Any Way You Want It (Brand Clan #2)(35)
Claudia grinned crookedly. “This conversation we’re having would be great material for a show on Oprah’s network.”
The others laughed.
“Seriously,” she insisted. “We should invite Oprah to one of our spa days. I don’t think she’s ever gone inside the lives of professional escorts who don’t have sex with their clients.”
Zandra chuckled dryly. “Tell you what, Claude. The next time you’re at a party with Oprah, feel free to pitch the idea to her.”
“I think I will,” Claudia declared, drawing a chorus of amused groans. Given the wealthy status of their clientele, it wasn’t uncommon for any of the escorts to find themselves at the same glitzy event as Oprah, and Claudia was just bold enough to proposition the famous media mogul.
Noelani sighed, gazing up at the tiled ceiling of the bathhouse. “Maybe it’s just the romantic in me, but I do sometimes catch myself fantasizing about meeting Mr. Right—a dashing prince who will sweep me off my feet and carry me off to his castle in the forest.”
Laurel snorted humorously. “I already found my Mr. Right. Met him at the Castle adult megastore, and he only cost me about forty bucks. He vibrates, he can’t knock me up, and he takes me anywhere my imagination can go.”
As the others shrieked with laughter, Noelani blushed self-consciously and murmured, “I guess I’m the only sap around here.”
“No, you’re not,” Claudia laughingly assured her. “Though some of us would never admit it, we’ve all fantasized every now and then about getting swept off our feet by a handsome tycoon like Julia Roberts did in Pretty Woman.”
“And don’t forget Lena,” Yana added.
This elicited envious sighs and murmurs at the memory of Lena and Roderick’s breathtakingly romantic waterfront wedding.
“Doesn’t get any more fairy tale than meeting and falling in love with a gorgeous billionaire,” Claudia said.
“I know.” Laurel smiled fondly. “Couldn’t have happened to a sweeter person.”
“Hear, hear,” the others chorused, raising their glasses in a toast to Lena.
As they drank, Noelani sighed deeply. “Who knows? Maybe my next client will be Mr. Right.”
Zandra sure as hell hoped not, considering that Noelani’s next client would be Remy. She’d already had serious misgivings about setting up the date. Learning that Noelani was a hopeless romantic didn’t exactly put her mind at ease.
“So what about you, boss lady? You ever fantasize about meeting Mr. Right?”
Zandra’s face heated as nine pairs of eyes settled on her. “Me?”
Claudia chuckled. “Yeah, you.”
“Hmm.” Zandra sipped her wine, stalling as she pretended to ponder the question. She didn’t share many personal details with her escorts. Not because she didn’t like or trust them, but because she’d always been fiercely private, and as their employer, she felt it was necessary to maintain some professional boundaries.
During their monthly gatherings, she often assumed the nurturing role of counselor as they bared their souls, and they never seemed to mind that she knew more about them than they knew about her.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve fantasized about it,” she responded, even as her mind flashed traitorously on sensual images of Remy. His eyes...his lips...the cut of his biceps...the hardness of his thighs...the thickness of his cock. Her body heated so fast she half expected the steamy water to start boiling.
Clearing her throat, she delicately dabbed at her flushed cheeks. “I wouldn’t say I fantasize about finding Mr. Right, but I will admit that one of my all-time favorite movies is An Officer and a Gentleman. That ending scene where Richard Gere goes to the factory, sweeps Debra Winger into his arms and carries her out while her coworkers cheer...”
A chorus of dreamy feminine sighs and squeals swept around the pool.
“Oh, my God,” Noelani breathed, her hand fluttering to her heart. “That is definitely a classic.”
Zandra grinned. “I was only four when the movie came out, but my mother used to watch it all the time. When I was old enough to appreciate it, we’d watch it together and cry every time at that sappy ending.”
The others laughed and nodded, reliving similar experiences.
“Sentimentality aside,” Zandra murmured, “I’ve never really been a happily-ever-after type of girl. So I don’t spend a lot of time looking for Mr. Right.”
“But if he comes along?” Noelani prodded.
Zandra smiled. “Then hopefully he won’t make it hard for me to recognize that he’s the one.”
“Amen to that.” Laurel grinned, holding up her glass. “In the meantime, here’s to a satisfying relationship with our battery-operated Mr. Right. Even when he takes a licking, he keeps on ticking!”
The women clinked glasses, then dissolved into hysterical laughter.
Chapter Ten
“Have I told you how absolutely stunning you look tonight?”
Zandra smiled indulgently at Colin as camera bulbs flashed wildly around them. “You may have mentioned it once or twice.”
He chuckled. “Well, it’s true. You look amazing. I can’t take my eyes off you in that dress.”
The dress he spoke of was a Herve Leger original—an electric blue strapless number layered with romantic ruffles that flowed sensuously over her hourglass curves. Diamonds glittered at her ears and wrist, and towering stiletto heels accentuated her long, shapely legs. She wore her hair down, parted on one side and glamorously swept over her shoulder. Her eyes were smoky and dramatic, and her lips were lusciously red.