Chapter 10 Matchmaker
CHAPTER TEN
SCARLETT – POINT OF VIEW
“You did a wonderful job, Velvet. Richard left a tip for you.” Marcy tells me the next morning.
I yawn and sit upright. My head is pounding. I slept late last night, trying to figure out if I should have said something. I just wanted to know if I did a good job. There’s also the slight problem of Rick. I want him to stay with us in the apartment, or at least, the next one. I just want to feel safe. I am tired of running.
“Are you with me?”
I exhale deeply and respond, “Yes, I’m with you, Marcy. Good morning.”
I place the phone on the bed and fix my curtains, allowing sunlight to seep in. I have a clear view of the skylines from my bedroom. Who would have thought? I just hope my parents are proud of me.
I haven’t had my usual nightmares for the past week now.
“He wants to see you again.” Marcy’s voice drifts from the phone.
I glance at it with a frown, “Is that wise? I’m not sure I want to see him again. I’d like to explore. Why don’t you send him a different companion?” I chose my words carefully.
“My thoughts too. Since you have an SSN and a bank account now, should we pay into that, or do you want cash?” She asks warmly.
I ruminate over it. I spent a lot of money crafting my fake identity. It costs almost seven thousand grand. I owe Eve so much money, but I will pay her back. I will pay everyone back. Eve is one of the reasons I am doing all these.
“How much is it?” I grab my phone and walk to my vanity. I slowly remove my bonnet, and my beautiful hair spills out.
“Five thousand dollars.” She answers, and I freeze in shock, “What?”
“I know, right?” She chuckles loudly, “The payment is supposed to be three thousand dollars, and we are supposed to split it evenly, but he liked you so much and paid five thousand. So, you’ll be getting two thousand, five hundred. He left a thousand-dollar tip for you, too.”
My mouth falls open in shock. Three thousand dollars for two hours. I have never made that much money in my entire life.
I exhale softly, and my chest caves in. I am flooded by an overwhelming amount of emotions. It seeks to drown me.
“So, we are going to increase the rates now. Two hours will be four thousand for our companions. We don’t cater to the minority. We cater to the best of the best. Our girls embody perfection. Check your website in an hour or so, you’ll see the updated lists of clients for the rest of the week. If today goes well, we might get up to two clients per day, and don’t worry, 60-4o stands.” She articulates.
My shock slowly wears off, and I nod, “Tell me what you want me to do, and I will. If Richard wants to see me again, then I’ll see him, but the price will increase; we will double it. If he really wants to see me, then he’ll pay. Don’t make it known that I know about the prices.”
She chuckles tenderly, “I like you, Scarlett. You are very smart. You have a booking in three hours. It’s a wedding date. It is six hours, and that’s fourteen thousand dollars. Almost nine grand for you.”
We spend the next twenty minutes going over the details. The wedding is happening in Long Island. I’ll have to dress the part. After the call, I walk out of my bedroom to see Rick and Eve in the kitchen, smiling.
The smell of spices fills the air. Sunlight spills from the gaps in the curtain, giving the living room a warm glow.
They glance at me.
“Hi.” I smile at them, ignoring the awkwardness. Eve is allowed to do whatever she wants to do.
“Good morning, my love. Is everything okay?” Eve walks to me.
“Everything is more than okay. I made almost four grand last night.” I announce with so much glee.
“Oh my God!” She gasps, and I nod, unable to keep my happiness in. I am bursting at the seams.
“I have a wedding, and I might make almost nine grand. I need a dress. I need to learn how to be charming and friendly with the women there. I wish you could come with me.” I frown, my happiness fading away.
“No, no, turn that frown upside down. I’ll teach you everything, and it will be amazing. Rick will make sure the wedding is safe.” She reaches for me and assures me passionately.
And, so, we spend the next hour going over my training and preparing everything. Rick checks out the venue and even the guest list. He makes sure the client, who is the groom’s brother, is not a creepy man.
I chose a floral embellished evening gown, and when I get to the wedding, I am blown away by the absolute luxury. My client is in his early thirties, Jack, and he is such a gentleman. He introduces me as Ana, his girlfriend, and everyone fawns over me. His parents are the kindest, and they remind me of mine.
There are moments that it gets too much for me, the undying love of family, the fact that Jack is hopelessly in love with the bride’s best friend, his mother’s warmth to me, a stranger, and his father’s humour. It gets too hard, but I push through, and I even play matchmaker. At the end of the wedding, Jack is making out with the girl of his dreams.
He is giddy enough to give me two grand in cash. Instead of the nine grand, I make ten, plus the two grand, which makes it twelve.
Slowly, I settled into my job. Rick is my shadow, and Eve holds my hand so I won’t drown. I splurge on them and follow the rules. I also saved up for a photography kit for Eve. Life seems to be going well. Everything is going smoothly. I meet different clients and listen to them. I validate them. I tell them how good they are.
I climb the ranks at the agency, and my rates increase.
I start to believe that this is the life I am meant to have. I start to relax and ignore the terror behind.