Page 138 of Their Courtesan
“I won’t argue with that.” Judith shrugged. “At least I know how to pick my battles.”
“You’re ten years older than her. I should hope so.” Monica turned toward the hallway. “You’ve got an appointment with Mr. Bolivar to get ready for, right?”
“He could show up to me brushing my teeth in a parka and would throw thousands of dollars at me.”
“Be that as it may, we have an image to uphold.”
Judith went to her room, finished her toenail upkeep, and dithered between a gold dress or a crimson pantsuit to entertain her patron in that night.He’s never seen me in a pantsuit before. That could be fun.With any luck Miguel would be okay with stalling sex so they could enjoy themselves in the rooms that night. There was a movie (and strip poker) party slated for eight, and Judith wanted in. The more clothes she wore with the pantsuit, the more likely she would win the strip poker tournament. Miguel was a master of cards, right?His family runs casinos… I can’t believe otherwise.
As her stomach began to rumble for dinner, Monica appeared in the doorway. Her face was flushed.
“Mr. Bolivar is here… and so is Dr. Christens.”
Judith dropped her hairbrush. “What!”
“You didn’t double-book, did you?”
“No! Why is Seth here? He never comes on Fridays!”
“He’s here… and they’re both waiting for you. In my office, no less.”
No no no!Judith followed Monica down to the office, brain trembling with the possibilities. Like how they were both dumping her. Or worse. Making her choose between them!
Men could be so fickle. So underwhelming. So damn immature that they constantly made a woman’s life difficult!
Judith was not prepared for the scene in Monica’s office. She expected to find her favorite lovers on opposite ends of the room, ignoring one another. Or, worse, engaging in the most barbaric display of alpha masculinity like at the wedding.I can’t stand either thought.Both were embarrassing. Both were…
Both were not happening.
Instead, she found Miguel and Seth sitting in the chairs before Monica’s desk. Relaxed.Bored.They both looked like they had come to discuss legal proceedings or to get a mortgage at the bank. Their body language pointed to one another instead of away. They were not in a hurry to have a conversation, but they also weren’t throwing punches like a couple of pubescent middle-schoolers.
Judith had never been so confused. She nodded to them both before sitting on a loveseat on the far side of the room. Monica took her place behind the desk.
“Gentlemen,” she said with careful grace. “I so would like to know what brings you here together. Pardon me for inviting Judith in. I assumed that this had to do with her and that she had a right to know.”
They glanced at her before focusing back on Monica. “We are indeed here to talk about our lovely Judith,” Miguel said in his indescribable accent.
“Our?” Monica had never looked so shocked in her life. Either that or she suddenly had gestational heartburn. “This is a turn of events.”
“Forgive me for doing all the talking,” Miguel continued, “but since I was originally to sign on to become Judith’s patron this weekend, I thought it pertinent to make it clear that I agree to what we’re about to propose.”
“Go on.”
Both men shared a silent word. Judith was getting antsier by the second.Don’t you dare fuck me over.
“I’ve had ample opportunity to talk to Dr. Christens over the past week. He’s made it clear that he is in love with Judith, but has been kind enough to congratulate me on my recent winnings. I have to admit, though, that I was swayed by his emotional outpouring.”You’re so full of shit, Miguel.Seth was trying his damn hardest to not smack his hand against his own forehead. “So much so that he and I came to an eventual agreement. You see, I also am in love with Judith. Hence my willingness to spend so much money a month on her to be her patron. At first we saw this as a terrible love triangle, let alone for a woman of her career pursuits. Then we realized that it didn’t have to be a love triangle at all, but a completely different, more fulfilling arrangement.”
Monica cleared her throat. “I’m listening.”
“We know what we’re about to say is not what you usually do,” Seth said in Miguel’s stead. “But we want to make it clear that webothagree to this. We simply want to make sure that you and Judith do as well.”
Judith was completely frozen to the loveseat, and glad that she had worn the pantsuit. Otherwise, her sweaty legs would be sticking all over the leather beneath her.
Miguel finished what we had started to say. “We would both like to offer an equal investment in Judith’s career. That is, we would both like to be her patrons.”
The office was so quiet that the ticking clock on the wall sounded like window-shattering thunder.What. The. Fuck.Judith had to remind herself to breathe. Monica looked like she was about to go into labor.
“Of course, this would mean some changes.” Miguel pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across the desk. “We hope that you two find this satisfactory, but we are open to haggling.”
