AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Wrong?” I offered.
“In a sense. It’s just an odd practice. Legal prostitution.”
“Is that what this is?”
He moved closer to me. “It can be whatever you want it to be. I did pay for you after all.”
I couldn’t breathe. Yes he had paid for my company. Was this what he wanted? Me?
I wanted him, that was for sure.
He dragged his finger along my leg and let his eyes lock with mine. “Do you want to go home?”
“No,” I admitted honestly. He sent a text on his phone and I wondered what was so pressing that he needed to do so at that moment.
“Okay then, are you hungry?”
For so much. “Yes.”
“Perfect, there will be food…” he said mysteriously, his lips parting in a smile, showing his white teeth.
I played along. “Owen, where are we going?”
I turned to look out the window and realized we were driving away from Chicago, heading northwest. Of course, there were many potential destinations in that direction, but I could think of only one that would be crazy enough for Owen to have picked.
We were heading for O’Hare International Airport.
I swallowed hard. I had been ready to go to a restaurant or a late showing of a movie, but flying somewhere? That was something else, and I wasn’t sure I was onboard with that.
But I was excited too! It would be the adventure I had always dreamed of – to be swept off my feet by a prince and fly to Europe or Asia, somewhere so far away that no problems at home could ever catch up to me.
“I’m not telling.”
“So, it’s a surprise? Where are you taking me?”
“As a matter of fact, it is a surprise. Where would you like to go?”
I considered it. I had been to France and some neighboring countries during my gap year in college, and they all looked about the same to me, beautiful old ruins. I would’ve liked to go somewhere warm, where we could spend their days on the beach or by the pool, eating fruits and drinking wine all day. Maybe we could rent a convertible and cruise along the coastline, the ones shown in TV commercials. People in those shows always looked happy. But that didn’t really matter. I knew I would go anywhere with him.
Instead of a reply, I asked, “Where would you like to go, Owen?”
He took no time to think. “Away. I want to just leave and never come back to this… life.”
“I wish I could do that. I have family to look after.”
“Of course,” he agreed. “You’ll have to introduce us sometime.”
“Sometime, I will. What’s stopping you? From leaving, I mean.”
“Work, mostly, but let’s not bring that up. If I can escape even for a few days, I’ll take it. And you’re off right? For summer?”
I wasn’t going to tell him about my crap job at the supermarket, that I was using to pay Declan’s bills. He would be okay for a few days, I needed a break.
I took out my phone and sent out several texts. One was to Julia, telling her that the date night went well, and I would be out of town for a few days. The other one was to my brother, with a similar message, minus the details. And the third one was to my job, calling in sick. Given how many extra hours I had worked, they wouldn’t mind too much. Last time I had checked, I was the most productive person at that place.
“Yes,” I said. “It’s all taken care of, but I don’t have clothes or anything.”
“Where we’re going, you won’t need them.” Warmth crept up my cheeks before he added. “Anything you can’t live without we’ll buy.”
