An Escort for Christmas

“Great.” She clapped her hands together and tugged me along through the store, leaving the others behind. “I can help you.”

She led me to the men’s department and started sorting through dress shirts, ties, and cuff links. Every once in a while, something would catch her eye but then she’d put it back down and shake her head.

“He is hard to shop for,” she whined. “What do you get a man who already has everything he needs?”

“Good question,” I agreed.

“I would suggest lingerie.” She crinkled her nose and giggled. “But that’s my brother… so I’m not even going to go there.”

A faint blush crept across my cheeks and I shook my head.

“What about this?” Lily asked, holding up a teal tie. “Jameson looks great in this color.”

It was beautiful. And she was right, he would look great in it. I reached over and picked it up, imagining how it would contrast with the color of his beautiful eyes. My own eyes fluttered shut, and I winced at the painful stab in my chest.

I felt too much for Jameson already. Things were becoming complicated. And I thought that maybe, just maybe he might have felt the same last night. Until those words flew from his mouth. He offered to buy me, like I was just another business deal to him. It stung, and I didn’t want to admit how much.

“Harper?” Lily placed a gentle hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”

I blinked my eyes open and made myself get a grip. “Of course. I’m going to get the tie.”

“Great.” She beamed. “Now we just need to find something from me. I was thinking cufflinks. How cliché, right?”

“I think he’d love them,” I answered. “He’d probably love anything you give him, Lily.”

She smiled up at me in agreement, and I knew she thought the world of her big brother. I hoped she wouldn’t ever find out how we’d deceived her.

***

Jameson and I sat in uncomfortable silence throughout dinner while everyone else made small talk around us. We still hadn’t spoken about what happened the night before, and I hoped we didn’t have to. I just had to get through one more week with him.

“Can you believe Harper didn’t use your card once today,” Lily smirked.

Jameson glanced at me in surprise and I pushed the food around on my plate, uneasy with everyone’s eyes on me.

“Why not?” he asked.

Lily answered for me.

“I had to practically twist her arm to get her to buy anything at all,” she said. “And she used her own money. I think we need to train her in the fine art of shopping.”

All the women laughed, and I humored them with a smile. Jameson’s father was staring at me with a curious expression, as though he wanted to delve further into the subject but knew better of it.

“Why don’t you all move into the sitting room,” Julia suggested. “I’ll get the dishes cleaned up.”

The family stood up to leave, but I decided to hang back. I wasn’t ready to face Jameson yet, or the questioning gaze of his father.

“Let me help you,” I offered Julia.

She smiled, and it lit up her face. “Oh, thank you, Harper. That would be lovely.”

We cleared the dishes and made small talk while we worked. It was nice, and I didn’t feel any pressure to be anything other than myself. That’s what I loved about her. Julia told me she taught piano lessons in her spare time, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face.

“You have a piano?”

“Of course.” She beamed. “Would you like to see it?”

“I’d love to.”

She dried her hands and ushered me down the hall to the infamous Library I’d been looking for on the first night. It was huge and filled to the brim with books and interesting bric a brac. And right smack dab in the middle of it was a beautiful black grand piano.

I ran my hand over the wood in awe. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Do you play?” she asked curiously.

“A little.” I gave a hesitant nod. “I’m not very good, and it’s been a while.”

She pulled out a music book and flipped through the pages before gesturing for me to sit.