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-L
That piqued my interest. His profile displayed a man in a business suit with large sunglasses and dark, chocolate-brown hair. I couldn’t really discern anything from the low quality picture; it seemed like he might be handsome. His pricing was negotiable and his net worth was a staggering 1.6 billion.
Holy fucking shit.
My mind churned. Two thousand dollars just for showing up. I couldn’t pass this up, no matter how sketchy his request sounded. The car would be paid for, and last month’s rent, but it wouldn’t be enough to get me back on my feet. He couldn’t be a hoax; the website claimed to check each “gentleman’s” bank and tax records. He really was worth all that money.
My insides squirmed as I thought about it. Where would we go? Why did he want a travel companion? The questions raced around in my head ceaselessly, but I knew that I couldn’t pass up two grand.
Hi L,
Thank you for emailing me. I would be glad to meet you. Yes, I am free tomorrow. What time and where?
- Jessica
I kept the email as curt as possible. L was clearly a no-nonsense guy, and I didn’t think he would respond to a sugary message. My heart hammered as his reply came within minutes. I trembled as I clicked on the new email.
Jessica,
Please be at the A16 restaurant in San Francisco at 7pm. The hostess will show you to my table. Please RSVP soon.
Thank you,
- L
I let out a strangled laugh at his email’s clipped tone, and I suddenly felt a lot less worried. This wasn’t the tone of a guy who wanted to get into my pants. He was something else entirely, but I wasn’t sure what. Intrigued, I sent back a confirmation, and he replied lightning-fast.
See you tomorrow.
- L
The bedroom echoed with the sound of my nervous giggle. I closed my computer and climbed into bed. What is he going to be like? I tossed and turned in my bed, the promise of two thousand dollars easing my nerves. The adage burned in my mind: if it’s too good to be true, it usually is.
3
Anxiety clawed at my stomach as I painstakingly applied my makeup. I chose the same black cocktail dress that I wore in my profile picture. Maybe he would think that was lazy. Oh well, too bad. It wasn’t like I had a ton of options in my closet.
I wore nude stockings because the city was always at least fifteen degrees cooler than the East Bay. Then I pulled on my faux wool coat and grimaced at the missing buttons, hoping the billionaire wouldn’t notice how very poor I was.
The billionaire. I’m meeting a stupidly rich man for dinner and I still don’t know why.
Well, I knew why. I’d be two thousand dollars richer, which was more than enough to pay back Natalie. Even if it amounted to nothing, I’d have breathing room for a few more weeks. As I prepared to leave, the front door opened, and I heard Natalie come home from work just as I was preparing to go out.
She looked like she hadn’t slept at all; there were dark arcs under her eyes and I felt a rush of guilt.
Her eyes roved down my body. “So, you’re doing it?”
“Yes.” I brushed past her, hoping my tight-lipped expression was enough not to start another round of disagreement.
“Jessica, please don’t do this.”
The desperate note in her voice turned me around. “I’ll be fine.”
Her body was still rigid. “Text me as soon as you’re done.”
I inwardly rolled my eyes, but I knew that Natalie was concerned and only wanted me to be safe. “Whatever. Fine.”
I opened the door and walked into the crisp November air. As a lifelong Californian, any temperature below seventy degrees made me reach for a sweater. I tried to imagine myself in a cold climate and laughed through my chattering teeth.
