Escorting the Billionaire by Leigh James
James
I hadsomeone from the hotel come up to pack my things for the trip. And Audrey’s things. I didn’t even let myself think about it.
I stared out the window at the hazy-looking morning, seeing nothing. I was too obsessed with the pain I was feeling. With the why of it.
Why she’d told me she loved me. And why she’d left.
I’d tried to run after her out of the Plaza, but I had to put my damn pants on first. By the time I’d dressed, she was gone. And I was left wondering just what the hell I was supposed to do now.
Todd stopped me on my way out of the lobby. He looked alarmed. “Are you leaving my reception?” he asked. “And what the hell happened back there at the ceremony? Why’d you run out?”
I watched the cars going by outside, itching to call Kai and go search for Audrey. The thing was, I didn’t even know what she wanted. “I’m not leaving,” I told him, fighting the very real urge I had to do just that. I had to find her and talk to her, but this was also Todd’s wedding, and I was the best man.
And I’d already sort of run out of the ceremony.
“And the ceremony… I just had to go to the bathroom.”
“The bathroom,” Todd said, looking at me with flat incredulity.
“That’s right,” I said. “But I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
“Where’s Audrey?”
“Taking a break,” I said, my voice ice.
My brother watched my face. “Is she coming back?”
I shrugged.
“Do you want a drink?”
“Not just one,” I said, clapping him on the back and following him inside.
And now, not just one drink and only three hours of restless sleep later, I was still wondering if she was coming back.
But I was pretty sure I knew the answer to that.
I sighed and finished my coffee. Then I called Kai and told him to meet me out front. Now.
“Who is it,” she mumbled when I buzzed ten minutes later.
“You’re kidding, right?” I asked.
She didn’t answer me. A fuzzy silence filled the air while my temples pounded from the combination of my hangover and a dull, aching anger.
Then the monitor went blank, and I just buzzed again. And again.
She finally relentedand let me up. “This is getting old,” I said, pacing her apartment. “Didn’t I just chase you here the other day?”
“That one was your fault,” she said. The skin around her eyes was red and puffy, as if she’d been crying. I wanted to reach out and touch her face, but I didn’t dare. I had no idea what was going on with her right now. Just like I had no idea what made her run from me last night.
But in no way did that mean I was done with her. Not even close.
“I thought you’d be gone by now,” she mumbled.
“They pushed the flight back. Everyone was too hung over to make the earlier one.” I made a big show of looking at my watch. “The flight’s leaving from Logan at eleven. I’d like you to be on it.”
She looked at me, her shoulders sinking down, as if I was asking too much. Part of me wanted to take what pride I had left and leave. But she was still wearing the necklace I’d given her last night, her fingers twined tightly around it. That gave me hope.
“Audrey. We had an arrangement,” I reminded her. “I want you to come with me on this trip.”
“Why.” Her voice was flat.
I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. Any small shred of patience I had left was being ground down to dust. “Is this… a hormone thing?”
She rolled her eyes and flopped down on her futon. “It’s nothing that simple,” she said. She sounded both miserable and resigned.
I paced the length of her apartment. “You have to come on the trip. For a few reasons,” I said, my voice firm. “Not the least of which is our agreement, and the fact that my parents think I’m finally in a relationship. I have another whole week to get through. You’re my buffer, remember?”
She didn’t look up at me. “I’m the wrong buffer, James.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re the wrong buffer. That’s not what we’re talking about.”
“That’s what I’m talking about,” she said.
“I don’t know what you want from me,” I said, my voice rising. “You said last night—”
“Stop,” she said, cutting me off. “I don’t want anything from you.”
I felt as if she’d punched me. I stopped pacing and looked at her: her face was pale, and she was hanging on to that necklace for dear life.
I took what I hoped was a steadying breath.
“I guess I need to remind you that we have a contract, Audrey. I expect you to perform your part of the bargain. If I remember correctly, you were planning on paying me back some of the funds I’d forked over toward your… family expenses.” A blush crept up her neck at my words. Even though I knew I was hurting her by what I was saying, I didn’t stop. “I’m expecting you to follow through.”
Part of what made me successful in business was that I knew how to motivate people, even when the motivation was ugly. So now I was ugly-motivating Audrey. I was hurting her to get what I wanted. At this point, I didn’t care—I just wanted her to get on the damn plane. I’d work on my manners then.
Maybe.
“Fine. Of course I need to pay you back,” she mumbled.
“You can change at my place, but we need to hurry,” I said. “Oh, and Audrey—”
“Yes?”
“I want you to know something. For the remainder of our contract, I will no longer be needing the full range of your services.”
