“She wanted to go inside and I told her you would come out.”
“What were you in there doing with that girl?” Cecilia glowers at me.
“What I was doing isn’t your concern. What do you need?”
“Mariah is moving to California so we’re going to need to hire a new girl.”
“Is everything okay?” Women coming and going in this business is normal. Some have been around for a while, but most work here to save up money, and once they meet their goal, move on. Many end up meeting a man and quit to start a life.
“Yes, just the usual. She wants to pursue an acting career.” She rolls her eyes.
“Okay, well, go ahead and start looking for someone to replace her. Like always, I have final say.” Cecilia gives me a mock salute before walking back down the stairs.
“Everything okay?” Rome tips his head toward the door.
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
He simply shrugs then smirks. “You look a little”—his eyes peruse my body—“messy.” I look down and see what he means. My shirt is tucked half in-half out. Several buttons are undone that I didn’t realize Aria unbuttoned. I look like a man who was about to fuck.
“Fuck, Rome. I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore.” I scrub my hands over my face in frustration.
“You’ve smiled and laughed more around that woman than I’ve seen since I started working for you almost ten years ago.”
“What are you saying? That I’m going soft?” I half joke.
“No, I’m saying happy looks good on you, Boss.”
* * *
After grabbing a pint of Rocky Road ice cream from the freezer, popping a bag of popcorn and pouring half a bag of chocolate candies into it, and grabbing two sodas, I make my way back upstairs to the room. When I walk through the door, Aria glances over at me. Her face morphs from the scowl she was planning to give me into a tiny smile she’s trying to hide.
“Truce?” I ask, showing her all the goods I’ve brought.
“You just want to see what happens next on The Vampire Diaries.” She pulls the blanket down, welcoming me into the bed. She takes the ice cream, popcorn, and one of the sodas from my hands, and turns the television on.
“You’re lucky I love Rocky Road.” She takes a bite of the ice cream, her tongue darting out to lick a tiny bit that dripped down her lip.
I snatch the remote from her and click on the episode we left off on, willing both of my heads to ignore the gorgeous temptation sitting next to me.
Chapter Fourteen
ARIA
“Girl, this pool is the shit. This mansion is like something out of an episode of cribs. Now spill.” Amber and I are lounging out by the pool. She just finished with midterms, so today is the first day we have been able to hang out. It’s been two weeks since Gio and I kissed and since then he’s been more distant than usual. That night he came back up with junk food as his way of a truce, I thought maybe things would go back to the way they were, but I was wrong. He’s grumpy to everyone including me and I’m over his shit. He’s slept in the bed a few times but he doesn’t usually come in until after I’m asleep and he’s out of bed before I wake up. Some nights he’ll sleep on the chaise lounge, and once I found him asleep at his desk.
“Gio is keeping me here because Weston has disappeared.”
“And this mansion?” Her hands circle around.
“He owns an…escort service.” I whisper the last two words. It’s not like it’s a secret since here in Vegas bordellos are legal, but I still feel weird admitting I live at a sex club.
“What?!” She sits up, her Bloody Mary sloshing onto her breasts. “Like a whorehouse?”
I don’t know why but that word agitates me now even though I used the same term when I first found out. Maybe it’s because the last several weeks I’ve been here, I’ve gotten to know the women and they might have sex with strangers, but they aren’t whores…I mean, they are by the literal definition, but it just sounds so cold. There’s more to these women, and they deserve more than to be labeled.
“No,” I say, feeling the need to defend them, “escorts.”
“Hey, I’m not judging.” Her hands come up in a placating gesture. “To each their own.”
“I’m going to take a dip in the pool.” I pull my cover over my head and drop it onto the chair then walk toward the steps. Amber does the same.
There’s a loud whistle and when we find the source, it’s Nico, Gio’s brother. “Well, well. It’s not every day I come across not one but two sexy women.”
I roll my eyes, but Amber giggles. “That entire house is filled with sexy women. Nice try.”