Initial Kiss Read online

Initial Kiss

  By Jillian Holmes

  Copyright 2012 Jillian Holmes

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  Kayla Jones was on a mission. She was in the middle of buying a house, flat broke, but willing to do almost anything necessary to get her finances in order. She needed to make money for the closing on her house fast.

  Star, her best friend since childhood, recommended stripping. She insisted Kayla had an amazing body and wouldn’t have any trouble at all making a quick buck.

  “Stripping is too risqué, Star. Plus, I’m not a good dancer, nor do I enjoy taking my clothes off for strangers. Hell, I don’t enjoy it all that much when I know the person I’m undressing for,” Kayla remarked to her friend. They both laughed. They were sitting on the couch in Star’s two bedroom apartment, where Kayla was staying until the closing.

  Star ignored her friend but picked up and scanned the newspaper. After only a minute of reading through the classifieds, she shrieked and jumped off the couch, scaring her roommate.

  “This is so perfect for you!” Star exclaimed. “Wanted: ‘Pretty, athletic adult female to escort businessman on an out of town trip to Boston. All expenses, including travel, food, and wardrobe will be paid for. Escort will have her own room in a two-bedroom suite in the city and is not expected to perform sexually. Pay is $5000 for Friday afternoon through Sunday evening.’”

  “That can’t be real,” Kayla rolled her eyes. “Men don’t pay for a woman’s company and not expect sex,” she had to admit, though, even if only to herself, she was intrigued.

  “How do you know? Maybe he’s gay. And just when was the last time you were on a date to know what a man expects?” Star didn’t let her answer. “A weekend trip to Boston would be fun! Maybe he needs to impress some business people. Besides, if he can afford five grand on a weekend, he must be loaded. How much do you need to close on the house?”

  “$4500,” Kayla hated to admit Star was right, but she was. The amount was nearly a perfect match to what she needed for the closing, plus a little extra for her savings account.

  “See? It’s perfect! Email this guy, now!” Star threw the newspaper at Kayla and then brought the laptop over to the couch. She watched over Kayla’s shoulder as Kayla sent out a short and direct email. She included a picture of herself, as well. The reply email came not more than a minute later.

  Miss Jones,

  I have attached a questionnaire that will help me decide on just the right candidate for this position. I wish to remind you that although the position is listed as an escort, there is absolutely no expectation of sex. This is strictly a business deal. I need a companion who is smart, beautiful, preferably funny, and comfortable in her own skin. Please print the questionnaire, fill it out, and fax it to the number listed below. I look forward to your reply and possibly meeting you, as well.

  James Madison

  Kayla wrote down the fax number he provided and printed the questionnaire. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but Kayla knew that online interactions could be deceiving. She decided then and there that if she went to meet him, she would bring along some muscle, just in case.

  Star grabbed the pages off the printer. “Wow, he wants to know quite a bit about you,” she said, handing several papers to Kayla.

  Kayla looked it over and nearly laughed. Height, weight, birthplace… At least he didn’t ask for her address. She chuckled and grabbed a pen to start filling out his questionnaire. It took her nearly an hour, but once she finished, she used Star’s fax machine to send the pages over. Within ten minutes, there was a reply fax with a scribble on the first page.

  Check your email. –JM

  The other pages contained a similar questionnaire and his answers to them. Kayla began to read through his answers and found she was pleasantly surprised. James Madison was born in Boston, Massachusetts in nineteen-eighty. So that made him thirty-two, Kayla calculated. He was 6’4” and weighed two hundred pounds. He owned a law firm in Springfield, Massachusetts and the business did quite well. He didn’t have any partners in his firm, but rather four lawyers working for him. He was outdoorsy but well-read, which surprised Kayla. Most men were either one or the other, not both. She was intrigued, but still wary.

  After reviewing his questionnaire, which contained a few details about his childhood and plenty of details about his business, Kayla remembered to check her email. She opened two other emails before clicking on James’ email. She noticed the attachment and downloaded it. As it popped up on the screen, she could only stare in shock at the man in the photo.

  “Holy cow!” Star exclaimed from where she stood behind Kayla. “He’s gorgeous!”

  Kayla refused to voice her opinion of him aloud. She knew she was in trouble; he was stunning. But more than that, he was almost regal. His eyes were the most insane and intense shade of green Kayla had ever seen. He wasn’t even smiling in the photo; his perfect lips were drawn into a furiously serious thin line. Kayla could tell he didn’t like having his picture taken. She smiled at that realization. His jawline was strong and his nose fit perfectly to his face: not too large, not too small. She knew she was staring at the screen for too long; she was absolutely enamored of him. His good looks were intense, but she recognized a kind of sadness in those deep green eyes – she’d felt that kind of sadness in her own life. She was drawn to him, even through the photograph. She definitely wanted to meet him.

  Clicking back to the email he sent, she read what he wrote.

  I am definitely up for a meeting in person. I can understand any apprehensions you may have, so please bring a friend with you to the Mexican restaurant on First Street on Tuesday evening. Our reservation will be at seven.

  James

  He was used to being in charge, Kayla noticed. Not that he would be able to boss her around that way. But for the time being, she knew she would listen to whatever he told her for one simple reason: she needed the money.