CHAPTER 4
1365 Words
Katarina took another turn right and veered into the driveway, which had both sides neatly lined with foxtail palms in near perfect symmetry.
Destination still looked a good five-minute drive away, with the speed limit sign clearly reading 30 mph.
As she approached the fourteen-storey building which stood conspicuously from a mile away, there it was, written in gigantic gold letters and brightly illuminated by LED lighting — GRAND D’e La VILLE.
It was indeed a grand resort, with a Bar, a VIP Lounge on the rooftop and a buzzing underground Clubhouse.
Dressed in a gray pantsuit and red heels, Katarina definitely didn't look like one of ‘em fun seekers. Striding purposefully, she made her way towards the entrance.
The security guard, a tall burly man in dark shades, glanced cursorily, sizing her up, then checked her in and issued a pass.
As Katarina walked into the bar section, the melodic rhythm of pop music filtered in, just as the heavy scent of cigars, steak and rum hit her nostrils. She sniffed, blinking, as her eyes adjusted to the strobe lights.
“Let me have a cocktail”, she beckoned to the Bartender.
“What recipe would you like, Ma'am?”
“Margarita, please.”
She took in her surroundings, tapping a finger and her left foot simultaneously to Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and a Beat.”
The dancefloor was scanty, with just a handful of early lovebirds in pairs, frolicking about.
“Here's your drink, Ma'am.” The Bartender gestured towards her.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Would you like anything else?” He inquired, smilingly.
“Uhmm, not yet. I'd ask if I do.”
She took a quick glance at her watch; it was ten minutes past 7pm.
Just as Katarina had another sip of the cocktail, a tall lady in a red strapless bodycon mini dress that outlined the contours of her visibly toned body, sashayed in effortlessly on a high heel.
She held a fashionable small purse as she made her way to sit by the other end of the Bar. Katarina's head was not the only one that turned.
“Whoever this lady is, she sure knows how to make an entrance.” Katarina thought to herself.
A few minutes after the lady seemingly settled in, Katarina walked over to her.
“Hello, can I sit?”
“Sure”, the lady replied enthusiastically.
Katarina pulled out a stool directly opposite her.
“My name's Katarina; Kat, Kate or Katie for short, and I think you're drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Aww, I'm Annabelle.” She said, with a blush, as she extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Anna.”
“My pleasure,” Annabelle replied.
“So you're here on a date?” Katarina asked, raising her pitch slightly, trying not to get drowned by the music.
“A date with myself, maybe,” Annabelle retorted, laughing. “Not an ideal place for a date if you ask me,” she added. “I just wanna unwind.”
“Oh, unwind! That's cool.”
“So how about you, Kate? I'd think you just came off a cabinet meeting with Kamala Harris.” She said, pointing at Katarina's outfit. “Nice suit, by the way.”
“Oh, this? I just love a bit of power dressing every now and then,” Katarina responded with a chuckle. “And what I'm here for?” She continued. “To look out for stunning ladies like yourself.”
“Ha ha, you think I'm a model? And you're some kinda scout for a modeling agency, yeah?”
“Oh darling, I do think you'd make a great model, but I wish I were a scout for a modeling agency.” She admitted, then quickly added, “What do you do by the way?”
Annabelle hesitated for a while, then confessed “Uhmm, I'm an Escort, and a freelance Bottle Girl. I work here part-time too, and…”
“You work in Grand d’e la Ville too?” Katarina cut in.
“Yeah, like I said, part-time, though I'm off today, but we've got this huge get-together of some Billionaires tomorrow, and I'd be on.”
Katarina stared in disbelief. She couldn't believe her luck. She tried to keep her composure and not appear too excited.
“So in what capacity would you be working? As an Escort or a Bottle Girl?” Katarina asked, a bit teasingly.
“Ha ha, with the nature of our work, it's never really cut and dry, yunno. Sometimes, a bit of both, depending on the client. Some of these VIP clients like a bit more intimate and personalized service.”
Katarina was relieved that she hadn't taken offense to the question.
Annabelle had a tendency of laughing over supposedly sensitive issues, and that was just perfect for Katarina.
“You know, Annabelle”, Katarina said, leaning in, her voice a bit over a whisper. “I've got this deal for you. But first, what would you like to drink?”
“Oh, red wine would do,” Annabelle responded, “and a pack of Marlboro.”
Katarina immediately placed an order, then pulled out her phone and showed it to Annabelle.
“The guy in the picture, he's a Real Estate Mogul, an elite in this city, and of course, a Billionaire, and you know what? He'd be at this get-together you talked about tomorrow. Looks like fate has something in store for us.”
A dazed expression slowly grew across Annabelle's face, yet she maintained a focused gaze on the picture, as if intently studying the features of the man.
When she finally found her voice, she asked, “So how do I come in, in all of this?”
“Good question!” Katarina responded.
The Bartender soon returned, placing a bottle and two wine glasses before them.
Katarina poured into Annabelle’s glass and then filled her own.
They both took a sip concurrently, as if mirroring each other's actions.
Katarina cleared her throat, maintained eye contact, then said in a hushed tone, “Spike his drink!”
She paused, as if waiting for a reaction from Annabelle. There was none.
Katarina continued, “I need to get him to misbehave. For some reason, it's just the nail in the coffin I need, and I need you, with all of your sultriness, to help me.”
“What's in it for me?” Annabelle questioned, her tone business-like.
“A thousand bucks!” Katarina responded.
“Nah, I'd pass,” she said, with a dismissive wave of the hand.
“Wh-Why?” Katarina questioned, her brows furrowed.
Annabelle rose to her feet.
“Was she walking out on me?” Katarina wondered.
Slowly, Annabelle dramatically did a ‘360 spin.’
“Which of these exactly makes you think I should be underpriced?” Pointing at herself from head to toe.
She shifted her seat a bit closer to Katarina and sat again, bringing them eye-to-eye.
“Or what part of what you want me to do, do you underestimate? Got the slightest idea how risky what you're asking is?”
“No-none-not at all”, Katarina uttered in one breath.
“I’d offer a thousand, two hundred Dollars.”
Annabelle's lips curved in a faint smile, and she calmly replied, “If I say ‘no’ again, Mrs. Katarina, it'll be the last time.”
She had managed to play it cool until this point, despite Katarina's initial offer being almost double her weekly wages.
“Let's make that a thousand, five hundred! It's what I can afford.” Katarina pursed her lips, then waited, “And we get to build a great working relationship afterward.”
Annabelle let out a wry smile. All she had to do was seduce some drunken Billionaire. It felt like getting paid to have fun. She'd have had to work her ass off, literally, for nearly a month to earn that figure.
Annabelle pulled a stick of cigarette from the pack and lit it. She took a puff, crossed her legs and said “We have a deal.”
- Writer
