The Uncertain Customer (9 page)

“Good morning, sirs.” The Garden’s butler—Sebastian, Wilcox recalled—appeared suddenly at their side. The elderly man nodded at their returned greeting before gesturing them toward the door between the main hall and the sitting room. There, they found the proprietor of the unique brothel seated at his ostentation desk, enjoying his own breakfast.

Mr. Leslie pressed a napkin to his lips and stood from his desk as the butler closed the gold-painted door behind them. “I trust you enjoyed your time with us.” He rounded the handsome furnishing and shook each of their hands in turn.

“Quite,” Church responded, pumping Leslie’s hand vigorously. “I dare say you shall see us back in short order.”

“Wonderful. Just send a message whenever you wish to come, and I will ensure that we are able to accommodate you. Perhaps next time you would like to sample one or two of my other flowers.”

“Perhaps,” Wilcox said, “though we have grown rather fond of the cheerful kindness you’ve already bestowed upon us.” Leslie grinned at his clever reference to the meanings of Gardenia’s and Aster’s floral pseudonyms.

The subject of payment was briefly raised and even more quickly resolved. With that done, they turned to depart. In the daylight, the street had completely lost its menacing, nighttime air. Neil’s Yard was transformed into a stretch of quaint shops, though many were not yet open for business. Church led the way back to Queen Street where a line of hansom cabs sat waiting along the curb. Wilcox was impressed by Leslie’s considerate foresight, having no doubt who had arranged for the ready transportation. After they were settled in the front-most conveyance, Wilcox sat back while Church provided the driver with his address in Regent’s Park.

“I do wonder who the boys were speaking to after we left them,” Wilcox mused absently. “It was passing strange. After all, there was certainly no one in the room with them aside from ourselves, and no one else entered the room behind us.” His train of thought was immediately derailed when a pair of soft lips began to nibble insidiously at the line of his jaw. “Church!” Wilcox hissed, scandalized at being so bold accosted in broad daylight. The cab windows were uncovered, and the only thing preventing them from being seen was the early hour and the resulting emptiness of the streets.

“Surely you have better things to think about.” Church punctuated the observation with the slow glide of his hand up Wilcox’s thigh. When it reached its destination, all conversation ended, and the former and future patrons of the Garden put aside its secrets to enjoy their own pursuits.

~~~

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P
EARL
L
OVE
has been writing since she was a kid, but it was the pretty boys who frolic around in her head who finally convinced her to pursue it seriously. She’s a Midwest transplant who currently thrives in the hustle and bustle of the nation’s capital. A jack of many genres, she enjoys just about any type of story, so long as in the end, the boy gets the boy. Pearl is the proud mommy of two bunny rabbits and a ridiculously large stash of yarn and knitting needles.

You can contact Pearl at [email protected]

Visit her website at http://pearllovebooks.com

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EARL
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Published by

Dreamspinner Press

5032 Capital Circle SW
Suite 2, PMB# 279
Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886

USA

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Uncertain Customer

© 2014 Pearl Love.

Cover Art

© 2014 Paul Richmond

http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com.

Cover content is for illustrative purposes only

and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

Digital ISBN: 978-1-62798-635-9

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

April 2014