Chapter 7: Viewing a House at Midnight

Aria Tesdal called again on a Saturday night, close to eleven. I was lying awake, alone in bed, tossing and turning. Ring, ring, ring. The phone trilled. I thought it was Ashley Shaw. I shot upright, heart ticking faster; this late had to mean she was finally free to video chat. Disappointment hit. An unknown number glowed on the screen. "Hello?" I still answered politely. "Trevor, sorry to call you so late. Are you asleep?" Aria's syrupy voice oozed through the line. For crying out loud, you know I'm asleep and you still call. I grumbled only in my head. "Oh, Aria. No, not at all. It's not that late. What can I do for you?" In this line of work, the customer is always right. No matter how late she called, even if I was cursing her in my heart, I had to sweet-talk her. "I just left a friend's party and happened to pass the villa you showed me last time. I want another look. Are you free?" "Of course, of course." In our business we were basically like call girls-always on call, dropping everything the second a client rang. Even if I was lying naked in bed with my wife, mid-act, I would still roll over and yank on my pants the second a client phoned. Twenty minutes later, I reached the spot Aria had named. She had switched cars. Last time she came in a Mercedes-Benz; tonight she drove a BMW herself, without that pasty pretty boy from before. A jolt of nerves ran through me. Late at night, alone together in a villa with a bed-pretty much a setup for a naive kid to lose his virginity. I felt skittish, uneasy, yet for the money I climbed into her car. "Here, a little something for dragging you out so late." Aria pointed to a tote by the passenger seat. I picked it up as I settled in. Inside sat two bottles of red wine with English labels. They looked expensive. "You shouldn't. Showing you the house is what I'm here for. Besides, I don't know the first thing about tasting good wine. Giving it to me would be a waste." I had to find a way to be polite. "It's fine. It isn't anything special. A friend gave it to me. Only a few dozen dollars. I never drink anything that cheap, and it would be a shame to let it sit." Jesus. How loaded was she? Or was she saying that on purpose, just to flaunt it? I had no idea how to respond, so I kept quiet. The silence turned awkward. Thankfully, the villa came into view. "The owner knows our manager-otherwise he wouldn't have trusted us with the keys with so much stuff inside." I said it to underscore our connection and to hint she'd have to go through our company if she wanted the place. "Aria, let me show you around." "No need for the first and second floors. Take me straight to the third floor." "The third? Oh, sure." The third floor held only a bedroom and an enormous soaking tub, nothing more. Why skip all those rooms and go straight up? Was that it? My stomach dropped, as if I had guessed why she wanted a midnight showing. I did as she asked and led the way. In the empty house, her heavy heels echoed, click, click, click, each step landing squarely on my nerves. "This bed is custom-made, isn't it? It's so comfortable." Aria plopped down on the oversized bed that dominated the room. Her sheer weight pressed a deep dent into the mattress. "Trevor, come on. Try it." "I… I think I'll pass." I stammered my refusal. So it had come to this. Should I agree, or should I refuse? "Come on. It'd be a shame not to try such a comfy bed." Aria gave me a yank. With that one pull, I toppled onto the bed beside her. We locked eyes. I stared at her, eyes wide. "Have I ever told you? You look so much like my first love." She stared right back. Oh, hell-here we go. I said nothing and did not move. In my head I weighed a commission of a few thousand dollars against the price of sleeping with Aria. "Trevor, I really do like you," she murmured, not giving me a second to decide. She smirked and slid her hand straight to my crotch. She gave it a little twist and, damn it, my body responded. How starved for affection was I? Shame washed over me at my own reaction. While I still gaped, Aria had already stripped off her top. "I'm a little fuller-figured. But trust me, I'm very good in bed." She took my hand and pressed it against the heavy swell of her breast.