and I got paid an obscene amount of money to do it. I never had to go through the hassle of dating or even working to get a woman in bed. Instead, they came to me and paid for my time. I never lacked for sex, and I never had to deal with the emotional shit storm that inevitably came from relationships .
I loved my life .
My phone vibrated against my leg. I frowned as I looked down at the screen. Catherine. One of my repeats who I'd had to cut off a few days ago. She'd been getting clingy, talking about leaving her husband for me. I didn't want to talk to her, but I knew her type. If I didn't answer, she'd keep calling .
This was exactly why I made it clear to every client that an emotional attachment meant the end of our business transactions. That was my number one rule. No one fell in love .
Continues in Vol. 3
Casual Encounter Vol. 3
One
W ithout thinking about it, I reached out and tapped the touchscreen again, letting Cade's voicemail play through a second time. I stared at Adelle's phone, unable to bring myself to look at my friend. Not that it mattered. I knew she wasn't looking at me. She hadn't been able to since I'd taken her phone. The fact that she was acting embarrassed was proof that she knew she had been caught .
It wasn't that I didn't think Cade had other clients. And it wasn't because I thought Adelle shouldn't hire an escort. I couldn't exactly judge her for that. I even knew and was pretty much okay knowing that Adelle had probably used Cade's services in the past. Getting mad at her for having fucked him before would've been as useless as getting angry at anyone for their previous relationships .
No, it was because she'd scheduled a session with Cade just two days after he and I had been together. And she'd done it knowing he was my mystery savior, the man I couldn’t get out of my head. She’d done it following my devastation from learning he’d slept with me out of contract instead of desire. I'd gotten past that. I’d forgiven her. I’d placed our friendship as more important. But considering how her deceit involving Cade had nearly destroyed our relationship, I couldn't believe she'd involved him again. That was the part that really left me stunned .
The thing about this entire situation that hurt me the most had nothing to do with Cade. It had been how my friends viewed me, how little they truly knew me. Adelle, who I'd known as long as I could remember, hadn't been able to understand why I'd been furious with her for hiring a prostitute without telling me. And now, it seemed like she understood what she was doing would hurt me, but she didn't care .
As the message ended for the second time, I stood. I pushed her phone across the table. “I'll be going.” My voice was harsh. “I don't want to keep you from getting together all your little toys for your session with Cade .”
She opened her mouth but I didn't want to hear anything she had to say. Apology. Excuse. Angry retort. I was through listening to her shit .
“Feel free to schedule a few more sessions this week. You'll both have plenty of free time. I'm done.” She called my name, but I ignored her and hurried down the hall and out the doo
r .
As I got into my car, I was glad I'd driven instead of letting Adelle send a car to pick me up like she'd wanted to. I just wanted to get away as quickly as possible. My tires screeched a bit as I drove down the driveway and I kept the speedometer rising even as I turned onto the road. My heart was pounding, my head chaotic, and there was still one more thing I needed to do. I waited until I was at least a mile from Adelle's house before I pulled into a store parking lot. This wasn't the kind of call I wanted to make while I was driving, and if I waited until I got back home, I'd either lose my nerve, or Adelle would've interfered. There was still a good chance I wouldn't be able to avoid that as it was .
I pulled out my phone and made the call. I was torn between wanting it to go to voicemail so I could avoid what I knew was going to be an awkward conversation and hoping Cade picked up so he could tell me it was all a horrible misunderstanding .
I scowled. It was that kind of thinking that made me need Cade in the first place. I tried too hard for the romance, for the emotional connection. I was blinded by how I felt. That had been why I hadn't seen what had been going on between Ronald and the wedding coordinator before they ran off together. There was no misunderstanding this situation. Adelle had hired Cade to do his job. That was it .
I tapped Cade's phone number and closed my eyes as it rang. I had tears in my eyes and desperately didn't want to cry or sound as if I was. This part was a business decision, nothing more. I breathed a sigh of relief when it went to voicemail. I hoped it meant Adelle was talking to him already. She could explain what happened so he'd understand my message .
I kept it short and professional. “Cade, I don't believe I can continue with our arrangement. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause or disruption to your work schedule. I wish you all the best .”
It wasn't until I hung up that I realized I hadn't said my name. I assumed he'd recognize my voice. Knowing he might not realize who I was broke the last of my resolve not to cry. My face crumbled and with a sob that torn through my soul, I put my face in my hands and let go .
Two
I turned off my phone for the rest of the Saturday. I didn't feel like having to go through the whole dance of sending calls to voicemail and deleting them. I would deal with them tomorrow. I had papers to grade and I wanted to avoid gorging myself on ice cream again. I'd had enough over the past couple months .
Unfortunately, while I did manage to avoid the ice cream, I wasn't able to concentrate enough to get much grading done. At one point, I'd had to refrain from going on a rant on one student's essay regarding the friendship between Mercutio and Romeo, and how Romeo's relationship with Juliet betrayed Mercutio. That was when I realized I needed to just go to bed .
When I showered, I tried not to think of the last time I'd been with Cade and the shower we'd taken together, but it wasn't easy. I could almost feel him against me, the way he pushed me against the wall and thrust inside me, making me wail. How hard it had been to make him stop when I'd realized, in the heat of the moment, we'd forgotten a condom. How we'd finished each other off with our hands .
I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the shower wall, cursing myself for the memories. I didn't want to think about them. I didn't want to think about him. I told myself that I'd ended things because it was too weird with Adelle involved, but a part of me had already been thinking I was getting too attached. Even now, my body was craving his. I needed his hands on me, his mouth, his cock ...
“Dammit, Adelle!” I slapped my palm against the shower wall. “Why'd you have to fuck everything up ?”
I let myself cry again in the shower, but once I was out, I was done. No more dwelling. I was going to move on. I sighed as I dressed for bed and climbed under the covers. I was getting tired of having to give myself those 'moving on' pep talks. Maybe, I thought, I needed to consider actually moving. My brother and sister-in-law had been trying to talk me into moving to Texas for the past couple years. I could visit them for Christmas and take a look at the schools in the area. I wouldn't leave until after this year was done, but if I had that plan all set up, I could get through until June .
I fell asleep wondering if I could meet a nice cowboy, who would sweep me onto his black stallion and steal me away .
When I woke on Sunday morning, I didn't exactly feel good, but I was clear-headed enough to see things for how they were. I wasn't going to leave a job I loved and move hundreds of miles away. I would eventually forgive Adelle because I wasn't going to throw away a lifetime of friendship because we'd hit a rough patch. I'd learned enough from Cade that I could manage, and not continuing with him would make it easier to get things smoothed out between Adelle and me. I would miss the sex, of course, because he was the only lover who’d been able to make me climax like that. He was easy on the eyes and not bad to talk to, but that didn't mean anything. I could think fondly about our time together, but from a clinical perspective. It was all physical. Nothing else .
With all of that firmly sorted out in my head, I ate breakfast, turned my phone back on and started to work on my papers. Adelle had called twice yesterday, but hadn't left any messages. I was surprised, but decided to let it go. I would forgive her, but I wasn't going to make the first move. Not now anyway. The pain was too fresh and sharp .
I fell into the rhythm of grading and let literature essays purge everything else from my mind. Grammar corrections came automatically and my red pen marked the mistakes. I stopped around noon to make myself some lunch and then kept working while I ate. If I stayed busy, I didn't have time to think. That was a very good thing .
I finished my work shortly after making a grilled cheese sandwich for supper and wondered if I should clean the apartment to stay busy. It wasn't exactly dirty, but I didn't want to spend the rest of the evening sitting on the couch watching TV or finding some chick flick to cry through. If I cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, I could then shower and go to bed. There was a new murder mystery I'd been meaning to read, but I'd been too distracted recently to get started on it .
I was still debating the merits of scrubbing my bathroom floor versus cleaning the oven when my phone rang. It was Adelle. I looked down at my screen, unsure if I had it in me to talk to her. By the time I decided I didn't, she'd already gone to voicemail. I waited a few minutes, trying to decide if I was even ready to hear her voice before finally playing the message .
“Bree.” Her voice was shaking. “I know you're pissed at me and I hope you'll eventually give me a call back so we can work this out. Until then, I want you to know that I canceled my session with Cade. Your friendship means more to me than anything else. Especially sex .”
She inhaled like she was going to say something else, but didn't. The voicemail ended and I deleted it, softening as the full impact of her confession ran through me. Adelle had canceled her time with Cade because of me. She hadn't argued that she had every right to see him, especially since she'd been with him first. She hadn't told me it was none of my business who she or Cade fucked .
I touched 'call back' and she answered on the first ring. There was a moment of awkward silence and then we both started talking at the same time .
“Bree, I'm so sorry ...”
“Adelle, I get it ...”
We fell silent for a moment again and I let her break it .
“I wasn't thinking; at least not thinking with my brain,” she said. “But I understand why you’re upset .”
“Don't worry about it,” I cut her off. I didn't want to get into the reasons why I'd had an issue with her seeing Cade. I knew Adelle. She'd read too much into it and we'd end up arguing again. “It doesn't matter .”
“It does,” she insisted .
I sighed. “Adelle, I don't want to fight with you and I don't want to have this talk over the phone. I think we can get past this, but we're going to need to have a very frank discussion at some point .”
She was quiet for a moment. “All right,” she said. “I really don't want to lose
you, Bree .”
“I know,” I said. “I don't want to lose you either. We just have to deal with what's happened .”
“Do you and Mindy have the day off tomorrow ?”
I looked at my calendar and silently swore. She was right. I'd completely forgotten that we didn't have school tomorrow. I was going to have to find something to keep myself busy for the day. “Yeah, we do .”
“Let's meet for lunch. We can talk then .”
At least that'd give me something to think about other than Cade, plus I wouldn't have to spend days trying to figure out how to keep things from being awkward on Friday. “All right,” I said. “How about the café around the corner from my place ?”
“That sounds good,” Adelle said, the relief evident in her voice. Just hearing it made me feel better .
“And, Bree, um, there's something else I have to tell you .”
That didn’t sound good .
“Cade's on his way to see you .”
“Shit.”
“I'm sorry,” Adelle said. “When I called him this afternoon to cancel our session, I told him why and he said he was going to see you .”
I didn't ask her why it had taken her until today to decide to cancel her session. I was too busy trying to figure out how I was going to handle things when Cade showed up. Especially considering I was wearing my bum-around-the-house outfit: a pair of gray yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt... with no bra .
There was a knock on my door .
“I have to go.” I hung up before Adelle could say anything else and hoped she wouldn't think I was still mad at her. I just couldn't deal with her on the phone and Cade at my door at the same time .