Chapter one
Landon’s POV
“I expect you to be there, Landon,” my mother said through the phone.
I never really liked the charity week. In my eyes, it had 20% to do with charity and 80% to do with how you looked in the tabloids and media while doing it. The fake smiles and the fake caring about other than themselves were enough for me to stay away, but when it came down to my mother, it was different. She was caring and she did not do this for the publicity.
“And I will,” I assured her.
“Good.”
There was something in her voice. She sounded hesitant which meant that she had to inform me of something she already knew I wouldn’t like.
“What is it?” I sighed.
“Lina will be there as well,” she said slowly, and my blood started boiling.
She had tried to contact me every day for the past 6 months and of course, she had the nerve to come to my mother's charity events. Not that it shocked me much. This was the nature of snakes.
“Enough already,” I stated in a harsh tone. “Lina and I are not together anymore, and I prefer if it stays that way.”
“But Landon, dear if you just… I’m sure you can fix whatever happened, I mean…” my mother began but I cut her off.
“It’s been a year mother; besides I am seeing someone.”
I said it so fast that I didn’t even have time to think about what I was saying.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
“You are?” she asked, the shock clear in her voice. “Well, you’ll have to bring her to the charity week then! I would love to meet her.”
“I was already planning on doing so,” I lied and faked the enthusiasm in my voice. “I have to go now; the board meeting will begin shortly,” I said as I opened the door making my assistant look up at me confused.
“As long as you get it all done before the charity week, that is fine,” she said before hanging up.
“I will, bye.”
“Sir?” my assistant Claire asked hesitantly. “I don’t see a board meeting in your schedule,” she pointed out as she kept staring at the screen in front of her with an almost panicked look.
“That’s because there is none.”
I turned around and walked back to my office leaving her there with a questionable look on her face.
My mother was and had always been something else. I knew she had my best interest at heart, but sometimes she needed to let enough be enough. Especially when it came to Lina. I had kept most of what happened back then as a secret from my mother. It would surely break her heart completely if she knew why we had split up, but at times like these, I debated on whether or not I should just expose my psychotic ex and take the hit that would come afterward.
However, the media would always sniff up stuff like this, and I did not want my face in the tabloids with “Broken billionaire” as the headliner. It would make me look questionable to my investors and furthermore, it would to my enemies and competition look like I was weak and not in the standing to make decisions regarding my company. They would most definitely try to take over. In this line of business, one’s weakness was your greatest flaw, no matter how small the flaw might be. It could ruin you in a matter of seconds. Something I was not willing to let happen. I build this company with my own sweat and blood and there was no way in hell I would let Lina take more from me than she already had.
I grabbed my phone and dialed a number that had grown well known to me. It wasn’t something I necessarily was proud of but after the breakup between Lina and me, I had been a customer at Millionaire Match, a high-class escort located here in town. I wasn’t a man that looked for a new relationship, not after last time. Relationships to me were nothing but a hassle, an inconvenience ready to sneak their way into your heart only to tear you apart from the inside out afterward. I was looking for no strings, no games, and no ties and this was the place that gave you exactly that.
“Millionaire Match, madame Elenore speaking,” Elenore’s hoarse voice spoke.
“Elenore,” I spoke clear.
“Mr. Wallace,” she said surprised, and I could hear her shuffling around with some papers. “What can I do for you?”
“I need a girl,” I spoke. “But not the usual,” I added quickly before she could say anything.
“What do you have in mind then?”
” I need someone who knows her way around the high society. She needs to be classy, not cheap and slutty looking,” I said making myself clear from the beginning. The last thing I needed was to be presented with some bimbo by my side.
“I don’t need fake boobs and a face fully covered in makeup.”
“None of my girls are like that Mr. Wallace. Unless you want them too that is,” she chuckled.
“She needs to be beautiful and have a lovely smile. She needs to be patient considering she needs to be around my family for a week,” I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Any specific wishes for her looks?” Elenore asked.
“Dark blond or brunette hair, slim but curvy, if you know what I mean, and no tattoos. I need classy Elenore, not classic hooker,” I pointed out. “I don’t want someone whose ass or breast are hanging out. I want tasteful. Someone with a personality would be preferred.”
“I have the perfect girl for you,” she snickered.
“I need her for the whole week.”
“The whole week?”
“The whole week,” I confirmed. “We have the charity dinner, brunch, and the auction and then of course the charity gala at the end of the week. I need someone who can handle being in the spotlight, who won’t panic at confrontation.”
This was going to be something else. A whole week in the name of charity and I would be bringing a hooker. My mother would kill me if she were to find out. The media, on the other hand, would live for it.
“That will end up costing a bit more than usual,” she pointed out. “And half of the payment needs to be paid up hand and remember we only take cash.”
“Money won’t be an issue, but you already know that,” I smirked. “I would like to meet her beforehand to settle the story we are going to sell so instead of Sunday I’d like to have her on Friday.”
“Of course. Is there anything else?”
“I need this done fast and highly discreet,” I said. “And I want her to take a drug test before she gets here. I will not have someone who is shooting up at these events.”
I needed to make sure that whoever I brought with me wouldn’t make an even bigger scandal than my breakup story. If that was the case, I could have just announced the real reason Lina and I split, to the entire world and attend the damn thing by myself.
“You know all my girls get a drug test and speaking of tests, you need to be tested for any STDs as well before we can finish the deal,” she added casually.
“Elenore, I’m not going to sleep with this one,” I spoke in a serious tone. “This isn’t for pleasure but for business. This is strictly professional, and I expect you to let her know.”
“Whatever you want,” she said sounding unconvinced. “Just know that she will be at your disposal if you should happen to change your mind. My girls are all on birth control, so condoms are optional. Just wanted to remind you of that.”
“I’ll have the necessary documents send to you by the end of tomorrow,” I told her, ignoring her statement.
“Good. I look forward to working with you,” she said and hung up.
I sighed and rubbed my temples. I did all of this to avoid all the hassle of showing up alone and already now, this had become too much of a hassle for me. I was the CEO of my own company, the son of Marcus and Marie Wallace, and yet here I was, about to rent a hooker because I wanted to avoid my ex-girlfriend and further confrontation with the media who still after all this time was dying to find out why we split.
If this worked the way I had it set up to be in my head, not only would my mother stop bothering me about Lina, but Lina would stay away as well and for the best-case scenario, the media would let the past be where it should be, in the past.
