Chapter 4: Beau

Beau

"Always the truth."

"You two weren't exactly using your indoor voices for parts of the conversation that day."

Heat bloomed across my face; I was mortified that she'd heard. Reaching over, Zoe squeezed my hand once before letting go. "Stop. Don't be embarrassed. I've been where you are."

"What? How?" I wasn't at my most eloquent. The high pitch in my voice had caught the attention of a few patrons around us, and again I blushed.

"As you can see..." she tilted her head to the side "...that's a conversation best had in private." Sliding out of the booth, Zoe strode off toward the shop's counter. A few words were exchanged between her and the employee up front before she came back with a few to-go containers.

After placing my untouched food in the Styrofoam, she handed me, I looked up. "I thought we were going to talk. Are you leaving?"

She nodded. "I am, and we are." Her eyes pleaded with me not to argue. "Come back to my place with me. Let me show you my world and explain." Nodding, I stood and followed her out in silence toward our cars. Once beside hers, just two down from mine, she turned and looked me in the eye. "Follow me."

And I did. No matter how much the unknown frightened me or how much common sense yelled at me to stop, I didn't. My gut told me to go. To press down on the gas pedal and follow her across town and into an upscale building right on Brickell Ave.

The kind where units were purchased and never rented to anyone outside of a certain monetary bracket. Snooty and ostentatious.

As we pulled into the underground garage, unease began to bubble once more. All I could think about was how could she afford this while I parked in the visitor's spot next to her designated one.

A tap to my window a few seconds later caused me to yelp and for her laughter to ring throughout the empty lot. Bitch.

"Let's go, chick. I'm starving." Zoe laughed, holding up her box of food. "Get a move on."

"Going," I muttered, unbuckled myself, and stepped out of my car.

We walked down the row of cars and into the elevator bank in silence:

Her, with a smile plastered on her face.

And me, with trepidation.

Up twenty-four floors and out into a roundabout with four apartments. These units had to be huge to only hold four on one floor.

We stopped at the door to the left of the elevator. "Welcome to my casa."

I was not expecting what was behind that door.

Not at all.

"What the..."

"This is what I'm trying to offer you. A good life and financial peace of mind, Beau."

"How?" Articulation out the window, I was down to one or two-word responses.

"Let's sit and I'll explain, I swear." Nodding, I followed her through the foyer and into a massive living room. That one room was bigger than my entire apartment. Jesus. "Sit anywhere you like."

This place had it all. Waterfront views and wood flooring. Expensive furniture and delicate lighting fixtures. Her apartment was not decorated using a cheap all-in-one furniture shop.

Nope. This all looked imported.

What have I mixed myself in?

My legs felt jittery, and I sat down on one of the couches. "Please talk."

"I'm going to make this simple, sweetie. I'm offering you the key to solving your problems. The right connections in life - to have everything taken care of for you by someone who only wishes to do so." Her brown eyes met my green ones, and in them, I saw something that shocked me. This wasn't some cruel joke.

The woman was serious.

So many things ran through my mind then:

Happiness.

Doubt.

Pulsating fear.

"Are you here to harvest my organs? Sell my kidney on the black market?"

"Kidney...black market...oh my God!" Her guffaws were loud, so much so, that I flinched at the unappealing sound. Watched with annoyance while she wiped under her eyes as a few stray tears fell.

"Are you done now?" I asked, my tone tinged with irritation.

"Give me a minute. That was priceless." Picking her phone up, she activated the screen and began to furiously type out what seemed to be a message. "The girls are going to die when they hear this. Day made."

"What girls are you..." I trailed off as it hit me. "Are you making fun of me with the uptight bunch from the coffee shop a few days ago? Is this some sick joke?"

Zoe sobered immediately. "No, Beau. What I came to offer is legit and legal. I'm offering you an out, sweetheart. An escape from the financial pit of death you are drowning in."

"Explain. No more riddles." My stomach rumbled, and I blushed. With my nerves at an all-time high, I hadn't eaten breakfast. "Sorry."

"Eat, and I talk. Deal?"

"Didn't bring mine."

She passed me half of her Cubano. "Eat."

"Thanks. I'm all ears." Taking a healthy bite out the sandwich, I watched her fidget in her seat.

"Please keep an open mind. Hear me out before freaking out." That was the worst way to open the conversation, and she knew it. Zoe grimaced and held a hand up. "Let's try this again. Okay." Wasn't a question, so I continued to eat and wait. "Do you know what a sugar baby is?"

"Not quite, and before I say the wrong thing, please explain," I deadpanned. My mind screamed whore, but I knew better than to judge things in a harsh light before having all the facts.

"A sugar baby is a person - man or woman - who's in a romantic relationship based on a mutual trade of certain benefits. They receive cash, gifts, and other perks in exchange for being on the arm of individuals who need company. Someone to attend events and important dinners with others in their field of work. A paid companion with the title of girlfriend or boyfriend."

"Umm...that's nice and all, but what does it have to do with me?"

"You'd make the right daddy so happy, Beau. They'd spoil you rotten."

What is she implying?