The Bound Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

hair, sticking up and out in every direction, unwashed since the day of her interview, was not helping matters. Cassandra hung her head as she felt Iris enter the bathroom and rub her arms.
    “Cass, what’s wrong, babe?”
    She turned away from the mirror. Iris lifted Cassandra’s face to hers.
    “Cass?”
    “Iris, it’s been like a week.”
    Iris tossed her head back with a laugh.
    “Cass, I said it was a good idea. I didn’t say it was Lourdes.”
    Really? She’d implied as much. Easy money. Stimulating dinner companions who’d want to talk art and culture.
    And all that came of it was nothing.
    She took Iris by the hand and dragged her back to the couch. She was on the computer in a flash and pulled up the site. Once again, Cassandra was clicking through the profiles of everyother Lady .
    “You see. You see.”
    Iris took several seconds on each profile as Cassandra moved to the next girl.
    “Everyone else is scoring. Even… even this one.”
    Cassandra clicked to particularly large woman with acne scars and frizzy blonde coils for hair.
    “Even her.”
    Iris turned to Cassandra with a smile.
    “Cass, she’s a gourmet chef . Her clients? What they want? No way can you compete.”
    Cassandra pouted and reached for a cigarette. So she wasn’t Julia Child. Wasn’t this supposed to be about men on the go who could barely boil water or crack an egg? If they wanted course after course ending with soufflés, they should just make reservations at some five star joint.
    “Okay. So I can’t compete with her clients. Maybe I can’t cook up a storm. I can eat.”
    “If someone else is buying,” Iris teased.
    “Very funny.”
    “You know… you know you could start applying yourself.”
    “I—”
    “Just throw yourself out there. A little begging never hurt anyone.”
    Iris wouldsay that. Cassandra met her at a party when the city held promises of tomorrow. Iris was well past the point of desire for the recent grads at the home of a friend of a friend. Iris danced and got drunker. And drunker. She paid the price with a beer-stained skirt. Iris was far from old, but she was also leaving young as she crept closer to forty. And she saw nothing wrong in a lot of degradation for a little bit of a good time.
    Even in her current state, Cassandra… but who was she kidding? Iris had a job. Cassandra had nothing. So a little begging—
    Before she took thatstep, a ding emerged from the laptop’s speakers.
    Incoming mail.
    Iris and Cassandra locked eyes, and they viewed the promise of the unopened message together.
    “Open it, Cass!”
    Cassandra’s fingers quickly did as she was told.
     
    Hi, Trixie Carol .
    You’ve been LEASED! Prepare for a car to take you to The Empire Hotel at 5:00pm. You will accompany your client to the opening night gala at the Metropolitan Opera and the subsequent after-party. The client requires a striking companion capable of appreciating the finer things. That’s you, Trixie! Congratulations and enjoy!
    LeaseALady.com Support
     
    Cassandra slowly turned her eyes to Iris. She had an intense desire to throw an I told you so in her face. But she was too excited to do anything but jump up pump her fists in the air. Iris was quick to follow and held her friend close. Cassandra savored the moment. She’d done it. On her terms. And she’d soon have the cash to show for it.
    “Cass, now it starts!”
    Cassandra’s head was spinning. Red carpets, paparazzi, a dashing gentleman of her arm. Just who was he? She was dying to know. She returned to computer and examined the email again. Just under the automated signature was the link to another profile.
    “This has to be him right?”
    Iris nodded breathlessly as Cassandra clicked the link. She left LeaseALady.com and opened another browser, typing the name in. Cassandra read the name aloud.
    “Oliver Chambers.”
    “Ooh! Sounds sexy.”
    Cassandra scrolled down the page. Oliver Chambers was a CEO of Chambers and Waters, an advertising