I, Ache Vol. III

Ache Playlist | Here Comes the Sun

Written by aosfiction

Maine looked at the calendar. It's Thursday. She would see him again. She was excited and always looked forward to this time of the week. She would carefully choose which clothes to wear, hoping that this time, things would be different. When the clock struck five in the afternoon, a limo came to her apartment. It would take her to an opening of an art exhibit in Sofitel.

She remembered the first time they met three months ago, working as a waitress in a restaurant where he was a regular patron. Recognizing the dashing debonair, she tried to perform her duties as professionally as she could. However, a phone call from the hospital while she was in the kitchen distracted her. Occupied with the thoughts of her mother, she accidentally served the Faulkerson heir with shrimp Pad Thai, instead of only plain Pad Thai. He was allergic to shrimps. It was a good thing that he hasn't eaten it yet but he reprimanded her about it. She was thankful that everything happened in the private dining room that was always reserved for him. Nobody saw the embarrassing situation. She was in a desperate situation, and as much as she tried to avoid playing the pity card, she pleaded with him not to tell the management, mentioning how she needed the job to support her sick mother, and her father had been long gone.

She did not expect what he asked in return. He offered her to be his escort every Thursday, which he reserved specifically for social functions. He wanted someone to take with him to ward off unwanted people to talk with. He offered her compensation, enough to support her sick mother.

Maine knew that there was a catch when he mentioned the amount he would pay her as an escort.

He wanted her in his bed, as well.

Surely, nobody in their right state of mind would be willing to pay a hundred thousand bucks for a night for company, except RJ Faulkerson. He was still a businessman and he made her an interesting offer.

Maine threw caution to the wind and accepted the offer. This was more than she prayed for. It would be enough to support her mother's needs in the hospital.

She arrived in the hotel and immediately saw RJ. Three months ago, she was desperate. Three months ago, she was struggling to make ends meet and support her mother's hospital bills.

Three months later, she fell for the man who hired her for his convenience. She knew the circumstances but it just... happened. She tried not to hope for something impossible. The Faulkerson heir had the world in the palm of his hand. He could have any woman he wants except that now, he would rather have the convenience of a hired escort to give him what he wanted without strings attached. That would be her.

To avoid the social matrons from gossiping about the woman, RJ wanted her to pretend to be someone from their social circle whom he would approach in a friendly-like manner. They would be together all night, until the break of dawn. When she wakes up, she would see his payment on the bedside table and a waiting limo to take her home.

When he saw her arrived, his arm immediately snaked around her waist. Her smile was always ready for him. "Hello, RJ."

"Hi," RJ Faulkerson looked dapper in his suit. He leaned down to kiss her on the cheeks, then, he would say, "You look beautiful tonight, Maine," which would immediately be followed by "Do you want anything to drink or eat?"

Her usual response would be, "Can we go and sit first?" It was RJ's excuse to manage the people approaching him. He was a private man and only comes to these social functions for networking. He knew that his presence was enough to say that the event was successful, as it had been graced by the scion of one of the most prominent families of Manila, and the people would approach him because they want to be linked with him.