Call Me Cat (Call Me Cat Trilogy #1)(13)

But my clothes had been shredded, down to my last pair of underwear. And it would take weeks of work to buy everything back.

Fortunately, the portrait of my parents had been spared. It had been tossed to the ground, crushed in the glass of its frame, but hadn't been badly damaged.

I was grateful to have a home to stay with over break, but it did present a unique challenge to my current employment. "Hey, I still have to work for the next few weeks, or I won't be able to afford food and housing for spring semester."

She looked over at me, and her eyes widened. "You cannot have phone sex while at my parents' house!"

"Brig, I have to. Don't you get it? Do you want me to drop out of school? Or starve to death? Or live on the street? Because those are my options, okay?" My voice cracked and the tears finally came flooding down my face. "Do you think I like this? Do you think I want to talk to these men about this shit after what's happened? But I want out of this life of poverty. I want out of this helplessness I feel all the f*cking time. And I don't know another way."

My thoughts flashed to Ash, how he swore he could teach me how to make money without working so hard, but it took money to make money. I knew that at least. And hard work was rewarding to the soul. My dad had taught me that. I wouldn't take the easy way out. I would earn my living.

She reached for my hand, squeezing it. "I'm sorry. You're right. I've been a shitty best friend. We'll make it work. The house is big. You can hide in my room if you need to."

I closed my eyes again, relieved, and hoped The Pleasure Palace would understand why I had to take a few days off.

When we pulled into the long driveway, the house was lit up with lights and other cars were parked in front. A valet in a tux came to our door. "May I park this for you, Miss Beaumont?"

"No thanks, we got it. What's going on here?"

"Your parents are having their annual fundraiser tonight." He scanned us over, especially me—mussed hair, smeared makeup, clothes a mess—and frowned. "Why don't you and your friend go in the back and get cleaned up before making your entrance?"

She rolled her eyes. "Sure."

I followed her around the house, trepidation settling into me. "Brig, maybe I should stay at a hotel. I can't handle a party tonight of all nights."

She pulled me along by the hand. "It's just what you need. A night of distraction. If it's too much, we'll ditch them and hide in my room with Ben & Jerry, 'kay?"

"Fine. But I'm only staying for a minute."

Half an hour later I was clean, hair in an up—do, makeup perfect, and wearing a borrowed Vera Wang made almost entirely of sequins, lace and mesh in black and white. We glided like royalty down the spiral staircase, and everyone in the room looked up and stared.

I had to admit Bridgette and I were striking together, her so pale and blond, me with the darker exotic look. But it wasn't the stares that made me almost trip over the last step.

And it wasn't the horror of that night.

It was the man waiting at the bottom with an ironic grin on his face, wearing a tux in lieu of his leather jacket, but looking just as dangerous.

He held out his hand to me. "Might I finally come to know your name, Law School?"

Bridgette glanced from me to him and back again. "You two know each other?"

We both spoke at the same time. "No." "Yes."

Ash laughed. "We've met a few times under haphazard circumstances, but I've never been able to nail her down for a name."

Brig looked at me like I'd just sprouted wings. "Catelyn, please tell me you weren't rude to this man?" She appeared chagrined. "You'll have to excuse my friend. She's never afraid to speak her mind."

I scowled at them both. "No I'm not, and I don't need anyone to make apologies for me either."

Mrs. Beaumont, looking stunning as always in red chiffon, saved us from further verbal sparring when she walked up to us smiling. "Ashton, I see you've met our house guest for the holiday. Catelyn, this is Ashton Davenport the Third. Ashton, this is Catelyn Travis, a friend of the family."

He took my hand in his and raised it to his lips, brushing a kiss across my skin. "It's a pleasure to meet you properly, Catelyn. Or can I call you Cat?"





Chapter Eleven


Pissing Contests


MY HEART STALLED and my head spun. Everyone stared at me expectantly, Ash most of all. I pulled my hand out of his, the feel of his lips still burning my skin. "No. Catelyn, please."

Mrs. Beaumont's laugh rang like bells. "Catelyn has never gone by a nickname, not since we've known her."

Bridgette raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at me, likely confused by my deer in the headlights behavior.

Ash broke the tension with his own laugh, deep and sexy. "Catelyn it is. I met a Cat recently who reminds me of you somehow, though I'm sure the two of you couldn't be more dissimilar. No offense meant."

Ha! No doubt. I'm the angel and devil all wrapped up in one. I recovered myself. Surely, he couldn't suspect me of being his phone sex operator. So I plastered a smile to my face. "None taken. It's been a challenging night. I'm just a bit overwhelmed at the moment and not entirely myself." I realized if Ash was at this party, he was likely a huge contributor to the charity, and I didn't want to spoil things for the Beaumonts after they'd been so kind.