Escorting the Player (The Escort Collection 3)

I nodded at her slowly. "Jenny, you're smart. I'm really glad I got to meet you."

She gave me a satisfied grin. "Any time, Avery. I like to do what I can to help. My best advice is to not be afraid of a happy ending. If you grow up the way you and I did—and I don't know how you actually grew up, but I'm guessing—you always think someone's gonna pull the rug out from underneath you. And then you spend your whole life waiting for it to happen." She leaned over and squeezed my hand. "But if Chase is a good guy like I think he is, like Cole is, let yourself have this. Stay on the rug."

I swallowed. "It's hard to trust that another person's going to be there. That they mean it…" I let my voice trail off, feeling a little overcome with emotion.

Jenny nodded, sympathetic. "It's easier to believe the bad stuff. But don't. Give yourself a chance to be happy. At some point, karma's gotta give you a little break, right?"

"I freaking hope so."

Jenny grinned. "I freaking hope so, too."

Chapter Twenty-Four

CHASE

I dropped Avery off at her apartment after dinner. It had killed me to drive away, but I wanted to give her the space she needed to make a decision.

About me.

Eric was sitting on my steps when I got home. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Haven't heard from you in a while," I said, pushing past him and unlocking the door. "Thanks so much for telling my mom about Avery." I wasn't really mad, but I was still having a WTF moment about it.

"I did that for your own good," Eric said. He followed me in without asking.

I grunted. "What do you want?"

He shrugged. "I know Avery's not here. I figured you might want some company."

"How did you know?"

"I talked to Reggie." He pushed his designer glasses up on his nose. "And Cole Bryson. I just checked in with Avery, too, to make sure she was okay."

I looked at him sharply. "Was she?"

"She's hanging in there," Eric said.

He went to my wine refrigerator and inspected the bottles, pulling out one that he deemed worthy. He opened it expertly and poured two glasses. "So, I've been thinking…" he said.

"Great. That usually gets me in trouble," I said. I gruffly accepted the wine he offered me.

"You should hold a press conference tomorrow."

"About what?" I asked.

"About Avery. And the fact that she's a prostitute. And the fact that you love her."

"I thought you were worried about her being a liability." I took a large gulp of wine. I still felt guilty about that conversation.

"I'm more worried about what you'd be like to deal with if you had to live without her. Which is also why I had your mother come down. I wanted her approval. We're doing this the right way this time, buddy."

Eric was a pain in the ass, but he knew me better than anyone.

"Back to the press conference. My thinking is, why not?" Eric raised his hands. "You're serious about Avery. The fact that she has a past is just something we have to deal with. And it'll be better coming from you than anyone else. The circle's too wide, now. The sister knows. Reggie knows. Martha knows. Jess and Pax know, too…"

I had some more wine and smiled at him. "This is where Chase Layne surprises and delights his agent."

Eric groaned at my use of the third person. "How are you going to surprise and delight me now?"