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Memphis shuddered and then stared down at her hands. Her reactions to Remy’s words made me think she’d be more than interested in exploring his sexual needs, if he’d allow it. The thought of seeing her on her knees, blindfolded and bound while Remy played with her made me shift in my seat. I’d never given a shit enough to even think about Remy’s darker games before, but with Memphis, I wanted to watch and play along.
“Was Wells painting?” She looked between the two of us and judged our silence as what it was, an omission. “What is it? Is he okay?”
I felt warmth at the concern in her voice for our brother. It was what made me speak when normally, I never would’ve said a word about Wells. “He doesn’t care about going out all that much. Especially to stores and smaller places.”
She sat forward. “Is he agoraphobic?”
Remy tensed beside me. “And if he is?”
“If he is, it’s a really terrible thing to go through. My little brother struggled with it for several years.” Her face darkened and she looked away. “He did seem different at the interview.”
“Struggled, being past tense? How did he manage to get through it?” I watched as her eyes pinched, like she was in pain, and my stomach dropped.
Memphis busied her hands with the hem of her dress and blew out a shaky breath that felt heavy with a lot of ache. “He found drugs. If he was high enough, nothing bothered him. Each come down was a little worse, though, and now…he’s in rehab.”
I wanted to pull her into my lap and comfort her, an alien emotion for me, but I could tell by the way she straightened her shoulders and cleared the emotion from her face that she didn’t want to be comforted in that moment. “Wells gets by,” I said. “He’s okay. If there’s something he doesn’t have to do, though, he’ll pass.”
“This isn’t something he’d appreciate us talking about.” Remy ran his hand through his hair and rolled his neck back and forth. “Let’s just leave it at that.”
“That’s fine with me. You should know that it doesn’t change the way I see Wells, though.” Memphis looked back out the window and smiled. “Is crowning kid really a yoga pose? Second question. Can I see you do it?”
I laughed at Remy’s shocked expression. He hadn’t been prepared for her wit, I could tell. I loved watching him lose his footing and it happened so rarely that when it did, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning.
Remy grunted. “Cute.”
Memphis relaxed into her seat and then pushed the button to roll the partition down. Twisting around to face Jake, she spoke to the man like he was her oldest friend. “Hi, Jake! I’m sorry I didn’t say hello before, but I was distracted by being told I’m being cast as the newest Pretty Woman. Taken shopping by these rich guys, I just hope no one snaps a jewelry box shut in my face.”
Jake’s shoulders shook as he laughed. “I don’t think anyone will believe you as a prostitute, Memphis. You’re just too sweet and innocent.”
Remy’s snort wasn’t unnoticed by Memphis, but it was ignored. Thankfully. The last thing I needed was to find out if the stereotype about southern women being sneakily tough was true.
23.
***Memphis***
IwalkedbetweenBooneand Remy into the first store they chose and tried to hide my horror at being in such an expensive place. I could tell from the scent in the air alone that I was too poor to be inside. I just had to play the part that I’d written myself. Remy’s hand was solidly planted on my back, keeping me from running like I wanted to. If not for that hand, I would’ve been sprinting back to Jake in the car.
A stunningly perfect blonde woman appeared and beamed at the three of us with the whitest teeth I’d ever seen. She clasped her hands together in front of her very perky boobs and practically bounced in place. “Mr. Hawke. It’s so good to see you again. Thank you for choosing to stop in with me today.”
Remy nodded and his fingers flexed over my back. “This is my brother, Dr. Hawke, and this is your client for the afternoon, Ms. King.”
The woman turned her megawatt smile on first Boone and then finally me. “It’s so nice to meet you, Ms. King. I’m Amanda and I’ll be your stylist today. I’ve dressed several of Mr. Hawke’s friends and I’ve never let anyone leave without making sure they were dressed for success.”
I wanted to narrow my eyes at Remy and maybe even kick him in the knee. He’d brought me to the place where he dressed all of his women? I lightly shrugged his hand off my back and smiled back at Amanda. “I appreciate your help, Amanda.”
“I have your sitting area ready for you, Mr. Hawke. If you need anything else, Stacy will be right outside, waiting for instruction.” Amanda gently took my hand. “Now, let’s get started.”
I could hear Boone whispering at Remy as I was led away. “You’re an idiot.”
“Do you have nude undergarments on? Strapless? They’d be best for today.” Amanda dropped her bright smile and let her face slip into something more natural as she looked me over. “If not, it’ll be okay. We’ll just have an assistant pick up whatever size we need.”
I looked down at my body like I’d never seen it before. “Um… Pink underwear and a white bra. I didn’t know where we were going until it was too late to change into something more appropriate.”
Amanda nodded along like my words made sense, so I hoped I was pretending to be wealthy well enough. “We have a few options that require nudity underneath so we’ll try those on first while I send for the right underclothes. Come, come. Let’s get you out of this cute dress and into something much sexier.”
I was too floored by the idea of not wearing anything under my clothing to protest when I was led into a large changing room and helped out of my clothes. When my bra hit the floor and disappeared, I wrapped my arms around myself and wondered if wealth made you more comfortable being exposed in front of others. Amanda seemed to think stripping me naked was the most normal thing in the world. I might’ve giggled while I imagined that being the protocol at all clothing stores, even Target or Wal-Mart.
Amanda took measurements, getting way too familiar with my body as she did, and then spent a minute on her phone before approaching me with the first costume. Costume, because it was so far out of something any normal person would wear, with a neckline down to my belly and tiny black beads masquerading as fabric.
