Whisper to a Scream (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6.5)(9)

“Let me take you for dinner, please. To make it up to you.” This newfound desperation to see her again was entirely unpleasant and equally unwelcome.

After a brief silence, she said, “If you want another date you can contact the escort agency and book one. It’s the first result on a local web search.”

She was gone; my phone showed the call had been disconnected. It was over, whatever it was. I was a fool, playing in a world where I didn’t belong and hoping for a taste of something that wasn’t meant for me.

I gazed out the window. My apartment, located above a small church in a strip mall, was quaint. Surrounded by banks and liquor stores, the church focused more on saving souls than creating beauty, and I found it comfortable.

Tired of wrestling with myself, I considered calling on Serene. Confessing my illicit temptation to someone might help me combat it. Of course, that would be more helpful if I actually wanted to. That was what brought even the strongest person to their knees, wasn’t it? Temptation presents you with something so wrong but makes it feel so good. Even the angels are not immune to its influence.

An elderly couple strolled down the street arm in arm, torturing me with my delusions. This desire for human love was unnatural and distracting. I should have been thankful that Christina had called it off before it could go too far, but I wasn’t.

When I found myself waiting for her on the patio of a downtown restaurant, I started to fear I’d sunk to a frightening level of insanity. Was this ridiculous infatuation spiraling into an obsession?

I had done as she’d suggested and called the agency. Arranging to have her meet me was easier than it should have been. These women could be accessed by anyone. The danger that her lifestyle imposed turned my stomach.

“What are you doing here?” Christina’s voice touched me in ways it shouldn’t have.

She stood beside me with hands on hips, staring down at me with a brow raised in scrutiny. Her dark hair was swept up in a pile of curls carefully pinned in place. The red dress she wore was cut short, revealing both cleavage and thigh. Her creamy white skin drew my gaze, try as I might to resist.

“I came to apologize. The way I left last night was unbelievably rude. It couldn’t be avoided, but that doesn’t make it alright. I’m sorry.” I stood up and gestured to the chair across from mine. “Can we talk?”

“I don’t think we have anything to talk about. Thanks for the drinks last night. It was nice to spend some time with a man who didn’t put his hands all over me. But, I think it would be best if we don’t play this game.” Dismissing me with a look, she turned to leave.

I grabbed her arm, spinning her back to face me. “I’m paying for this meeting. The least you can do is listen to my apology.”

Fury flashed bright behind her dark eyes. Crossing her arms, she reluctantly slid into the seat across from me. Pursing her full red lips, she stared at the floor before once again meeting my eyes.

“Dude, who the hell are you? I mean, really. I meet a lot of people doing this, and I’ve gotten pretty good at reading the types that buy my services. You’re not one of them. I bet you’ve never even done this before.”

“I haven’t,” I admitted. “There’s a first time for everything. Isn’t that what they say?”

I don’t know what she saw in my eyes. She was confused, unsure of what she should expect from me. I shared many human afflictions such as temptation and exposure to both good and evil; however, I was not one of them. Could she see that?

In an action that felt foreign and completely inappropriate, I discreetly slid a handful of money to her. She swiped it in a practiced motion and stuffed it into her bra without counting it.

“What do you want?” She demanded. “Dinner? Drinks? The full meal deal with a happy ending?”

“I want to spend time with you. Dinner. Or a movie. A walk by the river? Whatever you like.” It sounded foolish, even to me. I didn’t want what she was selling, not for a price.

The Christina sitting with me now was not the same woman who had so charmingly smiled up at me during the charity dance. She was hard and brittle, emanating a cold that chilled me.

She laughed, a short, clipped sound. “You want the girlfriend experience? If it’s illusion you’re seeking then you’ve got the right girl. But, let me make something clear, it isn’t real.”

The chilly reception was almost natural. Only a twitch in her jaw gave her away. She was putting up a front.

“Fair enough.”

We ordered a small meal, and Christina did her best to fake her way through it. I had somehow earned and then lost her trust in such a brief time that her reluctance was understandable. Men paid for her time and body without caring about her. She was a means to an end for them, but deep down she knew I was different.

We left the restaurant and walked through the river valley. It was a lovely place to wander with lush green trails. In several places, we stopped to watch the water. The river valley was one of my favorite things about this city.

“I don’t come here enough,” she said, taking a deep breath of cool evening air. “I always forget how beautiful it is.”

“I come here frequently. It’s an enchanting little piece of nature in the midst of such chaos.” The scent of foliage was rich and sweet. The environment resonated a vibrant energy that hummed with purity.