January (Calendar Girl #1) Anthology Anthology Read Free Page B

Way ahead on that one. I’d given myself a strong talking to after meeting with Millie and agreeing to the job.
    3. Don’t speak unless spoken to. You are there to be pretty and charming when called for. Discuss the needs with the client before any social or professional events so you are in agreement on your position.
    What are we? Five? Be a Barbie doll. Got it. That’s easy enough.
    4. Make yourself available at all times. If the client wants to stay in, you will stay in with them. Be respectful, mind your manners, and follow the client’s lead. If he is looking for companionship, offering to cuddle is acceptable. Sex is not required.
    She wants me to cuddle with the client when he wants to fuck? I laughed out loud. That’s going to be an interesting transition. “Hey there fella, wanna cuddle with me?” A snicker left my lips as I continued to read.
    5. Sex with clients is not included in the contract. If you choose to offer sexual companionship, that is of your choosing and is not the responsibility of Exquisite Escorts. We do, however, require all of our escorts to be on some form of birth control that can be proven at any given time. A blood test may be requested.
    Where does she come up with this shit? I mean, really? Who would want to get pregnant by a man they’ve just met and didn’t love? Oh yeah, rich men, dumb women. A cocktail for disaster. Well, I’m not one of those women. Once my dad is safe and his debt paid off, it’s back to my life. Whatever that is.
    Glancing at the clock I realized it was time to go. Even though Millie wanted me to arrive in one of her limos, I assured her I’d meet the client. That was my one term. If this first go around worked out, then I’d be more willing to have her clients pick me up. For now, I was leery as hell and would take my bike, even though I promised her I’d take a cab. Like she’d find out anyway.
    Donning my sexiest black jeans and a black tight mesh top, I added my cropped leather jacket and tall suede knee-high boots. I knew Millie would kill me if she saw this getup, but I needed the element of surprise to check out this Weston Charles Channing, the third , before I willingly agreed to be his companion for the next four weeks. 
    Finally the text arrived. It was from an unknown number.
    To: Mia Saunders
    From: Unknown Number
    Looking forward to meeting you. El Matador Beach. Find the concrete stairway down to the beach. I’ll see you soon.
     
    Cryptic. He’s having me meet him at the beach at eight in the morning? Quickly, I pick up my iPhone and ask Siri for directions, noting it’s seven now. The computer-automated voice brought up the beach and showed it was six miles northwest of Malibu. Must be close to his home because it was a solid hour on my bike to the beach from my studio apartment in downtown Los Angeles. My apartment wasn’t much, just a few hundred square feet of space where the futon I bought for fifty bucks in a yard sale doubled as my couch and bed, but it’s what I could afford. Looking around, I noted that I’d made it as homey as I could. The walls were a soft beige, and though the furniture was hodgepodge and mismatched, it somehow worked.
     
    It’s the first place I could ever call my own. And I had to leave it. I grabbed the bottle of water on the counter and poured its remains into the one potted bamboo plant I had on the tiny kitchen counter. It was a sad attempt at being green, but it was supposed to be a lucky plant. Hopefully, the plant would survive. As I walked out the door, backpack slung over my shoulder and helmet in hand, I realized just how much the plant and I had in common. I sure hoped I survived this absence too.
     
    ***
     
    Loose gravel and rocks shot across the earth as Suzi, skidded to a stop before hitting the metal girder that ended just before a rocky cliff. The concrete staircase I’d been searching up and down the beach for was clearly visible from this parking area. This section of the beach