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Taken aback, I can’t answer immediately. “That's–well, that’s incredibly blunt.”
“That’s why I brought you here instead of talking over the phone, Elise. I want us to be able to be blunt, and not be eavesdropped on by some nosy employees. So, what’s your answer?”
I exhale slowly, not able to avoid the question if I want to see what he has in mind. “Yes, I do want them to separate. They’re getting married this summer, and I’m running out of time.”
He grins, and it reminds me of a snake. “Wonderful. So, I’m thinking that the only way to get Andries to leave Roxannefor good is if he found out she was working as a madame again behind his back, and if we can provide him with concrete evidence that she’s doing so.”
“What!” I almost laugh. The idea is so absurd. “She will never work with you again, Karl, so I don’t know why you’re even considering this a valid plan of action.”
“No, of course not, but maybe she will for you.”
He drops the bomb so casually that it’s believable. I sputter and then shake my head. “I don’t care what I gain, I’m morally opposed to hiring prostitutes for any reason at all. Not even splitting them up could make me want to encourage sex work like that.”
He waves my concerns off. “We aren’t going to do anything with them. They’ll be more like party decorations than anything else, but Andries won’t care about the details. If he knows she’s still acting like a pimp without him knowing, I think that will be more than enough.”
It’s bizarre, but it might work, even if I hate to admit it. The idea of hiring prostitutes still rubs me the wrong way, even if I’m not actually hiring them to do anything sexual, but I can live with it if Karl really thinks this plan is bulletproof.
“I don’t know, Karl… I don’t think she’s going to buy it. She knows how staunchly I am against sex work.”
“Just listen to what I have in mind, and you’ll see how the request could be totally plausible. Remember the clients I introduced you to a few weeks ago? I plan on having a lavish dinner meeting with all of them, and I want you to hire the entertainment for the evening. That entertainment just so happens to be Roxanne’s previous employees, and you’d really love her help on that.”
“I mean… maybe, but I still don’t think she’ll believe me.”
“Everyone can change their minds about things sometimes,” he points out. “Can’t you?”
I clasp my hands together in my lap, mulling it over. It will be catastrophic if this plan backfires, but it has all the necessary components to succeed. I just really, really don’t want to play my assigned part. “What if she figures out that you’re helping me?”
His mischievous grin disappears in an instant. “Shecan’tfind that out. If she asks about me, you have to make it clear that we don’t talk to each other. Ever.”
I draw in a shaky breath, knowing that despite the danger, I’m going to try. One last push to make my brother see the light and bring him back into the fold of the family––and a final attempt in securing my spot as the heir of Van den Bosch Industries. It feels selfish, but necessary.
“I don’t think that will be enough for Andries. They are very committed to one another now. I think she needs to go and be at the dinner, too.”
Karl strokes his chin and kicks his chair back, staring at the ceiling. “You want to hire her, too? Even better. Do it.”
I blink. “Just like that?”
“I’m putting my trust in you, Elise. The less I’m involved, the smaller the chance all of this can be traced back to me, and I’m sure you realize the amount of bad press the company would receive if I was caught hiring sex workers again. This is your project now. Think it over.”
The responsibility of it all settles over my shoulders like a weight. It will have to be pushed back to after my birthday, so there is no sort of retaliation at my party, but otherwise, I think I can do this. Let’s just hope I don’t blow everything out of the water and ruin it for us all.
18
Amsterdam, May 23, 2022
Elise
Arriving at the bar,I’m already questioning my decision to come, but I can’t bail now. I know coming out to something like this is a huge deal for shy, introverted Tatiana, and I can’t ruin that by ghosting her.
The talk with Karl has me on edge. Excited, because I have real hope that the plan might actually work, but also an enormous amount of anxiety. If I go about this wrong, not only will I lose Andries forever, but I’ll probably lose my chance at taking over the company once Dad retires. Just one simple mistake and I could ruin my life in so many ways.
I try to put it at the back of my mind as I enter the bar, immediately overtaken by the sound of live jazz music playing and the rich, smoky smell in the air. The lights are low, and beneath the music, there is the constant buzz of conversation.
Tatiana is waiting at the bar counter for me, fidgeting with a cardboard coaster. She lights up when she sees me, and most of the reluctance I had coming out tonight dissipates.
“I ordered us margaritas!” she exclaims, motioning toward the two tall glasses filled with pale yellow liquid, white salt crusted on the rim.
Plucking my glass off the countertop, I take a drink, puckering my mouth at the sweet and sour taste of it, sharp tequila hitting on the back end. “Thanks! Let’s go find a table.”
