The Girlfriend Experience ✔

11 | God Forbid

*Please note that the majority of the following chapter is a flashback. This may occur again in this story at a later point. Any part that is italicized within the chapter would take place prior to the timeline of the story.*

The night was cold and the skies were eerily cloudy, hiding away the pale moonlight from the dark streets outside the grand hotel I was supposed to go to. I repeated the ingredients to an Cosmopolitan in my mind and silently cursed myself for putting "intermediate bar tending" on my resume. Lying about my skills would only guarantee my ass ending up on a pile of BS.

I wasn't dressed the way I was supposed to. This was a my first day and I didn't know what to wear to a fancy hotel. So I wore the deep red dress I wore last weekend...

My mind wandered back to that one night stand that ended with an unexpected transaction. I had been thinking about it for the past week, staring at the giant wad of cash. I knew I shouldn't have felt any pride in what happened, but I didn't feel bad about it either. I had fun, he had fun, and I had money stuffed in my pockets. What was so bad about that?

"Ahem," a tall man to my right stood tall and cleared his throat under his curved lips, "Hello, I'm Theo."

He reached a hand up and waited for me to offer mine, which I hesitate to do, but from the looks of his expression, that hand was staying firmly in place. I shook it briefly.

"Valerie," I pursed my lips, offering a tight smile.

~o~

I stared blankly at the beautiful gown Alex had gotten me, knowing I would have to wear it and smile, fully aware that it had Theo written all over it. Running my fingertips over the soft velvet that bunched into the illusion of a rose, I sighed and glanced at the clock.

~o~

9:45 p.m.

I quickly slipped back into my dress and fixed my hair in the mirror. Behind me was a man who looked very satisfied with how his night went.

"We should have talked about your rate," he stated thoughtfully as his eyes landed on my ass. "Since I'm your first."

I shook my head, smiling because of my recollection of pleasure. I couldn't believe I had gotten comfortable enough with him at the bar to let him know about what happened last week. I couldn't believe he talked me into doing it again.

"You can pay me what I was paid the first time." I sighed as I gave myself a once over.

"No, Valerie," he chuckled and I ignored the shiver that crept up my spine from hearing my name come off his tongue. It reminded me of how it escaped his throat in grunts earlier...

"You deserve so much more than that," he got up and walked over to wrap his arms around my curves, "In fact, you deserve triple." He reached into his wallet and blindly pulled out a stack of bills. He counted the hundreds until he paused, and shaking his head with a smile, he threw in the extra few hundreds as well.

My eyes wide, I stared at the bills and then at him. It was more money than I had ever seen in my life, except for the few times I had been at the bank at the right time, when a teller would walk by with wads of cash.

"Thats..." I shook my head. "That's just too much, Theo."

"Hey, shh.." He turned me to face him and lifted my chin with his fingers. "Did you have fun?"

I nodded silently.

"I had ten times more fun, trust me. You deserve this money and you should charge this high."

I scoffed, "I doubt my nonexistent list of clients would be able to afford that on the regular." I picked up the stack of cash and stuffed it in my bag.

"I'll introduce you to a few friends," Theo shrugged as he poured himself a scotch.

"What? Like you're my pimp?" I raised a brow at him, my eyes darting at the door. He let out a chuckle and the lingering smile on his lips makes me want to melt. I snapped out of the trance. What was I thinking? He's strictly a client and nothing more.

"Do I look like I need to get money from pimping? No, baby, I just think," he took a step closer to me and ran his fingertips across my cheek, "beauty should be shared. You need the business and I have the roster."

I was quiet, considering, but he was so intoxicating with his scent and his kisses, which he planted along my neck down to my shoulders.

I closed my eyes and moaned as he reached around to cup my breast, squeezing it to his content. His other hand snuck up my dress and landed on my bare clit as I had forgotten to put my panties back on.

"You look so good in this color," he caught the shoulder strap between his teeth and tugged playfully at the deep wine velvet. "That money I gave you just now... Does it cover the night?"

I moaned as I turned around, ready to press my lips against his, "God, I hope so."

~o~

Hesitant, I slowly got up to walk over to my dresser, digging through the many fabrics to find a small box, wooden and shaped like a treasure chest. I stared at the intricate design, deliberating. When I tried to open it, I felt a splinter cut into my finger and I sucked air in through my front teeth, but I still opened the box.

Inside was a thin gold chain with a golden blossoming rose as a charm. Dangling from the rose was a teardrop shaped ruby, muted in shine but bold in color. It glistened politely under the light and waved the attention off to the brilliantly elegant rose. I swiftly held the charm upon my chest, letting the chain dangle over my shoulders.

~o~

I rested my fingers over the pretty charm to hold it in place on my chest as I felt his fingers brush against the nape of my neck while he hooked the chain. They traced my spine and wrapped around my waist as he pulled me close to kiss my neck.

"Do you like it?" Theo whispered into my ear, leaving me a shivering puddle of a woman. He had gotten me my tenth client, the number I had told him was my max. I didn't want anymore than that, considering the amount I was making with each.

He found this cause worth celebrating because in his words, he "didn't want more men in my life who could steal me from him."

Of course, I knew he was joking.

I knew he was only a client to me, strictly speaking.

I also hated that a part of me hoped for his words to have actual meaning.

"I love it, Theo," I smiled softly as turned to face him. Tall, dark, and handsome, I couldn't control my own thumping heart around this man. As he kissed me with heavy passion, my mind clouded with only one thought in my head.

God forbid I fall for him, please.

A/N:

Okay so this chapter was to just set some ground on what went on between Theo and Val. Obviously, there's like a ton more things you don't know, but I'll sprinkle them in eventually. More to come!

~ My