Client in penthouse wants to know when you’ll be up.

I had to delete my response twice before sending, Presently. Thanks. It wasn’t Dean’s fault the client was high maintenance.

I swiped my key to access the elevator. Victoria had special fobs made that were fashioned to look like antique keys, and we wore them as a necklaces that didn’t detract from our costumes with a clunky badge. As technology improved, she also added a bluetooth panic button with an audio link to security built into the key should things go awry.

Every detail here was meticulously considered to bring about fantasies for our clients that felt real, but since this person had scheduled so last minute, they would simply be getting the penthouse as is—which meant it was essentially identical to the penthouse suite of a very high-end hotel.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open silently. My black Louboutin stilettos, a gift from one of my regulars, clicked on the marble foyer floor as I walked confidently towards the living room where I could see not one but two men sitting.

I sighed. This night just kept getting better.

They looked up as I drew near, and I instantly recognized the blonde man, but deliberately let my eyes slide over him as though I didn’t, addressing the other man instead.

“Good evening. I’m afraid I only have one client scheduled, but there’s a very comfortable private lounge downstairs where your friend may wait until the end of the session.”

The man I’d spoken to looked mortified and glanced back and forth to the other guy as though waiting for me to realize my mistake. I was well aware the other gentleman was Alex Chase, one of the most famous actors on the planet, and he probably wouldn’t be here if the session wasn’t for him…but my job was all about power dynamics. If I recognized him, then he started with the upper hand.

“Session is with me, sweetheart,” Alex Chase said. He relaxed back on the couch as though this explained everything. From his expression, I should have been honored by this statement.

He was America’s silver screen darling. If there was a wholesome, heartthrob role to be played, he was your guy. It seemed there were some darker depths to his good-boy image. There usually were.

I shifted my gaze to him, arching an eyebrow the tiniest bit to indicate my displeasure at his use of an endearment, but didn’t bother to correct it. If he immediately got a rise out of me, he got the upper hand as well.

He was so attractive the impact of looking at him was visceral. On screen, he was jaw-droppingly handsome, but in person he was something else entirely. It didn’t seem fair that a human could be that good looking. His blonde hair was artfully disheveled and a short beard dusted his impossibly chiseled jaw, framing his full mouth…but it was his eyes that threw me. They were a piercing, icy blue that made me think of the wild northern seas.