Chapter Seven
As the days turned into weeks, Courtney found herself leading a life wrapped in sex and lies. It didn't take long for her desire for Kyle to boil over. Since their first meeting, they had spent many nights wrapped in each other’s arms, talking for hours. Courtney was torn between the two men. To complicate matters even more, she hadn't stopped the escort game.
Each night brought with it a new thrill. She had discovered a sordid underworld of the upper class. Men who liked nothing more than getting dominated and woman who secretly desired her body. Katherine had brought her into a world of sexual power and she loved everything about it. Her body constantly felt like it was tingling from the orgasms that dominated her life now.
Today she was practically skipping to meet Jared. She knew why he wanted to meet her. You'd have to be blind and deaf not to know the latest gossip in Houston. Courtney herself had found out that morning when Katherine came crashing through the front door.
“Oh my god,” she exclaimed
Courtney jumped from her seat, thinking something was burning down.
“What!” She yelled
“Dr. Wright just broke up with Amber!” Katherine said with a smile
“No!” Whispered Courtney, her face the picture of shock, “what happened?”
“The inquire posted pictures online of Amber snorting pain pills this morning,” said Katherine
“Oh my god!” was all Courtney could say
Katherine continued, “The doctor broke up with her almost immediately. He said he couldn't be associated with someone who abused drugs.”
Courtney’s phone rang before they could gossip anymore. It was Jared. He wanted to meet at their usual spot and Courtney was ready and willing. When she arrived, he was already waiting for her. Their embrace was short, he pulled away from her.
“What's wrong,” she asked him
He got down onto his knee and her face went pale, “Courtney, today I found out devastating news and instead of being heartbroken, I was elated! The idea of being with you, out in the open made me the happiest man in the world. I know this is sudden but, will you marry me?”
“What?” She whispered in genuine shock.
“Please, be my wife. Your young, beautiful and I adore you,” he sang
This wasn't part of the plan, Courtney thought to herself. Still, it would make things so much easier for her in the long run. She looked at Jared and with as much joy as she could muster, she nodded her head.
Leaving the hotel had been far more somber than entering it. They parted ways, kissing for the first time in public. The sun hung low in the sky but still Courtney didn't go home. She had to tell someone. Kyle was waiting for her when she arrived. The second she opened the door, the tears started.
“It was all supposed to be so simple,” she said as they sat on his sofa, “lure him in, then rip everything away from him. Just like he did to me.”
“What do you mean Courtney?” asked Kyle tenderly
He's known that she was seeing him and Jared both. He just couldn't do anything about it.
“Kyle, that man killed my mother!” Courtney chocked out
“What!” barked Kyle
“Two years ago, my mother went to Dr. Wright for a routine cosmetic procedure. One that he'd done a thousand times before. I called her the day before but she made me promise not to fly home for it. She said, ‘it's no big deal honey, he's even got a flight to catch the same day.’ Can you believe that? My mother died so he didn't miss his vacation,” her words were venomous
“Why didn't you sue?” Kyle asked
She scoffed, “my legal team said it was a freak accident. They said he was rushing but they couldn't prove it.”
“So all this? Why?” he asked her
“Revenge,” was her only reply
The doors to the shop flew open before another word could be said and Kyle grabbed her hand.
“What's going on?” she said in a panic
He pulled her to the fridge and pushed it out of the way, revealing a passageway.
“Courtney, you aren't the only one with secrets,” he said to her as he pulled her through, “I'm not just a mechanic. How do you think I knew about Amber's drug habit?”
“I thought you knew people or something,” she replied, still following him down the dark hall.
“I do know people, the kind of people that buy expensive cars to transport drugs,” he replied, “I have a boat ready to take me to Spain and more money than we’ll ever need. Come with me Courtney, leave it all behind you.”
They broke through a back door onto a dock where a boat was ready to go. Courtney thought for a minute. She could leave it all. Her mother’s death, the revenge, all of it. Then the doctor would go free and never know the suffering that she had endured after losing her mother. Her mother who was her whole world.
“No,” she replied softly, pulling her hand from his.
The look of heartbreak on his face tore through her as he spoke, “I'll always love you Courtney. I hope we’ll meet again.”
A few minutes later, he was gone. Courtney watched from the dock as the tears ran down her face. Kyle was one more person that she would make the doctor pay for.