Dark Escort (5 page)

“Because he looks like a jackass meathead.”

“You met him for two seconds…”

“I can just tell.” Joey never said anything mean about someone else. It was completely out of character. His behavior was so unusual I didn’t know what to make of it.

“Seriously, what’s your problem?”

“Problem?” He released a fake laugh. It almost sounded maniacal. “I don’t have a problem. You’re the one with a problem.”

I was clearly getting nowhere with Joey. He was obviously too upset to tell me what was really on his mind. Since I didn’t have any magic up my sleeve to pull it out of him, I gave up. “Have a good night.”

“You too,” he said coldly. “Enjoy pretty boy.”

I gave him one final look before I returned to my date.

Cato was leaning against the bar, looking like a model waiting for his picture to be taken. He had the body fit for an athlete and the face a photographer would kill for. “Told you so.”

“Told me so what?”

“He’s so into you, Katarina. I hardly know the guy and I can tell.”

I was starting to wonder if he was right. I couldn’t figure out any other cause of his behavior. “I’m ready to go.”

He set his drink down quickly, like he’d been waiting for this night to end just as much as I had. “Then let’s hit the road.”

***

Cato walked me to my door, and I was surprised he even did that. After the way he discreetly insulted me throughout the night, I was surprised he had any desire to make sure I got to my door in one piece.

“Thank you for tonight,” I said politely, hoping to kill him with kindness.

“Yeah…” He kept his hands in his pockets and didn’t seem interested in looking at me. “Let me know when you need me.”

His detachment was getting annoying. His lack of maturity was getting under my skin, and now I wanted to sink my claws into him and rip him apart. “If you hate your job so much, why do you do it?”

“Who said I hated my job?” He turned his blue eyes on me.

“You don’t act like you enjoy it much.”

“Perhaps it’s just the company,” he said coldly.

“Seriously, what did I do to you? I’m a pretty nice person.”

“That’s debatable…”

I pushed him hard and he stumbled into the opposite wall. “I’ve been nothing but polite to you from the start. When we first met—”

“You don’t even remember when we first met.”

“Excuse me?”

He shook his head and didn’t say anything.

“What am I missing here?”

His blue eyes looked colder than an ice-berg. “You seriously don’t remember?”

“Remember you from where?” I demanded. “Maybe if you told me it would come back to me. You do look familiar but I can’t place you.”

He held up his hand then lowered it. “Forget I said anything.”

“No, there’s obviously something bothering you.”

“And I doubt you give a shit. You only care about your own feelings, not mine or Joey’s.”

Why was he being dragged into this? “If you hate me so much, maybe you should just quit.”

“I don’t bail on a client who needs me. And we both know you can’t afford to lose me. You’ve already introduced me to everyone. There’s no going back.”

“Well, if you aren’t going to tell me how you know me and why you despise me, then can you try to be somewhat civil to me?” I put my hands on my hips. “Because I will kick your ass if I have to.”

“Kick my ass?” he asked incredulously.

“Hell yeah I’ll kick your ass,” I snapped. “I know a front guillotine choke, a stable headlock, and a rear mount. You want to try me?”

He came closer to me but was more than an arm’s length away. “Those are all military moves.”

“Your point?” I hissed.

“How do you know all that?” He suddenly turned serious, no longer angry or cold like before.

“None of your damn business. Now, are you going to stop being a jackass? I can’t deal with you, Joey, and my family. So decide.”

He regarded me for a long moment before he headed toward the hallway. “I’ll try.”

“You’ll try?” I yelled after him.

He looked at me before he turned the corner. “It’s the best I can do.”

***

A knock on my door sounded after midnight.

Who the hell would drop by so late? It was unusual. I was on my guard when I approached the door. When I looked through the peephole, I saw someone I didn’t expect.

Joey.

What was he doing here?

I opened the door and studied him closely. “Hey…kinda late to drop by.”

His hands were in his pockets and his hair was ruffled like he ran his fingers through it too many times. His eyes were slightly red like he was exhausted. He was still wearing his clothes from the benefit, a suit and tie.

When he didn’t respond, I spoke again. “Joey?”

He looked at me like he finally noticed me. “Katarina.”

I held the door with one hand just in case I needed to slam it in his face. “Can I help you?”

His eyes were practically black. “What happened to never falling in love again? You said you would never have anyone as long as you lived. But then you bring some boy toy around. What the fuck is that, Katarina?”

He never spoke to me like that before. I didn’t think he even had it in him. It was clear he was drunk because his inhibitions were far lower than normal. “You’ve been drinking.”

“What does that matter?” he snapped. “These thoughts exist either way. So, what the hell are you doing?”

“My personal life is none of your business, Joey. You should be ashamed of yourself for talking to me this way, for making me feel guilty over something I shouldn’t feel bad about. I’m sick of having our parents push us together. They won’t stop unless I give them a reason to stop.”

“So you start dating some loser?”

“You know nothing about him.” I wanted to confess the truth and say he was an escort but I couldn’t trust Joey to keep my secret. With his behavior I wasn’t sure if I could trust him at all.

“I know he’s not right for you. And that’s all I need to know.”

I knew I should end this conversation before it went somewhere we could never come back from. Joey was obviously upset and he was saying things he would never spit out if he were sober. I would cut him some slack. “Let’s talk tomorrow.”

“I want to talk now.”

“Joey.” My voice cut through the air and even made me flinch. “I have a feeling you’re going to say something stupid that will ruin the friendship we have. I’m more than happy to talk to you in the morning. But now, you need to leave.”

He stared at me but held his silence. It was clear he wanted to burst and scream. But he made the smart move. “Good night, Kat.”

“Good night, Joey.”

Cato

I was such a dick to her.

I couldn’t stop myself. Years had come and gone, and I thought I was over what happened between us. But when I was around her, I remembered how much that morning hurt. What we had was special but she didn’t see it that way. She left me in the middle of the night or early in the morning without saying a word to me. I was grateful I even got a note.

There was no justifiable reason why I should be angry with her. What she did to me, I’d done countless times to others. It was biting me in the ass because I deserved it. I didn’t believe in Karma but I was starting to.

For just a moment, I thought I was going to tell her how I knew her. I was going to come clean and say it. But something stopped me. The fact I said we already met and she still couldn’t figure it out just pissed me off. What if I told her about that night and she
still
didn’t remember it?

It would be devastating to my ego.

The fact she was even more beautiful than I remembered irritated me. Why couldn’t she be fat and ugly to make it easier on me? She was graceful and intelligent, beautiful beyond description, and she had a no-bullshit attitude that I immediately loved. When she threatened to attack me, I knew she was being sincere. She wasn’t a pushover like most girls.

Katarina was a whole new breed.

I needed to let go of that night and just move on. She was my client now, and being an ass to her wouldn’t get me anywhere. It would just make us argue and fight, something I’d rather not do.

I didn’t like her friend Joey one bit. He eye-fucked the shit out her, not caring who saw or what they thought. Katarina insisted their families were trying to push them together, but I had a feeling Joey had a hand in that. It seemed like the only person who didn’t want it to happen was Katarina.

Why wasn’t she dating? She said she never did it. Why? It was an odd thing for a gorgeous woman to say. If that was her philosophy, it made sense why she ditched me the night we met. Maybe she was looking for something quick and simple, what I usually wanted.

But on that night, I didn’t want that with her. I wanted something more. It was the first time that ever happened to me, and it wounded me she didn’t feel the same way. How could I feel something so extraordinary but it completely escaped her notice?

I was feeling worse by the second. I knew I should apologize to her. Instead of being a perfect date and making her evening perfect, I insulted her left and right. I couldn’t control my tongue, and rude things came spilling out. My resentment was unfair, especially since I wouldn’t tell her what my problem was. I should be a man and apologize.

***

I knocked and waited for an answer.

Katarina opened the door and studied me suspiciously. “How can I help you?”

Just looking at her pissed me off. That soft brown hair felt amazing in my fingertips. I remembered fisting it, gripping it as I slammed into her. Even two years later, the memory came back to me vividly. Her pussy was so tight and my cock loved every second of it. And when she rode me…I was in heaven.

“Cato?”

My thoughts were shattered by her words. If she knew what I was thinking, she would murder me on the spot, probably with those military moves. I focused my gaze on her face and tried to remember why I was there. “I just came by to apologize for my behavior.”

She lowered her guard slightly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I was very rude to you and I shouldn’t have been.”

Katarina lowered her arms to her sides. “Well, thank you. I appreciate that.”

“Yeah…”

“However, I’d rather know why you dislike me so much.” She searched my face for an answer, hoping I would solve the mystery.

Telling her would be stupid. She still wouldn’t remember that night, and then I would feel worse. Two people experienced something great but only one person remembered it. It wasn’t worth bringing up. “It’s my own problem. Let’s just forget about it.”

“Well, you were pretty hostile…”

“I’d rather just forget about it.” I put my hands in my pockets and shifted my weight to one foot.

“But you still don’t look at me the same.”

“Pardon?” I asked.

“You still aren’t nice, charming, or sweet. You do it to everyone else but me.”

“Well, I’m not acting right now.”

“So, this is who you really are?” she asked. “Sad and irritable?”

The anger started to burn deep inside me. “I just apologized to you. Now you want to pick a fight?”

“I’m not picking a fight. I just think I’m entitled to know why you dislike me so much.” Her nostrils flared.

“Maybe because you’re a cold-hearted bitch.”

She flinched like she’d been stung. “Excuse me?”

“Come on, it’s so obvious Joey is in love with you. It’s not that you don’t notice. It’s that you don’t care. People are trying to manipulate your love life because you don’t know how to love on your own. When something good is right in front of you, you don’t even notice. You’re going to die alone and no one will be surprised.”

Her fury disappeared like a blown out candle. The grimace wasn’t on her face, and her nostrils no longer flared. Instead, her eyes watered immediately, like I hit a trigger that made her snap. She blinked her eyes quickly, trying to dispel the moisture but it didn’t work.

Fuck, I’m going to hell
. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I was just—”

“Go.” She held up her hand to silence me. “Just leave me alone. Please.” She walked inside her apartment and locked the door.

I stood in the same spot, unsure what to do with myself. Then I heard the sound of her sniff. She was crying on the other side of the door. She must be leaning against it, because when she started to sob I heard every sound.

I fucking hated myself.

Fucking. Hated. Myself.