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I snort a laugh, and she merely smiles at me, as if she had just suggested getting a pedicure. “You cannot be serious, Callie.”
Half a shrug is all I get before she dips back into her salad.
“Callie—"
“All I’m saying is, there is more than one way to skin a cat.” She makes a face. “That is an awful saying, if you think about it.”
“I’d rather not. And I’m not threatening arson?—"
“Who said anything about a mere threat?”
“Callie!”
She giggles. “You get my meaning. There are always ways around obstacles. You just have to be willing to do the work.”
“I was. I did the work. And now, I’m not getting paid.” I huff and sip my hot tea, wishing it were something much stronger. “This sucks. I shouldn’t have to chase down my money. This was supposed to be a fun little adventure with a huge payday. Not a hassle.”
“In my experience, the people with the most money are the least willing to part with it. So, perhaps your date is stalling. I’d put money on it that Cesar is freaking out, too.”
“What makes you think so?”
She thinks for a moment. “If we take Camille at face value, that her auction stories are true, then that means she’s done this several times, and there’s a good chance she’s not the only one. Which means Cesar would work to keep all the women happy, so they are more likely to return. If he finds out one of his bidders hasn’t paid?—"
“Then he might socially destroy him for me,” I say slowly as she nods.
“Cesar might be your best hope of taking care of this.”
“Except I don’t have a way to contact him. And I’d kind of like to handle this myself. The less of a stink I make about it, the fewer people will catch wind of what I did.” Plus, I made my bed. Seems fitting I lie in it.
She shrugs. “Understandable. But keep calling the Chamberlain mansion in your back pocket. It’s likely they can reach out to Cesar for you.”
I nod and choke down a bite of burger. Ever since the weekend, it seems like that’s all I want. Comfort food. Not breakfast foods, though. Just thinking about pancakes makes me tense. “Still can’t believe I did something this drastic on a whim.”
“I was surprised about that myself, to be honest.”
“You practically talked me into it.”
She smiles sweetly. “I gave you a nudge. That was it. You were halfway there on your own.” She’s not wrong.
“I guess so. Still. This was so unlike me.”
“Mm, hmm. But even if it all goes sideways, I still think it was good for you.”
“What makes you say that?”
Callie sits back and looks me over. “You said it yourself. The best sex of your life. And since you’ve returned from your naughty night, you’ve been a lot less careful about things. In a good way, I mean.”
“What do you mean?”
“You snapped at Madi when she told you to get a move on for a meeting. The old you would have snarked behind her back or made a face when she wasn’t looking. But you snarled, and I quote, ‘I’ll get there when I get there.’ I’ve never seen Madi speechless before. It was awesome.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “It was insubordinate.”
“That is part of why it was awesome. Whatever this weekend was in your head, I think it uncorked something in you that’s been bottled up for too long.” She’s not wrong.
All week, I’ve been more direct with people, and while it’s gotten some good reactions, it’s also gotten some bad ones. When I speak to people—even to clients—it’s like I have no filter. I haven’t exactly been fire-worthy unprofessional, but it feels like it’s coming. I just don’t give a shit like I used to. All thanks to Anderson West.
Great. He fucked me for free, and now he’s going to get me fired. Just what I need.
