Page 30 of Pretend I’m Yours
I wasn’t hired to fuck her. I was hired to pose for her when we were in public. For all I knew, she may as well have thought that it was just something fun we did one night, and she’d moved on with her life. Maybe I needed to do the same. Hell, I didn’t want to even think about my ex-wife anymore, and I knew when I was out of here, I wasn’t going to want to think about Hannah, either. I would go back to my original plan of only looking out for me and my needs, and I would enjoy women in the moment, then get rid of them before they had the chance to sink their claws into my life – and my heart.
“It’s bright in here,” Hannah said with a smile. “Thanks for changing that bulb that blew out.”
“I figured it was the least I could do. You know, you give me an eight-thousand-dollar wardrobe, I change a lightbulb once in a while,” I said. She laughed and it was glorious to hear. She was clearly getting more comfortable around me, her laughs often rippling through the apartment when we talked.
“Well I really appreciate it. It’s not that easy for me to get up there and do it myself,” she admitted. “I was trying to picture what it would be like for you to be on one of those stools trying to reach up there,” I said with a grin. “I figured I’d better do it so you didn’t fall and break your neck.”
“Well, thanks, I do appreciate it. Drake, do you have a minute? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
My heart automatically skipped a beat. In a sudden, hopeful instant, I wondered if she was going to bring up what had happened and what it meant for us – perhaps even telling me that she thought it meant more than just sex. But my heart sank when she continued and it had nothing to do with that.
“Remember that gala that I told you about?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than I felt.
“Well, my dad is going to put it on sooner than I thought, and I really need you to go with me,” she said. “This is going to be big.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “How big are we talking?”
“Well, the Senator is going to be speaking, and all the high-ranking officials in the public service departments are going to be there, too. I’m guessing that means my ex will be – there’s no way he’s going to pass up the chance to be seen at a place like that.”
“Even though he was fired for being dirty? Let alone your parents disapproving,” I commented, and she shrugged.
“That’s the way he is. And unfortunately, even as the disgraced officer he’s become he’s still a favorite among many who are on the force. That’s the whole reason why I didn’t go to them about how he’s been stalking me. It wouldn’t do any good,” she wrung her hands as she spoke, and the sudden urge to beat the shit out of the guy arose.
The more she talked about the man, the more I wanted to make him disappear. It scared me to think that such thoughts would run through my mind, but at the same time, I hated the way he treated her. He was the scum of the earth as far as I was concerned, and he needed to be treated like it.
“What do you need me to do?” I asked.
Her face lit up. “Really?”
I nodded, and she continued. “Not much. You’re going to have to get a tux if you don’t have one already. I don’t remember if you got one.”
“I’ll get one,” I said. “But what do you need me to do there?”
“Just make sure you have your story of where you came from and what you do down pat. If you’re asked questions, you’re going to have to have consistent but vague answers. Though I’m sure you’re going to be primarily ignored,” she said as she walked over to the fridge.
I tried not to stare at her ass as she bent over, fishing out a Greek yogurt from the back. She turned around and I quickly dropped my gaze as I took another drink of my whiskey. I didn’t say anything, and she sighed.
“Mostly, you’re just going to be a stage presence, you know? I want you to be there for show, let Brandon see that I’ve moved on, and I’m not on the market any longer. Maybe seeing you again so close will make him think twice about ever bothering to me again,” Hannah said wistfully.
I laughed. “I’m not sure that would be the best place to throw a punch, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to control myself if he gets in your face again.”
