Providing company was the main part of Ruby’s job. Her more intimate services? Anyone could provide that. But the company of a beautiful, glamorous woman who would listen to their every word was something much harder to come by. It wasn’t unusual for her clients to bare their hearts to her, their deepest desires and darkest secrets exposed between the sheets.

What secrets was this woman hiding? What desires did she harbor?

Suddenly, the woman looked in Ruby’s direction. Her gaze fell upon Ruby, sweeping over her body before returning to her eyes. Ruby’s pulse quickened. The woman’s stare wasn’t greedy or lustful, like the leers so many of Ruby’s potential clients gave her. The look in the woman’s eyes spoke of desire that was more than physical. It was as if she were trying to see deeper into Ruby.

One thing was certain. The woman wanted her in a way that Ruby didn’t quite understand.

Ruby held the woman’s gaze, ignoring her racing heart. She’d played this game enough times to know what would happen next. In just a few moments, the woman would come over and speak to her.

But instead, the woman turned back to stare at her drink.

Ruby recrossed her legs and let her eyes wander around the room. So the woman needed a little convincing. That wouldn’t be too hard. Ruby would wait until the woman glanced in her direction again, and then she’d give the woman a flirtatious, inviting smile. Then the woman would walk right over to Ruby and snap her up, thinking it was her idea all along. That was how it worked.

But as the minutes passed, the woman didn’t look Ruby’s way again. Nor did she do anything else. She simply continued to stare at her drink.

Ruby frowned. Perhaps the woman needed a little encouragement. Ruby liked to let clients approach her, but this was a special case. Ruby needed a client, and this woman intrigued her. The woman was interested in her too, but it was clear that she wasn’t going to make the first move. Ruby would have to do so herself.

So why did the thought of approaching the woman make her chest flutter? It was dangerous, the effect the woman was having on Ruby. When it came to her job, letting feelings get involved made it all too easy for her to get hurt. She’d learned her lesson from her last client. Ruby needed to keep her head.

She steeled herself. The woman was just another potential client.

Ruby picked up her drink and headed to the bar.

* * *

Yvonne stared at the bottle of scotch before her. She’d come to the bar after making an exit from her friend’s bachelorette party. She’d originally planned to turn in for the night, but she’d found herself with too much on her mind. Drinking her troubles away instead wasn’t the smartest idea, especially considering how much she’d already drunk over the weekend. She was usually far more responsible.