Authors: Dez Burke
“Thank you, Chloe. You were a great help,” Jordan muttered, his mind already elsewhere as he headed for the door.
“Was she anything like you were looking for?”
Chloe’s soft, unexpected question made Jordan pause. He turned around in surprise. “What?”
“Alyssa couldn’t help letting it slip that you did get to meet someone. You didn’t have to follow through but you did. She must be something to make you act so out of character. The Jordan Hancock I knew would never have gone along with something like that.”
Jordan could have easily told her that maybe she never really bothered to know the real him. Instead, he smiled lightly and said, “Yeah...she’s really something.”
Chloe nodded, a small smile lifting her lips in response. “You know I only wanted you to be happy, don’t you? Even if it wasn’t with me. I was mad for a while but...the things you said back then really made a lot of sense when I thought about it. I guess I’ll be looking out for that special someone that can switch me on the way she does you.”
Chloe moved forward to where he stood, coming close and staring searchingly up into his face. “I’m not even sure how I know, but I can sense you’re different. Something’s...changed.”
“If I’ve changed, then it’s been about time,” Jordan said, dusting a quick goodbye peck on Chloe’s cheek and left her looking less disgruntled than she’d been when he’d first come in.
As Jordan drove off he thought about Chloe’s uncharacteristic perceptiveness. He
had
changed and it took someone who’d once been close to him to notice. Would Tania ever realize the impact she’d made in just the brief time they’d shared together? At face value it had seemed like just the sex and the passion. But on a deeper level, it had taken over his subconscious and made him realize he’d had a missing piece all along.
As he reached for his phone, he filled his mind with thoughts of how he could make up for lost time and show Tiana they had some unfinished business – and he wasn’t backing out until she saw things his way.
Chapter Eleven
Alyssa walked into Tiana’s office with a breezy ‘good morning’ even as she noted the pensive look on Tiana’s face.
“So how was the charity dinner last night? Did you have a good time?”
Tiana didn’t seem to hear her, but after a moment she shut her laptop and faced Alyssa with a deep frown. “I’ve been trying to work a few things out but can’t seem to come up with a reasonable explanation.”
“About what?” Alyssa asked lightly, crossing her legs as she swayed back on forth on the swivel chair in front of Tiana’s desk.
“Jordan. That male escort you recommended so highly.”
Alyssa’s lips lifted in a grin. “Looks like he lived up to his top billing, huh? At least you had your walk on the wild side.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Tiana said, her cheeks flushing. “I’m talking about last night, at the dinner. He was there, Alyssa. At first I thought he was attending as someone’s male escort, but then it turns out he’s some successful investment whiz I’ve never even heard about who earns at least ten times what I do. How could that be even possible?”
Alyssa shifted in her chair, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Well, I can’t really tell you. I mean, who’s to say with these male escorts? You never know who they could be in real life; your doctor, your next-door neighbor…”
“Your brother?”
Alyssa started and she looked up to meet Tiana’s accusing look.
“Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out? Alyssa, he has the same surname as yours. Hancock. I did a bit of snooping and I discovered Jordan Hancock happens to be your elder brother. I just don’t understand why you did this. I don’t even understand
what
you did.”
Alyssa’s expression looked guilty. “I should have known it would all come back to haunt me. What was I thinking?” She shook her head with a sigh. “I just don’t know how to begin.”
“Why not start with the truth?” Tiana said, sitting back and folding her arms with eyebrows cocked.
Alyssa sighed. “It’s all my fault. And I take full responsibility even though everything was based on probabilities. Would you like Jordan enough to pick him from the other choices on that escort site? And would
he
play along with it even though he knew someone had set him up to be something he wasn’t?”
Something seemed to click inside Tiana’s head and she jerked forward suddenly, asking, “He’s not really a male escort, is he?”
Smiling ruefully, Alyssa shook her head. Then, looking shame-faced, she confessed to Tiana how she’d registered Jordan on Gents4Ladies, building up a fictitious profile for him using pictures she’d taken from Jordan’s ex-fiancée.
“The idea came to me when you kept going on about how you so desperately needed a last minute date,” were Alyssa’s rueful words as she faced her incredulous friend. “So I thought, Tiana needs some excitement. Something different from what she’d ever done. But instead of letting you go for just anyone, I picked my brother since I figured both of you were looking for the same thing. He’d just broken up with his fiancée simply because according to him, she lacked that bit of spark – that extra spice. So I set him up as a male escort, hoping you’d take my advice and select him. If you didn’t select him, I would’ve told you immediately. I never dreamed Jordan would play along but I knew that at least, you two would come in contact and something could work out from there. I was really surprised when I realized he went right along with the whole ploy.”
“Why would he do that?” Tiana breathed, looking hurt, confused. “Why would he want to fool me like that? Why didn’t he just tell me the truth? I feel like such an idiot.”
Alyssa was chewing hard on her lip. “I honestly don’t get it. Jordan’s supposed to be the cool-headed brother – the sensible one in the family. I never dreamed he’d go with it but then maybe you took him by surprise. Maybe it’s been his secret fantasy all along and I just helped him actualize it the same way I helped you with yours.”
Tiana’s eyes blazed as she jumped to her feet. “Gee thanks, Alyssa. I really needed to be hooked up with a fake gigolo to add some spice to my life. Have you any idea how embarrassing this is?”
“I’m sorry,” Alyssa said simply, rising to her feet as well. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I just thought things would work themselves out. Jordan would say there was some mistake and you two would laugh it off, and then decide to meet up anyway. I don’t know. I just felt you two were so much alike in what you were seeking from a partner. I never meant to play ‘god’ and now I wish I hadn’t started shit. At first I was happy, seeing both of you having so much fun but I never dreamed it would go as far as it did.”
Tiana sighed impatiently at Alyssa’s apology, shaking her head and turning away to walk to the window. “I don’t even know what to say or who to believe. I feel like such an idiot. I’m just one big joke for my best friend and her brother. I really don’t appreciate that between you and Jordan, I got myself being played like a pawn. Well, I hope you both had your fun.”
With that, she snatched up her purse, ignoring Alyssa’s crushed look. “I can’t stay another second. I need to go home right now to rest my head and rid it of these murderous thoughts I’m having right now about a couple of siblings who think it’s a game to mess with someone’s emotions.”
“Tiana, please. Come on…,” Alyssa began as Tiana began to walk by, but one shrivelling look from her friend had her shutting it.
Alyssa watched Tiana storm out and sighed deeply. She hoped her friend would forgive her because at the bottom of it all, she’d only meant well.
She’d always thought Tiana would be the right woman for her brother but Jordan had always been with someone else. When Jordan had broken up with Chloe, Alyssa had seen the perfect opportunity to bring Tiana and Jordan together. She knew she could have easily tried to introduce them normally but this way had seemed so much more exciting. Obviously Tiana didn’t see it that way, naturally.
Alyssa didn’t even want to think about what Jordan would do when he found out. She wondered if she should do the smart though cowardly thing and just go into hiding until everything blew over.
And then she smiled to herself as she thought of the way Jordan had been acting since he’d become Tiana’s ‘gigolo’. She’d seen the subtle changes in him those times they’d met during the week at their parents’ home for dinner. He’d seemed more laid back, revived – happy and fulfilled. And Tiana had been flushed with happiness day in and out since the very first time she went on that date with Jordan.
Alyssa consoled herself with the assurance that one way or another, things would work themselves out in the best way for everyone and who knew - maybe one day those two would actually thank her…
***
Tiana almost howled with furious agony as she opened her fridge and hunted for ice cream but found none. How could she wallow in self-pity without some decent ice cream? There wasn’t even a nibble of chocolate to be seen. Damn her infernal diet that had her focusing on eating healthy which meant no temptations within reach. Now she was in need for some serious comfort food and there was nothing in the fridge to write home about.
She didn’t even think twice about grabbing her phone and ordering the biggest pizza she’d ever tried.
“That should do it,” she muttered to herself, flinging her phone on the couch and then making for her bedroom, deciding to pull on some jeans underneath the thin t-shirt and ruffled ankle socks which were her only items of clothing. After returning from work she’d slipped straight into her favorite, thigh-skimming cotton tee and socks.
Before she could make it to the bedroom, her doorbell rang and she started in surprise. The pizza couldn’t be here so soon. Without thinking she headed for the door and flung it open, expecting it to be Josie from next door. She’d called her neighbor up once she’d arrived and Josie had promised to come over to share a cup of coffee once she was done with what she was doing.
But instead of Josie, Tiana came face to face with the last person she’d ever expected – or wanted – to see again.
She couldn’t explain what it did to her to find him standing there. She couldn’t read his expression but there was a dark, stirring flickering in his grey eyes as he scanned her figure, barely concealed in her skimpy attire. Jumping behind the door, she poked her head round the side and glared at him.
“Go away, Jordan.”
He sighed deeply. “We need to talk.”
“We don’t need to do anything. You and Alyssa can go on with your mind-fuck games without me. I’m done.” Tiana made to slam the door to but then his arm shot out, keeping her from pushing the door closed.
“Tiana.” Her name was like a growl in his throat but then he sighed again as if to calm himself.
She stared at him suspiciously and saw his expression soften as he added, “I’m sorry, okay? That’s what I came to say. I never meant to lie to you or make a fool out of you. I just…I had every intention of telling you the truth the moment we met. I planned to. But then I walked in and saw you…and after that I was on auto-pilot. I wanted to be that man to give you what you sought. I told myself I was playing a role and so long as I met your needs it couldn’t be wrong. But it
was
wrong. You deserved the truth and I didn’t give it to you. I’ll regret that for a long time but what I regret the most was messing up the chance for something that could have been real between us.”
Tiana didn’t realize he’d taken his arm from the door until he finished speaking. She could shut the door in his face now if she wanted to. But did she?
“One thing I simply need to know…was it all just a joke to you? Were you laughing at me the whole time?” Tiana asked stiffly.
Jordan had the same crushed look on his face that reminded Tiana of an identical look on Alyssa’s face just an hour earlier. Tiana couldn’t help staring at him and feeling the ever-present dangerous attraction. He was dressed smart-casually in just a dark, fitted button-down shirt that complimented his lean, muscled torso and shoulders while his lean hips and long legs were encased in sinfully snug grey pants.
“I know that it seems like that now but believe me I never laughed at you. And I never considered it a joke,” Jordan said, his jaw clenching as he reined in his emotions. “It wasn’t supposed to happen after that one time. But then I realized I couldn’t stay away from you. I didn’t want to stay away. I warned myself you weren’t looking for romance or a relationship and this was the only way we could be together even for a few hours at a time. As time went on though, I started to need something more.”
Tiana didn’t know what to think. Her teeth worried her bottom lip as she listened to the deep throb of agonized sincerity in his voice. His face was a mask of self-accusation and guilt, but as he watched the confusion play all over her expression, his gaze softened once again. Tiana felt him gently take hold of the door and she found herself stepping back warily as he opened it wider and let himself in, never taking his gaze from hers.
Tiana shivered, not sure she wanted him to stay or leave. She told herself she just needed to hear what he wanted to say then he’d be gone. He shut the door behind him, the lock clicking shut and causing Tiana’s heart to pound realizing he was alone with her in her home. The crackling electricity they produced so easily sizzled in the air around them causing her breath to hitch.