The Bound Bride Read Free

she read these words:
    A rich man is a lonely man without a lady on his arm. BE that lady! Be his dinner date. Be his friend. Organize his home. Organize his life. He NEEDS a companion.
    Is it YOU?
    Sign up today!
    Cassandra’s eyes drifted to the top of the phone. For the first time, she was the web address.
    LeaseALady.com.
    No way .
    Cassandra bolted from her seat and glared down at Iris.
    “What is that?”
    “Cass—”
    “What is it? Are you… are you suggesting I… what? Prostitute myself for a quick buck?”
    “Cassandra—”
    “Cause that’ll solve everything . Can’t be a waitress? No problem. Be a whore. Thanks, Iris.”
    She started towards the bathroom, the only other room in the place. Iris was on her feet. She grabbed Cassandra’s wrist and held her in place.
    “It’s not like that.”
    “Right.”
    “Cass, this is something that a few of the other girls at the diner are doing.”
    “Good for them.”
    “Just listen to me!”
    Iris often raised her voice. She was excitable, passionate. And foolish. But Cassandra always said that she like having Iris on her side. Iris had her own history of bad calls that she rarely learned from. But try telling her that.
    “I’m listening,” Cassandra whispered.
    Iris released her grip and scanned through the site.
    “Better. And just remember, I’d never steer you wrong.”
    She trusted Iris, but that remained to be seen.
    “Here’s the deal, Cass. The men who make the money still need things. They need wives . Or what a wife does. Cook, clean, watch the kids. But he’s too busy for bars. Even too busy for speed dating.”
    Now that was busy.
    “So you sign up for this sight, they screen you, and you find yourself a… a benefactor.”
    Even in those terms, it still sounded shady. What happened after lights out for the little ones?
    “Well, I guess this is the answer,” Cassandra said. “Playing with perverts.”
    Iris sighed.
    “Like you’re such a prude. Cass, it’s safe. They screen you. Take your particulars. They take his. And it’s money. If you don’t mind scouring a pot now and then!”
    Iris’s words and the images of retro styled housewives and cabaret dates made it sound tame. And tempting. Her eyes settled on a blonde, blue girl smiling at an olive-skinned Adonis. They clinked glasses. And the girl, even if she was a model, or an actress, looked completely relaxed. She had no worries. She was happy.
    Cassandra took the phone from Iris and clicked to the screen where she was invited to register. It was easy. And it was free. The second part appealed to her most. She was about to be evicted. The next knock wouldn’t be just Iris.
    “And… and it’s not a… sex thing?” Cassandra asked.
    Iris patted her shoulder.
    “It canbe, Cass.
    That wasn’t a total turn off. Iris had called it. Cassandra wasn’t shy.
    “But it doesn’t have to be. These two girls I know? One’s got a profile that says she’s down for anything .”
    “And the other?” Cassandra asked.
    “She’s there when he gets home, sees that he’s fed, and leaves him with a beer and a ballgame.”
    That didn’t sound horrible. Cassandra would even be up for sticking around for the beer.
    “Cass, come on. It’s like a… like a housekeeper who can engage in topics he’s interested in. Bet a lot of these guys would dig a girl who knows her Rembrandts!”
    Or else they just wanted a good meal. Cassandra wasn’t the world’s best cook, but she could follow a recipe and present something edible. And kids? If they were sweet, she was sold. So…
    “Cass?”
    She smiled at Iris and took a deep breath as she decided to sign up.

 
     
    Chapter Three
     
     
    Cassandra took the elevator to the fourteenth floor and stepped into an ultra-modern reception area. Everything was stainless steel and floor to ceiling windows. It was blinding. She looked at the main desk and saw LeaseALady in emerald green letters. Like her eyes. She’d take it as a sign that she was