CHAPTER 3

"There you go. You wanna do it. Obviously, he does since he offered you whatever amount of money for your company."

"My company." I roll my eyes. "Now, that really sounds like I'm a lady of the night."

She gasps. "This could all be like Pretty Woman. You're both going to fall in love with each other."

"Love is the last thing on my mind right now, Laury."

"You and me both. Okay, back to this offer. Like I said, you both want to do this. And I mean, we are talking about sex, right?"

I nod, still not quite able to say the word. To say what I would be doing for the money.

"I say you take his money and get everything you can out of it. Have mind blowing sex. Let that man bend you every which way."

"I get to pick the hotel."

She slaps my arm. "If you don't tell him to take you to the best hotel you've ever seen in your life."

I laugh, some of the tension releasing, knowing I'm not the only person who would even consider something this crazy.

I take a deep breath. "He gave me his card, told me to text him by tonight if I accept his offer."

"Oh, so not hypothetical. Shocker." She smiles. "What does he want exactly?"

"Every Saturday, for three months."

"And you haven't texted him yet because?"

"Come on, Laury. You can admit this sounds crazy as hell."

"Hell yeah, it does, but it's also what you need right now. So take it, and don't you dare feel a bit of shame or guilt for it. Like I said, enjoy it. The money, him, the hotels. Enjoy it all. Quit this fucking job, fuck that man's brains out, and make sure everyone in the rooms around yours knows you are having a hell of a time."

I throw my head back with laughter. "That's an interesting way to put it."

"Seriously. Way I see it, this is your chance to do whatever you want to in those hotel rooms too. Well, unless he ties you up or something."

I groan. "Definitely not helping, Laury."

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it. But, assuming you can do what you want in there as well, this is the time to let your freak flag fly without worrying about any judgment. You can do whatever with this guy, and at the end of the three months, you'll never see him again. Unless, of course, you guys end up going with my preferred option, and he Pretty Woman's you and sweeps you off your feet at the end of your time together. Either way, it's a win-win for you."

"I swear, only you could make a man offering you $300,000 to sleep with him once a week sound like something out of a romance book."

"Three hundred..." she begins to exclaim.

"Shhh, Laury."

"What the hell are you waiting for?" she loudly whispers. "Text him."

"I still need to think about it some more. I don't really know what I'd be getting myself into if I set foot in a hotel room with him."

She grins. "But God, don't you want to find out?"

"Yeah." I admit.

"Have you told Ka?"

I shake my head. "She'll feel like her illness is forcing me into saying yes."

"Is it?"

"That's a loaded question. Would I even be considering this if it weren't for me needing the money, I have no idea. But of course, the majority of my decision-making process right now is knowing I need that money."

"And the other part?"

"That man is a type of sexy I've never experienced before. And even before he offered money, I was picturing some... hot and heavy things in my mind."

"Yes. That's what I'm talking about." She laughs. "Now text him. I gotta take this order to my table, but I expect to see you with that phone in your hand when I come back."

"Haven't decided yet, " I say at her retreating form.

"Yes, you have!" she shouts back.

I really haven't decided, though. It's so much to consider. No matter how much I need the money, can I really go to a hotel room with Law, basically put myself in his hands, to let him do whatever he likes with me? I don't know. And if I'm being honest, it scares me how much I want to find out.

I'm jolted out of my thoughts about hotel rooms, sex, and money, by a busboy waving his hand in front of my face.

"Hello? Sarah?"

"Sorry." I nervously chuckle at being caught in my own head for the second time tonight. "Yeah?"

"John wants you to get some more napkins out of the stock room," he tells me.

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

Confused as to why John wants me to get the napkins, but figuring he's just being his usual, annoying, jerkish self, I walk past the kitchen, toward the narrow stock room at the end of the hallway. I'm reaching up to the top shelf to get the box of napkins when I hear someone enter the room. A part of me feels like I don't even really need to look down to see who it is. I just know. But, sure enough, when I look over my shoulder, John is there, leaning against the wall, watching me with that creepy smile that makes me want to vomit on his face.

"Such a nice view." He snickers.

Now it makes sense why John had me come get the napkins instead of the busboy he told to tell me. I sigh as I get the box and turn around.

"Yeah, the stock room is quite the sight, isn't it? Excuse me."

He doesn't move an inch. And there's no way I'm sliding past him, rubbing any part of me against any part of him. No. So, we stand there, staring at each other, only the look in his eyes makes my stomach turn. And in that moment, my decision is made. I don't have to deal with this shit. I don't have to deal with John, not for a second longer.

"I quit," I state.

"What did you say?"

"I quit. Get out of my way so I can leave here for the last time."

He scoffs "You can't quit. How are you gonna take care of your half-dead sister?"

I drop the napkin box to the floor and bring my knee up into his balls as hard as I can. He groans before dropping to the floor.

"Don't you ever talk about my sister, you fucking asshole." I kick him in the stomach, loving the cough that leaves him. "And that's for being a fucking creep."

"You bitch." He spits as I step over him. "Don't you ever show your face here again."

"Can't fire me when I just quit!" I yell while walking down the hallway.

Everyone in the kitchen is watching me as I pass through it. People in the dining room are looking around wide-eyed as well, making me wonder how much they could hear out here. I find Laury in the crowd, mouth 'call me,' then leave. I don't go far, though.

Hands shaking, both from the adrenaline rushing through me and from what I'm about to do, I get my phone and the card out of my back pocket. I unlock my phone and press the button to create a new text message. Typing in the number, unexpected excitement fills me. Am I really doing this? Am I really about to agree to Law's offer? I type the message and hurry to press send before I lose my nerve.

Me:The Lincoln. Acct number: 8674057900 HNB Bank.

"Hey, are you okay?" I hear Laury ask behind me.

I turn around as I say, "Yeah. Very much unemployed now, though."

"Oh, we all heard. And I saw John holding his pea-sized balls as he limped to his office." She chuckles. "Good for you. I wish I was in a position to do that."

"I don't even know if I'm in a position to do it." At her furrowed brows, I continue," I texted him. I haven't gotten a response yet."

"You will. Don't worry. I gotta get back, but I'll call you when I get off."

"Thank for checking on me."

"Of course."

A quick hug and I watch her walk back into the diner before looking at my black screen. Adrenaline waning, panic begins to set in. What if everything Law said in the elevator was just some cruel joke, and there's no money, no arrangement, and I just quit my job, the only income I have right now? What if I get no response because he's no longer interested, or I waited too long? What the hell would I do? Going back in there to beg for my job back isn't an option at all. Just as I close my eyes, trying to push away all the thoughts invading my mind, my phone vibrates in my hand. I hurry to open the message.

Unknown:Room 636. 9pm. Don't be late.

Oh. My. God. Oh my God. This is really happening. He's booked a room. Holy shit. I'm going to meet him tomorrow. I'll be in a room, doing whatever he wants tomorrow.

A moment later, my phone vibrates again. I look at it, expecting to see another text from Law, but instead I see a deposit alert from my banking app. How the hell could I have forgotten to check that immediately after the text from him? It’s the reason I'm even doing all of this. Or, I can admit it's most of the reason after my talk with Laury. Because yeah, another, small part of me, the part right between my thighs, wants to explore what doing whatever he wants feels like.

I open the app and my eyes damn near pop out of my head when I see a deposit for $30,000 pending. It’s the amount he told mehe'd put in my account, but actually seeing it there, waiting to be spent to solve so many problems, has my hand going to my mouth, muffling the small sound of disbelief that comes from it.

Then I'm whooping, jumping up and down, probably looking like a real lunatic to anyone walking down the street. But I don't care. I turn around and put my middle finger up toward the diner, even though John can't see me. I get into my car and sit there for a moment, letting the situation really sink in. I've texted him. The room is booked. $30,000 is sitting in my account. This is really happening. Even knowing all of this, I still can't believe it. Maybe it won't truly feel real until I'm in the room, looking at Law, those gray eyes staring back at me, waiting for me to yield to his every demand.

After a few minutes, and saving Law's name in my contacts, I finally start the car and begin the ride home. I look at my phone every few minutes, wondering if I'll get another text from him, with more instructions, more commands, but by the time I reach my house, I accept that just those few words he sent me will be all I'm getting from him tonight.

But tomorrow... At this same time tomorrow, I'll be in a room at The Lincoln, face to face with Law, his hands on me, his mouth on me, him inside of me. I don't really know a single thing that will happen in that hotel room tomorrow, but my mind supplies me with plenty of possibilities. Us in various stages of undress, in different positions, my mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure I can only hope for at this point.

So many unknowns, but one thing is sure. In less than twenty-four hours, I'll know if I made the best or worst decision of my life.