Sugar Baby - Chapter #2 - Free To Read

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Alex

I paced back and forth in the hotel room, feeling acutely aware of my own reflection in the hotel room mirror. Jazmin told me this girl was new to the game, she didn’t tell me how new, and she also told me she was younger than her. I told myself I wouldn’t go younger, only older. Jazmin was twenty, going on twenty-one in a month if my calendar app was correct, and that was the youngest I swore I would go.

It was getting harder though, I realized, women that were sugaring entered the field younger than it seemed six years ago. Or maybe I was just getting old enough to realize it now. It was also made more difficult that I wanted exclusivity and referral from the girls I liked already. Amanda was twenty-seven when we started, she left the business a year later and introduced me to Nicolette who was twenty-five. This one, Chloe, was nineteen apparently, and I had no idea why I was even going to attempt to meet her. The younger ones didn’t like men like me, they expected a rich twenty-something to sweep them off their feet, but the older ones didn’t stay in the game, from my experience most of them went to straight escorting.

I liked escorts, I liked sugar babies, I liked all manner of sex workers. They gave me affection, attention, sex, and companionship, and all they asked for was money. They didn’t ask me to open up, they didn’t pretend to get close to me for money or gifts because they already had that, and most importantly, they didn’t ask me for a relationship. I wasn’t ready for that yet, not after Marie, especially not when she and I weren’t even divorced yet.

My phone beeped and I came to a sudden stop in front of the mirrors before adjusting my tie. It was forest green and contrasted nicely with my black jacket and dress shirt. Is it too much? The restaurant was upscale, but I didn’t want to look too old school. Lose the tie. I pulled at it frantically and threw the silk down on the bedspread. I quickly undid my top two buttons and tried to make myself look more modern. Bit late for that, twenty years too late.

My phone beeped again, and I groaned as I reached for it and tucked it quickly into my pocket. I couldn’t be late, not tonight.

The driver met me out front and I slid into the back seat of the Audi, watching as he got into the front and pulled away from the curb. Sacramento was an interesting city, it reminded me more of some places in the Midwest than of all the other cities I’d been to. For whatever reason, this city seemed to have some of the best sugar babies I’d ever had, Jazmin had been a dream, she never pushed, and I had faith in the girl she picked for me if she was also from here.

Nightlife thrived in downtown, I watched as it we whipped past; girls in short dresses laughing and dancing outside of bars, friends holding onto each other, and people running back and forth. The crowds thinned out as we approached the restaurant and I took a deep breath, an attempt to center myself and calm down before I got out of the car.

I opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk, thanking the driver briskly before approaching the doors. The maître ‘d glanced up and smiled as he came around the podium.

“Mr. Hatzistefanis, good to see you again,” he greeted chipperly.

“Noel, thank you. I have someone joining me tonight, you’ll be able to show her to my dining room, won’t you?” I asked as I shucked off my jacket.

“Of course. Samantha has something special set up for your menus, will you need anything else?”

I smiled and slipped a folded bill into his palm. “Privacy. We don’t need to be asked about the food, I trust they’ll know that.”

His smile grew wider and he tucked the bill discreetly into his jacket. “I will remind them. Have a good evening.”

I led myself down the hallway, leaving him there as I found my way to the dining room. I knew the staff well, and they knew I preferred to be left alone with my guests.

I pushed the door open and adjusted my jacket as I glanced around at the romantic atmosphere. I might not have been in this business for romance, but it always helped to set the mood. Smiling to myself, I checked my phone and took a seat at the table, facing the door. She would be here any minute now and I wanted to make sure I got a good look at her. I must have only been sitting there for a minute before I heard someone coming down the hall.

The door opened and the maître ‘d came in, I got to my feet and watched as the woman behind him entered the room. My mouth went dry and I stared at her intently as I came around the table. She was beautiful; her small heart shaped face was framed by wavy golden hair that was cut just above her bust, her lips parted slightly as I reached out a hand and felt my heart pound. Her skin was tanned, not as deeply as my own – maybe a shade or two lighter – and she had surprisingly long legs for being so short.

“Miss Chloe, it’s lovely to meet you – I’m Alex.”

Her wide eyes met mine and I was in awe of the stunning hazel colour. “Um, hi it’s nice t-to meet you,” she stuttered out.

Oh, how adorable. I turned away and tried to hide my smile as I gestured to the table. I pulled out her chair and made sure she was comfortable before taking my own. In the subdued light and reflection off the glasses, her colouring seemed even stranger. Her hair was blonde, her skin was surprisingly dark, and her eyes were light. The skin colour was natural, and her hair bridged into very light brown territory in spots that told me that was also natural. Definitely European. Maybe Mediterranean like me, but I couldn’t be sure.

She looked down at her plate and shifted in her seat, her eyes kept darting around the room, and I realized that she was probably terrified. Is she even nineteen? In that skin-tight black dress that seemed to defy gravity with how it clung to her tits without support, she could pass for older, but up close she looked young and doll like and it fucking terrified me. Jazmin wouldn’t send me someone underage, I assured myself.

“You look nervous, are you alright?” Because I am too, at least we have that in common.

She shook her head vehemently. “I’m sorry, this is just new. I’m not sure what Jazmin told you but…” She left her sentence open ended and gestured carelessly.

She spoke with her hands, a small thing that made me smile to myself at the way she moved so animatedly. Unfortunately, the waitress was there before I could respond and brought the D'Autrefois pinot noir with her. I hoped Chloe didn’t mind, I’d ordered for both of us from the prix fixe menu wild venison, we could still change it if she was bothered though, I would make sure of it. I offered to take her somewhere else or to change the order, but she shook her head again.

“No, no, it’s fine, thank you though,” she said with a reassuring smile. As if to prove it, she reached for the wine and took a tentative sip.

She didn’t say anything else and I realized that I was probably going to need to probe her a bit if she was that nervous. “Is this your first time?” I asked casually.

She seemed to almost choke on her drink before setting it down. My eyes lingered on the wine on her lips, glistening with the most alluring invitation. When she spoke, she did so quickly and tripped over her words, “Y-yes. I’m new to this whole thing, and nervous so it’s great that you ordered because I would’ve taken forever—” she broke off sharply and her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink. “Sorry, I’m not trying to be a complete weirdo right now.”

A weirdo? Why would she think that? Is she scared? She was new, she could be making rookie mistakes – ones that got women hurt or worse. Please don’t let her be scared of me, please let her have made the right choices before she came here. “Someone knows you’re here though, right? You made sure to tell someone where you were going. Like Jazmin?” I asked, perhaps more sharply than I intended.

She shook her head and looked down at her lap. “No, I just kind of… did it… I guess.”

You could get hurt. I tsked and swept my hair back. “It might help your nerves if you text your friend, Chloe,” I offered gently. I didn’t want her to think I was scolding her, but I’d seen and heard the horror stories of women in this business and it made my stomach turn to think of this young girl getting hurt by simple mistakes.

She looked up at me and I watched as something changed on her face before reaching for her phone. “Sorry, give me a second,” she mumbled as she tapped away at the screen.

She gnawed on the corner of her lip and I caught her glancing up at me as she waited for a reply. I couldn’t help but smile at her, all my worry gone. A minute later her phone buzzed and the visible tension in her shoulders melted away.

She set her phone aside and gingerly picked up her fork. I felt a bit odd staring at her, but I couldn’t look away, not when she peeked up at me and brushed her hair behind her ear. Gentle, uncertain, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Jazmin was right. I would have to thank her for this.

“So, can I, um, ask you what exactly you’re looking for in a—in a uh…” she trailed off and gestured openly.

I laughed at her embarrassment and took a swig of my wine. “A companion?” I offered, trying to make it less awkward for her. “It’s not complicated, honestly. I just travel a lot, my wife and I have been separated for about two years now, I like to have company on my trips. Discreet company, I usually refer to women I travel with as my assistants. I need someone with a lot of free time and is willing to put a certain effort into her appearance—” I broke off sharply and ran a hand through my hair, suddenly aware that she might not appreciate a comment like that. “I’m very sorry, I didn’t mean that in a rude way. I meet politicians and businessmen and I prefer to have my assistants well-dressed and made-up whenever we’re out.”

I liked knowing there was a good deal of effort going into every single date and event that I brought my companions to, there was a feeling of being in control, a power I hadn’t experienced before.

She nodded slowly and asked, “And the other stuff?”

Stuff. Sex. I was surprised that she didn’t say it out loud but the innocent way she said it made me smile and meet her wide hazel eyes. Something about her unfaltering gaze told me that she was more confident than she was letting on. It occurred to me that she was likely nervous about meeting a stranger but still excited about the prospects. Her excitement seemed to be winning out now and I hoped I could get her more out of her shell tonight.

“That doesn’t need to be discussed tonight, I have no intention of trying to pressure you into anything and I certainly don’t expect anything right away.” I never did. Women in this business all had different expectations, some wanted to have sex right away, some had a date limit before they would have sex, my personal opinion was that I didn’t want to have sex until it was clear they wanted me too. I had to know that Chloe wanted me back before I would push for it. I decided it would be a better choice to change the subject and not scare her with intimate questions. “You don’t have to be so clinical. Tell me about yourself, your hobbies, what do you like to do?”

She finished chewing and I watched her mood perk instantly as she shrugged and rushed to answer, “I live with my parents, I dropped out of university last year, but I was doing journalism, right now I’m getting into photography and blogging. It isn’t like a career or anything but it’s fun and I really like seeing all these people read my poems.”

Photography and blogging, Jazmin liked those things too. I would have to keep that in mind and see if I could get my hands on a nice camera for her or a computer. But the poetry was the one that threw me through a loop – what nineteen-year-old concerned themselves with that? “You write poetry?”

She nodded excitedly, hair bouncing with each nod. “I do. I studied a lot of John Keats and William Blake in high school, it just sort of stuck with me. My mom hates that I focus on it so much – she wants me to go to Greece to stay with family and work with my cousins, but I want to stay in the city. Poetry doesn’t exactly pay the bills…” She shrugged as if that was its own explanation.

I pushed my plate away and leaned forward on the table with my arms crossed. What a weird teenager. You couldn’t have paid me to read poetry when I was her age, much less want to make a career out of it. And she talked a mile a minute, I had to wonder what her poetry would look like. “Would you ever share your work with me? I wouldn’t mind seeing it.”

Chloe’s face lit up with a beaming smile and I couldn’t help but smile in return. She came out of her shell so easily, I just had to put in a little work to get her there.

“Of course!” she answered. “And um, yeah, I have a lot of writings you could read. Do you like poetry?”

“I do, I confess that I don’t have much time for it lately, but I do enjoy the classics.” I would put in more of an effort if it would make her happy though, but there was something else she said that had my ears burning. “I focus most of my free time on woodworking, my father used to build clocks and he taught me to as well. You said your family is in Greece?”

“Yeah, my mother’s side anyway. Most of them are in Athens.”

Practically neighbours. I probably knew at least one member of her family, but I wasn’t about to ask invasive questions like what her mother’s maiden name was just to find out. “Mine as well, lovely place really. Have you been recently?”

“No,” she said sadly. “I haven’t been since I was a kid.”

Oh… “A shame, it’s quite stunning, I’m sure you’d love it.” I couldn’t hide my slight disappointment, but it did give me a good idea. “Perhaps you and I could go.”

“That sounds amazing actually.”

I could bring her there for any number of parties or even just to get away for a weekend, but I was suddenly struck by the realization that it might be a bigger trip than she had been on if she was as new as Jazmin said. “I have to ask; you said you were new to this… Have you travelled as a companion before or anything of this sort?”

She smirked but quickly hid it. “No. This is my first date like this I guess.”

I didn’t think my heart was ever going to start beating again once those words were out. She had no experience. None! How many real boyfriends had she even had before tonight? Three? Four, maybe? I was not her boyfriend, I was not interviewing for that role either. Did she understand that? Silence welled between us as we sat there and the waitress cleared our plates for the next course, it was awhile before I found my voice again. “Why did you come here tonight?”

“The obvious reason, I guess.” She paused. “Why do you actually want a companion?”

I frowned. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Why do you actually want to pay someone my age to travel around with you?”

Chloe held my gaze and refused to look away even as the soft violin music faded. She had cut deep, and I realized then that no matter how naïve she looked, she wasn’t easily fooled. I decided to swallow my pride and give her my real answer. “I can’t meet women easily; I find it difficult. My money is attractive and using it from the get-go makes me more comfortable.”

There were no ulterior motives when I was open from the beginning about my money and how I would spend it, there was no debilitating anxiety over whether or not women like Chloe just wanted my money and had to hurt me to get it, she already had it – what did she gain by lying? Nothing.

She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. “So, you think all women are just after your money?”

She sounded like an indignant little girl; argumentative and bratty. I couldn’t hold back my laugh as I relaxed against the chair and rubbed my face. Was she going to give me the gears all the time? I hoped so. “Oh, you are a treat, aren’t you?” I matched her pose; crossing my arms as I stared back at her. “No, I don’t think that, but I am paranoid, and it makes me feel better to know the money is upfront.”

“That way your trust isn’t broken,” she finished.

“Exactly. I know you’re here for money, you know that I want the trappings of a relationship without the fear that you’re faking it. Because, quite frankly, I already know you’re faking it and then my feelings won’t get hurt.”

“Including sex.”

The waitress seemed to decide that this was the moment to return and I watched Chloe blush profusely. I waited for the waitress to take our plates and bring dessert before continuing, “That is my deal breaker. I won’t push you; I won’t ask you to be available every second of the day, but I want a relationship that involves sex.”

She nodded and played with her spoon. “How much?” she asked softly.

“Two thousand a week.” Hair, nails, add in a vehicle so I didn’t have to always pick her up, bills that she might have, clothing, lingerie that she would have to replace after I inevitably destroyed it. This lifestyle wasn’t cheap, and I wanted to make sure she was taken care of. “I have expectations, I can send you photos or put you in touch with a stylist, but you need a variety of gowns and jewellery for my business, and you need to be regularly working out along with getting hair and nails done.”

She looked at a loss for words as she sat there staring back at me. “What exactly do you do?” she asked suddenly.

“Real estate mostly, I broker sales for land and properties among many politicians and government figures around the world. I also own a contracting company, but I don’t do much, my son is the one that controls that.” I owned a real estate firm, one that I had bought when a friend died, but I had spent my youth buying and selling property after my father died. I wasn’t a licensed agent, but I was close enough.

Her brows shot up. “You have a son?”

“I do, but he really isn’t someone I want to talk about.” I paused to finish off my drink for strength. “That’s my other deal breaker – I don’t discuss family, it’s not important and I keep these lives separate.” Peter and Marie were off limits conversation, I couldn’t handle telling people about them and my failure as both a husband and a father. Being with Chloe, or any other sugar baby for that matter, took me away from ache Marie left behind, I didn’t need or want to delve into it with them.

She nodded again and started toying with the ends of her hair absently. “Can I ask one more personal thing?”

“Of course.”

“If you aren’t fully divorced from your wife, does she actually know about this?”

I wanted to laugh. “She does, she doesn’t know their names, she doesn’t ask for details, but she understands that I have needs and this suits it for me. She’ll be getting married again sometime after the divorce is finalized and I’m happy for her.” Mike and Marie. My chest ached thinking about it and I didn’t have the heart to tell Chloe that Marie wouldn’t care one way or the other as long as the alimony was paid in the end.

Chloe accepted my answer without question and the two of us finished dessert as we continued chatting happily. She was easy to talk to and while we didn’t watch the same movies, listen to the same music, or read the same books, there was still something that let us get along. She showed me her amateur photography and I shared a few pictures of my woodworking as we talked about our lives. There was no expectation of anything else tonight, just the ease of talking to each other and I was grateful for that I watched Chloe giggle away and sip her wine.

I felt like I was eighteen again and trying to flirt my way into some young tourist’s bed, but none of it was forced and I was confident that she was actually beginning to like me.

“Oh my gosh, we’ve been here for four hours,” Chloe whispered when she checked her phone.

“Have we?” I blinked twice, startled. “We can go if you like, I understand if you want to get going.” Not yet, don’t go yet.

She shook her head excitedly. “This is dumb, but do you want to go get coffee or something? Somewhere just a little less formal maybe?”

Her smile was just so infectious I couldn’t help my surprised laugh. “That sounds wonderful, let me have the car brought up.”

She agreed and two of us set out to find an open coffee shop. My driver found us a café that was open late, and I went to order for us. The menu was atrocious, and I picked randomly when I ordered for her, but she didn’t seem to mind one bit as we sat there talking.

The clerk gave us some nice privacy, but I wished I could take her somewhere more secluded for just us, at least, I wanted to until she called me Buffalo Bill.

“—I thought you’d be full on Buffalo Bill about this.”

“Buffalo Bill?” I asked with unfiltered horror. Did she usually date psychopaths? Was I acting creepier than I thought? Oh God, what if Jazmin gave her that impression?

“Don’t judge me! I just figured that guys like you didn’t have to resort to stuff like this.”

I scoffed. “I’m not resorting to anything! It’s unconventional, I know that, but it just makes me feel better—”

“To know for sure that they’re there for your money?”

“Yes. I just…” I trailed off and stared resolutely down at my glass. “People ask for things, and I like being generous don’t get me wrong, but it gets to be a lot. I like to believe that this is more real than someone acting the part of my friend before they start asking things of me.”

She reached across the table, offering me her hand. “I get it.”

I took her hand tentatively and turned it over, letting my thumb brush across her knuckles. She had soft skin and a nice tan, I wanted touch her more but I already felt like I might be going too far for her liking. “You’re very easy to talk to, Chloe…”

She smiled at me and squeezed my hand. I felt the walls around me starting to crumble and I knew that I couldn’t say no to this, to her. We fit together so easily and even if she was new to this, we could figure it out.

We sat there for another long while before she started to yawn rub her eyes. As much as I wanted to invite her back to my hotel, strictly for sleep and so that I could bring her out for breakfast in the morning, I held back. I did reach for her hand as we made our way to the parking lot though, I gave myself that one small pleasure.

She stopped as we approached the car and I turned to find her standing there watching me. I leaned against the door and waited.

“You’re beautiful…” I paused and tried to collect myself while hiding my embarrassment at saying that out loud. “I think this is the part where we get in the car,” I told her softly.

She took a small step towards me, her heels clicked on the cement and I held her gaze in the dark parking lot. It was late in the evening, actually very, very early in the morning, and maybe it was that which made me ogle her openly. Her body made her looked older; her hips and thighs stretched her dress, her waist was cinched and her tits were heavy, she was sexy as hell and I wished I could just pull her into the backseat. What do I have to do to get you to sit on my face? I wanted to feel her thighs on either side of my head, to feel her writhing against my mouth in ecstasy.

“You called me beautiful,” she replied, reaching out to touch my chest. “Do you really think that?”

“I think you’re gorgeous.” I reached for her instantly, grabbing at her plush hips. Oh, fuck me. My fingers sunk into her flesh and I jerked her closer, holding her against me. “More than gorgeous, I don’t care how superficial that sounds, but I just want to keep looking at you.”

She smirked and toyed with the buttons on my shirt, her nails scratching the plastic. “Naked, I’m guessing.”

“I’m not asking for that tonight, but definitely as soon as I can get my hands on you.”

“Your hands are already on me,” she whispered. “You haven’t even tried to kiss me yet, but you want to speed along to the finish line already?”

My heart started to pound as her eyes met mine and I reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. “Is that an invitation, Miss Chloe?”

She leaned up into me and I met her halfway. Her lips were soft and I tried to be gentle with her, I did, but my body betrayed me and I forced her mouth to open against mine. The taste of the pinot noir lingered on her tongue and mixed with the coffee, it made me crave her more and my fingers knotted into her hair.

I moaned against her mouth and felt her gasp against me while her fingers clutched at the back of my neck. There was something about her kiss that made me feel like she really wanted this, that she wasn’t kissing me out of obligation or necessity, it made my heart pound in my ears and wish that I didn’t have to let her go.

The thought was jarring, and I pulled away instantly. Her eyes fluttered and she looked, dare I think, almost disappointed. Don’t do this to me, sweet girl. I couldn’t let her pull me in, not again, not like this. My thumb moved over her lower lip and she blushed brightly.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked quietly, her voice laced with embarrassment.

I shook my head and bent down to her again, keeping my mouth barely an inch from hers as I held her gaze. “Absolutely nothing. You’re terminally perfect.”

She laughed and took the initiative this time, kissing me hard. I was sold hours ago, and I could only assume that she was too. Or hope. Fuck, I hoped she was sold on me. I tightened my arms around her waist, keeping her locked against me while her fingers raked through my hair and beard.

“What do I have to do to see you again?” I whispered fervently.

“You have to ask me on a date,” she teased. “That’s it, that’s all.”

I had the perfect excuse to see her again. “Is going to Los Angeles next weekend too much for you?”

“For the whole weekend?”

“Just for Saturday, I can bring you back Sunday.”

She thought on it for a second while we stood there together, oblivious to the world. “I can do that.”

“Good.” I kissed her again before continuing, “I’ll give you the money for an evening dress and amenities.”

She agreed and we quickly found ourselves wrapped up in each other again. I loved the way it felt when she clung to me, maybe it was just because I was half-drunk, but I didn’t want to let her go.

By the time we were finally back in the car, all I could think of was how badly I wanted to bring her back to my hotel room. Despite my growing desire to throw her across the backseat, I kept my distance and respected her boundaries, even asking the driver to stop at the corner so that her family wouldn’t see me dropping her off.

“Sorry,” she apologized sheepishly. “I just know that my mom is going to be watching for me, you know?”

I smiled and kissed her cheek. “It’s alright, but can I get one thing from you?”

Her brow furrowed. “What do you need?”

“You’re phone number.”

She laughed suddenly and covered her mouth. “Give me your phone.”

I handed it over and watched her plug her number in, she tested it before handing the device back. Her name was saved as a little emoji with a halo, I couldn’t help my smile at the sight and tucked it away. “Thank you, Chloe. I’ll call you.”

“That sounds good,” she replied as she opened the door. “Let me know that you got back okay.”

I nodded and told her to do the same as I watched her make her way down the block to a large house at the end. I wanted to know that she was safe and sound before we left and just as the car pulled away, my phone vibrated.

2:39 AM Chloe

I had a good night. Thank you, <3

Yes, I would have to thank Jazmin profusely for introducing me to this sweetheart.

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