Page 11 of Maid for Love

“You don’t want to be in a relationship?” Danielle asks quietly.

I nod. “I like to stay free of long-term attachments. I travel a lot, and my business keeps me on my toes. As a result, I just don’t have the time for a relationship. With working girls, that’s not a problem. There’s no expectation of commitment, and so everything works out. No harm, no foul.”

“Right. Right, of course,” Danielle nods as she plays with the food left on her plate.

“Is something wrong?” I ask after a few moments of silence.

The young woman shakes her head quickly. “No, no, I’m just surprised, that’s all. Or maybe I shouldn’t be. But this is all new to me.”

I grin.

“That’s not surprising. I’d be shocked if you already knew the ins and outs of being a call girl.”

“No, no!” Danielle laughs. “It’s just … do they have bosses? I mean, I have the most awful boss here at Hotel Nova.”

I nod.

“I’m sure Star and Lacy have a manager at City Girls. But why do you hate your boss?”

Danielle shrugs.

“I don’t hate my boss. Okay, maybe I do. Yeah, I hate Seymour.”

I squint for a moment.

“Seymour. I recognize that name. I believe he’s the manager I spoke with earlier this week. He seemed a little…”

“Slimy?” Danielle asks, and I can’t help but nod. “Yeah, that’s him. You know, I’m supposed to be going on a date with Seymour tomorrow night,” she rolls her eyes. “Ugh. It’s going to be awful!”

The thought of Danielle being out on a date with another man has my blood boiling faster than I’d like to admit. The jealousy is immediate, and I tell myself to calm down. Why does it matter if she’s seeing another man? It’s not like I have any claim on her. Yet, I can’t help the possession pumping through my veins, even as I try to ignore it. There’s no reason for me to be jealous. She isn’t mine.

“Tell me more about this date,” I manage through clenched teeth. Danielle shrugs.

“I don’t know much about it myself. Just that I have to be with Seymour. Ugh. Knowing him, we’ll probably end up at Denny’s or Five Guys. Not that I don’t love Denny’s and Five Guys, but you know what I mean.”

I think for a moment. How do I keep the curvy girl to myself? Suddenly, inspiration strikes.

“Listen, why don’t I send Star and Lacy in your place? I’m sure Seymour would be more than happy to have the company of not one, buttwobeautiful girls for the night.”

It’ll cost me an arm and a leg because Star and Lacy charge by the hour, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they ask for a bonus after spending time with Seymour. But it’s worth it if it means that Danielle won’t have to sit through a date with him.

The curvy brunette gasps and lets out a delighted giggle as she nods her head. “Barron, I love your mind! That sounds like awonderfulidea. Thank you.”

“Great. But can I ask why you were going to go out on a date with him in the first place? He doesn’t exactly seem like your type.”

“Oh,” she blushes. “Well, I kind of owe him a favor since he asked you to let me keep my job, or at least, that’s howhesees it. So, I agreed to go out with him because I doubt he’d let me hear the end of it if I didn’t, and besides, fair is fair.”

“Okay, that was a convoluted answer,” I growl. “But sending him out with Star and Lacy is more than enough repayment. Now you two are even, and you don’t have to worry about going out on a date with him any time soon.”

Danielle giggles, nodding happily. “Yeah, I guess I don’t…” she smiles. “You really are my knight in shining armor, Barron.” She throws me a brilliant smile, and to my surprise, my heart expands. It feels good to give her what she wants, and I relish the role of rescuing a damsel in distress. But then Danielle peps up.

“Can we go on the date with them? Notwiththem,” she clarifies with a giggle. “I just want to see how Star and Lacy handle Seymour.”

I wink.

“Sure thing. I’ll set it up. It’s going to be comedy at its finest.”

Danielle claps her hands while bouncing in her seat.

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