Deceptive Nights (3 page)

Jacoby was pretty impressed by the operation
and how smoothly everything ran even without the office manager
being there.

“
Is she old?” Jacoby asked
the office assistant.

The young man gave him a look as if he should
know whom the office manager was, but then answered after a brief
hesitation. “Oh no. She’s young. She just really loves to work and
work hard. Our turn around time deadline has been made continually
because of her.”

Jacoby’s pager went off. “Can I use the phone
privately, please?” He had left his phone in the limousine.

“
Sure,” Mr. Bowen said,
showing him to an empty office near where Lawrence was
working.

Jacoby saw on the door it had the office
manager’s name on it. “She won’t mind me using this office, will
she, Mr. Bowen?”

“
Oh no,” the young man
assured him. “Don’t worry. Just dial nine to call out.” He closed
the door to give Jacoby privacy.

He went over to the phone and dialed his
lawyer, who had just paged him. Jacoby was presently buying out a
small research firm located near Davenport, Ohio. He was also going
to put his corporate offices in the downtown area of Detroit.
Abraham Blue, his lawyer was setting up a meeting for the buyout
and Lawrence was going to arrange the videoconference tomorrow
afternoon to make the deal final. Instead of Jacoby flying down to
Ohio, he could stay in Lawrence’s Detroit office and discuss it
through fiber optic lines.

As he was put on hold for Abraham, Jacoby
noticed the pictures of the two children sitting and smiling the
most beautiful smiles. Immediately he could tell they had to be
identical twins although of different gender because of what they
had on and how they looked. Their eyes were so expressive and wide.
He could just imagine the mother with the same beautiful eyes and
smile. If he really concentrated he could just imagine him, the
happiest man in the world with this beautiful family.

“
Jacoby!” Abraham’s deep
rumbled voice came on the line suddenly. “Sorry to keep you on
hold.”

“
That’s quite alright. My
thoughts were elsewhere.”

Abraham continued talking and Jacoby turned
away from the pictures. The mother had to be beautiful to produce
the twins. Intelligent, highly self motivated as Lawrence had
described her, but would she be great in bed? Even though Jacoby
had personal dealings with Madeline, they didn’t discuss each
other’s business when they were together. So that’s why Jacoby had
never heard of this fantastic office manager. They never discussed
anything when they were together.

Jacoby forced himself to concentrate. What
the hell did it matter, he wouldn’t marry her. With two beautiful
kids like that a man would have to be stupid to leave them.

All the good women were taken and she seemed
like a good one. She was definitely taken - married or not.

****

Cold, hungry, and tired she walked the eight
blocks from the Greyhound Station to her job where she had some
crackers in her desk drawer. She didn’t realize she shouldn’t have
refused Madeline’s offer for food until after she was well on her
way back to Detroit. They had eaten breakfast with some clients,
but after that they had been in meetings the rest of the day.

She stuffed the crackers in her mouth until
she almost choked, then forced herself to swallow. Stuffing what
she had left in her purse, left out the office and tracked back
down Jefferson heading to Cadillac Square, still tired, hungry, and
cold. Phoebe had called her mother from the bus station to let her
know she was back in town and was going back to the office to see
what kind of day everyone had without her. Since there was nothing
on her desk, she figured Simon would have the list of stuff for her
to do tomorrow.

Right now, she felt she didn’t want to think
about work until she had a good night’s sleep. While talking to her
mother, Patricia told her the mail had delivered a bill from the
tax office again and she had been denied the loan on the apartment
due to her credit.

Phoebe, of course told her mother not to
worry about it. Things would work out eventually.

Phoebe hoped.

Chapter 5

Was it fate? Hell, it couldn’t be said more
plainly.

Jacoby had left Desmond at Lawrence’s city
apartment, The Jeffersonian, which had a lovely view of Downtown,
the river, and Canada. Jacoby was too tired to go to any club and
drink. He just wanted to get to the hotel to sleep his misery and
horniness away.

There she was, standing on the corner this
time across from where the limousine had stopped at a light, yet
nevertheless the same young respectable woman. He decided the best
method would-be to get out and approach her. He told the driver to
follow her.

She was coming across the street and he stood
on the corner to wait for her. “Excuse me, miss,” he said.

Phoebe looked up at him, hesitating before
stopping. “Yes?”

He made a note she actually put an “s” at the
end of her word, so she was somewhat educated or at least very
articulate. “Are you headed home?”

“
Of course, are you lost?”
She looked up at him with brows up, very warily.

“
Somewhat for words. I stay
at the Ponchartrain.”

She gave him a “what-do-you-want” glare
clutching her bag tightly too her.

“
I want to know if you’d
be...” his voice trailed off. “Look in no way do I think you-” He
sighed frustrated and never before felt so confused and flustered
before in his life.

He seemed to be a very confused and flustered
man. What he wanted was still a mystery to her and she decided to
help him out. “So you’re not lost?”

“
No. I’ve never done this
before.”

“
Talked to a stranger?” she
guessed teasingly.

“
Can I give you a lift, I
saw you last night and it’s so cold. I felt since I saw you again,
I should ask.”

“
Why do you think its
fate?” she teased. “You must be from out of town.” She smiled the
most breathtaking smile, leaving him mesmerized.

Yes, he wanted her, he determined at that
moment. “So you’d like a ride?”

“
I was born at night, not
last night mind you. So I don’t want a ride.” She started to walk
away, but Jacoby smoothly moved in her way.

****

Quickly, he said, “Miss please a moment. I
don’t want to offend you-”

Phoebe cut him off. “You haven’t yet. Do you
always speak this way?”

“
What way?”

“
Beat around the bush. What
do you mean offend me?” she asked suspiciously. He was quite an
attractive man and his embarrassment only made him
cuter.

She watched as he took a roll of bills out
his jacket. Hundreds! It looked like thousands of them. “I want you
to be with me.”

With a look of insanity, yet hope, passed
through her eyes as if he were the answer to her prayers. Phoebe
stayed dead silent and frozen until she heard footsteps approaching
behind her.

Moving toward him, she covered the hand with
the money using her own and held it against her chest. “You can’t
go around flashing that much money around, sir.” Two strangers
passed by them going on down the street not paying them any
mind.

“
It’s Jay,” he introduced
himself abruptly.

“
Have you lost your mind?”
she asked incredulously.

“
No. I saw you last night
and I want you still.”

Why did his words send tingles through her?
Compose yourself, Phoebe. “Put that money away before someone comes
and shoot us both.”

He was not one to give up so easily. Plus, if
she weren’t the least bit attracted to him, she would have walked
away after giving him a sound slap across the face. “How much?” he
asked putting a handover hers keeping her close.

“
You have no idea who I
am,” she said exasperated.

“
Then tell me your
name.”

She sighed. “If I tell you will you put the
money away?”

“
Maybe.”

She decided to give him her middle name.
“April.”

“
So how do I propose,
April, into just speaking with you?” he questioned.

Phoebe looked at her watch. “Speaking with
me?”

“
Ten minutes of your time
to just interest you in what I would like to offer. One hundred
dollars for ten minutes.”

He was either crazy or desperate!

“
Ten minutes of my time for
a hundred dollars?” she questioned in disbelief.

“
Ten minutes to interest
you.” He started to touch her cheek, but inches from her skin, he
realized how forward it might be, so he withdrew his hand, but
noted that she didn’t move away from him almost touching her. “If
we’re not interested with each other in ten minutes, you’ll still
have one hundred dollars.”

A cold breeze went straight through her. She
was highly interested, but it seemed so crazy. “I’ll time you,” she
warned.

He handed her a bill and opened the limousine
door. “Not until we’re inside.”

Warily, Phoebe moved past him and ducked her
head in the limousine. “Wait!” She stood up again out the car.
“Give me your ID or something.”

He pulled out his wallet and passed her an
American Express Gold card. “Is that good enough?”

“
I guess.” She clutched it
tightly in her hand, then ducked into the limousine and moving over
so he could get in next to her. “Are you hungry?” he
asked.

“
Ten minutes,” she warned
again. “And tell your driver to head to Cadillac
Square.”

He instructed the driver immediately, and
then put the divider up for privacy. She had her arms wrapped
around her waist practically sitting across from him for
distance.

With a hesitant look on his face, he seemed
to not know how to really begin, but started off saying, “I guess I
should get to the point.” He answered her previous question. “Yes,
I could have had any woman on the strip, but they were not
you.”

“
Flattery will get you
nowhere. What makes you think I’m not diseased or
something?”

“
Are you?”

“
No!” she said insulted he
would think so, but she had asked for it so she shouldn’t be so
touchy. Plus by taking his money, it had initiated the fact that it
was possible for her to be bought for with a price.

“
Neither am I, so we’ve
gotten that out the way. I’m willing to take any precautions
necessary to ensure safety. I just want to know how
much.”

“
I can’t believe you are
not crazy. You must be. You can’t go around and ask ordinary women
this.”

“
You are certainly not
ordinary, April and I know this which is why I’m willing to make it
worth your precious time.” A very serious look came on his face and
Phoebe found herself short of breath with his intense gaze. He
continued yet this time his words were slow, with a little bit more
clarity and there was a strange huskiness in his voice. “I want
you, April.”

He was even better looking in the light, she
thought. “And how much is worth my time, Jay?”

“
One thousand.”

“
Plus the
hundred?”

“
Of course.” He could see
the dancing of her eyes. She needed or wanted the money badly, but
was desperately fighting with her conscious. “Just think of this as
a business deal.”

“
Business?”

“
Certainly.” He sat back.
“I have something you want.”

“
No. You have something my
mother needs, but she wouldn’t dare take you up on your offer. I
did promise to help her even though I’m well off with my job.” She
tried her best to sound as if it didn’t matter.

“
So if your mother didn’t
need the money, you wouldn’t consider me at all.”

“
Of course not,” she said
very insulted. “I wouldn’t sell myself, that would be
unmoral.”

“
Yet now you’re in the
situation which could benefit us both.”

“
True.”

“
Then how about
it?”

She looked at her watch. Two minutes left as
the limousine pulled near the bus depot.

He noticed the ring on her left hand.
“Married?” There was disappointment in his voice.

“
No, divorced,” she
answered.

“
Even better. Two hundred
more.”

“
I don’t-”

He cut her off, “Three hundred.”

“
Stop that,” she
insisted.

“
Then accept,” he declared
taking her hands into his. “I promise to be gentle and so good to
you. Just one night. No one will know.” He could see the fight
draining from her. “Let me give you this,” he whispered in her
ear.

She shuddered and he watched triumphantly as
the effects of his words broke down her barrier. “I’ll do it, but
under one condition.” Her throat went dry and she forced herself to
swallow.

He frowned wondering what she could possibly
want.

“
No strings attached. This
is strictly business nothing more.”

“
Of course.” Jacoby smiled
with relief and pulled out the amount agreed upon. “Can I take you
to my hotel?”

“
After I make a phone
call.”

He handed her his cell phone and turned it on
for her.

She shook her head pushing away the phone.
“I’d much rather use a pay phone.” The less he could contact her
the better off she was. Her mother really needed this money, but
she refused to let this be known to anyone how she had gotten
it.