Hired for secrets

Done playing games

Sofie stood in the lobby of Club Elandra. It had been two weeks since she was here last. Even though she'd made her decision the very next day, it took this long to secure another visit. She clearly wasn't getting any special treatment, despite Philip stressing how little time there was left.

It probably was just a game, that's what her mind fell back on as the days were stretching in anticipation of tonight. It couldn't come soon enough. All this suspense, the excitement, the jitters, it wasn't normal. Nothing of this felt like her usual cases. It was like looking forward to... a date.

"How you've been?" she asked Melanie to take her mind off this incriminating yearning.

But the receptionist only shook her head and hastily reached for the phone to make the discrete call to Philip. Sofie took the hint, it was too dangerous to talk, even if no one was around. Instead, she adjusted her dress for the third time and glanced into the mirror above the side table. Yes, she was tense, but at least she looked good!

"Philip? Miss Carter is here for you."

It sounded harmless and professional, though to Sofie it felt anything but. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating in her throat. Was she really such a nervous wreck? The heck why? She had been in difficult situations before. Even life threatening ones. They never got to her. But tonight felt different. Tonight, she put herself in danger. Her heart was threatening to cut off her escape routes. If things got out of control this could spiral into an addiction. An addiction that would leave her craving for an obscenely priced drug she could never afford again.

She heard the familiar footsteps and her heart rate accelerated when Philip walked down the stairs. He wore his navy-blue suit and an enigmatic smile. Just like he did haunting her dreams, where she would slide her hand between the buttons of his white shirt to feel the warmth of his skin.

Sofie had never been the drug-seeking type; allowing herself pleasures only in carefully controlled quantities. But she was different with Philip. She couldn't trust herself around him. She wanted to taste the forbidden fruit. Lose her restraints. Take it all. She was curious, eager and reckless. And somehow, she was strangely ok with that.

"Welcome back to Club Elandra, Miss Carter."

"Good to be back."

Her voice sounded normal. As if this was a regular Thursday night for her. Good! At least some parts of her body were still under her control.

"Shall we?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Philip's eyes met Sofie's. A sharp pain shot through her belly, and she could only nod in response to his question. Her voice would surely betray her this time.

Keeping her cool was even harder than expected. Her nerves were meant to settle after seeing him in the flesh. After comparing the real Philip with the imaginary version she had unwittingly elevated to perfection in her head. After finding this one unsatisfactory. But to her dismay, he was just as handsome, just as intriguing, just as capable of reading her desires. And her pulse quickened realizing that the real Philip could even fulfil them.

She needed the short walk to his room to regain her equilibrium. Acclimate to his presence, to the instant electricity, and to that intoxicating scent of his.

Arriving at the bedroom suite was a deja-vu. Everything was as delectable and exclusive as she remembered. The only difference was an ice bucket with champagne instead of scotch on the coffee table.

"Do you want a glass?" he asked, not even offering alternatives.

It was a safe choice. One might call it the boring choice, if not for the infuriating fact that sparking wine was the only alcoholic drink Sofie actually enjoyed. He couldn't have known that. Could he?