That’s why I’d never taken one from you.
“Just this once?” I asked, my voice going softer as my eyes went rounder.
“Oh, how can I deny you anything?”
How could he, indeed? When it wasn’t even his damn place?
“Here,” he said, handing it back to me, his cold fingers lingering on mine for just a second too long. “Can I have the card, though?”
“Sure,” I agreed, quickly handing it to him.
He needed to leave.
I had to figure out what else was in the box.
Then, you know, finish getting ready for my show.
“That’s my girl,” Frank said. “Don’t forget the red lip. You know how much I like that.”
Unfortunately, I did.
I’d once overheard him say he had some kind of kink for getting head from women with red lipstick on because the stain lingered.
Weirdo.
“Always,” I agreed, giving him a smile that I kept plastered on my face until he was out of the room.
“Ugh,” I grumbled, shaking my shoulders like I could shrug off the whole interaction.
I made my way to the door, listening for a second to make sure he was gone, then ran to the vanity to pull the false bottom out of the box.
And there was a phone.
He sent me a phone?
I powered it up to find he’d already programmed it with his number. And had put a couple of notes in the app about things to keep an eye out for. But he was careful not to put any names down or anything.
I clicked a message and sent it over.
Who is Eric?
I barely got a chance to glide on my lipstick before the answer came through.
-Trying something out. Just play dumb if anything comes back to you.
I unrolled my hair so as not to seem too eager to reach out to him again.
I’ll bring the necklace to the next meeting.
The answer was swift and final.
-No, it’s yours. Keep it.
The logical part of my brain said to hold onto it just until I was sure he wouldn’t demand it back. The other part was already a little bit in love with it and wanted to keep it, however stupid that might be.
My memory flashed back to the time I spent with my grandmother and how she would take out several different velvet jewelry boxes and pull each piece of jewelry out, one by one, and tell me which man got it for her and why. And how in love with her he was.
I had exactly two nice pieces of jewelry. One was a gift from a designer when I was modeling. Another was a gift from my grandmother when I got signed.
