Billy
I could hear Bex working at her desk; or rather I could hear her slamming the stapler with enough force to penetrate her desk. That meant one of two things; either she was ready to go home and was waiting, rather impatiently, for me to let her go, or she was expecting the inevitable; my need for her to run some errands to prepare for my date. I don't want to say she was accustomed to such things, as I wasn't much of a dater to begin with, but in this particular circumstance she was the one responsible for the date in question. I looked at the garish red mark circling Valentine's Day on my desk calendar. I pushed the intercom button. "Bex?"
Her response or rather one might say her passive aggressive non-response was another round of punishment with the stapler.
"Bex?"
I waited for her to respond then started to get up from my desk, only to find her standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips.
"Is everything all right?"
"Oh, everything is swell."
"Then what's with the office brutality?"
She glared.
"I don't know why you're pissed. I mean; this wasn't my idea. You want to brutalize something, go find my father and take it out on him."
"Just tell me what you need so I can get out of here." She stepped across the threshold and stopped just inside my office. "Between you and him, this is going to be a long week for me and I don't have time to play matchmaker."
I grinned. “Play matchmaker? First off, I don't know who him is. And secondly, there's not going to be anything after this date. It's a one-time thing. And thirdly... well, I don't have a third, but if I did, it would certainly add to my valid argument. I really don't like it when you're pissed off at me. You've too many things that can be used as weapons at your disposal."
Bex's stance softened. "Fine. Fine. I know it's not your fault, but on second consideration, I don't think it's a good idea that you go with Connor."
I glanced up from my paperwork. "Connor?"
"Connor, my brother. You know, from another mother that I told you about.”
“Wait. You’re setting me up with your half-brother? The same half-brother who..."
"Yes. The one and only: Connor Chase."
I leaned back, my hands flat on the desk blotter. "When you said you knew just the person, I didn't expect..."
“A high-priced male escort, maybe the highest-price male escort on the Eastern seaboard?”
'Well, yeah."
"The truth...I was being a little vindictive and petty." She shrugged. "This may come as a shock to you, but sometimes… it happens." She feigned interest in the mess on my desk and started straightening up. "Besides, he's probably not the right choice for this situation." She held up a finger for emphasis. "Not to mention, there's the off chance that he'll be recognized by some of your more moneyed attendees at the gala."
I couldn't help the grin that blossomed on my face. I had a date with Connor Chase. "No. You're wrong. I think he's a perfect choice."
"Wipe that smile off your face Billy Hyde."
"What?"
"This is not the right time for you to stick it to your father."
I gasped melodramatically. "I don't know what you mean." I actually was being honest about that. It didn't occur to me that a date with Connor Chase had a silver lining, you know, besides it being a date with Connor Chase. He's going to wish I had shown up with my Meme's Chihuahua.
"You are the worst of liars. That grin of yours speaks volumes. And Connor's not a plaything."
"For the right amount of money, I think he'll be anything I want him to be." The words sounded callous and I regretted them before I finished speaking. Bex blinked at me. My eyes weren't the only ones that spoke volumes. "Bex, I didn't mean..."
She squared her shoulders and stared through me. "No, you're right. Anything you want." She looked up at the ceiling and I could tell she was taking calming breaths. "I have a couple of things to finish up at my desk and then I can get with you for the details."
"Bex? I didn't mean that."
"It doesn't matter. It's the truth. I don't like what he does. I never have. But he's an adult and there's not much I can do about it. Believe me, I’ve tried. At least this way I’ll know the silver-spoon-fed ass who'll be paying our rent and every expense for the next year." It was her turn to grin. "You might want to make a little transfer to your expense account."
"I already have."
Her grin blossomed even bigger. "I know. It's not enough."
I did a double take to ensure she was sincere but didn't blink.
She started to leave then paused and turned back to me; her confrontational stance was suddenly gone. "Is Rand going to be at the gala?"
I nodded. "You better believe it. If I have to be at this thing, he, sure as hell, has to be." I studied her for a moment. "Bex? Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
She straightened up and shook her head. "No. No. I was just curious." She whirled around quickly and left.
I paused and listened for a further assault with the stapler, but all was quiet.
I heard Rand greeting Bex before he came into the office. "She looks like she might want to kill something or someone. What did you do?" He settled into his usual spot.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Just my normal charming self."
"Well, sometimes that's enough."
"I may need a little loan."
Rand's father wouldn't finance his gallivanting across the country, but Rand still had a sizable fortune at his disposal. I wasn't destitute by any stretch of the imagination, but a trail of funds being transferred for the acquisition of what amounted to a prostitute was probably not the best idea.
"When do you need it?" He had pulled out his phone and looked at me expectantly.
I looked at my calendar. "Preferably by Friday."
"How much?"
I'd already transferred a hundred thousand, but that was before I knew it was Connor Chase.
"250."
Rand tapped quickly on his phone. "You want it in your regular account?"
I nodded.
"Done and dusted." He slipped his phone back in his pocket. "So, is Bex going to be at the gala?"
"Are you going to ask her? You better hurry. Don't make her be the man in this relationship."
"Hey! That's a terribly sexist remark. It's thinking like that..."
"She's set me up with her brother, well, half brother, anyways, and she's having doubts."
"Connor Chase?" Holy hell. "The Connor Chase?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"How do you know Connor Chase?"
"I don't know him. I just know of him. I don't have to pay for it. I mean come on." He gestured at his face and body as if he were illustrating the proverbial whole package.
I shook my head. "And you just happened to know he's Bex's brother."
"I'm a man of many talents. Knowing things just happens to be one of them."
I grinned. Rand did have a knack for knowing things, I couldn't deny that, but I'll be the first to admit he doesn't know everything. His several risky dot-com ventures proved to be disastrous, financially; at least disastrous for someone of meager means, I suppose.
"I know what you're thinking right now and those were just missteps of bad timing."
"Uh-huh. So you just have bad timing, is that it?" I waited as he pondered my unspoken thoughts.
"In those particular incidents, yes." He frowned. He didn't enjoy pointing out his own foibles. Not many people knew and the fewer people the better as far as he was concerned. He wasn't embarrassed about many things, but this was a particular sore point.
"So, what do you know about this Connor Chase?"
"Well, he's Bex's brother, for one. But, you know that already." Rand was looking at his nails like he was contemplating a manicure and talking about the consistency of mud. "He's worth a couple of million, at least on official financial records, so chances are he's worth at least twice as much. No legitimate source of income. He's in high demand. Works one day a year and that's Valentine's Day" He did the whole parenthetical rabbit ears when he said the word: works.
I looked up at that. "How is that possible?"
Rand smiled to himself. "This coming from someone who just asked me to loan him 250 grand."
"No I mean, that I know, but one date a year?"
"Oh, I'm sure he dates plenty. Have you seen him? I'd go bi for him."
"Hey! He's my date. What about me? Get your own."
Rand drew his attentive stare from his nails to me. "Billy. I'd go bi for you too."
"That's not... That's not what I meant." I'd be lying if I said I'd never thought of Rand that way. He was everything I found attractive in a man. All the boxes were checked: smart, funny, charismatic, charming, and had what some might call movie star good looks. His athletic frame drew the eye as much as those good looks. I shook my head.
"You're thinking about it." He pretended to cover himself as if he were naked.
I threw up my hands. "I don't have time for this."
Even his laugh was appealing. "I'm just giving you a hard time. I mean for $250 thousand, I should get something in return."
"Whatever. Why don't you worry about Rand and who he's taking to this little shindig."
Rand threw a glance at the door.
"Just ask her already. I'm 101% certain she'd say yes." Rand sank into the chair.
"Say yes to what?" Bex glanced at Rand and me. I nodded in Bex's direction and gave him the ‘What are you waiting for look.'
If looks could kill... I'd be nailed to my chair.
"I want my money back."
"Sorry Rand, the money's already been transferred." Bex stepped further into my office. "Now, ask me what?"
He stood slowly then ducked his head, eyebrows raised hopefully. "To the Gala. As my...date?"
I have to say I've never seen Rand like this before. He's normally, offering his lap as a seat, and their witty banter was peppered with innuendo. Now he looked like he hoped the floor would open up and swallow him whole.
Bex started to say something then came to an abrupt stop. She looked back at me and then back at Rand again. "Well, it's about damn time you asked. I mean it's only three days away and a girl can't just wait in the wind hoping some brain-dead man will ..."
"Bex?" I interrupted.
She threw an inquisitive glance in my direction.
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes." That was all she said then looked at her watch. "Is there anything else you need?" She glared at me while paying Rand no more attention as she tapped her foot expectantly.
I glanced at Rand and he didn't seem the least bit put off, but rather relieved not to be the object of Bex's scorn.
"No. No. You're good. You can go."
Bex twirled around and exited without so much as a good night but I heard her mumbling something about three days' notice. I turned my attention to Rand.
"I'll give you another $250 thousand if you don't say another word." Rand pleaded.
"That was...priceless. Absolutely priceless."
"$500 thousand."
I shook my head. "That little puppy dog expression of yours, at the end... I mean really. I thought you were a player." I shook my head with a great deal of feigned disappointment.
"Hey. In my defense, my timing wasn't right, at all." Rand rose and straightened his jacket and tie.
"You better not let Bex hear that. Especially if she's anywhere near office equipment.” I winced automatically.
A pained expression flashed across his face that probably mirrored my own. The very notion of what she could do with a stapler sent shivers through me.
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