“No?” I asked casually.
When he didn’t respond, I went in for the kill. I slipped the fingers in my mouth, and sucked them clean.
“Mmm,” I said. “She tastes so, so good.”
A sound came from him, as if my actions had been too hot for him to stay quiet. It was like I’d punched all the air clean from his lungs.
“I’d say she tastes like,” I continued, “eight thousand dollars.”
It was a low opening bid. I knew I should have started at ten, but my weakness for his situation got to me. I didn’t want to take more than five from him. It was a steal for Nina, but I knew she was thinking the same thing, if not that I’d already started too high. She was such a sweetheart.
Hell, he’d probably only make it a few thrusts. Five grand for ten minutes of work, and she could talk one of the other sales assistants into a second round if she wanted to take another client and make more money.
The man’s face fell. “Is that, um, negotiable?”
I bit down on my tongue to keep my face from changing. No one had told him that? I did my best to sound reluctant. “It can be.”
Please, dear God, low ball. I’ll help you as much as I can, but give me something to work with, guy.
“Eight is a lot of money,” he said. His eyebrows pulled together and he looked deep in thought. “Would you take four?”
“It’s up to Natalie here,” I patted my hand on her knee, “on whether or not to accept the offer.” My touch was intentional and specific. Since Nina couldn’t see, where on her body I touched her was a signal. The closer I got to her head, the closer I thought we were to reaching his maximum.
“I accept,” she said almost instantly.
I turned and leaned over, whispering in her ear, “I knew it, you big softie.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” she whispered back. “Go home and feel better.”
I smiled, not that she could see. My head pounded as I righted myself. “Congratulations, sir. I’ll leave you two to get to know each other better.”
As I pulled the door closed behind me, I heard Nina’s husky voice. “No need to be shy. I’m all yours, sir.”
The hallway was empty, and as I made my way toward the stairs, I pressed the communications button. “Room Three was four grand.”
“You serious?” Julius sounded annoyed.
“Take it up with Nina, but cut her some slack. She’ll have fun with him.”
Money was great, but knowing she was going to rock his world was a nice ego boost, too. It’s not like four grand was peanuts, either.
“You still okay with me taking off?” I asked, massaging my forehead. I needed to get home before the migraine went to the next level and the nausea hit me.
“Yeah, girl, I got you. See you next week.”
“Thanks.”
Normally I’d take the CTA home, but I couldn’t deal with the train sounds or smells, so once I’d dropped off my transmitter and retrieved my phone, I flagged down a cab. I rode with my eyes closed, pinching the bridge of my nose to distract from the pain. Matt was on night rotation, so I wouldn’t see him until morning. At least the apartment would be dark and quiet, and I liked suffering alone. No one to hover over me and worry.
I unlocked the atrium door and plodded up the steps to the apartment on the second floor, ignoring the smell of Indian food the downstairs neighbors seemed addicted to ordering. I couldn’t get the key in the deadbolt fast enough. Just a few more steps and I could fling myself face-down on the bed—
Why were the lights on?
The keys slipped from my fingers and clattered onto the hardwood floor. I stared at Matt, unable to find words.
“What are you doing home?” he demanded as he scrambled off the couch.
His tone was angry, masking his guilt. He had some nerve. He was the one I’d just caught fucking some girl on our couch.