Page 80 of Nothing to Deny
“Yes, your whole life is five-star,” she said still smiling. “Welcome to the other side.” Noise brought her around to see Baer entering the bedroom. “I have to go.”
“Okay, keep me apprised. If you can’t be safe, be naughty.”
She hung up and held the footboard to twist further around. “I’m sorry, Hound. Are you okay?”
“I didn’t win.”
So not what she’d been referring to. “Monopoly? No one ever does. It’ll descend into a rabble before they ever get there. Everyone’s tired, had a few drinks… but I meant about the other thing.”
He took off his jacket to hang it in the closet and loosened a few buttons on his shirt. “He’s not being paid to be here.”
“It’s real?”
“As real as it gets.”
According to him, or was he toeing a line? Was that paranoia? Was she paranoid? It wouldn’t be nice to accuse Baer’s friend of lying when she hadn’t any measure on the man yet.
“They just happened to meet? That’s one hell of a coincidence, don’t you think?”
He sat on the other side of the bed to bend over and untie his shoes. “You know a woman called Loretta?”
Her shoulders went back. “Not personally, but Holly does. They work together, Holly and Loretta.”
“She was what changed first.” He got up to put his shoes in the closet too. “He said he was done with Loretta and quit Squires not long later.”
“Because he was interested in someone?” That someone being Kelly, obviously. “In love with her? Does she know?”
“About his past? He wouldn’t say.”
Which she’d assume meant no, except from what she knew of Loretta, the woman was about as opposite to Kelly as any two people could be. Would Kelly accept him moving from someone like Loretta to her?
Probably. Even if it seemed unusual, how many people would go straight to assuming he was an escort being paid to date Loretta? Not many. She’d never even spent any time considering male escorts existed until her cousin introduced her to the life.
“He told you he was dating Loretta when he met Kelly? Why would he tell you one and—”
“Conrad told me about Loretta. Apparently, Loretta was one of Nickson’s regulars. Then one day, out of the blue, Nickson says he won’t see her anymore.”
“Nickson told Loretta that?”
“He told Conrad he was done with her. Asked him to give Loretta a line.”
“To lie to her?”
“Most women don’t like to be dumped.” Especially by a man they’re paying. “Most of them want a reason too.”
“And his reason was Kelly?”
“Figure that now. He didn’t tell Conrad anything about her. Just said he couldn’t see Loretta anymore, and it was personal. Conrad took care of the rest.”
Did that mean Nickson had been into Kelly from the start? Could just be he didn’t want to be “working” someone associatedto the woman he was really dating. Smart move, strategic? Another reason she doubted Kelly knew the truth of his past.
“They met at a work function.” That was said at dinner. They hadn’t stated it wasn’t one of Kelly’s, now she’d bet it was one of Holly’s. “Holly and Kelly go out a lot.”
They were sisters. It wasn’t uncommon for them to back each other up at various events. Or help each other out with obligations and sneak out for their own party after showing face.
“So Loretta must have hired him for a social function, something at work. Kelly and Holly go to the same event…”
“Nickson and Kelly meet…” He wouldn’t have told her that first night, he’d be used to socializing without revealing his true purpose. “Is he going to tell Kelly? Will he tell the others about you and Donoghue?”
