Page 82 of Sex Coach

Twenty-Seven

Jake

"Y ou know,when you told me you wanted to meet and discuss Whitley McCrane, I was hoping you had something juicy for me ."

The cat-eyed blonde sat across the table from me, watching me with a smirk on her face. She also had a glint in her eyes that worried me more than a little, but fuck it .

"Just what did you have in mind?" I asked .

She cocked a brow. "Details about the affair you're having with the senator's wife ?"

"I'm not having an affair with the senator's wife," I said with a shrug. It was nothing more than the truth. I was paid to have sex with her. There was a difference .

Heidi Kramer watched me for a long moment, turning over what I said, clearly trying to decide if I was lying or not. I didn't care what she decided at the moment, although I should. I'd made enough of a mess for Whitley. "I'm inclined to believe you. But there's something between you and Mrs. McCrane. I can see it," she said musingly. She tapped her finger against her chin and continued to study me. "I just can't decide what it might be. You're definitely not a cop ."

"No." I almost choked on my drink, pounding a fist against my chest to clear my airway. "I'm definitely not a cop ."

"Interesting reaction." Her brow winged up even higher. "So you're not her current...love interest, you're not a cop. Are you going to tell me just why you're so determined to find out who my source is ?"

"No." I smiled at her .

She smiled back. "I didn't think so. Maybe we should stop playing games with each other." Leaning forward, she said softly, "I don't reveal my sources, sir. So...you're shit out of luck ."

* * *

T he gym Whitleyused in Manhattan was the same one I used, although I rarely visited. My ridiculous gym fee didn't exactly go to waste though .

Sometimes, the place came in handy because it was the safest place to meet up with would-be clients or talk to current clients if we needed some level of privacy .

Not many would think that a whore would use a gym to set up meets with his clientele. But then again, Platinum wasn't the standard gym .

There was security on the doors – discreet as hell, but security all the same. Phones were allowed, of course, and people were welcome to selfie themselves all day long. But if anybody was noticed photographing somebody else – and it was watched for – the staff would make one polite request to see the phone and the pictures before the membership was revoked .

It wasn't much of an issue there. The people who paid that fee did so because they wanted the privacy afforded within these walls .

I met Whitley in the café where she sat near the windows. The privacy-tinted glass afforded a stunning view of the city, and she was taking it in over a smoothie some putrid shade of green when I sat down .

"I'm sorry about all of this, Whit," I said, not sure how I was going to be greeted .

To my surprise, she slid me a warm smile and covered my hand with hers, lacing our fingers as she always did. "Jake, honey...don't be. I'm not ."

I blinked and shook my head. Finally, I asked, "What ?"

"You heard me," she said, a laugh in her voice. She tugged her hand free and stretched, arms high overhead as she brought them forward, linking her fingers and rounding out her shoulders to release the tension in her muscles. "I'm not sorry. Not one little bit." She lowered her hands back to her lap as she settled more comfortably in her chair. "You want to know why ?"

"Ah...yeah. That would be nice ."

"I feel..." She closed her eyes, head falling back. I could see a slow smile curling her lips as she sank back into the padded cushions of the chair. "Free , Jake. Do you know how good it feels to be free from something that's chained you down for so long, you forget you were chained? You just get used to it, after a while. The chain becomes a part of you. But I'm freenow ."

I smiled at her. "Free ."

She nodded and took another sip of her drink. "Now, I don't have to worry about what happens if my husband finds out. I don't have to worry about what happens if somebody else knows. Because everybody now knows...and you know what ?"

"What?"

"The sun still rose. It will set today, and it will keep on happening. The world found out and it didn't end." The grin faded from her face as she looked away. "My marriage might. But let's be honest. It hasn't been a real marriage in a very long time, if in fact it ever was. I signed on to become a politician's wife. I should have known that would involve never being happy, shouldn't I ?"

Sympathy squeezed my chest, even though I was happy for her at the same time. "I'm sorry things have been so hard, but it's wonderful to see the smile on your face ."

---