Chapter Two
Courtney enjoyed the drive to Katherine’s modest two-bedroom apartment downtown. It gave her time alone to decompress after meeting Dr. Wright while she followed Katherine’s little sports car through the backroads. She hadn’t been prepared to meet him so soon and now she was kicking herself for not having her wits about her more. As they drove, she took note of her surroundings.
She had grown up in Houston, but she was from a different part of town entirely. Her parents had been happily married, her father a wealthy businessman until they divorced when she was five. She and her mother fled Georgia and settled down in a modest home on the other end of town. Her mother had money, and a great deal of it, but she said she would never be a part of ‘their’ world again.
“Living with those people will bring you nothing but drama Courtney Spellman, mark my words,” her mother had said.
Courtney had winced hearing her formal name, “mom, I have no desire to be their best friends, I just don’t see why we can buy a bigger house and move a little closer to where all the action is.”
She’d been sixteen and foolish. Her mother had just replied, “it’s not a world I want you in. That’s why your father and I split. You need to find your own path, not follow one society thinks you should go down.”
“Fine, I will find a way to do it myself,” she’d hissed at her.
Now, nine years later, Courtney would give anything to hear her mother’s voice just one more time. She’d been taken from Courtney two years ago, and it had almost ended Courtney’s life too. Her mother had been a strong woman. Now it was her turn to be strong and to find a way to make things right once more.
Katherine’s car slowed down in front of an old Georgian style apartment building, and Courtney followed her into the parking space behind her. She climbed out and looked around, they were right in the heart of the city to Courtney’s joy. She’d always wanted to be in the middle of the nightlife and now was her chance.
“So what do you think?” asked Katherine as she showed her around her new home
“It’s wonderful!” replied Courtney with a smile on her face
Katherine eyed her, “what was that between you and the doctor earlier?”
Courtney blushed, “what are you talking about?”
“You almost clawed his eyes out,” said Katherine with a raised eyebrow
“I didn’t mean for that to happen, really I didn’t. I planned on being very polite. I guess my mom’s words just kept playing through my mind about the rich and privileged socialites in this town,” she responded
Katherine smiled, “your mom didn’t know the doctor though. He’s a good guy and so is Amber. They even invited both of us to a party tomorrow night at the manor.”
“I doubt that,” muttered Courtney under her breath. She was thankful that Katherine didn’t hear her harsh words. “So are we going to go to the party?”
“I think you should go,” replied Katherine elusively.
Courtney eyed her suspiciously, “I’m not going to go without you though. Why wouldn’t you want to come?”
“I just may have plans is all,” responded Katherine
“A boyfriend?” Courtney asked playfully
Katherine was acting very nervous, “um, no. Not really. I just have another job is all.”
“Really? You never mentioned anything about another job, is it another executive assistant job?” she asked
“Sometimes it is, do you want to grab some dinner? There’s a great Italian place down the street,” asked Katherine, already reaching for the apartment door.
Courtney knew she was trying to avoid talking about her second job, but she was intrigued, “what do you mean it is sometimes? Who do you work for besides the doctor then? Another surgeon? Is that why you’re being all secretive?”
“No, nothing like that,” she replied
“Then what? I’m your best friend Katherine, why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” asked Courtney, her voice full of concern.
“Listen, it’s a job okay? It’s a lot of fun and I make a ton of money. For now, that’s all I really want to say okay? Let’s go,” said Katherine, already heading out the door.
Courtney dropped the subject, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it as they walked in silence outside and onto the street. The more Courtney saw of the town, the more she loved her decision to return, even if it was for motives other than work and catching up with old friends. Katherine led the way as they passed a smoky bar room. Courtney glanced inside and saw more of Houston’s elite, mingling outside of the ballroom. One of the men looked over at them, and his eyes fell onto Katherine. A flicker of recognition had passed over his face before he began to blush.
Courtney followed behind Katherine, slowly putting together the pieces in her mind. The late night job. The fact that Katherine’s two-bedroom apartment in the hottest spot of Houston probably rented for five thousand dollars a month. The man who recognized Katherine but that Courtney had never seen. She watched her friend’s hips sway back and forth seductively and realized she was wearing a two-thousand-dollar pair of boots, not the kind of boots you get on an assistant’s salary.
Courtney gasped, and Katherine turned around, “Oh my God. I know what you’re doing for money!”
Katherine glared at her and pulled her into a dark alley so no one would hear them, “Courtney, you don’t understand. I make two thousand dollars a night and.”
“and what? Are you in trouble?” asked Courtney
Katherine looked at her and her eyes filled with light as a smile crossed her face, “and I like it.”
“You’re an escort,” whispered Courtney in shock
“A damn good one at that too,” replied Katherine with a wink and a smile