Chapter Seven
"How did it go?" Lori asks as soon as I step through the door.
"It was...different."
"Good different or bad different?"
"Meeting the wife different."
Her eyes nearly pop out of her head. "Nooooo! Are you joking?"
"I wish I was."
"But why? We never meet the clients."
I sigh. "It's high profile."
"Oh my god!" She grabs hold of my hand. "Have you agreed to it?" I nod, still unsure whether I've made the right decision. "Come and sit down, tell me everything." She drags me into the kitchen and we sit down opposite each other. "So who's the guy?"
"Mason Hunter."
She laughs. "Good one. I wonder who I'll be trapping next, Channing Tatum?" When I don't reply, she waves her hand around. "Well come on, don't keep me waiting. Who is it?"
"I've already told you. It’s Mason Hunter."
Her smile fades. "Are you actually being serious?" I nod. "No way! Mason Hunter? The Mason Hunter?"
"I hope he's not expecting me to address him as that."
"Are you sure it’s him?"
I pull his file out of my purse and pass it to her. Her mouth falls open. "Holy shit, it is him."
"Seriously, his ego would love you."
She rolls her eyes. "I'm guessing you don't know who he is."
"And I'm guessing you do."
"Of course I do. He's a big deal in the business world. He was listed in Fortune magazine's forty under forty for being one of the most influential men in business. You probably walked past his hotel on your way home."
"Well I've never heard of him and I'm pretty sure I would have remembered his face. Does he have paparazzi following him?"
"I don't think so. He's high profile in the business world but he tries to stay out of the public eye as much as he can. He seems like a very private person and I think the paparazzi respect him for that. He's featured in quite a lot of newspaper articles and magazines but he's never been front page news and he's very rarely in gossip magazines. It's probably because he's married and on a tight leash."
"Perhaps not tight enough if she thinks that he's cheating."
"Touché."
"How do you know so much about him?" I ask.
"Because some of us haven't been living under a rock for the past few years. Plus, my friend knows him."
"Which friend?"
She laughs. "Google. So what was his wife like?"
"Well she started by saying that I looked too young and innocent then went on to ask about my bra size and how much I weigh."
"Woah, complete violation of girl code right there. How much is she paying?"
“Ten grand." We get a 50% cut.
"Woah. Not bad for one nights work."
"I know, that's the only reason I'm doing it."
She smirks. "Are you sure that's the only reason?"
"Of course."
"So the fact that he's gorgeous didn't influence you at all?"
Maybe. "Nope."
"Not even a little bit?"
I shrug. "You know me, I'm a professional."
She laughs. "Then why are you blushing, Miss Professional?"
"Oh, shush." I stand up. "I need to choose an outfit. I'm meeting him in a few hours."
"A few hours? I thought you were going to say a few days! Do you want to go over a plan of action?"
"I already did with his wife." I realize how strange that sounds. There's definitely a reason why we're usually kept apart.
"Oh, so it's like that now, is it?" She coughs the word traitor.
I wink. "Yep, she's my new BFF. We share everything, even her husband." I leave the room and make my way upstairs.
"Sophia?" she shouts from the kitchen.
"Yeah?"
"You're going to add him to your Pinterest board, aren't you?"
I take a sip of my virgin mojito before glancing around the room. I've been sitting at the bar for around twenty minutes waiting for Emily's friend to make her move. There's no sign of Mason and I'm beginning to wonder whether Emily has backed out.
The bartender breaks my train of thought by asking if I want another drink. He's tried to strike up a conversation with me at least three times but each time I give him a one word answer. I don't want to come across as rude but I can't allow myself to get distracted. I like to keep my head in the game when I'm working. I decline but that doesn't stop him from complimenting my outfit. I decided on my white figure-hugging dress which falls just above the knee. Lori thinks that because I'm wearing white, Mason will subconsciously see me as a beacon of light and hope. She even mentioned an angel and devil analogy. I stopped questioning her theories a long time ago. I jump when somebody taps me on the shoulder. I turn around to see a woman with flaming red hair glaring at me. "Are you Sophie?"
"Sophia," I correct her.
She waves her hand dismissively. "Whatever. I'm Joanne, Emily's friend."
"Hi Joanna." Two can play that game.
"Joanna? It's Joanne. Are you trying to be funny? Mason will be arriving soon so we need to run through what's going to happen."
"I've already discussed it with Emily."
"Oh. Awesome. The less time I spend with you tonight, the better." She looks me up and down. "I'm only doing this for her. Don't think for one second that I actually like you. Just wait here until I come and get you then act like we're old friends."
"That might be a little difficult if you keep acting like a dick."
Her eyes go wide. "Emily was right, you are a smart-ass. And correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it part of your job to love dick? I bet you see a lot of them in your industry, if you can even call it that." She grins, looking pleased with herself. I can see why she's friends with Emily.
I smile sweetly. "You're right. I do see a lot of dicks." I lean in closer to her. "The biggest are usually the ones who are married. Speaking of which, isn't your husband here tonight?" I feign innocence as I look around the restaurant.
"Don't even think about it, skank. If I catch you looking in my husband's direction, your pathetic excuse for a career will end tonight. Remember that you're here for Mason and nobody else."
I watch her walk away and thank the lord that this will all be over in a couple of hours.