John was curiously silent for a beat. “Then we should forget we ran into each other. Act like it didn’t happen.”

Disappointment curled in Zack’s gut, but he ignored it. “Yeah, I think that would be best.”

“All right, Darkling. I have to go, but I’ll call you soon. Good night.”

“Night.”

Zack started to hang up, but then John said, “Oh, wait, one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Phone sex operators sometimes dress up for clients, right?”

“Yeah, all the time. People think it’s silly because no one can see it, but a lot of us do it to get in the mood.” Zack scanned the office around him until he spotted an example. “As a matter of fact, I’m looking at a woman wearing a latex catsuit as we speak.”

“That’s quite the mental image.”

Zack waited for him to say more, but when he didn’t, he prompted, “Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering,” John said. He sounded casual, but Zack wasn’t fooled. “What’s your policy on that?”

All the disappointment Zack had been feeling vaporized. A slow smile crept over his face. “What did you have in mind?”

Chapter 9

“You look amazing.”

Zack pouted. “Really? I feel kind of silly.”

He held his arms out and spun around. Alexa stuck her cigarette in the corner of her mouth and pretended to stroke an imaginary beard as she appraised him. When he was facing her again, she applauded. “Bravo! Encore!”

Zack took a bow, conscious of how tightly his pants hugged his ass when he did. “Jesus, the things I do to earn a living.”

“Oh, come on.” Alexa returned her cigarette to her hand and grinned. “Don’t act like you’re not enjoying this. You look good, and you know it.”

Zack had to admit, she was right. While the outfit John had selected for their session today wasn’t something he would have ever worn otherwise, it suited him. He was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt with a deep V-neck, a maroon vest, and black pants made out of some kind of supple, leathery material—deer hide maybe? He’d been hesitant to put the clothing on at first, but once he had, he’d been forced to admit he looked good. The stares he’d gotten on the bus ride to work had been equally bemused and lecherous.

Alexa exhaled, and the smoke caught the last few rays of golden light from the setting sun. The streetlights hadn’t come on yet, and they were standing in semishadow outside Murmur Inc.

“So, John just gave you an address and told you to show up? No hints about where you were going or anything?”

“Pretty much. I knew I was going to pick up something to wear during our next call, but other than that, I had no idea what to expect. I figured it would be a costume store or a sex shop.”