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“Thank you for answering my questions. I would now like to begin negotiations.”
“Yes, let’s. Please.”
He sounded hopeful, eager. She liked eager. She needed eager.
“I have settled on a price. The price is not negotiable, though other aspects of this transaction are.”
“Go ahead,” he said.
“One million pounds.”
August’s eyes widened but he didn’t laugh, gasp or kick her right out on her tailbone.
“One million,” he said. “That’s a lot of money, Lia.”
“I know, and I am sorry,” she said. She did know and she was sorry.
“Hmm...” He raised a dark eyebrow, pointed a finger at her, wagged it. “Sudden change of heart about selling. Nonnegotiable money. Deer in the headlights look in your eyes. You’re being blackmailed, aren’t you?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Does to me,” he said. “I’m a sacred prostitute. You’re a madam. It’s all the same game. When someone comes at one of us, they come at all of us.”
“I appreciate that,” she said, and was surprised to find she did truly appreciate his allegiance. “Let’s say you’re right, and I am being blackmailed. What of it? You want the Rose Kylix. I need the money.”
“You should reconsider paying off your blackmailer. They can keep coming at you even after you’ve kept up your end of the bargain.”
“I have no other choice.” Not if she wanted to protect Rani, Georgy and Jane.
“Can’t you talk to your parents?”
“Absolutely not and for reasons I won’t discuss with you.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Forget I mentioned it.”
“What about the deal?” she asked. “I don’t have a lot of time. If you don’t want to buy the kylix, I’ll find someone who will.”
He sighed. “Considering I spent nearly that much on antiques at Christie’s two weeks ago, I can hardly complain that you’re pricing yourself out of the market. I suppose we have a deal,” he said, and held out his hand to shake.
She did not shake his hand. “That’s not all I want.”
“There’s more?” Now she’d gotten to him. Finally, he sat down in the chair opposite her and leaned forward as if he hadn’t quite heard her right. “Your father paid fifty grand for the cup. Now you want twenty times that, and you’re saying there’s more?”
“Yes.” Lia carried on, ignoring his protest. She sat up straighter in her chair and casually, too casually, twirled the little silver ring she wore around her index finger. “In addition to the one million, I would like to employ your services.”
“My services?” August repeated. He blinked. Twice.
“Yes,” she said. “Specifically, I would like us to repeat Saturday night’s...event. I want us to drink from the kylix again. And again. And again. Really, as often as we safely can in the next week before we make our trade. Do you agree to that?”
“Of course,” he said. “It would be my pleasure.”
“And also...” Lia cleared her throat. “I would like us to, you know.”
“I know?”
“You know...”
August sat back, rested his elbow on the chair arm and stroked his chin.
