Page 172 of The Sinner: James

He snatches it from the table, trains his gaze on the screen, and smiles.

“Ed’s flying in next week.”

“Good.”

His phone beeps again, bringing a secret smile to his lips.

“What’s that?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.

“Nothing.”

I glance at him.

“Lex?”

Grinning, he avoids my eyes.

“Tell me,” I demand.

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” he eventually says.

“Uh-huh... You know how much I hate surprises. This is not the time to fuck with me.”

“It’s nothing,” he says, placing his phone on the table.

“Why are you smirking then?”

Taking a long drag on my cigarette, I wait for his answer.

Staring at him, I blow the smoke to the side when he finally whips his gaze at me.

“It’s the escort I’ve hired for tomorrow evening. She just confirmed it.”

I flick my index finger up.

“The escort? Only one?” I ask incredulously.

He nods, amused.

“For both of us?” I ask again, looking at him as if he’s lost his mind.

“Yeah...” he murmurs, his lips dipping into a slow smile.

“Is this the fucking economy class?” I ask, all cocky, pointing at my luxury jet.

He breathes a chuckle.

“She’s a special treat. That’s what I was told. Plus, she’s enough company for the party, and this way, she won’t demand our time or attention.”

I study him for a moment.

“She’s an escort, for fuck’s sake. We’re paying her, so we don’t have to pay attention to her.”

He chuckles.

“What about after?” I ask.

“We can share.”