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The caviar arrives, and Annemarie stares at it with a look on her face that almost makes me laugh out loud. “You’ve never had caviar before, have you?” I ask.
“No,” she replies, shaking her head and looking embarrassed. “I don’t even know how I’m supposed to eat it.”
“It’s easy,” I reply, picking up one of the little pieces of toast. “You just put it in your mouth. But savor it, don’t just scarf it down.”
Laughing, Annemarie follows my lead, taking a bite out of the crackly bread and closing her eyes as she chews it. “Wow,” she moans as she swallows, looking like it’s blown her mind. “I’ve never tasted anything like it. It’s so…”
“Indescribable,” I finish for her.
Annemarie beams at me. “Yes, absolutely. And thank you, Bruce. I never would have been able to experience this if it weren’t for you.” She gestures around with one hand. “Any of this. I feel like I’m in a completely different world, and part of me is afraid I’ll wake up.” She sighs, looking suddenly wistful. “Even with my job, this isn’t the kind of place I can afford, to be honest.”
I frown.
“But they treat you okay at City Girls, right?”
“Of course,” Annemarie replies quickly. “It’s all very classy. The agency only expects its girls to provide companionship, and they don’t offer sex.” She clears her throat and looks away.
I pause for a moment.
“You know I would never judge you for sleeping with one of your clients, right?” I say, looking her in the eyes. “I understand that a woman needs to do what she needs to do.”
Relief washes over Annemarie’s features, and she swallows. “I do have a past, Bruce, and I can’t deny it,” she says, “but I don’t want you to think I sleep with everyone I go out with. He has to be a good man: kind and preferably handsome too.”
“Makes sense,” I reply with a grin, “but you don’t have to do that anymore because I’ve booked all of your available slots going forward for the next three months.” Leaning forward, I put my hand on hers. “I want you to be mine only, Annemarie.”
She gasps and searches my face for any sign that I’m pulling her leg.
“Bruce,” she stammers, still disbelieving. “That’s not - how did you…? I work three nights a week, which isn’t a lot, but still, to fully book them you must have spent a fortune!” It’s true. I did spend a lot, but to a wealthy man like me, it’s just a drop in the bucket.
“Money isn’t an issue sweetheart,” I say simply before taking her hands in mine with a meaningful look. “I want you, Annemarie, because you’re special, and at least while we’re together, no other man should be able to have you.”
She blushes, biting her lip, but I don’t care about showing my possession. There’s no way I’m sharing that curvy body with any man while she’s in my bed, and I hate the thought that she might be seeing other men just to make ends meet. It’s an easy problem for me to solve, so why not?
She bites her lip, making it rosy red and plump. “Well, I guess now that we’re exclusive,” she says, “I should know a bit more about your line of work too, and not just the CEO part. The nitty-gritty, and what makes you tick about Vapopen. You know the not-so-palatable parts of my job, so it’s only fair.”
I think for a moment, my expression rueful. “I can’t say this position isn’t without its challenges,” I begin. “The problem is that e-cigarettes are such a new industry, and they took the world by storm. I think I mentioned we have a dozen government organizations on our backs, from the FDA to Health and Human Services, to a ton of regulators in Europe too.”
“I take it you’re not a fan,” she murmurs.
I snort.
“It’s not the regulations that are the problem,” I say. “It’s what they mean for a going-concern. It seems like all I’m doing anymore is traveling: meeting with politicians, lobbyists, and scientists, to name a few. Hell, we even had to hire a PR firm just to counter all the negative publicity lately and of course, I had to meet with them too to do some strategizing.” Seeing her eyes widen, I add, “That said, we only ever market our products to adults. We absolutely do not market our products to teens, and have no fruity flavors that might get them into vaping. We merely believe that mature adults, and especially those who already use nicotine, should be allowed to have options about how they do it.”
Annemarie nods thoughtfully. “That makes sense. I’m glad you’re running your company in an ethical way because there are so many people who would take the money and run, without caring whom they hurt.”
