...AND SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH A HOOKER

Chapter 10

‘’You don’t have to tell me,’’ Rose spoke softly from her side.

Adrian shook his head and shifted a bit, lifting his gaze to the laughing people dancing a bit further off to their right. His eyes followed a younger couple who were gently swaying to the music, watching as they cuddled close, a look of contentment and joy on their faces.

‘’My mom walked in on me and her friend’s daughter from school while we were fooling around in my room. All hell broke loose, and I ran away from home.’’ Money had to come from somewhere, so turning tricks was a survival strategy back then. It was either that or drugs.’’

Adrian finally turned his head back to look at Rose, who was watching him with an expression of sympathy, her brow furrowed. Adrian smiled to try and ease the somber atmosphere that had quickly fallen over them. ‘’Somewhere along the road, it became a way of life. It was ages ago, though, and I’ve come a long way since then.’’

The frown on Rose’s face didn’t disappear, however. It only deepened as she looked almost doubtful that Adrian was as alright as he claimed. Adrian sighed, and, wanting to make sure Rose understood that he wasn’t doing anything he didn’t want to, he turned his expression slightly more serious and fixed her with a placating look.

‘’Look. s*x is what I know. s*x is what I’m good at. There’s… security- power- in knowing that and in knowing that I have enough experience to not let any of this affect me. It might sound cold-hearted to you, but I’ve been doing this for so long that I have no issues with it being purely business, albeit of the more unconventional sort. Believe it or not, I enjoy doing what I do.’’

Adrian sipped his wine, still keeping his eyes locked on Rose, who seemed to process his words for a second before breaking their gaze and nodding and raising her glass to her lips. Adrian waited silently for Rose to gather her thoughts, watching as her frown eased a bit.

‘’What kind of people do you usually. um… meeet, then?’’ Rose asked hesitantly, and Adrian was grateful that she seemed to want to shift the topic as much as he did. Even though Adrian realized that he had opened up the possibility of Rose asking him anything, talking about the deeper, truer aspects of things irked him. He’d rather not think about it right now, not when he was enjoying himself. Smiling confidently, Adrian settled back against the wall and crossed his ankles in a relaxed posture.

‘’Mostly older women looking for some company to ease their loneliness for a moment,’’ he stated matter-of-factually, looking over at Rose again. It’s been a while since I’ve been set up with someone younger than myself.’’ Adrian couldn’t help but wink at Rose, and he wasn’t disappointed when a faint blush bloomed on the girl’s high cheekbones.

‘’I’ve also been known to dabble in the homosexual spectrum of things a few times,’’ he said. Earning a raised eyebrow from Rose, which missed. He continued, ‘’but that doesn’t happen very often. My preferences are advertised towards women.’’ He once more let his eyes wander over the crowds, thinking for a moment. ‘’Then, there’s the odd sexually confused guy, about to settle down for a life with a wife and kids, wanting to see if the boners they popped in the showers after football practice in high school were just due to a phase or not. Some of them are already married. But their infidelity isn’t for me to judge. I’m just there to give them what they pay me for a good time,’’ Adrian smirked.

He was just about to look back at Rose to gauge her reaction when his eyes settled on a face further towards the middle the room, his line of vision breaking every now and then when other guests unwittingly passed through it. But there was no doubting the familiar features that Adrian was now looking at. He couldn’t help but giggle at the irony. It was almost as if his words had magically conjured the man- Almeen Baster- from thin air, and he lifted his hand in the direction he was looking, pointing him out to Rose.

‘’Speaking of which, there’s one of them now,’’ he chuckled. Adrian kept his eyes firmly set on the man while out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Rose frown and turn to follow his gaze.

The man was dressed in a stylish gray suit, a nicely trimmed beard covering his jawline and upper lip, and his hair was carefully jelled and swept back from his face. There was no denying that Almeen was an attractive man, and he smiled along with the petite, yet highly pregnant, girl on his arm as she chatted amicably with two older couples. The women were gushing over the girl’s protruding belly, forming a small crowd around her.

Adrian heard Rose gasp at his side just as Almeen began losing interest in the topic of conversation surrounding him and lifted a glass of what appeared to be whiskey to his mouth, looking up and scanning the room.

‘’You’re joking,’’ Rose said, her voice breathy with disbelief.

Adrian’s smirk widened as Almeen’s gaze casually skimmed over the two of them, and he snorted out a laugh as he saw her do a double take, obviously recognizing Adrian as well.

‘’Oh, I am far from joking, babe,’’ Adrian drawled, watching her eyes widen comically.

‘’But that’s Mr. Baster, the CEO’s nephew!’’ Rose whispered harshly to his side, too scandalized to notice the pet name Adrian had used. ‘’He’s set to take over the chair once the old man retires!’’

‘’Be that as it may, but I never forget a face. Let’s just say Mr. Baster and I have closed a business deal or two before.’’ Adrian shrugged and watched in rapt fascination as Almeen’s face went from red that clashed terribly with his purple neck tie to an almost greenish pale. Adrian raised his glass towards him in greeting, his smirk deeming as he winked.

‘’He can’t be gay,’’ Rose protested. ‘’That’s his fiancee!’’

Adrian snorted and rolled his eyes before glancing at Rose. ‘’Please! With a name like Almeen? He’s gay as they come.’’ he said before leaning in closer to murmur conspiratorially, ‘’You know, he always insisted on calling me ‘daddy.’’

Giggling again when Rose let out another gasp. Adrian turned back just in time to see Almeen grip the arm of his fiancee and throw a polite but strained smile at the group that surrounded them before steering her away and vanished quickly in the throng of people.

‘’s**t,’’ Rose swore abruptly and Adrian swiveled his head around to see her gripping her forehead, staring at the floor in what looked like a panic. ‘’s**t! He saw me with you. I’m f****d!’’