Page 16 of Fake It For Glory

MERIDA

Iheld out my hand, a friendly smile on my face. “My name is Merida.”

He took my hand, his grip firm and confident. “You’ll be hearing from me soon.”

Then, without another word, he turned and left. I watched him go, feeling a strange mix of excitement and nervousness.

“Follow me,” Della said. “Let’s get this going. That is a man with a mission.”

I walked into Della’s dark office. It felt very goth.

The walls were painted a color so dark it almost looked black. Dark furniture with eclectic trinkets sat on the wall of shelves. I committed every detail to memory in order to pass it along to Dalton for his story.

Della motioned for me to sit down on a velvet chair. She sat down behind her massive desk and smiled. “What a day.”

I laughed. “Definitely.”

Alone with Della, I touched my nose. “My nose really hurts,” I said with a small laugh. I put on a brave face for Jensen, but it was very sore. It was throbbing. “I seriously have the worst luck. If it wasn’t for bad luck, I would have no luck.”

Della chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Bad luck? Do you not know who that man was who offered you a job?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. “Oh, I know exactly who he was, Della. Jensen freaking Loxley.”

The name alone sent shivers down my spine. I couldn’t believe I just met the tech billionaire, the elusive genius behind Loxley Technologies.

What were the odds that Dalton’s article on Della’s agency led me straight into the arms of the man I was desperate to write a story about? It felt like fate, a destined encounter that could change everything.

Now, I had a decision to make, and it wasn’t a difficult one. Taking the job might just give me an up-close and personal look at his life, his world of innovation and secrets. The world absolutely no one had ever gotten close to. The man was notoriously private and here I was, being invited inside. Hell, not just invited. He was offering me half a million to do it.

I turned to Della with a mischievous grin. “I’d be stupid not to take it, right?”

“I can’t possibly decide that,” Della said. She handed me a tablet. “Typically, I arrange the dates based on the answers I get from the application.”

“This is the application?” I asked and took the tablet.

“Yes. It’s a series of questions about what you like and personality questions. I meet with the clients and the women who will be dates. I am a very good judge of character and am proud of my track record for setting up the perfect dates. I don’t have any disgruntled clients or escorts. I’m very good at what I do.”

And humble.

“Do all of the clients pay the kind of money Jensen is offering?”

She laughed and shook her head, causing the dangling earrings she wore to catch the light. “No, but I’ve had many clients pay very large sums of money.”

“Are your clients all as wealthy as Jensen? I mean they must be if they’re paying big money.” I needed to try and get as much information as I could. My eyes dropped to the tablet. The questionnaire was loaded on the screen. I quickly scanned it, looking for something salacious. It looked like one of the online dating apps I signed up for years ago.

“I provide services for a wide range of clients,” Della replied. “Most are affluent, but not all.”

I nodded as I checked this box or that with the stylus. “How do you keep the escorts from talking about the rich and famous men they’ve gone out with?”

“There is a very strict non-disclosure agreement!”

I looked up and saw I had offended her. “I was only wondering how you protected both sides,” I said, smiling. “That’s a great idea.”

Della relaxed and smiled back at me. “Yes, it’s very important to protect the privacy of our clients. We take that very seriously.”

“And your employees, I hope.”

Della nodded. “Absolutely.”