The Escort (18+ Only) [COMPLETED]

8: In Which She Gets a Bear Hug

8: In Which She Gets a Bear Hug

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Just gave birth to a lovely baby boy – Grace

I shook my head, tapping a quick reply to my sister before grabbing my bag and heading out the station. Grace was the only woman on the planet who could text everyone she knew five seconds after pushing out her child’s head. I was quite sure that it was a ‘mass text’.

I froze in my footsteps midway to my car (which was, for the record, safely parked on the premises), swallowing hard.

“I took a wild guess that you’d leave early today,” Teddy said brightly, approaching me and pulling me into a tight embrace as if we hadn't seen each other in years. “How are you?” she asked, pulling back and flashing me a megawatt smile. “Was work OK?”

I smiled weakly. “Not really. I’m sure everyone heard that caller telling me I know fuck all about what I do.” I bit my bottom lip. “Sorry for cursing. I don’t usually do that. At least, out loud.”

Teddy waved a hand. “Don’t worry, darling. We all have our off days.”

I stuck my key into the door. “Is everything all right?” I didn’t want to come right out and ask her what the hell she was doing at my place of work. That would’ve been rude.

“Of course, sweetheart. Why wouldn’t it be?” Teddy paused, smoothing down the front of her blouse. Today, she was in favour of understated chic – a silk peach blouse and faded blue skinny jeans. I couldn’t remember the last time my own mother wore jeans but, then again, she was twenty years older than Teddy. “Ash’s birthday’s coming up and I was wondering if –”

“Oh, hell, no.” I held my hands up in protest. “I’m really not the best person to –”

“To what? Help me organise the party?” She squeezed my arm. “He hasn’t brought a lady friend over in ages, Amor. I was beginning to think he’d given up on finding the right one.”

The right one? I thought in panic, gulping.

“Teddy,” I said slowly, “what are you talking about?”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“Yes, with annoyance. As do I.”

She laughed. “Is that what you think?”

I’m paying him for his company was on the tip of my tongue but of course I couldn’t do that to Ashton, much as he would’ve deserved it. Teddy and I clearly weren’t on the same wavelength.

“My sister just had a baby,” was the answer I settled for. “I’m on my way to the hospital.”