Page 11 of Filthy Desire

Pulling out of the parking garage, she sped towards the Brooklyn Bridge on her way back to Manhattan.

Traffic was busy as it usually was on a Saturday night, so she listened to her favorite classical music while idling. Her phone pinged with a message from a number she didn’t recognize. And then more messages from other employees.

Tapping speakerphone, she dialed the unknown number first.

“Hey, it’s Sara. The john took my phone so I’m using my friend’s. Look, about tonight--”

“Save it,” Kara snapped as she entered Manhattan and drove up the Avenue of the Americas. “You’re done. Don’t bother calling back.”

“But I need work! I swear it won’t happen again,” Sara whined.

“You need to clean up first. I told you when I hired you that I have the top escorts in the city. A drug addict looking for her fix instead of following the client’s demands is a deal breaker. And especially this client. Do you know who the fuck he is? We’re lucky to be talking at all!”

“I’m sorry. But he sent me downstairs with his security. The guy took me to some club and got me what I needed.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re not strung out, but I still can’t work with you. You can’t be trusted.”

“Please give me another chance,” Sara begged.

“If you get sober, call me, and I’ll refer you to another agency. But I’m not putting my livelihood or my life at risk again.”

Kara ended the call and ignored the repeated call backs. Just like Gio, she had to draw a line somewhere and being a bitch was necessary in this case. She supposed it was hypocritical to ask Gio for another chance and not give Sara one. But Sara’s addiction created instability. Kara couldn’t have that in her business.

And Kara was fully capable of fixing her error so it would never happen again.

She pulled into the underground garage of her high-rise and parked.

Ten minutes later, Kara opened the door to her spacious unit and was greeted by Riley, who mewled her disapproval.

“Did you miss me, baby?” She cooed to her cat, picking up the tabby and rubbing her face in the warm fur.

A second later, a sharp sting made her forearm twitch. Riley jumped out of her arms and took off for the kitchen.

“Brat,” Kara murmured as she slipped off her four-inch heels and padded barefoot to her bathroom.

She ran the shower as hot as it could get. Stepping under the spray, she let the water wash away all remnants of her evening. Washing away Gio’s heady scent. His cum.

She scrubbed her face twice.

Feeling calmer, Kara tied her hair up in a topknot, threw on her pink silk bathrobe and walked out to the living room. Her phone kept ringing and pinging. Picking it up, she noticed three deposits from other clients, and a new booking.

And a message from her best friend, Tiko Hanes.

Tiko was a cabaret performer. They’d met on a rare night when Kara went out. She preferred secluded jazz clubs to crowded nightclubs. A live performance, a dimly lit room, and an expertly made cocktail was the perfect evening in her book. And that’s where she’d met Tiko. His husband Ray owned several bars, including Zane’s, where Tiko performed four nights a week. An establishment that Kara had since invested in. It made for good legal cover.

Kara had all but foregone friendships when she left Washington. She was comfortable being alone. But Tiko had noticed her at the bar, sitting by herself, and had made it his mission to befriend her. Soon, they were enjoying coffee dates and museum trips together. Tiko encouraged her to get out of the apartment and date, despite her protests. Kara couldn’t imagine dating anyone. She didn’t want to lie about her life to someone she was intimate with. And who would understand her line of work?

Tiko was different. As her trusted friend, he knew about her business, but they rarely discussed it.

She didn’t need a man in her life anyway. She was happy on her own.

Stepping into the kitchen, she pressed call and waited as the phone rang.

“Kara, please tell me you were out on a date tonight and that’s why you weren’t answering my phone calls,” Tiko answered.

She flushed as she thought about Gio and their encounter. She couldn’t imagine the man even taking the time to ask a woman out.

“Not exactly,” she replied.

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