“Aye, it is, but there is a purpose, so let me explain the second half of the plan.” By the time I was finished, she had just enough time to get ready to go. While she did that, I booked a private appointment for the women at the Jimmy Choo store in Edinburgh. If that's what her clients liked, that was what they would get.
We pulled up in front of Donna's flat, and she waved excitedly through the window at Luna, who returned her wave with equal enthusiasm. A small smile tugged on Graeme's lips, the first genuine one I'd seen in a long time. If nothing else, I hoped this little outing would prove fruitful for both him and Donna.
He jumped out of the car and tugged open the passenger door. Once Donna was tucked into her seat, he did up her belt and kissed her hand.
“Awww, that is so cute,” Luna commented from beside me. Donna barely stifled a laugh at Graeme's groan. He closed her door and got in the driver's seat, sending Luna a look of annoyance in the rearview.
She just giggled.
True to her word, Luna took advantage of filming her feet in various Choo shoes but only offered a picture of the shoes she chose, telling everyone who wanted to see her wearing them to sign onto the link she'd sent.
We all agreed that the limited-edition Jimmy Choo/Jean Paul Gaultiers in silver were stunning and looked amazing on her. Donna almost cried for joy when Graeme purchased her the matching pair in black.
At Harrods of Scotland, Luna found a Jenny Packham turquoise-and-silver evening gown that hugged her curves and showed off her cleavage. My jaw almost hit the floor when she came out in the revealing, mermaid-esque dress. Donna, as her biggest supporter, clapped and cheered when Luna modeled it, while I wanted to find a shawl and cover her up. But in the end, that dress won, and Donna settled on a shimmering black design by Stella McCartney.
With everything ready for the next evening, we could relax. I ordered a private dining room atThe Kitchinfor the four of us. Donna and Luna giggled and shared stories and experiences and became loose-tongued the more wine they drank.
Graeme and I exchanged looks several times, mostly when their stories involved reckless behavior, which most of them did. I could only imagine what Donna's night would be like after we were dropped off. Graeme and I were very similar-minded, which had made our employer/employee relationshippretty much seamless over the years, although we'd never been on a double date before. I pondered the reasons why we'd never socialized, which brought me to thinking about the rest of my staff. What did I really know about them? Not as much as Luna, who they all seemed taken with.
A few hours later, Graeme dropped us off at home, and Luna was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. I was a bundle of nerves and stayed up late in my office going over details. This is where my OCD reared its ugly head. I was very mindful of my issue, but knowing the statistics of what happened to women the world over made me determined to keep Luna safe at the Gala, and reiterating the details in a loop was actually soothing.
The next afternoon, Graeme's cousin, Percy, arrived in the limousine right on time. Graeme and Donna were already inside, having been picked up first. He looked way more relaxed than the day before, and I surmised they'd gotten over whatever issue they'd had.
I helped Luna into the vehicle, wishing I could keep her home and safe instead of taking her into danger, but my logical brain agreed that this was an opportunity to rid her of her stalker once and for all.
Luna had checked her account just before we left. Nine of her top ten clients had registered. Alan had already checked out those nine, and all of them were clean. It had to be the tenth account that belonged to Blacktop, but we couldn't do anything until we had proof.
When we arrived, I took Luna's hand, holding it firmly in mine. “No matter what, lass, don't leave my side.”
She tried to make light of my words. “Aww, would you miss me?”
I tugged her to a stop, letting Graeme and Donna go ahead of us. “Don't even pretend this is just a gala and your safety andfuture aren't at stake. I need you safe, Luna, because yes, I would miss you.”
Her eyes softened as she gazed at me. “I would miss you too, Artair.”
I claimed her lips, putting all my internal strength and intention to keep her safe behind the kiss. When I pulled back, her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Come on, Daddy, let's go catch a bad guy.”
Despite the seriousness of our situation, I chuckled at her daring. If I got the honor of keeping her, she'd be the death of me, but what a glorious death it would be!
Chapter Eleven
Luna
I was doing my best not to lose my shit, but the strain of acting 'normal' when I wasn't even that on a good day was taking its toll. Somewhere, either inside the packed gallery or outside hiding behind one of the many trees or bushes, lay someone waiting to corner me.
Ha! If I was lucky, they only wanted to corner me. My gut said they wanted way more than that. Despite finding out that it was an organization apparently backing the culprit, we suspected I was being pursued by one rogue player within the larger framework, using their high-powered resources for their personal gain.
Donna was blissfully unaware of the danger behind this outing, as Graeme didn't want to ruin his blooming relationship with the tour guide by sharing the real reason she was attending the exclusive event. She was quite happy to film me doing all kinds of fun things with my feet in the beautiful heels. Being the same size, we also exchanged shoes for several videos, and even I had to admit being around her was making my evening more enjoyable.
Servers were constantly circulating through the crowds, offering glasses of champagne. I'd already indulged in a few and was beginning to feel the effects. It wasn't as good as what Artair had in his private collection, but it was still far superior to anything I'd tasted in my old life, as I'd started calling it. Pre-Scotland and Artair, I'd lived the life of a barely grown adult with all the typical angst of a college student, including being broke most of the time. My money earned fromFeetingFanswas for my education first. Any luxuries were secondary, but those were very few and far between.
Being with Artair had shown me so much about what was possible and how the other half lived that school seemed mundane by comparison. My reasons for coming to Scotland in the first place had been to find myself and a direction for my life. I had no specific career goals and had gone because it was a better option than getting a nine-to-five job in a restaurant.
So much was moving through my mind at a rate that was hard to keep up with. My entire trip, in fact, had been riddled with so many sensory experiences that sometimes I forgot where I'd come from and why I'd come to Scotland in the first place. Then, I'd picture Stan Jarvis accosting me on the hill, and I'd be right back in the trauma of being assaulted in broad daylight in another country. Thoughts jumped and jumbled in my head. When he turned up in Scotland, I should have known it was myphone that was compromised. I felt stupid and reached up to rub my brow in an act of irritation.
“Don't worry, lass, all will be well.”
