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“Then how do you explain all the time he spends with you? And all the gifts—the lingerie and a fancy new car that was just as expensive as my Mercedes.” Her lips protruded in a pout. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into selling my precious baby.”
“Because you needed the money to pay off those credit card debts you failed to tell me about,” Eden said. “And Nash did not buy me a car. The guy at the automotive repair shop loaned it to me while he’s fixing mine.”
Madison stared at her as if she were crazy. “Automotive repair shops do not usually loan people cars—especially brand-new Porsche 911s.”
Eden stopped holding her nose and lowered her smoothie. It did seem strange that they would loan her such a nice car. When she had first gotten it, she had been terrified of scratching the pretty red paint, but Nash had told her that the automotive repair shop had insurance. But now that she thought about it…
“So you think the car is from Nash?” she said. “But how would he arrange that?”
“Because he’s a billionaire, Eden. Money can arrange anything. Georgie once arranged for me to have dinner with Brad Pitt… without Angelina Jolie and all their kids.” She flapped a hand. “Of course, it was perfectly platonic. But that just proves that money talks, and if a man wants to give you a gift, he will. And speaking of gifts…” She turned and walked around the breakfast bar. “You have three more. One by regular mail and two by separate couriers.” She knelt and pulled three boxes out from under the bed—two average-size and one small. Eden recognized the writing on the small one immediately.
“Mimi and Pops,” she said. And even before she peeled back the four layers of packing tape, she knew what she’d find. She lifted out the baggie of marijuana, and Madison’s eyes widened.
“And here I thought you were kidding?”
Eden released an exasperated sigh. “I wish.” She put the baggie back in the box to flush later before opening the next box. She expected more lingerie. Instead, beneath the layer of tissue paper, she found a beautiful gold gown.
Madison sighed as Eden lifted it from the box. “I didn’t know French Kiss made princess gowns.”
“I didn’t either.” Eden stared in confusion at the beaded gown that looked like it belonged in a Shakespearian play. She reached for the purple envelope that was left in the box, hoping for some kind of explanation. Inside was an invitation that matched the envelope, but before Eden caught more than a glance of scrolled letters and dark purple kisses, Madison released a squeal and jerked the invitation away from her.
“Oh. My. Gosh! Do you know what this is?” She did a little happy jump that had her big boobs bouncing. “It’s an invitation to the Lover’s Ball this Saturday night. And that must be the costume you’re supposed to wear.”
The ball had been on Eden’s upcoming events to cover for the newspaper, but since being fired, she hadn’t given it much thought until now. She wondered why Nash hadn’t mentioned wanting to invite her.
“Now open this box.” Madison thrust the other box at her. “I’m dying to know what goes with your costume.”
The other box held another costume. This one a deep purple with black lace. As soon as Madison saw it, she released another squeal. “This doesn’t go with your costume at all. And if that costume is yours, then this one must be mine.” She pulled out the dress and held it up to her. It looked a little small, but Eden wasn’t about to point that out when Madison was so happy. She twirled around the room, the dress flaring out around her. “We’re going to the ball! And with any luck, I’ll find me a prince.”
“Oh no,” Eden said, “you’re not soliciting at the Lover’s Ball. You’re not an escort anymore, remember?”
Madison stopped twirling. “I’m not talking about going back to being an escort. You’re right, that is too risky a business. But I’ve been thinking… since I’m so good at taking care of rich, old men, what if I marry one? And don’t look so surprised. We both know that, with my lack of job experience, I’m not going to get hired. But even though I have no job experience, I do have man experience. I know exactly what makes them happy. And isn’t that a wife’s job?”
“But what about love?”
Madison laughed. “I stopped waiting for love a long time ago, sweetie.”
It was a sad statement, and Madison’s laughing acceptance made it all the more so. And Eden became even more determined to help her friend.
“Well, I love you,” she said. “And I’m not going to let you sell yourself to the highest bidder. You’re much too smart for that.” She moved over to her laptop on the breakfast bar and brought up a job website. “How are you with kids? There’s an opening at a daycare for a van driver.”
Madison put down the costume and moved behind her. “I’m good with kids. I helped raise my siblings. It’s just doubtful that the daycare would hire me to drive their van. As you know, I have a bit of a problem keeping under the speed limit, and besides the speeding tickets, there were a few little fender benders when I first learned how to parallel park.”
Eden moved on. “Okay, what about working in retail. There’s a job opening at a jewelry store in Union Square—”
Madison clapped her hands. “A jewelry store? Like diamonds and sapphires? Oh my gosh. I would love to work at a jewelry store!”
Realizing exactly where Madison’s paychecks would go, Eden closed her laptop and turned with a smile. “Let’s keep looking,” she said brightly. “I’ll find you something better than an escort or gold digger, or my name isn’t Eden Huckabee.”
Once at work, Eden spent the first two hours searching jobsites and making a list of possible opportunities for Madison. After Madison brought up her experience with older men, Eden decided to focus on retirement and convalescent homes. Although most of the facilities wanted experienced applicants, she figured there was a chance that they would hire Madison. Especially if Eden coached her on being persistent.
Eden’s job search was more fruitful than her search for information on Nash. She found nothing else on him or his girlfriend’s suicide. Wondering if she’d missed something, she pulled up the story again and reread it. Then she pulled up the picture she’d saved of them. She was staring at Nash’s smiling face and wondering what had happened to dim the smile when Mike walked into the janitor’s closet.
“So there you are.”
She closed the file and swiveled her chair around. “Let me guess, Stella hasn’t missed me at all.”
Mike grinned. “No, but I have. Where have you been?”
