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first class tickets to join him in
Vegas for the weekend.”
    “Oh,” Bea said
slowly, not really getting it.
    Lisa added on an
exhaled breath, “Now the problem is this. I’ve been told I’ve got two new
clients arriving today who’ve booked me for dinner with them. Since they’re
two, they’re paying double for my company. And from what I hear, they’re the
highest paying clients my agency has.”
    “But how could this
mistake happen? And what are you going to do?” Bea asked with concern. “Because
it sounds like you can’t stand up either appointments.”
    “No, I can’t,” Lisa groaned, falling into a heap in her chair. “This never,
ever happens. Not to me. What am I going to do, Bea? None of the other girls I
trust can make it to take my place, not at such short notice. And I seriously
can’t afford to insult any of my clients. I have a short but prestigious list
of patrons whom I value immensely. And tonight, my agency got me booked with the two fittest chaps ever: Ryan and
Jason Wallace, the billionaire brothers who run Wallace Enterprises Holdings
International.”
      Bea’s eyes widened,
suitably impressed. Even she had heard of the mega successful company
that was into anything and everything. “I’m sorry. What are you going to do?”
    “I don’t know,” Lisa cried, her fingers tightening in her hair for a few
moments, before she released it and dropped her hands with a sigh. “These were
going to be my most valued clients. They’ve never used our agency before and
this would have been a great way to establish some fantastic working
relationship that could lead to return bookings in future.”
    Bea chewed on her
lip, really worried for her stressed-looking friend. “Can’t your agency get
someone else?”
    “Not at such short
notice. I just called them and they say it’s all up to me. I’ve rung a few of
my girls, but…” Lisa paused, viewing Bea with interest.
    “What?” Bea said,
eyes darting quizzically.
    “Bea…I need to ask
you a huge, colossal favor…”

 
    Chapter Two
    Long story short,
Lisa had managed to talk her into making the booking and here Bea was.
    At first, Bea had
flatly refused, of course…
    Bea’s head was
shaking firmly. “Look, I’m truly sorry about the mix-up but Lisa, there’s no
way…”
    “Please, please,
please… ”   Lisa’s
big blue eyes had been beseeching.
    “Lisa, I thought
this was just some pleasant pastime for you. What does it matter if you happen
to lose this one booking? I mean, it’s not like it’s your fault,” Bea said,
already panicking at the thought of having to take Lisa’s place. “I wouldn’t
even know what to do…”
    “It’s simple! Just
sit there, make great conversation, a bit of dancing, and it’s over. Nothing
happens that you aren’t comfortable with. And yes, it started out as a fun thing
to pass the time, but now it’s a career I take very seriously. A career that is
helping me put my younger brother through college.”
    Bea paused,
thinking of Lisa’s young, bright brother Harry who was now in Harvard. Bea
hadn’t known Lisa was responsible for paying for her younger brother’s
education. Although Lisa’s folks were both gone, Bea had always assumed there
was some kind of college fund going on. Just like she’d been mistaken that Lisa
had some family money that got her to live so extravagantly…Bea felt like such
an idiot.
    Lisa sighed deeply.
“Bea, all these trappings I surround myself with – the fabulous clothes,
shoes and jewelry – the fancy car and the regular spa treatments and
trips to the hair salon…they’re just stuff I need to do to play the part. When
I said I was in it all for the glamour, I wasn’t being perfectly honest. It’s
mostly for my younger brother Harry. I want him to have the future our parents
didn’t get the chance to provide for him when they died when we were just
kids.”
    Bea bit hard on her
lip. “I’m so sorry, Lisa, I wish I could do