Escort

Chapter Nine

Rick felt Kate's whole body stiffen at the words. Hell, he stiffened. They both turned to the man standing too close to Rick's taste, especially considering the name he'd just uttered.

"It really is you!" the man said in a rushed but hushed voice, excitement evident in his eyes.

"I-uh-I think you've mistaken," Kate said with a shaky voice, definitely not convincing enough.

"Nuh-uh, I don't think so. You're the best one I've ever ordered," he said and looked at Rick, "hey man, don't you agree?" the man turned back to Kate with a smile on his lips. "When you're done with him you can come over to my place, doesn't matter the time," he winked and Kate felt sick to her stomach.

How could this happen to her? Here at all places? Why did she agree to this? Rick was suddenly standing in a, very, protective position in front of her. Oh dear god.

"How dare you talk to her like that? She's not a piece of meat, she's a woman," Rick said in a low threatening voice and Kate started tugging on his arm, silently begging him to drop it.

The man just stared at him with surprised eyes.

"Wait, you're her boyfriend?! You do know what she does for a living right?" the man said in a too loud voice, raising curious eyes around them and Kate felt her eyes burn.

"Come on Rick," she barely even whispered, tugging at his arm again.

She didn't know what did it, the tugging or her broken whisper, but it felt like he woke up, suddenly looking around and seeing what she was seeing. People nearby them looking curiously at them, journalists were looking at them. She could feel him calm down, or at least gather himself.

"Don't you ever call her again ok?" Rick said, still with a low threatening voice but final, and pulled back with an arm around Kate's waist.

She was thankful for his arm, it gave her strength enough not to fall to the ground. When she glanced up at him she saw he wore a fake smile, probably trying to keep up an act she wasn't sure she would be able to pull off. Before she knew it they were back at their table, and Rick was talking to the others while Kate couldn't concentrate enough to actually be there. She kept thinking about that man, the fact that he'd recognized her, the fact that there were more men, and some women, out there who'd know exactly who she was. Or, well, not really who she was, but who Nikki Heat was.

"Kate? Sweetie? Are you alright?"

Kate looked up at the kind woman she'd come to know as Lanie, who was sitting right beside her to her left. She hadn't exactly uttered the words loud enough to interrupt the other's conversation but loud enough for Kate to understand she really wanted to know how Kate felt. Kate shook her head to gather her thoughts, to try and put on a mask.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just lost in thought," she shrugged off but she could see the hesitation in her brown eyes.

"You sure?" Lanie asked and Kate nodded.

Kate felt a hand on hers under the table and looked at her right to see it was Rick who gently hugged it, probably having heard her excuse to the other woman.

"Maybe we should head home, it's been a fun and exhausting night," he said to their company and Kate immediately agreed.

They all exchanged how great it had been to meet up, Kate being thankful for them making her night more bearable, and they said good night. Rick was holding her hand while they left their table and walked towards the exit. He kept glancing at her but wasn't quite able to read her. She still seemed tense, scared, and he wondered how he could help her. There was a fear inside of him that she wouldn't want this anymore, that she'd flee the first chance she'd get. He wondered if she'd wait until he fell asleep again, if he'd fall asleep with her body next to his but wake up the next morning feeling cold and alone. When they reached the exit a woman walked up to them and Rick didn't see the journalist card around her neck until she had already stopped them from walking out the door.