Chapter Eleven
I groan when I walk into Kristen's office the next morning and see Emily staring back at me. Twice in as many days? Lucky me.
"Thanks for coming, Sophia. Emily has asked to sit in on our debrief, is that okay with you?"
Do I really have a choice? "Yeah that's fine," I lie. I can already feel the tension in the air.
"So, how do you think it went last night?" she asks as soon as I'm sitting down.
I shrug. "You've listened to the recording. How do you think it went?" After analyzing every little detail in my head after I got home yesterday, I can't be bothered to rehash it all.
"I think it went well," she replies.
"Wait, what? But I failed."
"I think you did great given the circumstances."
"Are you sure you listened to the right recording? I offered to buy him a drink and he said no. We were on our own, if he wanted to cheat then he could have. He obviously wasn't interested."
"I disagree," Emily says, shaking her head. "Last night was my fault. I got it all wrong. I thought my plan was a good way for you to meet but it backfired. He just ended up being pissed at me."
"Exactly, pissed at you for cancelling which means he obviously wanted you there."
"No, he was only angry because he left an important meeting to be there. He wasn't bothered about me at all. I don’t think it helped that I text him telling him to grow up after he hung up."
"But if he was so angry then why didn't he stay? If anything, you gave him a motive to cheat last night but he walked away. He passed the test."
Emily stands up. "All I know is that he didn't come home last night. He switched his phone off after you used it and I haven't heard from him since. He might have passed your test but he certainly didn't pass mine." She begins to pace up and down. "Does that sound like something a trustworthy man would do? Does it sound like something a good husband would do?" She stops in front of me. "I'm going to be honest with you, Sophia. I need your help. I have a unique proposition for you."
"What kind of proposition?"
"I want you to try again."
My mouth falls open. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Nothing has changed. I'm in the exact same situation as I was twenty four hours ago. I want you to try again. I want you to trap Mason."
"Is this some kind of joke?"
"The only joke right now is my marriage."
"I don't know what to say."
"Then say yes."
Kristen clears her throat. "You didn't get a fair shot yesterday. Nobody would have been able to trap him."
My cell buzzes loudly from inside my purse. I ignore it and turn to my boss. "But we never try to trap the same man twice, we both know that."
"Why not?" Emily interrupts. "Is that because nobody has actually asked you to try until now?"
"She has a good point," Kristen replies.
"Or maybe it's because our clients are usually happy when their husbands say no. Why can't you just be satisfied that Mason walked away?"
"Just because he walked away last night doesn't mean he will continue to walk away. I listened to the recording and you two definitely had a connection. You must have felt it." Here we go again. "For starters, he would never allow a stranger to use his cell. Jesus, he won't even let me use it. And don't get me started on the cute little jokes. We haven't joked around like that in a long time. If he's like that with you after five minutes, what would he be like after five hours? Or five days?"
"I don't think it's a good idea. Now that we've already met, it would look suspicious to just bump into each other again."
"Well we can wait a week if that's what you're worried about. But like you said, he's already met you so it'll be easier this time around. He should feel more comfortable talking to you."
I reach into my purse when my cell buzzes for a second time. "I'm not sure. I think you should ask somebody else instead." I look down at my phone and see one missed call and a text, both from Lori. I open her message.
"OMG!!! Call me!!!"
Emily perches on the edge of Kristen's desk. "Let me ask you a question. How many men have you trapped?"
I look up from my phone. "Um, I'm not sure. I don't keep track."
"Roughly?"
"Hundreds."
"And how many times have you failed?"
Where is she going with this? "Five, including Mason."
"Exactly. Those numbers speak for themselves. You're the best at what you do. I don't want somebody else to try. I want you. Please help me, Sophia."
For the first time since meeting her, I actually see sincerity in her eyes. I can't help but feel a tiny bit sorry for her. I sigh. "Look, my job is to try and tempt a man. I can't force somebody to cheat if they don't want to. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think we would get a different outcome if I tried again. I'm struggling to see what would change in the space of a day or even a week."
Emily nods. "I agree and that's why I said I have a unique proposition for you. Mason is different to most of the men you’ve trapped in the past. He has more to lose than most people. He's a well known businessman with a reputation to upkeep. Even if he wanted to cheat last night, he wouldn't have. He can't risk jumping into bed with the first attractive woman he sees. What if you were a journalist? Or working for a rival company?"
"Or a honey trap?" I interrupt.
"Exactly. He wouldn't risk a one night stand but that doesn't prove that he's not a cheater. So here's my offer - I don't want you to try and trap him in one night, that's unrealistic. I want you to take things slow. I want you to get to know him and establish some kind of relationship with him. I'm giving you five weeks to trap him. Five weeks to do whatever it takes. Five weeks for fifty grand."
Did I just hear her right? Fifty grand. Fifty. Thousand. Dollars. That's a whole lot of money and a whole different ball game. I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I try to process it all. Even though it sounds pretty crazy, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by her offer. "Why five weeks?"
She shrugs. "Five weeks will give you enough time to form some kind of relationship with him without making me wait too long for the outcome. Ten grand a week sounds about right. You already have a connection, now you just need to build on it. Five weeks should be a fair test."
"A fair test for who?"
"For my husband. Calling it a trap suggests that the man is somehow getting the raw end of the deal but like you said, you can't force somebody to cheat. If he's not interested then he can carry on with his life as normal and none of this will affect him. No harm, no foul."
I've got to admit that what she's saying makes sense but I still have some doubts. "How would it work?"
"I'll find out where he's going to be and give you the heads up. I know for a fact that he has a charity event next week so we could start there. Beyond that, it's up to you how it works. I don't care what you do as long as you get results."
"What if I fail?"
"Then I'll walk away."
"What about the money?"
"I don't expect you to work for free. You'll get your money regardless of the outcome."
"What if she traps him on the next attempt?" Kristen asks.
"Don't worry, you'll still get your fifty grand."
She looks more than pleased by Emily's answer. My cell buzzes for a third time but I ignore it and instead look to Kristen. "Would I still be sent out on other traps?"
"Of course not. You can concentrate solely on Mason."
I nod and stand up. "I don’t have any more questions right now but I need some time to think about it."
"That's fine," Emily replies. "But if my husband is cheating on me, I would like to know sooner rather than later."
"Why don't you take a day or two to think about it?" Kristen asks.
"Okay. I'll call you with my decision." Both pairs of eyes follow me as I walk over to the door.
"I wouldn't be wasting my time if I didn't think this could work," Emily says as I push down on the door handle. I don't look back as I close the door behind me. I carry on walking, taking several deep breaths as I go. What was supposed to be a routine debrief turned into something else entirely. I pull my phone out of my purse and head over to the elevator. I'm about to call Lori when I notice another text from her.
"Mason Hunter just called me!!! He was asking about u & has invited us for drinks tonight!! 3 words - Maid. Of. Honor."
Is this real life? I don't even know what to think anymore. Five minutes ago I was defending Mason but now he's calling my best friend and inviting us for drinks. The elevator doors open and I have a decision to make. Do I step inside and let my doubts and fear of the unknown hold me back or do I turn around and take the biggest risk of my career so far?