Unwanted Heat

Kenzie

“Hello?” I answer the phone that is waking me up on a rare day that I have off from both of my jobs.

“Good morning, Kenzie, this is Bridget. How are you?”

“Oh hi, I’m good. And you?”Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

“Very good, thank you. I’m calling because I have a profile for you to review. If you’re going to be home today, I’ll have a courier service bring it to you.”

“Yes, I’ll be home today.”

“Wonderful, it will arrive in the next hour. Now, just so you’re not surprised, the profile won’t contain any identifying information meaning there will be no picture. At this point, you are just reviewing the information to see if he is someone you would like to meet. If you agree to meet him, when I call you back with the date arrangements, I will provide you with his full name. He has reviewed the same information on you and would like to meet you if you are interested in meeting him.”

“Okay…”

“I’ll tell you a little about him if you have a few minutes. Unlike most of my clients, I have known this gentleman for several years now. Like most people I socialize with, he had no idea what I truly do until very recently. He is a very successful businessman who works far too many hours and as a result has zero personal life. Because of his success, he is invited to many different events including charity galas, fundraising dinners, political events and then of course, there are the dinners associated with his own business. I do want to let you know however, he is going to require whoever he decides to contract with to sign an exclusivity contract

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“I’m sorry, an exclusivity contract?”

“Yes, I believe I mentioned it in one of our meetings. Essentially, this is a contract that states that you, if you two were to agree to enter into a contract together, would agree to only have a contract with him. Meaning, I would not be able to provide your profile to any other clients and you would not be able to accept contracts with any other clients.”

“Why would he insist on this? I don’t see why he would care…”

“In his case, he needs someone by his side for publicity. You can’t be seen with him in one picture on a website and then a week later be on the arm of another man at a different event-”

“OH! I see… that makes sense.”

“I don’t know too many specifics about what his commitments will be, but I think it’s likely to be at least weekly events with a chance of up to two to three times per week.”

“Really? That many?”

“For men who are this successful, this is pretty typical.”

“Can I ask… what happened to the last girl he contracted with?”

“Nothing… like you, this will be his first meeting. He is a brand new client to me.”

“I see.”

“Once you review the profile, give me a call or text me to let me know if you are interested in scheduling a meeting. Be sure to look over your schedule, because I expect the meeting to occur this week.”

“Thank you, I’ll call you later.”

I decide to wait around for the courier before heading to the laundromat a few blocks away. I pack everything up, and once the courier arrives, I throw the large envelope into my bag and head out. I hate walking there, especially carrying a large bag of clothes but there isn’t really another option, considering my building doesn’t have its own washer and dryer. It’s a pain, but at least the weather is nice today. I’ve ended up walking in the rain with clean clothes which isn’t any fun.

After I throw the clothes into the washer, I take the file out of the envelope and discreetly begin reviewing it. There isn’t much to review though; like Bridget, said there was no identifying information, only his initials NP. Other than that, it’s basic information: he works in the financial industry as a manager, he enjoys spending time on his boat and he lives in Manhattan. There is really no information about him as a person which is kind of disappointing. I don’t know what I expected but I guess more along the lines of his likes, dislikes, favorite foods, etc…

There’s actually more information about the type of woman he is looking for: someone who can attend social events and business dinners, must be comfortable meeting new people, must be able to remember key players, must have an open mind in business and politics, must be willing to sign an exclusivity contract, must be willing to be photographed and must be available evenings and weekends when needed. I think I meet most of those requirements. I’m comfortable meeting new people, my experience at business functions with him required me to remember specific details about certain people, and evenings/weekends wouldn’t be a problem if I stopped working at the store.

I decided a few days after meeting with Bridget that if I agreed to this arrangement, I would stop working at the store after the first date. I enjoy working at the bakery the most and if I had to choose a job to keep, hands down it’s the bakery. Plus, I don’t like the idea of interacting with coworkers or former dates while at the store. I think it would be awkward and uncomfortable for both of us. It’s risky with the bakery because I don’t know what’s going to happen after the sale of the business, but I’m confident that if I don’t stay on with the new owners, that I can find another job at another bakery, especially with Ginny’s recommendation. Besides, the hours at the bakery are less likely to conflict with events that I would be requested to attend. I see very few business deals being done at five or six in the morning.