Page 127 of Their Courtesan
“What?”
“Shit,” Judith hissed. “Do not tell Monica, okay? Happy wedding!” She tore away from the table and headed for the rear exit.
She had no idea who she would run into out there. No idea what she would see. Think.Feel.All Judith knew was that the moment the fresh June air hit her, she was blinded by the setting sunlight.
A few people milled around, taking smoke breaks or otherwise getting fresh air. Judith searched their faces for her men, but found no sign of Seth, and no trace of Miguel.
Until she reached the edge of the woods, the uneven terrain threatening to knock her off her stilettos if she didn’t yank them off and run barefoot through the grass.
“…So we have an agreement, right?” That sounded like Miguel. Judith spun around. Sure enough, the tall European stood in front of a large evergreen tree, his hand tenuously on Seth’s shoulder. The other man stood straight with his arms crossed defensively.I know that look by now.Miguel probably thought Seth was following along, but Judith knew that was nothing but great amusement, as if Miguel were trying to explain best medical practices to him. “You’ve lost, friend. No hard feelings, right? I’ll buy you a drink sometime.”
At least they weren’t fighting…
“Miguel! Seth!” They both turned with a start at the sound of her voice. Miguel yanked his hand off Seth’s shoulder. “What are you two doing? Look, Miguel… I am sorry. That was grossly inappropriate of me.”
“No hard feelings.” He pulled out one hand to extend to her. “We were having a manly heart-to-heart. Seth frowned, staring at the imaginary line between Miguel’s hand and Judith’s. She did not take the bait. Instead, she looked to Seth, who finally gained some life back in his eyes.
“He was telling me the most interesting thing,” Seth began. “Apparently his final bid has been accepted above mine. Did you know this?”
Judith turned her gaze to a ladybug by her bare foot. “I did. I’m sorry. I should have told you, but was waiting.”
“How about that?” Seth held out his hand to Miguel for a shake. “The richest man won, I suppose. Congratulations. We both know she’ll make you happy.”
“Yes, I suppose we do.” Miguel gave Seth a firm handshake.Something is making me uneasy about this…“Don’t worry. I’ll try not to crowd you out on your regular schedule with her. I hear you have Sundays, though. You might want to reschedule that because I intend on flying her all over the world on weekends.”
Judith saw it happen before Seth even raised his other hand, but she was too slow to stop it. All she could do was shout in horror as her tender artist slammed his fist into Miguel’s face.
The people wanted a fistfight? They damn well got one, complete with the commentary of a frantic Judith dancing around them, screaming at them to come to their senses and stop acting like Neanderthals.
Neither of them was listening.
What the fuck made men so damn territorial? Was it some bullshit evolutionary theory that they had to have total control over a woman, or else it implied their children weren’t his?Because we all know how important that is!Or were they living, walking pricks sent by the universe to drive women insane?
In a perfect world, Judith King, professional courtesan and all-around sex worker, would have walked away from these macho lunatics and let the police and Monica straighten them out. What was it to her? It was in her best interest to keep Miguel happy since he was going to be her official patron. Yet watching Seth land that blow made her feel more than strange or anxious… it made her realize that nothing was scaring her more than watching the two men she cared about most fighting – fighting! – over her.
She didn’t feel honored. She didn’t feel flattered. She felt sick to her heart and stomach.
“Stop it!” Judith shrieked, tears of panic streaming down her face as one man went at the other with all the testosterone fueling his body. “What are you bastards doing? Stop acting like idiots!”
In truth, perhaps only a few seconds had gone by, but it felt like an awful eternity full of watching two opposing sides wage war over a precious commodity. Before, Judith had no issue calling herself a commodity for sale to the highest bidder – although she retained the right to reject that bidder. Now it felt… well, this was what could happen if she wasn’t careful.Thisis what Monica was warning her about!
Judith shoved herself between them, one hand smacking Seth on the face and the other shoving Miguel back as hard as it could. All three of them tumbled to the ground in a flurry of fine cloth and flashing jewels. One of the rubies in Judith’s keyhole disappeared in the grass forever.
“You stupid assholes,” she grunted, heaving herself up on her grass-stained arms. “Are you fucking five or from the Stone Age orboth?”
Neither of them said anything. Miguel, propped up on one arm, rubbed his jaw. Seth panted as if that was the most amount of energy he had ever expended.
“For fuck’s sake!” Judith was up, wobbling on a rolled ankle but refusing to go back down. “What are you doing talking to one of my clients like that?” That was sent to Miguel. “What are you doing punching out one of my clients?”Thatwent to Seth. Still, neither man responded.
Seth eventually shoved himself up with a heavy grunt. “Kindly tell your smug patron that he doesn’t have to rub it in.”
“Tell your artist friend here that he doesn’t have to be such a sore loser.”
“That’sit.” Judith picked up both of her shoes and tossed them at the men. “You’re both insufferable, masochistic shitheads who are a bigger pain in my ass than a lamp-sized butt plug! The only shitty thing about my job is having to deal with immature snots likeyouboys! Yeah, that’s right.” She glared at them both, head whipping around so quickly that her hair had no idea which way to move. “Boys. Don’t care if you’re both older than me. You’re a pair of fuckingboysand it’s a wonder y’all’s balls have dropped!”
“Judith, I…”
“It was…”
