Unable to sleep properly since Wednesday night, Nadine struggled towards the end of the week to finish the last-minute tasks that Sandra had offloaded onto her. With Melissa’s help, she managed to finish everything and had worked from home on Friday morning.
The reason for her sleep deprivation came to her at night every time she closed her eyes.

Ethan.

He appeared in her thoughts constantly. She often replayed that memory of him standing on her doorstep that evening after dinner, when he’d brushed his lips gently against her face, making her heart melt. If she’d been a woman with lesser willpower, if she’d been more assertive when it came to men, she would have led him inside and let the rest of the night play out.

In real life, of course, none of this would ever have happened in a million years but the fact that she was even contemplating these things surprised her. Nadine Stefano just didn’t operate in that way, not when it came to relationships. But in her mind, her fantasies took shape and she imagined doing all the things that the real Nadine would never do in real life.

Even loyal and hardworking Melissa had noticed a change in her. “Is everything alright?” Melissa asked her one day when Nadine reviewed and accepted, without her usual critical questioning, all the changes to an advertising brochure for one of their clients. “You seem to be miles away lately.”

“Too much work, that’s what it is,” Nadine assured her.
The work she could handle.
Her feelings for Ethan she could not.

She liked it when he teased her and often she couldn’t be sure whether he was playing with her or being serious. Nadine had a hunch that he found her to be rather prudish at times. It wouldn’t be the first time people had formed such an opinion of her.
These were the things that occupied her mind more than the creative artwork she should have been concentrating on.
But Ethan couldn’t be her boyfriend, not really.

Or could he?

She tried to imagine her parents’ faces when she told them he was a male escort. They would be horrified, she was sure. Keira would be curious and she was certain that Edward would feel threatened, at least, if not disgusted by what Ethan did for a living. It was something she often wondered about—the services he provided as a male escort. Not that she wanted them. Not as services. But, still, it hurt to know that he was going on dates with other women.
But what if…what if things developed between them? What if in a parallel fantasy universe, Ethan became her lover. Could it work?

He’s five years younger than you.

And yet that night at the Thai restaurant, she’d had a surprisingly great time with him. She’d been fearful that it might be awkward, once they ran out of small talk but the truth was, they never ran out of small talk. He didn’t let on much about his private life, which surprised her, but she’d hardly been an open book herself. And yet they’d talked about places they wanted to visit, films they had liked and hated, songs they liked and hated and world affairs, and celebrities. They talked about everything and anything. The evening had flown and she felt as if she’d known him for longer, and properly. Not just as a stripper whom she’d hired.
She felt a jolt as she landed back to reality with a thump. He was a stripper, and he was in it for the money. This wasn’t a date. Their chemistry was due to the win-win arrangement.

Time to get over the dreaming and face the facts.

By the time he arrived at her door later on Friday at three, she was ready and packed. Only, when he turned up, looking rugged and sexy in washed out jeans and a t-shirt that clung to his muscles and left little to the imagination, she wondered what she’d let herself in for. Thank goodness he wore a checked red and black open shirt on top.

A whole weekend in the same room as this Adonis?
What was she thinking?

He helped put her luggage in the trunk of her car, while she fanned her face and admired his rear.

“Ready?” she asked, as he stood up and faced her.

“I’m more than ready, Nadine.” His luscious lips stole her attention for a few seconds longer than they should have. He seemed to be in a great mood. “I have to admit,” he said, as they got into the car. “I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

As she drove, she could feel the heat of his stare as he looked at her. She didn’t like this disadvantage one bit and found it a real effort to keep her eyes on the road ahead. She prayed the new Estee Lauder eye wrinkle cream would work its magic. She also thanked her lucky stars that he was getting her best side profile.
It was almost a two-hour drive to the Stormont and she didn’t plan to stop off anywhere for a break. She wanted to be there for five, which would give them an hour or more before meeting everyone for introductions in the living room for cocktails.

“Tell me again why this is a very important event for you?” He asked, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him looking at her. She lifted her face, tilting her chin upwards. “Who is it that I need to impress, Nadine?”

“You don’t need to impress anyone. I do. You just need to look good.” And sweet Jesus, he was already doing that pretty well. “We’re supposed to be in a balanced, loving, and healthy relationship.”

“A balanced, loving and healthy relationship?” he repeated. “Is that so?” She glanced at him quickly, trying to see his expression. “We’ll need to get some chemistry going then.” He placed his arm lazily on the car door.

Nadine thought about it, wondered what else she could tell him that might help him to get through the next few days and which facts he needed to be most aware of.

“Sandra Donnelly is my boss. She’s a coldhearted, unpleasant woman—”

Ethan interrupted her. “Basically, she’s a bitch.”

“Yes. You could say that.”

“Older than you and worried that you’re better?” he asked nonchalantly.

“Perhaps. She’s been dumping a lot of her work on me, ever since I got this promotion.”

“So what are you now? What’s your job title?”

“My title?” She glanced at him, wondering why he needed to know every little detail.

“You’re more than a secretary, am I right?”

“I’m an executive creative director.”

He whistled. “Whoa! I’m with the head honcho?”

She turned to him and saw that he didn’t seem all that surprised, even though he made out he was.

“Sandra is the head honcho above me, and the guy we’re both out to impress is Michael Zimmerman. He’s the one who owns the company.”

“I had you figured for a smart woman right from the beginning, Nadine. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that you are where you are. What does surprise me is that you’re still single.”

He brought the conversation around to that whole relationship topic again.

What could she tell him?

That she’d always focused on her career?

That she’d met and dated someone who she thought was the one but she broke off the engagement when one day she woke up and realized he wasn’t?
That since then she had dedicated herself to working her way up the career ladder and that men and children were the last thing on her mind?

“I don’t have time for relationships. That’s why I hired you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” She wanted to put an end to that line of questioning and closed her lips firmly together.

“You know, you shouldn’t purse your lips together like that. It’ll make your nasolabial folds more pronounced.”

“You’re not gay, are you?” she shot back. She glanced at him again and caught him grinning, the way he always seemed to—in that sexy, cheeky way that was uniquely his. He was obviously joking with her and he wasn’t to know that he’d picked something that was a sensitive topic for her but it annoyed her. Normally she wouldn’t have given a hoot, but this was Ethan, and for some crazy reason she needed to know that he found her appealing.

“A hot-blooded man like me? You’re kidding me, right?”

Unable to find more words to shoot at him, she shot him a dirty look instead.

“Are you always so nice to the women you wine and dine?” she asked finally.

“I can’t tell you about the women I wine and dine. That’s strictly top secret information, I’m afraid.”

For a minute she believed him, until he burst out laughing at her naiveté.

***

They arrived at the magnificent Stormont Hotel just under two hours later. The uniquely beautiful hotel was set amid acres of lush green grounds and gardens. They felt a sense of peace and tranquility as soon as they entered the hotel grounds.
Once they had checked in, Nadine and Ethan went up to their room on the fourth floor. Nadine felt very nervous and for the first time she wondered whether she had done the right thing.

As they walked along the lobby floor to get to the elevator, Ethan suddenly grabbed her hand and instinctively tried to tug it away, surprised by his forwardness. But he held on tightly and drew her hand closer to his body so that the back of her hand almost brushed his thighs as they walked.

“Nadine? Well, hello!” They turned, still holding hands, and found themselves face to face with Sandra Donnelly.

Thank goodness I’m holding his hand. Nadine felt a burst of pride as she saw the surprised look on Sandra’s square face. The other woman’s eyes narrowed slightly as she hooked her gaze on Ethan.

“I see you’ve arrived early?” She remarked, eyeing Ethan intently. He slipped his hand out of Nadine’s and slid his arm comfortably around her waist, drawing her close so that their bodies touched. Nadine felt as though she held the upper hand as she snuggled further into Ethan’s body.

“It was only a two-hour drive. When did you get here, Sandra?”

But Sandra ignored her completely and instead took a step closer towards Ethan. She put out her hand. “And you must be?” Ethan took her hand and shook it tightly. He leaned towards Sandra and whispered, in a low, husky voice, “I’m Ethan, Nadine’s partner. Nice to meet you, Sandra.”

He pulled his hand out of Sandra’s, and hugged Nadine even closer to him before planting a tender kiss on the top of her head. “Nadine has told me so much about you,” he confessed, smiling at Sandra.

“I bet she has,” the older woman remarked, drily. She gave Nadine a cursory glance, as if she were acknowledging her for the first time. “See you later for cocktails,” she said before rushing off past them.
“Thank you for that,” said Nadine happily. “The look on her face was priceless.”
She felt elated. Sandra had just given a big heads-up to Ethan and even though Nadine had known he was a big, ruggedly handsome man, she was still unprepared for just how attractive he would be to other women.

Still holding her close to him, Ethan led Nadine into the elevator. Once inside, Nadine tried to move away.

“We can drop the pretense now,” she hissed.

“Shush. Cameras.” Ethan pointed to the CCTV camera perched high up above the door. “We don’t want to blow our cover.” He clasped her hand, only releasing it as the elevator arrived on their floor.

“Room four one seven,” Nadine muttered, as they got out and walked along. She looked at the numbers on the doors and soon they came to their room. “Here it is, lucky lady.” Ethan leaned against the door waiting for her. “Will you tone it down?” she hissed. The thought of entering their room suddenly gave her palpitations. “There’s no one around, so you don’t need to put on your show.”

He grinned even more at this.
Her heart beat wildly as she opened the door.

They stepped into a beautiful suite, which had a huge double bed at one side of the room. The color scheme was cool mocha and warm browns, making for a sedate and peaceful place to rest in. The side of the room opposite the door had no brick wall but a floor-to-ceiling pane of glass that overlooked the woods. It was a breathtaking sight to behold.

“Look at that, would you!” exclaimed Ethan in awe. He walked up to the wall of glass.

“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” Nadine took her place by his side as they looked out in wonder, standing close together, staring at the field of green before them. It was breathtaking. And calm.

But a sudden knock at the door broke the peace.
She rushed to answer it; it was only the bellboy bringing up their luggage.

“Thank you,” she said appreciatively as she handed him a tip. “We’ve got an hour.” Nadine put her suitcase on the bed and opened it up.
This was going to be so awkward.
But it was too late to back out now. She looked at the huge bed, so comfortable and inviting and wondered how she would share it with Ethan.

She barely knew him.

It dawned on her suddenly that what she had done was more than foolhardy. Not only did she not really know him. But he was a stripper. No, he was a bit better: he was an escort.

Was that better or worse?

She didn’t really know.
A variety of thoughts ran riot through her mind and her heart raced as she panicked.
What if he was a psycho?
Or had a split personality?
What if he had a sexually transmitted disease? Not that she had any intention of sleeping with him, but even so. She pushed this thought away. Of course she wasn’t going to sleep with him.

There was no danger of anything like that taking place this weekend.
She realized with a sudden thud that her most immediate problem would be using the bathroom. Hers was a fast metabolism and she would need to use the toilet to empty her stomach but with the two of them sharing the space, and her hardly knowing him, she shivered at the thought of conducting this delicate operation. There was no way about it; she would have to take something to constipate her during this weekend.

“Having second thoughts already?” Ethan wandered over to her before he sat on the bed.

“Don’t make any jokes about sharing the bed,” Nadine told him. He had that look about him, as if he was going to say something funny. It would only make her more anxious and anxiety wasn’t an emotion she’d planned on bringing to the convention. She had to come across as strong, and driven and focused. And with a partner. That’s all she had to do.

“What’s the matter, Nadine?” he asked gently. His face was suddenly serious again and the mischievous spark in his eyes had disappeared.

“I hardly know you.” She stared at the duvet cover.

“If you’re worried about anything, don’t be. I’m not going to touch you. I promise.” He looked serious.

“Sorry. I’m just panicking.” She breathed in slowly. He was Ethan, the nice guy. They had met a few times and they knew each other; it wasn’t as though he was a total stranger. She had the number of his friend, Billy. But other than that, she didn’t know anyone else nor had she told anyone that she would be here, not even her sister, or her mom.

What would they think if they knew she was sharing a room with someone who was almost a stranger?

All manner of thoughts swerved through her brain, which only filtered out and fed to her the gory ones. What if they found her body parts all strewn around the hotel room the next morning? Her mother would never forgive her. But by then, it wouldn’t matter because she’d be dead anyway.
Ethan appeared to read her thoughts. “You’re chickening out, aren’t you?”

“What, from this business proposal?”

“Seems like it. Looks to me like the thought of sharing a bed has freaked you out. Don’t worry—the couch looks comfortable enough.” He moved over to the chaise longue and reclined on it, then smiled at her.

“That thing looks uncomfortable,” she commented.

“This thing?” he asked, a little too enthusiastically for her to take him serious. “Nah. I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry about me.” He placed his head along the curved arm, then lifted it up quickly. She knew it was probably as uncomfortable as it looked. Ethan stood up and placed his hands on his hips, and she was forced once more to stare at the way his t-shirt clung to his rock-hard abs. Of course she hadn’t felt them, to know. But the way his t-shirt clung…she knew. “I’m thinking you want to get ready for the cocktails,” he said.

You have no idea what I’m thinking.

“So, I’ll go on downstairs and wait at the bar while you get ready. Sound okay to you?”

His thoughtfulness made her feel even more guilty than she already did for ogling him. But she couldn’t help it.

“Nadine?”

“Huh?” She straightened herself up and nodded in agreement. “That sounds like a good idea. Thanks.” Perhaps a little distance between the two of them would help clear her thoughts. She couldn’t afford to be vague and distracted this weekend.

“I’ll see you later.” He walked towards the door.

“Charge anything you want to the room,” she called after him.

She flopped onto the bed and lay down, closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence. It wasn’t only that she needed to shower and dress in peace. She needed to think about what had just happened. When Ethan had held her close to him and hugged her, the look on Sandra’s face had been priceless. The sense of completeness and closeness she had felt when they had held hands had all seemed so natural.

Then she reminded herself that this was his job. This was what Ethan did for a living, albeit part-time as he had told her many times.
But she had enjoyed that feeling of belonging to him. They had a nice camaraderie and banter and they could also remain in silence with each other, without either of them feeling the need to fill the silence with idle talk just for the sake of it.

It worried her that she enjoyed his company.

It worried her more that he might not feel that way.

She couldn’t think about this now; she would think about it later. She needed to get ready.
She locked the door, feeling that the last thing she needed was for him to walk in and see her naked. She took a shower; she would be ready within the hour.