Sizzle Read Free Page A

got lucky at a local thrift store and bought it for twenty bucks. It’s short sleeved, the necessary choice for an Arizona summer. The white silk blouse beneath is buttoned to my throat and not the greatest for the heat. I was told to wear office business attire so I wouldn’t attract attention in one of Phoenix’s oldest hotels.
    My cheap heels click against the shiny tile as I make my way to the front desk.
    “I have an appointment to meet with Mr. Gomez,” I tell the desk clerk.
    “Your name?” she asks with a flick of her head that whips her hair over her shoulder. She’s a pretty girl with an average job that wouldn’t come close to producing the amount of money I need. I envy her.
    “Celina,” I say because I’m suddenly embarrassed to give her my decided-upon escort name of Ce Ce. So very stupid that I didn’t think about what I would tell her in advance.
    “And a last name?”
    “Celina, just Celina,” I tell her stupidly.
    She raises her eyebrows but otherwise remains professional. She clicks away on the computer in front of her before glancing at me again for a closer inspection. “One moment and I’ll ring the room.”
    She picks up the phone and presses several numbers. “Mr. Gomez, I have a woman here to see you. Her name is Celina, no last name given.” Her eyes swipe my body once more. “Yes, sir, I’ll send her up.” Now she looks me directly in the eyes. “Fourteenth floor and you need this pin number in the elevator. She writes the pin and room number on a piece of hotel stationery and holds it out to me.
    I have no doubt she knows precisely why I’m here. Pink suffuses my cheeks as I take the paper from her hand. “Thank you,” I say before turning away and heading to the elevator that she pointed to. Maybe in the next weeks I’ll grow accustomed to feeling like a hooker. It most definitely won’t be today.
    I’m twenty-four years old and I’ve had sex with exactly two men in my life. I was a very late bloomer, and my high school years were spent feeling awkward and out of place. The first guy I slept with was during my freshman year at State College. Our on-again, off-again relationship lasted halfway into my sophomore year. The next man came along my junior year and lasted until a few months ago. We were engaged until I caught him having “ride ’em cowboy” sex with my roommate. She was doing the riding. He’s a class A loser and I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out.
    The elevator doors close with a low ping after I enter the code into the electronic panel. I inhale slowly and try to soothe my nerves. The interior is mirrored, and after a quick glance at myself, I determine I look as scared as I feel. I suck in a few deep breaths to settle my nerves, though the information I have on Mr. Gomez isn’t exactly calming.
     
    Oral only
    Likes it dirty and rough
    Demanding
    Control freak
     
    And the list goes on. The other escorts seemed to enjoy their time with him if the number of requests to be called when he wants a hook up are correct. Chances are good he won’t be an old geezer and for that I’m relieved. Mak warned me that the billionaire club has an intravenous connection to Viagra. She also told me whatever happens after the door closes with me and a client is my business. My fifty percent cut of the hourly fee is based on companionship only. Negotiations for more than that fall squarely on my shoulders, though the service handles all credit card transactions. I also have permission to leave if I’m asked to do something I can’t handle.
    Not likely. This is all about the money. A picture of my three-year-old niece, Kiley, flashes through my mind. Her curly red hair and her cherub downturned lips strengthen my resolve. This is for her. I need a lot of money and I need it within the next thirty days. Escorting is the only job that will get it for me in time to save her.
    The elevator makes another soft ping before the doors open, and then I walk out