The Beginning of Us (2 page)

Tasha: Make sure you come in work attire.

What the hell? I have told her a million damn times weeknights are a no no for me, it’s the only normalcy I have in my life. She better be paying me at least double for this shit because she didn’t even give me a damn choice.

As soon as I get in my apartment I start on my homework so I can get it done and then go out with Lo after whatever the hell Tasha has planned. I don’t plan on staying more than about an hour, I don’t care who the hell she booked.

I pull up to the old office building that Tasha uses for her communications business, with a special floor locked away just for us. I haven’t been back here since my damn interview.

“Hello, Jessie.”

I nod my head at her, hoping my nervousness doesn’t show. I put on the nicest dress I had and spent more time on my hair and makeup than I ever have before.

“Please, take a seat.”

As I walk over to the chair in front of her desk I look around the rest of the room. There is a huge bed on the opposite wall, but that’s really the only other furniture in the room. What the hell does she need a bed in here for? I sit down in front of her and squirm under her scrutinizing glare.

“I must say, I am surprised. You sounded so innocent on the phone I didn’t expect you to come in looking so attractive.” What do I say to that? Thanks? “Well let’s get this started, first thing is you need to sign an NDA. This basically means that anything that goes on here, or while you are on a job is confidential.”

“So I um…I got the job?”

“Not yet, dear. I still need to audition you.” The way she emphasizes audition make me nauseous. I can’t believe that I’m here but if I don’t find a lot of money and find it fast I’m screwed out of having an education, and a future. I nod my head and sign the agreement she gives me.

Tasha presses a button on her phone. “Come in.”

Who is she talking to? When the door opens I turn toward it. A middle aged man walks in a without a word goes over to the bed and sits down. My stomach drops, oh my God.

“Jessie, this is Stan. Please treat him as if he was a client, and this was his checklist that you received.” She extends a piece of paper out to me. I hesitantly take it.

• Striptease
  
• Blow job
  
• Sex with woman on top
  

My jaw drops and I look back up at her. “Jessie, if this isn’t something you are comfortable with, you might as well leave now.”

I can’t do that. I shakily stand up and try my best at a sexy walk while trying not to throw up all over him. I fumble through everything on the list because I’m so nervous. By the time I’m done with all three things, I feel like I need to go cry in a dark corner somewhere.

“I can see that all of that was hard for you.” I jump not realizing that Tasha had been standing behind me. “Is this something you feel like you can handle on a weekly basis?”

“Yes.” I am surprised my voice sounds as strong as it does.

“Okay then, right now you are my fill-in. Once you start becoming more popular or getting requested your, status may change. What this means is that you should be ready to go whenever you get a text from me.”

“Um…I’m in school right now.”

She thinks a minute before answering me. “Send me your schedule, however that is the only exception. You are at my disposal any other time, or you’re gone. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” She turns and walks back toward her desk, and I walk out of the office. As soon as I get home I scrub my skin until it’s raw and cry the entire rest of the night.

That was almost three years ago. I can’t even remember that person. It took me months to finally adopt my “I don’t give a fuck” attitude that I have now. I used to be such a good girl, never cursing, never being rude or bitchy. Well that ship is long fucking gone.

I’ve also changed my dull appearance to one that is more desirable. My mousy brown hair now has red highlights strewn throughout it. I also always wear makeup and have learned which colors offset the light green color of my eyes. I don’t have the smallest frame but I’ve learned how to dress and accentuate the curves that I have.

Last year I was constantly getting requested and in high demand, so I decided it was time to make my move. I emailed Tasha and set my current guidelines and since I was her best girl, she agreed. I now do my appointments by orgasms not time, it really helps. I do not swallow, or do any anal. I only work on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays; I also only do one appointment a day. I can’t tell you how disgusting it was when she would double or even triple book me. Finally, I do not kiss on the mouth, that shit just leads to problems.

I open the door to Tasha’s office ready to give her shit for calling me down here tonight when I walk face first into a fucking wall. I look up and it’s the sexiest damn wall I’ve ever fucking seen. He has dark brown hair that is the messy ‘just fucked’ style. His piercing green eyes feel like they are burning a hole right through me. Did I mention his tattoos? No? Well holy hell. They are fucking hot. He has two sleeves with a mixture of tribals, skulls, fire, and a bunch of other shit. I can only see half of his arms though because his button-up shirtsleeves are folded up, stopping at his elbow. I’ve heard the term ‘sex on a stick’ before, and this man is the fucking definition of it.

His dark chocolate eyes are staring down at me like I’m his next meal. I have to fist my hands at my sides just to keep from running my hands through his messy hair. Within seconds of meeting him, I have a multitude of dirty fantasies running through my head.

I shake my head and put my bitch face back on. “Excuse you.” I move around him and hear a chuckle from behind me. The smug bastard is laughing at me. I see Tasha behind the desk typing away.

She looks up as I loudly stomp over in my six-inch heels. “Ah, Jessie. We’ve been waiting for you, you’re our last girl.”

“I’m sorry, what? What do you mean ‘last girl’? And who is the other part of we?”

“I am.” A sexy gravelly voice bellows behind me. I don’t need to turn around to see that it’s sex on a stick, hmmm maybe I’ll call him SOS for short. SOS walks around me and stands next to Tasha.

“Jessie, this is Damon.”

“Hi.” I give him a fake and over exaggerated smile, then turn back to Tasha. “What am I doing down here?”

Tasha scowls at me, probably due to my immense attitude. “Damon is now taking over day-to-day operations to allow me more time for…other things.” My mouth drops.

“Where the fuck did he come from? How do you even know you can trust him?”

“Jessie, enough!” I jump at the tone in Tasha’s voice. “Damon has been with me for years as one of my drivers. You, of course, wouldn’t know that because you always decline transportation.”

Well, what the hell do I say to that? “So what does this all mean for me?” I refuse to look at him even though I feel his eyes on me.

“This means that Damon will be handling your booking, and any other day-to-day issues.”

I’m so mad I could fucking scream. Tasha stands and walks out of the room without another word.

“Please, sit down.”

I slam down into the chair like a petulant child.

“What are your limits?”

“What do you mean? Like what I won’t do? That shit is all in my file maybe you should do your homework. “

“Oh, I have done my homework, Miss Evans.”

“Then you would be able to answer your own question.”

I can tell I’ve pissed him off by the look on his face. He clears his throat and seems to be attempting to regain control of his emotions. “I do see that you offer what Tasha refers to as sex education. What does that entail?”

“It is basically me teaching grown men how to use their dicks correctly. Why, you need to sign up?”

I can see he is about to burst and I love it.

“I’m done with this shit, especially since tonight is my night off.” I stand up and begin to walk away.

“There will also be one more change, Jessie. All girls will now come to the office for an inspection before each client and will report here afterwards.”

“Why the hell do we need to come for an inspection?”

He chuckles. “So that I can make sure you look fucking presentable. You will also be using our transportation.”

“No. Fuck that. I don’t do that shit now, and I’m not starting because you want me to.”

Damon walks around the desk and stand within an inch of me. “Yes, you will.” His hand wraps around the back of my neck. “Because if you don’t, your ass will be on the streets, and you can say goodbye to school. I can always find another bitch that likes to fuck random guys.”

I push him away from me with both of my hands. As I walk away I hear him laugh again, I then do the mature thing and give him the finger. “See you Friday at eight!” is the last thing I hear before I slam the door.

Chapter Three

Ever since I met with Damon he was all I could think about. Now I was putting on my hottest dress and mile high heels just so I could rub how good I looked in his face. I hated that now I had to show up there before every job for his ‘inspection’. The entire ride I must have cursed his soul a thousand times. He was the devil and I was about to enter hell.

When I opened the door to the office Damon was nowhere to be seen. Of course, I show up and the asshole can’t even be here on time. I walk around the room and end up stopping in front of the bed. I run my hand over the black satin sheets remembering the naïve girl that I used to be.

I feel him behind me before I hear him. When I turn around we are so close to each other that if I moved a half an inch I would be touching him. He runs his hand gently over my skin starting at my shoulder and trailing down my arm. Damon then circles me almost like a lion would stalk its prey before pouncing.

“I must say, I’m impressed, Jessie.” His mouth is right next to my ear, and my skin is now heated where his breath hit it.

I remember then that I’m supposed to hate this dick and I step away from him. “I came, you saw, can I get the fuck out of here now?”

He shakes his head as he smirks at me. “Always so angry. It’s okay though, I like feisty.”

I shake my head in annoyance. “I don’t give a shit what you like. Can I leave now? I don’t intend to spend my whole night here with you playing this damn game of cat and mouse.”

He is back in front of me, taking up every inch of my personal space. “This isn’t cat and mouse, because I don’t need to catch you. If I wanted you, I’d fucking have you in a minute.”

“Like hell you would!” I storm away from him.

“See you when you get back.”

Once I hit the parking lot, I let out at yell of frustration and stomp my feet like a child. The black car is waiting for me and my annoyance only increases. I climb into it still seething mad. I hate this shit. I don’t need some asshole driver fucking checking me out and then giving me a look after like I’m doing a walk of shame.

Am I proud of what I do? Hell no. It’s a means to an end for me, and I am determined not to live my life with regrets. Everyone does shit that they aren’t proud of. The difference between most people and me is that I refuse to dwell on it; I do it, deal with it, then move on.

***

To say I was off my game tonight was an understatement. I couldn’t get Damon out of my head. Every time I closed my eyes he was there and you might think that would have fueled me but it didn’t. Now I’m on my way back to see him when all I want to do is go home and get him the hell out of my head somehow. I climb the steps to the office and halfway up them decide my feet have suffered enough and take my heels off.

As I pad into the office I see Damon at the desk with his head in his hands. The difference is, this time he doesn’t look like the domineering asshole that’s made my life hell, he looks normal and kind of tortured in a way. His head lifts up and his eyes lock on me. We stand there just staring at each other for a minute until he breaks eye contact and stands.

He walks over to me with an envelope and places it in my hand, then wordlessly walks back to the desk. I look inside of it and its cash, a lot of it. Guess direct deposit is over too. I always hated this part of the process, it’s the only time I ever feel cheap.

I start to leave but stop and turn around. “No witty or dickhead remark?”

He looks up at me. His eyes are bloodshot and he seems exhausted. “No, I’ve heard you’re very good at your job. See you tomorrow.”

Well that was fucking weird.

Chapter Four

“Look at you, lady. Who are you so dressed up for?”

I raise my eyebrow at Lauren. “I have a job tonight. What are you talking about?”

“Nope.” She shakes her head at me. “This is different than your usual hooking outfit, this shit has much more effort.”

“No, it doesn’t.” So what if I curled my hair, and used a little more makeup.

“Are you dressing up for the new guy?” She shuts the lid of her ever-present laptop. Lauren is an English major and a compulsive writer, not like poetry or anything rather those Fifty Shades type of books. The kind that make you want to go home and get yourself off.

“Fuck no. I don’t give a shit about that asshole.”

“Oh my God! You fucking like him, you little ho!”

I grab my clutch and head for the door. “Get a grip, bitch. This is not one of those cheesy-ass books you write. I’ll see you in the morning.” I shut the door before she can utter another response. She has no idea what she is talking about. Damon was a pain in my ass, and I didn’t give a shit about him.

I pull my car into the parking lot, and make my way up to Damon’s office. When I go in he is talking on his cell phone and pacing back and forth. He is whispering so I can’t hear much of what he is saying, but he doesn’t sound happy. I know that he heard me come in but he has yet to acknowledge me.