On His Terms (The Arrangement Series Book 1) Read online

“Let’s see, I’m free around eight tonight?”

  “Oh, I’m working right now so tonight won’t work.”

  “Ten tomorrow morning?”

  “Sorry… working at the bakery tomorrow morning and the store in the evening.”

  “Okay, how about we meet for lunch at one tomorrow? I’ll text you the address of a place as soon as I get a reservation scheduled.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate your flexibility with my schedule.”

  “I look forward to our meeting. Have a good night, Kenzie.”

  I feel relieved when I leave work at the end of my shift. I am confident that if Bridget can answer my questions to my satisfaction and guarantee my safety then I will try this whole earn-money-for-pretending-to-be-someone’s-date thing. I admit initially the whole concept freaked me out but the more I thought about the customers that Bridget works with, the more it made sense. There are weeks when I work more than 60 hours like some of her customers do and during those weeks there is no way I could find the time to date even if I wanted to. Thankfully, I have no desire to date or haven’t even thought about going out on a date, that is, until the meeting with Bridget last night. At least with this offer, everything is spelled out and the expectations of both parties are clear from the start. I don’t have to trust anyone: works very well for me!

  The next morning I wake up to my phone ringing which is odd because my alarm is set for four in the morning so the idea that someone is calling before that awful hour is concerning.

  “Hello?”

  “Kenzie? Dear, it’s Ginny. Is everything okay?”

  “Hmmm… what time is it?”

  “Almost six dear… you’re always here—“

  “SHIT! Ginny, I’m so sorry, I overslept I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  I glance at my alarm clock and immediately realize why it didn’t go off… apparently I have no power. I quickly wash up in the bathroom sink before throwing on clothes and heading to the bakery. As I’m walking down the block, it appears everyone has power except for our building. Our rent includes our electricity since the landlord is too cheap to have the building individually metered. Our building is the only one on the block without electricity so I assume that once again the landlord didn’t pay the electric bill. He does this a few times a year, leaving us without electric for a few days before paying the bill again. It makes for a difficult few days as there is no hot water to shower with and no way to cook a hot meal but considering he doesn’t live in the building, I don’t think he cares very much.

  Chapter 7

  Kenzie

  “I have a reservation with Ms. Wilder,” I inform the server when I enter the Italian restaurant Bridget texted me the details for earlier this morning. Thankfully I had enough time to run back to my apartment and change into something more suitable for a place like this after my shift ended at the bakery this morning. Of course the electricity was still turned off at the apartment, not that I expected anything different. I had already left a voice mail for the landlord about the electricity, but I don’t expect to hear back from him anytime soon.

  Luckily I’m more prepared than I was the first time the building lost electricity for three straight days when the landlord chose not to pay his bill once before. Now I have several candles, a flashlight with extra batteries, instant coffee (which tastes gross but at least will give me my caffeine fix until I can get to a store), canned tuna fish, bottled water and frozen bread. It doesn’t make for the most appetizing meals, but there’s only so much you can prepare without electricity.

  “Yes, she is in our private dining room already,” he leads towards the back of the main area to a much smaller room than the one we met in the other day.

  “Kenzie, so nice to see you again,” she greets me the moment I walk in.

  “You too, Bridget. Thank you for squeezing me in, my schedule was tight today.”

  Unlike our last meeting, we both spend a few minutes looking over the menu before placing our orders with the wait staff. I feel much more at ease today than I did the last meeting. I have an agenda for today’s meeting, unlike the other day when I was blindsided.

  “You had some questions?” Bridget starts as we wait for our meal to be served.

  “I did. My first question may seem simple but it’s a deal breaker for me. I need to know that I will be safe on these dates. I mean no offense, but I can’t just take your word that these men aren’t dangerous and won’t hurt me.”

  “Kenzie... ” She sits back in her chair, clearly caught off guard. I’ve thought a lot about this over the last day and a half, my safety absolutely must be my first priority. I may not live in the safest of areas, but those are dangers I can handle. I cannot and will not be put in danger by Bridget’s offer. I will not allow the past to repeat itself.

  “I can certainly understand your reservations about the natural risk involved when you meet someone you don’t know. If anything, the way I handle things puts you in a much safer position than if you met some random guy on the street or online and decided to go on a date with him. I do not advertise my services, meaning the average Joe on the street cannot walk into my office and request a date with one of my staff. Clients are by referral only and their net worth must be over five million dollars or I won’t even speak to them. All clients go through the same background checks as my staff, and I expect nothing less of them because they have a ton of money.”

  “I won’t agree to meet someone in a private setting,” I note. “I don’t mind meeting someone in a room like this, but it absolutely must be in a public setting. I won’t agree to dates in someone’s apartment or in their office after everyone has left.”

  “Is this firm or is it something you are willing to negotiate after you have a few dates with someone?”

  “I’m not sure. I guess for now its firm but maybe later I would feel comfortable negotiating?”

  “That’s fine. I only ask because sometimes clients ask for someone to accompany them on a business trip. For example, I believe you met Mr. Thompson the other day?” I nod remembering meeting him. “He was picking up clothes for the woman that I arranged to accompany him on a trip to the Virgin Islands. This is not unusual, but I will say that very rarely will these trips be a first meeting. Typically both parties have met each other several times before hand and feel comfortable enough with each other to go on a trip like this. We insist clients reserve suites at the hotel and provide us with confirmation of the reservation. Each suite must have at minimum two separate bedrooms and bathrooms giving each person their privacy.”

  “I hadn’t considered business trips. I suppose that’s something I would be willing to consider later, but I think other than those, I would prefer meetings to occur in public places.”

  “Perfectly understandable.”

  “How much control do I have?”

  “You have complete control. You may decline a request once it’s presented to you. You can terminate the contract at any point and walk away without any repercussions. I will not force you to go on a date or to a social event; you need to decide if the person requested your company is a potential match for you in a social situation. You have the final say.”

  “What are my options if something goes wrong during a date?”

  “I am available at all times to both my clients and my staff. I have never received a call that something was wrong on a date or that the client acted inappropriately. But in the event something like that does happen, you simply call me and I will handle the situation even if it means I come to where you are.”

  “Good.”

  “What other questions do you have?”

  “I don’t want clients knowing where I live; I prefer to have that private—“

  “Clients are not given your address, phone number and key information is blacked out of your background check that is given to them. All communication goes through me; dates are scheduled through me. Typically both parties agree to meet at a certain location, sometimes it
’s even my office if it is an event that the client wants to arrive with the date to. They will not pick you up at home or drop you off there at the end of the evening. Not only does it protect your privacy but it saves the chance of lines getting blurred especially at the end of the night.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate you settling my fears. When we met you mentioned that some of your staff are only working for you and not working other jobs. I’m trying to wrap my head around the financial aspect of this now that you answered my questions about safety. To be honest Bridget, I need to know if this is something I can steadily rely on to pay my rent every month or if this is something that will provide me only with spending money.”

  “That makes sense, especially given what I know about your current financial situation.” Why do I get the feeling her background check likely included my bank account balances? “Let me put it this way, I have a long waiting list of potential clients—more than I can accept right now because I don’t have enough staff. Staff decide how many events or dates they want to attend per week, some decide to only attend one and some attend two to three. It also depends on the requests; some of my clients have a standing arrangement with a staff member in that they request that staff for every event they attend. Many of those staff average two events per week, often bringing in close to five thousand dollars a month depending on the type of event. What it boils down to Kenzie, is how much you earn and how often you work is complete up to you. For some staff, this is simply spending money to pay off a few bills. For others though this is how they pay all their bills. What is it you want?”

  “I don’t know,” I admit honestly. “I like the idea of not working so many long hours but I’m nervous to suddenly give it all up. I enjoy the bakery where I work and I could probably continue working there while I figure this out. If I signed the contract, though I don’t think I could continue working at the store. I think it would be awkward to dress men and women who are essentially my coworkers or men who I could end up on a date with. However, giving that job up is a little frightening to me.”

  “Understandably so. I don’t normally do this but I’ll make you a deal. If you sign a contract with me and then find it isn’t for you for whatever reason, I will give you a glowing recommendation at one of the many stores I have accounts with or companies I do business with. I will guarantee you a job within two weeks of you terminating your contract with me.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “I want to help you. I can tell you haven’t had an easy life and for whatever reason you don’t trust easily. You remind me of myself when I was younger and I guess that makes me want to see you succeed. I promise if this doesn’t work out for whatever reason, I will ensure you have a job and are not left on the street. Why don’t you try one dinner date with a client and see how it goes? If you decide after that date it isn’t for you, we terminate the contract and never look back. If you decide this isn’t as scary as the thoughts going through your head right now, then I will show your profile to other clients for potential dates. What do you say?”

  “One date... I... I suppose I can agree to that.”

  “Good, I really think you will see this isn’t as bad as you are thinking Kenzie. What other questions do you have?”

  “How will I not be tied back to your company? I mean, if I’m photographed with a date and the press runs a background check on me won’t they see that I’m on your payroll?”

  “They might. However, if they look into my company they will see that we are a consultation firm working with large and small companies across the state. You will be listed as a consultant which is a very broad title. In all the years since I started this company up, I’ve never had a reporter question exactly what it is someone does for me or what exactly consultation services we provide.”

  We talk for another hour or so as we finish our lunch and at the end I have decided to stick to our agreement and try one date through Bridget, figuring I don’t have much to lose. I won’t quit one of my jobs until I’m sure this is going to work out. I’m confident with the answers that she has given me: I like that I’m going to have more control over my schedule and the men I am seen with than I originally expected to have. Although there are risks, I can’t say the risks are higher than if I stay in the place I currently live. I’ve been there almost a year now and in that time I’ve seen more drug deals occur than I ever expected to, and the police have been almost a weekly presence in the building for several months now. The neighborhood itself is risky: I’m at risk anytime I leave the apartment, especially given the late hours I often work. At least with the dates I will be in a public setting which reduces my risk of being hurt significantly. Although I don’t want to put myself at risk, at some point I need to take one and change things if I’m ever going to change my life further. Leaving him and moving to New York was the riskiest thing I have ever done and so far it has turned out pretty well for me. I want to improve my life further, I want to do something with my life, and right now accepting this offer seems like the only way I’m going to get ahead.

  “Thank you again for squeezing me in, Bridget, and for answering my many questions. I appreciate the time you took.”

  “I have to admit I was surprised to hear from you. I was worried I scared you off with the contract the other night. I’m glad that wasn’t the case and that you decided to give this a chance. I don’t think you’re going to regret it. I’ll be in touch soon with a potential dinner scheduled and a profile for you to approve.”

  The next few days go by slowly; the electricity remains off in my building but I hardly notice because I end up working even more hours than originally scheduled. Bathing is the most inconvenience of all: while I have water in my apartment, I don’t have hot water. I wash my hair using gallons of water that I let get to room temperature before using. It’s better than trying to shampoo my hair in the shower which now lasts less than a minute as I quickly wash before I freeze too much. I’m getting tired of eating tuna fish sandwiches for meals, but I would live with it if it meant being able to take a hot shower again. I think the longest we went without electricity was nine days—if it doesn’t go longer this time it should be turned back on in the next few days.

  Chapter 8

  Nicholas

  “Mr. Parker, may I have a moment?” Melody knocks on my door.

  “Quickly.”

  “I have a Mrs. Bridget Wilder on the line requesting a meeting with you to discuss an upcoming charity gala you are attending, how would you like me to handle the call sir?”

  “Bridget Wilder?” I pause surprised that she would be calling to request a meeting with me. “I believe she sits on the board with my mother for the charity; she probably wants to solicit a donation for the event. Squeeze her in where you can but for no more than half an hour. I don’t want to get trapped listening to how much some charity needs my donation for hours on end.”

  “Yes sir.”

  Usually my mother handles the requests for this charity since she’s on the board but I know she has been very busy lately with another one that she’s trying to raise money for. I think it’s odd that Bridget would request a personal meeting with me to discuss the donation though, typically a phone is all that is needed, given that I regularly donate to most of the charities my mother is sitting on the board, for including the one that I am scheduled to attend next.

  My thoughts are quickly diverted as my outlook calendar alerts me to another meeting that is starting in a few minutes in the board room. My day is filled with meetings, conference calls and reviewing reports just like every other day. I love what I do; I love analyzing trends in the market, helping companies succeed and even trying to predict what the market will do next. As is the case most days, before I know it the sun has set and I’m the last person in the building besides Carter. I leave PFS, return home for a late dinner and then spend a few more hours in my office. This routine is what my life consists of lately; the only change is when I have an event or b
usiness dinner to attend. It may seem boring, but the long hours are what have made PFS the success that it is. It wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful if I only worked the typical eight hour day that most employees in America work. Instead, I average ten to twelve hours in the office each day plus another three to five hours per night at home.

  As is the case most nights, sleep doesn’t come easy for me. When I finally manage to fall asleep, I find my thoughts focusing on the beautiful brunette Carter and I met on the street months ago. Only this time I don’t picture her as she was that day on the sidewalk, instead she is standing naked in front of me, her hands bound behind her back with a simple red piece of silk. She’s waiting for me, her body is calling out to me, begging for my touch. Her nipples are hardened as the anticipation of what is about to happen arouses her even further.

  I take a step towards her, not able to keep myself from touching her for another moment but the space between us increases. Another step towards her, yet she is further away than she was moments ago. I quickly take three steps forward, my hand reaching out to touch her but again she remains just out of reach. Frustrated, I run to her but this time she completely disappears and I’m left standing in a cold dark room with a dirty mattress on the floor in the corner of the room.

  It’s nearly three in the morning and I find myself wide awake. I contemplate going for a run, but I really don’t want to wake Carter up. I shouldn’t give a fuck… I pay him to be available when I need him, but even I’m not that cold hearted to wake him up in the middle of the night and pull him from the warm bed he shares with his woman.

  I’ve never experienced what he has—I’ve never slept in the same bed with a woman. My nightmares have always prevented me from being able to do that. I remember once when I was little, my parents took us somewhere… to this day I can’t remember where we were going or why but we were in a hotel room and Austin and I had to share a bed because there were only two beds in the room with my parents taking the other one. I don’t remember the nightmare that night and can only assume it’s a variation of the one I have every night. What I do remember is waking up to find Austin wrapped in my mom’s arms crying and my dad rushing into the room with a bag of ice.