My Escort (11 page)

W
hen I woke, Damon was staring at me contentedly with his elbow resting on the leather chair. He smiled at me as I roused. “Good morning, sunshine,” he taunted. “You drooled.”

I wiped at my mouth in mortification and tried to sit upright. To my surprise, a cotton blanket had been wrapped around me. “Did you put this on me?” I asked, noticing that the plane did feel cooler than when we first stepped in.

“You had goose bumps on your arms so I found it for you,” he explained. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up. We landed about ten minutes ago.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” I demanded, looking through my window for confirmation.

“Actually, it’s the cutest thing. Did you know you talk in your sleep? You and I were having a fabulous conversation,” he grinned.

“What did I say?” Dread washed over me as his smile widened even further. His grin was devilish.

“Well, let’s just say the usually calm and collected Clover has no filter when she is having an imaginative dream...”

I flushed red again. I had no memory of any dreams. “Shouldn’t we get going?” I asked, clearing my throat. I looked down at my silver wristwatch, which stated that it was now 10.30 a.m. The flight had taken us three hours.

“After you,” he said, gesturing toward the door. I rose from my seat, and, after collecting my handbag, made my way to the door. Damon followed behind me. I squinted into the sunshine as I descended the stairs onto the cement. I paused mid-step. We were in a small clearing with trees, but I could make out a larger landing area for planes nearby.

“Where are we? Are we near an airport?” I asked, looking at a large building that was surrounded by planes.

“Yes, we are now officially at the Bahamas,” Damon said. His chest brushed across my shoulders as he gently pushed past me. He took a few steps then turned and held his hand out to help me down the last few steps.

“We are at the Bahamas?” I repeated. I looked at my clothes and wished I’d worn shorts. The weather was much hotter here. It was easily sixty degrees. I patted my passport where it bulged in the side of my bag. He had said I could leave at any time.

“Yes. Clover, there is someone I would like you to meet,” he said. His tone was casual but I could see he was anxious to know how I was taking all his surprises. There was a hint of apology in his tone. After all, this was very far from a normal weekend activity already.

I followed him, uncertain of what was happening. I didn’t think I had ever been pushed so far out of my comfort zone. Ahead of us a long black limo drove toward us before parking near us. A beautiful, long-legged woman hopped out. She had long brown curly hair, dark-brown eyes, and an olive tan. Here long orange maxi dress showed off her slender build to perfection. The look was completed by a stylish straw hat to keep away the hot sun. The gold jewelry she wore told me she wasn’t a local.

“Damon, it’s nice to see you arrived finally,” she commented whilst walking toward us. She looked like she was in her mid-thirties, and as she drew closer, I could appreciate the strong scent of her expensive perfume. “And you must be Clover. I am so happy to meet you. My name is Michelle, and I’m Damon’s long-suffering sister. Come, come.”

She walked us the short distance back to the limo to a man who waited patiently inside. He stepped out as we approached. He was fair-skinned, blonde-haired, and had blue eyes. He was equally as well-groomed, and I judged him to be in his forties. “This is my husband, Phillip,” Michelle said with a bright smile.

After shaking both their hands and assuring them that we had had a pleasant flight, we all climbed into the limo. I looked at Michelle and then at Damon. There were certainly similarities in features. Damon sat beside me, looking at me as if he were trying to guess my thoughts.

“It is lovely to meet you, but to be honest I have no idea why you have asked me here,” I admitted.

“Damon!” she erupted. “You didn’t tell her before you dragged her here?”

“What can I say, I like a dramatic introduction,” he quipped.

I thought of when we first met. Was that the sort of dramatic introduction he was used to as an escort?

The limo started and we began to drive, to where, I didn’t know. It all seemed so surreal. I didn’t know what I was stepping into. My world was so quickly changing and I felt like for once I had no control over anything. I smoothed down my shirt nervously, wishing I had worn something else.

“Agh, Damon, you are going to give someone a heart attack someday,” she said lightheartedly to him before leaning over to slap his knee in a playful manner.

“Right, let me formally introduce myself then. I am Michelle Brogardt and I am the CEO of
Be True
magazine. Damon mentioned to me about an ambitious young lady whom he escorted to one of the
Candice
magazine campaigns,” she continued whilst pouring a scotch into a small glass of ice. “He mentioned he came across some of your work and that is was excellent. I hear you want to be a travel columnist?”

My heart had stopped when she stated she was the CEO of a rival magazine. And not just any magazine. Damon was a part of the Brogardt family. His sister was the CEO of
Be True
magazine. It was too much to absorb at once.

“Ah, yes,” I said, still a little stunned. I was unable to comprehend where the conversation was leading. I collected the glass of scotch Michelle offered me. She briefly looked between Damon and me, as if sensing the tension. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but this really was something I should have been briefed on.

“Coincidentally, I am looking for a traveling columnist. I read some of your journalist work, and I was impressed. In fact, I’m grateful Damon has met you at such a time, because your voice would be amazing in our magazine. I thought, well, why not give you a trial now, since we would be meeting soon anyway, I’m sure. So consider this the trial run,” she laughed lightly. “We have a very influential sponsor who has invested much time and advertising into our magazine. This is his resort. Autumn experiences a little dip in tourism for the Bahamas. Trade around here doesn’t really pick up again until winter. We want to encourage potential guests to take a break between the summer and winter months. There is a lot to offer here: warm weather, beach life, culture. The sponsor owns half of the island, so he offered his hospitality in the hope that we might write a glowing review. We have a center fold spread in mind for him. And besides, I couldn’t help but want to meet you; it’s not every day Damon takes such an interest in a woman.”

“You’re drunk,” Damon accused with a nervous laugh.

The siblings exchanged an interesting glance before Michelle began laughing to herself. She rested her hand on her husband’s knee. “Maybe, but I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself on vacation. Nor can I remember when you last went on one.”

A phone in her orange straw bag started buzzing and she excused herself from the conversation before answering it. I noticed that her nails were perfectly manicured. I overheard parts of her conversation; instantly she adopted a somber, business-like tone. Her words flowed articulately as she issued some command or another. She was a business woman through and through.

I sent Damon a fierce look, unimpressed that he had landed me in this situation. I could not just come on vacation with my work’s rival magazine. I didn’t even have time to decide if this was a job I wanted, but all of a sudden I was expected to hand in my resume. I crossed my legs sharply, looking away from Damon as I tried to control my mounting agitation.

“Clover, is everything OK?” Damon frowned.

“I'm fine,” I replied in a clipped tone. I smiled tightly at him before staring back out the window pointedly.

M
ichelle continued light conversation and kept the awkward silence at bay. Thankfully, the journey was a short one and very soon we had arrived at our destination. We parked outside a pale-yellow, two-story villa, which had two large bay windows on the front and side. On the second floor there were two small balconies which I imagined to be attached to two bedrooms. The ground was surrounded by rich foliage and a manicured lawn.

The limo driver began taking our bags. Phillip and Damon thanked him and took theirs as well as Michelle’s and mine. Damon looked at me intently. I diverted my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest uncomfortably. They both began walking ahead toward the villa. I could smell that the grass had been recently mown. We followed a small pebbled path that led to the front doors through palm trees. The smell of salt lingered in the air, the beach was near.

“I am sorry about my brother; obviously he took you by surprise. But my offer will stand and if this is all forced on you far too quickly, I understand. I only ask you to have a good time,” Michelle said as she caught up with me. Her arms were casually crossed over her chest, and she watched her feet as we walked.

“I don’t mean to seem ungrateful. It is a wonderful opportunity,” I admitted, now feeling bad about my obvious displeasure. “I just wasn’t expecting any of this. In fact I didn’t really know what I was thinking. I wouldn’t normally leave my home with the click of a finger.”

“Ah,” she said, lifting her head as if something had clicked into place. I looked at her. She was certainly someone I could respect. We were much the same, her and I. When listening to her on the phone, I recognized her brisk efficiency. We had the same work ethic. Perhaps she was also a woman who was not accustomed to dropping everything without notice. She too was used to being in control.

We paused on the path. The men were already inside, but she lowered her tone. “My brother can be at times a little bit direct, but I think we both get that from our father,” she explained. “He must like you though to ask a favor of me in such a way. I read your work and was impressed by it on its own, but never in his three years of escorting has he given a second look to any of the women. Except you.”

              I looked past her long lashes and into her dark eyes, eyes that reminded me of Damon. Did she mean to say that Damon was interested in me?

              “How did he become an escort?” I asked, still surprised that a Brogardt son would resort to escorting.

              Before Michelle could reply, Damon stalked out of the villa. He sidled over to us casually with his hands in his pockets.

              “How about we talk about it tonight over a few wines,” she said with a light smile before she squeezed my arm in reassurance. Both of us silenced on the topic as Damon reached us. Michelle smiled happily at him before walking off to admire the grounds. She spotted Phillip on a balcony and walked over to it with excitement.

“What do you think?” Damon asked, gesturing at the villa.

              “I think I am a little annoyed,” I said crossing my arms. He looked to the ground like a child being lectured. As surprised by all of this I was, I had to admit that most women would swoon over such an opportunity. I was being ungrateful. “I mean I wore my jeans, long shirt, and everything.”

              He gave me a small smile, realizing that I was letting him off the hook. As out of my control as the situation was, I couldn’t resist the sense of adventure he had afforded me. I had always loved travel.

              “Well then, let us get you changed,” he said with his hands still in his pockets. “And then I will show you the gardens.”

              “The gardens?” I echoed, as we walked together toward the villa.

“Apparently there are some gardens nearby which are popular amongst both the locals and the tourists. I want you to experience as much as you can whilst here, and write about it, of course. We are sightseeing for the purposes of work, remember,” he raised his eyebrows at me as if I had already forgotten. I was surprised by how quickly the idea grew on me.

As I inhaled the scent of the sea and the beautiful trees of the Bahamas I couldn’t find my loyalty to Debra anymore. “Working...well, so I have been told,” I jeered. I stalked forward, thought for a second and then spun on my heel before advancing toward him, my finger pointed at him like he was a naughty schoolboy. “You are
never
to do that to me again! I don’t like surprises.”

“All right, Clover,” he beamed, stroking his hand through his messy dark-brown hair. “You win.”

              I was satisfied with that.

The white two-door entrance was stunning. It led into a room with a white marble floor and a magnificent glass chandelier overhead. It glimmered in the sunlight that crept through one of the windows. On my right was a room with white couches, an ornate coffee table, and an antique green vase with vibrant yellow flowers. A small wall parted it from a spacious, modern kitchen with a blue marble counter. Three bar stools were arranged underneath it. An enormous, double-door silver fridge hummed soothingly beside a small wine rack and, to my delight, an expensive-looking coffee machine. Large white cupboards occupied the walls.

When looking through the open wall, I could see the large window and sliding doors, which were from floor to ceiling. Outside were trees and in the distance I could make out white sand and the green sea. In front of me were long white stairs that stretched above the marble floor. A few elegant touches were provided by vases of exotic flowers on display.

On my left was a dining room with nicely polished wood and steel candle holders along the table. Further past the stairs looked like a sauna of some kind and next to it was an in-door swimming pool that was surrounded by a tasteful glass wall.

              “Your room is upstairs, Clover,” Damon said, his hot breath brushing on the back of my neck. The feeling startled me and broke me out of my awe-struck state; the villa was just so large and beautiful. I looked over my shoulder and up at Damon. He was standing so close to me. He shuffled as if he was thinking the same.

He gestured up the stairs, breaking the spell. I followed his hand and started up the stairs. The carpet on the stairs was of a similar blue to the marble on the kitchen benches. When I reached the top of the stairs, I saw a pool table and a few white couches. On my right there were two bedrooms with the doors opened. They looked like guest rooms when I compared them to the larger room on my left. With a glimpse I took in an attached bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, and king-sized bed. Beside that room a white marble bathroom with a spa was fitted with a mirror that lined an entire wall.

              “Which room would you prefer?” Damon asked me, walking me to the two rooms on the right. I looked over the two and saw that they were the same. Both had white walls and luscious white carpet. They were each fitted with a small white couch in the corner, next to a wide bed. Whoever owned this villa definitely liked the color white.

              I selected the first one; I was not overly picky about it. When I walked to the window, a breeze of salt swept through, refreshing me instantly as it brushed on my face. I felt my skin tingle as the air revitalized my pores. Damon left my bag beside my bed, watching me as I enjoyed the breeze. This was what I had always wanted—to explore somewhere new, and then to write about it. And it was Damon who helped me achieve it. Although he had his own creative way of getting me here, I now had an amazing opportunity because of him. Although I wished that my talent alone had afforded me this chance at success, I also knew that it wasn’t wrong to accept a helping hand. I was grateful for the confidence he had in me to suggest this to his sister. Who would have thought that one rushed, uninspiring article I had created in less than twenty minutes would lead to a job interview, and in the Bahamas, no less.

A small smile passed my lips as I brushed my hand over the smooth wood of the exquisite four-poster bed. The clean and fresh look was completed with crisp white sheets. “Isn’t it funny how because I didn’t sign that check, all of this has happened. Perhaps it is fate
,”
I thought idly, looking at him. I held the post firmly, my nails slightly digging in to the material as I reeled with desire for him. Especially now, now alone in this room, my desire made me feel feverish. Suddenly the expansive space seemed hot and small. His arms flexed beneath his pale blue shirt when he placed my luggage on the ground, and standing tall once again, the room seeming to swirl around him as I took in his strong body and dark eyes.

The breeze swept gently through my hair, startling me back to reality. “Thank you, Damon,” I said. I tightened my grip on the solid bed frame, stopping myself from acting on the hunger that rose from my stomach and spread down my legs.

“Does that mean you are impressed?” he asked in a low voice.

I poked my tongue inside of my mouth, feeling flushed by his charm. “It means you left a slight impression, yes,” I admitted breathlessly. The room was getting too hot again and my legs were beginning to feel heavy. “You need to leave so I can get changed.”

His eyes widened briefly as he looked down my body before taking a few awkward steps back. I could see the lump in his throat as he swallowed hard. He stuck his hands into his pockets before quickly leaving the room with a small shy smile.