"Oh, very," Eric said and took Lexi's hand, kissing her knuckles gallantly. "I'm extremely pleased. So, tell us how you two met?" he said, looking between Lexi and me. "Luke doesn't bring many dates to these functions, so we're very curious."
"Luke and I share a love of politics," Lexi said and turned to glance at me, an expression of fondness on her face that despite it all, I wished was real instead of fake. "You should hear the discussions we get into about foreign trade rules and whether the Chinese are really currency manipulators." Lexi winked at me.
"Oh, they most definitely are," I said, winking back at her. "And you know it, no matter how hard you try to deny it."
She laughed. "But you're wrong. It was me who convinced you they are."
"Not the way I remember it," I replied, watching Eric's face. He seemed unaffected by Lexi's presence, his gaze moving between the two of us, like he was watching a tennis match, smiling the whole time. He was obviously not a man who showed any remorse.
The man had zero morals or conscience, apparently.
I pulled Lexi closer and kissed her forehead, putting on a show of affection. Those two were the consummate actors, to be pretending they had no idea who the other person was. I couldn’t imagine Lexi didn't recognize Eric, and I knew that Eric sure as hell would remember Lexi. There was no way on earth that a man would fuck Lexi and not remember doing it. She was beautiful and definitely sexy. Sexy Lexi was right. She was friendly, at ease with my family full of rich Manhattanites. She was a consummate actress, not showing a moment's hesitation when speaking with Eric.
Eric was also a man you couldn’t forget once you met him. He had that upper crust British accent that had impressed Dana when he came over to take a job in our New York office.
I expected to see him sweat, stutter, get red-faced or cough.
Nothing.
The four of us made small talk for a while and it was then that John showed up.
I hadn't expected him to come, and in fact, didn’t want him to. It was John who followed Eric and Lexi to the club in Brooklyn where they danced and drank. Then, it was John who tracked her down for me, finding out who she was after Eric had drunkenly blabbed to someone her name and how one could hire beautiful women for the night if they had the right connections and enough cash.
It was John who found 9-1-1 Escorts and told me her email.
It was John who suggested that I hire her and show up with her on my arm. We agreed and that was that.
My little cover story about John giving me Lexi's email address was great, because he did.
John smiled at me and at Lexi when I introduced them. On her part, Lexi choked on her drink and seemed to freeze, her eyes widening like she was shocked. On his part, John said a round of hellos to Eric and Dana and then grabbed my arm.
"Can we talk for a moment?" he said, giving me the eye.
"I'm kind of busy," I said, tilting my head to the side. "Chatting with Dana and Eric."
"It'll just take a moment."
“Can’t it wait?” I said, frustrated that he wanted to leave.
“Now, Luke.”
I finally gave in. “Will you excuse us?" I said to Lexi and then to my sister and Eric, who looked like everything was just hunky dory.
That was definitely not at all the effect I was hoping to have.
When we got out of ear shot, and were standing at the bar a dozen or more feet away from them, John turned to me.
"That's not Lexi."
"What?" I frowned and turned to glance at her. She'd been looking at me and quickly looked away -- almost guiltily.
"I don’t know who she is, but she's not the Lexi I saw get into Eric's car. Not the Lexi I saw dancing with Eric, nor the one whose email I gave you."
I was at a loss for words, standing there with my mouth hanging open.
"Are you sure?" I asked, leaning in closer. "She passed herself off as Lexi, whoever she is."
"Maybe the real Lexi was busy and she sent someone else in her place?" John offered. "But then, why not just admit it?"