A Taste of Utopia (12 page)

He released me and stepped back.

With my hands on my knees, I coughed and gasped for air, trying to soothe my burning lungs.

“What the fuck, man? I could beat the crap out of you, or call the cops. Neither scenario would be good for you,” he yelled.

I caught my breath and stood tall, doing my best to restore my dignity. I had to fly before the dick head changed his mind and did one of the two things.

He studied me for a moment, taking in my raggedy shoes, dirty pants, oily hair, and hoodie that had seen better days. “What do you want, money? Here, take it.” He snatched two twenties from his wallet and waved them at me. When I refused to take the cash, he shoved it into the front pocket of my jacket.

“Not worth going to jail for a few bucks, man,” he said shaking his head. “What’s your name?”

“I don’t have one,” I responded.

“Everyone has a name.”

“Not me.”

“For real? I just paid for your dinner, and you won’t tell me your name?”

“Phoenix,” I said unconvincingly.

“Whatever.” He didn’t buy it. “So where do you live, Phoenix?”

Why did he want to know? “None of your business.”

“Hey, the fuck? That’s not how you respond to someone’s kindness.”

“There is no such thing as kindness.”

“I just handed you forty bucks.”

“Well, tough shit. That doesn’t mean I owe you anything.”

“Hey, just asking a question, bro, being friendly and shit. No reason to get all pissy.”

“My ass you’re friendly. Everything has a price. I’m not sucking your dick.”

“What a prick. I must look like a pervert, yes.” He flashed his ultra-white teeth at me.

“Fuck you,” I said.

“I’ll tell you what. You remind me of a scared boy that arrived on the strip a few years back. Come, let me buy you a hot meal.”

And that was that. I skeptically followed him to a burger joint. We talked about where he was from and why he left New Jersey to come to Vegas. His story was worse than mine. His father caught him making out with another boy and kicked him out when he was seventeen.

He offered me a place to stay. Why, I had no idea. But I wasn’t about to decline help.

A week later, and many failed attempts at finding a job, I inquired what he did for a living. I had my suspicions but didn’t want to pass judgment. He told me point blank that he was a male escort.

He gave me the run down but refused to help me. “C’mon, man. You’re a minor,” he said.

“So were you when you started.”

He scratched the blond scruff on his face. “True. You need to pass Adriana’s screening. And by
screening
I mean you have to fuck her to the moon and back. Convince her that you have what it takes. If you catch my drift.”

“Fuck a girl. Got it. Is she hot?”

“Forget about the physical perception of a woman, dude. To have a chance in this field, you have to see the beauty within. But yeah, Adriana is a hot Brazilian chick.” He smiled wide.

“Just one question,” I asked, my voice shaking, and I hated the sign of weakness. “I don’t. I can’t. I can’t fuck or let a man fuck me.”

“Adriana runs a high-end agency that caters exclusively to female customers. No gay-for-pay. No need to sweat it.”

Less than a month later, I was the newest male escort of Tailored Companionship. Adriana, along with Zach, helped me to invent a new persona. With her connections, Adriana got me a new identity. I became Seth Phoenix. Eventually becoming the most sought-out escort in the nation.

Lottie

WITH A SATISFIED NOD
, I deem myself ready for tonight’s date.

My hair is in a ponytail. I wear a pair of faded but comfortable jeans, flats, and a plain white T-shirt that says, “
Not all who wander are lost.”

I wonder if I should put my contacts back on and ditch the glasses. I reject the idea. This is the real me. The sooner Seth realized, the better.

Since I can remember, I’ve lived in the pages of the books. Avoided reality. Now, it finally feels like I’m living something exciting. It scares the hell out of me and thrills me at the same time. Seth is solely responsible for it. However, I won’t deceive him into thinking I’m this cool and trendy girl. Later today, when we meet again, he’ll face the real me. Not last night’s pimped-out version.

I’m not bigger than life, like Anne of Green Gables, or have a poetic name like Isabella Swan. No, I didn’t volunteer to replace my sister as tribute (I don’t even have a sister). I don’t have the sassy mouth of Kristen Ashley’s heroines or the bravery of a Divergent.

No, I’m just plain old me. Ordinary. Boring. Unattractive, even.

I study my reflection in the mirror. I can’t deny the change the events of last night brought out in me. Somehow, I look different. There’s a glow on my skin, a soft curve on my lips, a twinkle in my eyes and a shimmering aura surrounding me.

I raise my hand and study the gigantic rock gleaming on my finger.

Everything is too overwhelming to think about, so I finish packing my overnight bag.

Earlier, Seth texted me suggesting I pack to sleep over. When I got the text from him, my coiled muscles went slack. In honesty, I had doubted that I would hear from him again. Except to serve me with divorce papers.

Once I’m ready, I text him a new message.

Me: text me when you’re here. I’ll go down, so u don’t need to park.

An immediate response popped on the screen.

Seth: Be there in twenty

Me: k

I say goodbye to Chloe, reassuring her I will be okay. She insisted I request Seth’s address and phone number. “Just in case,” she had said disapprovingly.

For the entire afternoon, we talked about my new marital status and my relationship with Seth. I was able to convince her that I had to go along with the plan, not only for my family’s sake but also to discover if what happened between Seth and me should be something we explore further. She finally understood. We both came to the same conclusion: Lust dazzled Seth and me. However, there might be an undercurrent energy pulling us together.

And to think I was so judgmental of instant love in the romance novels I’ve read.

“Karma is a bitch!” Chloe eloquently said during our conversation.

I was silent at her comment. She had a point. However, I haven’t fallen in love with Seth. Not yet, anyhow. I had most certainly fallen in lust. And what a lust it was. My body shivered and a rush of warmth rushed to my loins at the mere thought of his hands caressing me.

I have to figure this out.

But first things first. With both hands gripping the handle of my Louis Vuitton duffel, I stand in front of Constellation, my back straight as a board.

As I wait for Seth, I recall how Chloe appeared guilty and worried about the recent developments in my life.

I reassured her that I was a big girl. Therefore, she wasn’t to blame herself. But there was no use. She repeatedly hammered how gullible I had been, and how stupid of her to have encouraged me to be reckless.

A slick coal black BMW pulls over in front of the hotel. Before I see the driver, I know who it is. I feel a jolt of energy in the air. It’s Seth.

He lowers the tinted window and looks directly at me. My bones liquefy under his heated gaze. His lips curve into a slow, dazzling smile.

Before he gets out, I sprint to the car, flick the door open and slide inside the vehicle.

“Hi,” I offer, praying he can’t hear the thumping of my heart.

“Hi,” he says, grinning. He leans in, and his lips touch mine. It’s a gentle kiss. My body doesn’t interpret it that way, though. It goes haywire.

“Ready?” he asks and brushes his lips against mine again.

I nod.

He plucks the duffel bag from my clutched fingers, puts it on the backseat and takes off.

Paying attention to the busy strip, I inhale a calming breath. The classical music floating in the interior slowly relaxes me, dissipating the tension in my distraught body.

“Nice ride.” Can’t I ever just find something a little smarter to say?

“Thanks.” After he merges into the flow of the traffic, he reaches for my hand. “How was the rest of your day?” He brings my hand to his mouth and his lips stroke my knuckles sending a wave of warmth through my bloodstream. He settles our entwined fingers over his jean-clad thigh.

His blond hair is still damp from a shower. He smells of soap, shaving cream, and his woodsy scent. He wears a well-fitted light green shirt that makes his turquoise eyes appear almost a shade of green.

He glances at me with inquisitive eyes, reminding me to answer. “I, uh, err, it went well. After Chloe’s third degree, I took a nap. I feel well rested. Thank you. How about yourself?”

“I had some business to take care of,” he says evasively. “But I had time for a shower and to cook you a meal.”

“You shouldn’t have bothered.”

“It wasn’t a bother,” he says, looking down at me in an intense way. Like his words meant more than what he was saying.

“Here we are.” He signals and enters a sophisticated building. He parks his car next to a Harley, swiftly hops out of the car, and opens my door.

He retrieves my overnight bag from the backseat, plants a hand on the small of my back, and guides me to the elevator.

I blame the elevator ascendance for the flock of butterflies fluttering in my stomach. There are so many of them that it feels as though my body could almost levitate.

“This is us,” he says, guiding me out the elevator and to a heavy oak door. The only door on the level. As if listening to my thoughts he says, “One apartment per floor.”

He unlocks the door and I step into the apartment. I don’t know what to expect. It’s not like I know my husband.

Luxurious is an inadequate word to describe the interior. I come from money, so fancy doesn’t impress me. But I identify a beauty and elegance in the place that has me in awe. It’s far from what I imagined his bachelor pad to be.

Seth tosses his key on a wooden plate. It lands with a muted thump. He turns to me and says, “This is home.”

I follow him down two steps leading to an ample open-spaced living room. The black wood floor glints under the light flooding from the ceiling.

The room is painted in soothing shades of gray and blue. Behind an L-shaped couch, a black grand piano adds a glamor that reminds me of the older movies I like to watch so much.

A small area dedicated to eating is adjacent the living room. A distressed wood table surrounded by a dozen chairs takes the entire space. A vase of wildflowers in a plethora of colors—purple, orange, red, blue, and white—adorns the table which is already set for two.

“Kitchen.” Seth nods to the right. Behind an island, the small room displays rich mahogany cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and black granite counter tops. Everything is clean and organized to a fault. No one could accuse this bachelor of being a pig.

“Something smells good,” I say and on cue, my stomach rumbles.

“Dinner is ready. I just need to reheat. Let me show you to our bedroom so we can stow your bag,” he says, holding my hand so I can follow him to a small hallway leading to several doors.

“Guest room,” he says pointing to the first door. “Bathroom.” He continues. “Zach’s room. He is my roommate and best friend.”

Pointing to another door, he adds, “A mutual office.” He stops in front of the last door. “And what is now our bedroom.”

He flings the door open, and I step in. The interior of the bedroom is just as breathtaking as the rest of the place. Hues of blue and seashell make it soothing and elegant.

He puts my bag on the king-size bed. “That’s the bathroom if you need to freshen up.” He nods to a door.

“Thank you. I’m good.”

“So, this is it.” He waves his hand in a vulnerable way that is at odds with his usual self-poised posture.

“It’s a great place,” I offer.

A movement by the patio’s door catches my eyes. A cat lies on a fluffy feline bed. From my vantage point, I can see its profile. The cat sits on his haunches and languidly stretches its front limbs.

“That’s Dona Bella. We call her Dona. She thinks she owns the place.”

From her peripheral, she disdainfully casts a glance at me, making it clear she’s unhappy we disturbed her slumber. Her deep blue eyes are big and round, contrasting against her pure white fur. She is the most beautiful cat I have ever seen.

She lets out a bewildered meow and turns to face me. I stifle a gasp. The right side of her face is completely disfigured. An eye and an ear absent.

Her eye moves over my body. She is examining me, just as I am she. With an indescribable elegance, she prowls my way. I see in her one eye, the perusal. And although as silly as it sounds, I hold my breath in expectation for her approval.

She stands in front of me. Her head tilts to the side. A softer meow escapes her lips, which are also slightly scarred on the right side. She proceeds to make loops in between my legs, settling in front of me.

I smile and sit on my heels. “Hey there, beauty.” I pet her soft fur. She lets out a satisfied purr, and her slender body rumbles under my fingers. “She is so sweet,” I say glancing up at Seth.