A week after the fiasco with Caroline, I finally caught up with Juliet. She’d been doing a great job, keeping her smile fixed in place, but I sensed an underlying sadness.
“How are you doing?” I asked as she exited one of our front-of-house rooms.
“Okay.” Juliet nibbled her lip. “Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.” I preceded her to my office and closed the door behind us. “Have a seat.”
Juliet slumped onto the sofa under the window. Sensing this was more of a business meeting than a social call, and hoping she wasn’t about to resign, I slid into the chair behind my desk.
“What are you up to Saturday night?” Juliet asked.
Okay, so maybe I was wrong. It also surprised me Juliet was being so familiar. We’d never really discussed what we got up to outside of work. My life was pretty boring, really, and that was on me. I liked it that way.
“Hanging out with Shadow and Casper,” I replied. “How about you?” I prompted when Juliet remained silent.
“It’s my brother’s thirty-fifth birthday.” She shrugged, looking everywhere except at me. The floor, the walls, the clock.
I rested my elbows on the desk. “Wanna tell me what this is really about?”
A blush spread up Juliet’s neck. She fiddled with the hem of her tunic—standard uniform when not working in the back rooms.
Finally, she met my gaze. “I can’t get out of going.”
“But you want to?”
“Yes and no.” She took a deep breath. “They knew about Tiffany.”
“They?” I raised an eyebrow.
“My brother and his fiancée…and my parents.”
“Okay.” Somehow, I managed to keep the surprise out of my voice. For someone who didn’t want anyone to know she was fooling around with a client, it seemed a little foolhardy to go introducing her to family. “Did they like her?”
“That’s the thing. They never met her. They just heard about her…a lot. My brother liked to tease me about making her up.”
The pieces aligned as I leaned back in my chair. “And he’s told you to bring her along?”
“Correct.” She bit her lip. “I can already hear the ‘Ha-ha, yeah right, I knew she wasn’t real’ jibes. And right now, I don’t know if I can deal with it.” She looked at me with watery eyes. “I know it’s a big ask, but…” She blinked hard. “Will you come with me?”
My immediate response was no, just fucking tell them, but I could also see her dilemma. Juliet couldn’t tell them what had gone down, and she was still too emotional to say she’d lied, even though she hadn’t. I had no doubt Juliet had hoped that one day, her family would’ve met Tiffany.
Anger surged through me. I felt betrayed on Juliet’s behalf. Months after the blow-up, she was still paying the price for her mistake, and Tiffany was still being a cunt.
“Of course I will.”
Juliet’s head snapped up. “Really?”
“Really.”
She swiped her eyes. “Thank you. It means so much. I can pick you up, or you can pick me up.”
“Relax, babe.” Damn, the word tasted funny on my tongue, and if Juliet’s expression was anything to go by, the term of endearment sounded odd too.
She chuckled, the gleam of this once-vibrant woman back in her eye. “If you don’t call me babe, I won’t call you ma’am.”
“I might like being called ma’am.”
“Exactly.” She rolled her eyes like I was dreaming, and I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be offended. At least she understood our date was nothing more than me helping her out of a bind.
“Where’s it being held?”
“That’s the other thing.” Juliet resumed fiddling with her uniform. “Tongariro Lodge in Turangi.” She looked up. “My brother’s booked a room for two…for me.”
I was tempted to say that changed things, but it didn’t. “The sofa’s yours.”
“Deal.” She jumped to her feet, relief written all over her face.
If I hadn’t been sitting behind my desk, she probably would’ve hugged me. So it was a good thing I wasn’t on my feet. I already felt protective towards her, and I didn’t want to blur any lines.
“It starts at four, so we’ll need to be on the road by three.”
“Done.”
Once Juliet practically bounced out of my office, I checked the weekend roster and made sure I was free from two p.m. onwards. Juliet had the weekend off, so no rescheduling was necessary there. It was either good timing, or her brother had planned the weekend around his sister.
I liked to think that was true. But then again, if she couldn’t tell him about what had gone down, maybe they weren’t that close. Either way, I was surprised how much I was looking forward to a night away.
I wiggled my mouse and woke up the computer. As soon as the browser opened, I typed in Tongariro Lodge.
I read the homepage…
This iconic lodge is located on 22 acres of beautiful park-like grounds on the banks of the legendary Tongariro River, on the southern shores of Lake Taupo and at the foot of New Zealand’s outdoor playground—the world heritage Tongariro National Park.
Years ago, I’d been offered the opportunity to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but something came up. I couldn’t remember what now, and although I’d been disappointed at the time, I was kind of glad I couldn’t go.
From what I’d seen online, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing was beautiful, but it was also dangerous for anyone ill-prepared. Extreme weather, terrain, and distance meant the track had the highest number of search-and-rescues for hikers in New Zealand.
***
After checking who was working over the weekend—I didn’t want any drama while I was away—I exited my office. The light over the back entrance came on, signalling someone was there. I opened the door and was met by Lola’s trans client, Simone. She was rocking a pair of thigh-high, kick-arse boots with a stiletto heel, and she walked the walk way better than I ever could.
“Hey, girlfriend. Good to see you.” I stepped aside and let Simone in. I’d known her for a while now, so I could afford to be a little more familiar with her than other clients.
“How’s business?” Simone asked.
“No complaints. You?”
“No complaints,” she mimicked my words. “But I have a…delicate request.”
My interest was piqued. “Go on.”
“I’d rather discuss it in private.” She glanced over her shoulder as if to check we were alone. “Can I make an appointment or call you?”
“Of course. I’m free first thing tomorrow. Either come in or call and Ruby will put you through.”
Before Simone could reply, Lola came strolling out of the bathroom. When her gaze landed on Simone, her face lit up. “Hello, gorgeous. Right this way, please.”
Her seductive purr was so genuine, it worried me. I hoped she wasn’t falling for Simone.
Shaking off the thought, I went in search of caffeine. I didn’t know what the hell was going on with me, but everywhere I looked, I saw a relationship in the making.
Simone quashed that idea when she called the next day. Whether Lola was crushing on her or not was a moot point. Simone wasn’t crushing on her. Simone had asked for an appointment with Kahu.
Of course, I had to talk to Kahu first. If she said no, I had to respect that. Clients were free to makes requests, but they weren’t always granted.
When I started out, I’d slept with whomever I was told to. To begin with, I’d thrived on the attention, but I quickly learned it was negative attention. The kind of attention that made me feel worthless rather than empowered.