The Pleasure Principle Read online

  As soon as the door closed, she jumped up and grabbed the cart, heading for the utility room. She had to get out before he discovered any of her actions today. If he did, she’d hear about it from her employer tomorrow. Either way, she wasn’t interested in sticking around to see if her crimes were discovered. She needed her quiet apartment and a glass of wine right away.

  * * *

  Anderson sat down heavily in the leather chair next to his desk. His thoughts stretched inward, and he barely noticed his surroundings as he considered the strange behavior of his cleaning woman. In fact, she’d been a bit of an enigma to him the entire year she’d worked there. Most women threw themselves at him with everything they had, yet this one always avoided him like the plague. Even though she wasn’t exactly prom queen materiel, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she saw something inside him she didn’t like that he might improve. Something that the others hadn’t picked up on. Yes, Alice was different. In truth, he’d never called her by her name. She could never be pinned down long enough. Today was the closest contact they’d ever had.

  There was something about her that was different, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He laughed then—there were probably a lot of different things with her. He didn’t have time to dwell on the strange encounter, however. He did have paperwork.

  Anderson picked up Beverly’s file and opened the locked cabinet beside his desk.

  It was time to find another test subject.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Alice reached up to push her glasses back into place, only to realize they weren’t there. That was going to be a tough habit to break. She’d been wearing her new contacts for just a few hours but the adjustment was huge. At first she felt a little disoriented, and then she couldn’t stop looking at herself in the mirror. Without the thick lenses covering her eyes, they appeared to be a brighter shade of green than before.

  She was on the computer again, looking at the Web site for the salon across the street. The pictures of the women on the front page were very glamorous. She’d daydreamed often about going inside and coming out beautiful. Still, the thought of picking up the phone and calling them for an appointment was intimidating to her. What if she choked up and they were mean to her? Or worse, if she actually made it into the store and they laughed when they saw her?

  Her desire to do this was stronger than ever before, and now she had a very good reason to want it. She couldn’t get the contents of the folder out of her mind—especially the handwritten note from Dr. Cain she’d glimpsed at the end. He mentioned he’d met Beverly at Damsels, and that piqued her interest. She was computer savvy and it didn’t take long for her to find the location on the Internet. It was a private club and its purpose appeared to be secret. After opening a back door into their server, she was able to verify that they did have an employee by the name of J. Brax on the payroll. At least her sexy brain was good for some things. It wouldn’t be hard to put her name on the guest list, either, while she was in there.

  “Oh man, what are you thinking?” Her stomach churned at the thought of entering the club, but she knew Dr. Cain wouldn’t wait long before he acquired another companion. He never did.

  This was a pie-in-the-sky dream and she knew it. But nothing worthwhile would ever happen to her if she didn’t take chances. Her hand hovered over the mouse at the Web site as she struggled between reality and fantasy. Just as she was about to close the page, she noticed another button in the top right corner. The text underneath read: “Now you can make an appointment online. Click here to enter your information.”

  Oh, now maybe this could work! She could at least click on it to see how hard it would be. Alice felt a small sense of freedom as she navigated the form. She’d just look for an appointment today and if they didn’t have one… Well, then it wasn’t meant to be. It asked for her full name, address, and phone number. Wouldn’t hurt to fill that out, she supposed. Then the drop down box of services came up. She needed more than one, that was for sure. Nothing left but to check for an opening.

  A box popped up with a confirmation number, startling her.

  “Thank you for choosing Kiersten’s Day Spa and Salon,” the message read. “Your first appointment is at 3:15 with Tommy. New customers please arrive 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork.”

  Oh crap! She really hadn’t meant to go that far. She hadn’t expected them to have any availabilities on such short notice. Alice stood up and began to pace. Should she go? She did make the damn appointment, and if she wanted to cancel she’d have to call. Now that was irony.

  * * *

  “Welcome to Kiersten’s Salon.” A tall, slender woman greeted her from behind a counter the moment she opened the glass door to the spa. “Do you have an appointment?”

  “I have one at 3:15. Unless you’re running behind. I can come back later.” Alice fidgeted with the hem of her sweater, twisting it around her fingers.

  “Don’t be silly! We’re glad you’re here. Would you like a glass of water while you fill out these forms?” The attendant smiled and it didn’t seem at all patronizing as she handed Alice a clipboard.

  “Um, no. I’m good. Thank you for asking.” She took the paperwork and pen. “Just bring it back to you when I’m done?”

  “Of course. Tommy will be with you whenever you’re ready.” She smiled again and Alice was amazed by her perfect lipstick. It looked permanently painted on. That shade of red would be shocking on her, but on the attendant it looked haute couture.

  After the form was filled out, she had nothing to do but wait and she started to get nervous again. What did she really think she was going to accomplish here? What if she went through all this and she looked the same when they were done?

  “Alicia.” A voice called politely from the front counter. Alice thumbed through her magazine, caught up in the imagery. She knew most of the pictures were Photoshopped, but she didn’t care. Then the voice came again, louder this time. “Alicia, Tommy is ready for you.”

  Oh! She’d forgotten she put her full name on the form. It had been so long since anyone had called her by her proper name, it wasn’t even familiar to her. She blushed and stood up awkwardly, wrapping her sweater around her as tightly as it would go. Before she could take a step, a young man came into the lobby and held out his hand.

  “Hi there. I’m Tommy. So nice to meet you.” He was tall and gorgeous, his perfectly groomed, platinum hair falling over his hazel eyes. His smile was genuine and contagious. She couldn’t help but feel more at ease. “So, I think we’re doing hair first. Is that OK?”

  She nodded. “I hope you can help me.” It was all she could think of to say, and it sounded awkward to her as soon as it left her mouth.

  “Oh honey, I can help you.” He patted her hand and pulled her along the corridor, looking at her over his shoulder. “Not that you’ll need much help. Those cheekbones of yours are fabulous. We just have to let your hair out and see what we’ve got to work with.”

  She self-consciously reached up with her free hand and patted the tightly woven bun she always kept her hair in. It had never made much sense for her to do anything with it. She was either at Dr. Cain’s in a cap or home alone, working her way through one of the many college classes she’d gone out of her way to take online. The fewer courses she had to show up and be social for, the better. Tommy got her into a chair and put a cape around her neck. After fussing a bit and turning her head in a couple of different angles, he freed her hair from the knot.

  “Oh Lord, girl!” He gasped and slapped stiff fingers over his lips as her hair cascaded down the back of the chair in thick, glossy curls. “Your hair is amazing. Now, if we could do something with the color… Oh, what I wouldn’t give for curls like this.”

  Alice beamed inwardly. After the comment about her cheekbones and his delighted reaction to her hair, she was actually beginning to feel a little good about herself. Maybe coming to the salon was the right decision after all. And maybe that made the rest of her
plan viable, too.

  “OK, you sit here a minute while I get my stuff. We’re going to need a lot of foil. It’s going to be a long afternoon.” Tommy swept out of the room in a whirlwind of excitement. Now that she was alone again, she expected the same old doubts to come back and haunt her, but that didn’t happen at all. She was hoping for the best for the first time in her life.

  * * *

  Anderson paced in front of the fireplace in his office. He usually let a week go by before he returned to Damsels and spoke with Brax about new candidates, but he felt unusually edgy after Beverly’s exit the day before. And to make matters worse, his cleaning woman had called off earlier that morning. He didn’t know why, but he’d hoped that after their brief conversation, she might open up to him a little. What small amount of contact he’d had with her had pushed her farther away. He felt ridiculous, of course. Why she should matter to him at all was unfathomable. It didn’t make sense and things that didn’t make sense clashed with his scientific nature.

  That was why it was more important than ever for him to get back to his research and find another test subject. It wasn’t like him to be so unfocused on his goals. He needed to know what he could have done better, how he could have kept his wife from leaving. His experiments must continue as soon as possible.

  Anderson slid his black suit jacket over his shoulders and straightened his dark red tie. A quick glance in the mirror let him know his jet black hair was in place, but he didn’t like his reflection. All he could see was a man who had thought he knew everything and turned out to be clueless about the most important person in his life. He had to go to Damsels, and he had to go tonight.

  In the back of his mind he wondered what he was really looking for, but then logic stepped in and set his course. It was going to be a long night.

  * * *

  “Close your eyes.” Tommy guided her by the hand and turned her around. She didn’t protest when he stripped off her bulky sweater and pulled her black T-shirt slightly lower on her chest. “Are you ready?”

  Alice nodded, but she wasn’t really sure. She heard him step back and knew this was the moment. He hadn’t let her see anything he’d done, not even when he shaped her eyebrows and painted her nails. OK, she could do this. Whatever happened, it couldn’t be worse than before.

  Alice opened her eyes and gazed into the mirror. Her hand flew to her chest and her jaw dropped. Golden curls fell in soft waves over her shoulders and down her back. Her eyebrows were delicately arched, and Tommy had applied a little makeup when he did them. She was stunned. It wasn’t her reflection on the mirror, it just couldn’t be. The woman looking back at her was a cover model, an angel, somebody’s dream come true. How could it be her?

  “I know!” Tommy exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “I hope you have someplace to go because you look divine. Please, tell me you have a date or an audition or something.”

  “I was…” She panicked for a moment and drew a deep breath. That was the old her. It was time to be brave. “I am going to a club tonight. I’ve never been there before and I wanted to make a good impression.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. So, what are you wearing?” He put his hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side. Though they had only known each other for a few hours, she felt like he was her friend and it was a nice feeling. But she didn’t know what she was wearing and it must have shown on her face. She had not even considered it.

  “That’s what I thought, hmm.” He looked her up and down and for the first time in her life, such close scrutiny didn’t make her nervous. “Have you seen that twilight-blue velvet gown in the window of the shop next door? It’s got a slit that goes almost up to your baby-maker, and your long legs would do that dress a favor.”

  “Oh.” She blushed at his words, but the truth was she’d been looking at that dress for a week. Who wouldn’t? It was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. And the black patent stilettos the window dresser had paired with the gown made her knees a little weak.

  “That’s what I’m talking about. Now, let’s go next door and check if they’re still open. This I’ve gotta see.” He took her by the arm and they walked down the corridor together. Alice was the happiest she’d ever been in her life.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Alice had the taxi driver drop her on the corner of Toulouse and Bourbon Street. He hadn’t heard of the club, which was not surprising in New Orleans. Establishments came and went in the blink of an eye, and the ones that were secret stayed that way to remain exclusive. It was Friday night and the streets were packed before the sun was all the way down. Live jazz blasted through several open doorways, each bar competing with the other for the attention of drunken tourists with their pockets full of money and their willpower at their lowest.

  She immediately stepped off Bourbon and into the shadows of Toulouse, trying her best not to trip on the slate flagstones of the sidewalk while walking in her heels. It turned out that her shoes were the biggest challenge in all of this. Being naturally tall, she’d never worn anything over an inch high in her life before tonight. It took a lot of practice in her apartment before she could balance, but it was worth it. When her legs slipped through the slit of her dress, they looked a mile long.

  “Yo, blondie, over here baby!” A sharp whistle cut the air, and she initially ignored it. She wasn’t used to any kind of attention, especially from strangers. “Awww, don’t turn your back on me, hear? I got your beads. I got anything you want!”

  She stopped walking. Was he talking to her, really? It certainly couldn’t hurt to look. Alice turned and faced the balcony across the street. She saw him right away, hanging from the iron grate with shiny beads in his hands, but his reaction wasn’t what she expected.

  “Oh my God.” His face sobered instantly when she made eye contact. He dropped all his beads to the ground and a group of delighted partygoers below scooped them up. “Wait right there. Please, wait right there for me!”

  He disappeared off the balcony and she panicked. What was she supposed to do with him if he caught her? Maybe she should have brushed up on her people skills at Starbucks or something before she jumped into all of this. The problem was, there just wasn’t time. She even had to miss work today just to get ready, the first time she’d ever missed with Dr. Cain. She started walking, hoping she’d get far enough away that he’d give up on her, if he even got all the way out of the bar.

  Damsels was close. According to the house numbers, it was just on the next block. In the French Quarter that was a very short distance, so she might be able to make it. The buildings were packed in tight, with the occasional courtyard door offering a peek into a tropical paradise behind their curling grates. You never knew what you were going to find behind any of the doors in the Quarter, and she almost walked past her destination. There were no numbers on the entrance to the club, but the buildings on either side told her it had to be there. The door was painted dark green and had a small, rusted iron slit built in about five feet up.

  There was no bell to ring, no cameras that she could see on the facade of the building. She knocked on the wood. Nothing happened. Alice was starting to get nervous. Balcony Guy could be coming up on her at any minute, and if she wasn’t at the right spot she didn’t have anywhere to go to get away.

  A harder rap on the door stung her knuckles, but the iron window slid open. A handsome face appeared in the opening and looked her up and down.

  “It appears we have a Damsel in Distress.” His voice was deep and serious.

  Oh God, was this some kind of password test? She didn’t have a code or secret reply. The Web site didn’t give out much information and people like her would be the reason. “My name is Alicia Dahl. I’m on the guest list and if you don’t let me in, I probably will be in distress here shortly.”

  “Ah, wolves at your door, Ms. Dahl? Let me protect you.” He closed the slit and a heavy lock turned inside the door. There was something dominant about the way he spoke,
in the tone of his voice. She did feel like she would be safe with him, and it sent shivers up her spine.

  The passage beyond the door was so narrow only one person could walk through at a time. The stone walls on either side glistened with moisture, and she was careful not to touch them as she followed the man in the dark suit. Claustrophobia nagged at her until the corridor opened up into a lush green courtyard. A large gargoyle fountain was the focal point of the magical garden, and Alice stared at the soft lights placed among the blooming tropical plants.

  “I am Julian, Ms. Dahl. Welcome to Damsels.” He bowed to her in an old-fashioned manner she found charming and as he did so his long, black hair fell over his shoulders. His presence radiated strength and confidence. It turned out it was a quality she found attractive in a man. She was learning more about herself every day and none of it would have happened if she hadn’t decided to take chances.

  “Thank you, Julian. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Her heart was beating hard and the response made her sound a little breathless. He moved a step closer and offered his hand. When she took it, her knees shook, and she pretended to smooth her gown with her free hand to cover for it.

  “If you’ll allow me, I’d like to escort you inside.” His gaze was intense, and he looked her right in the eye. She was still adjusting to her new social role and she had to keep reminding herself to hold his eye contact.

  He never went too fast or two slow, as if he sensed the pace she needed to walk. In fact, she felt like he sensed everything about her and what she needed. They entered a large room with plush oriental rugs and velvet draperies. A polished mahogany bar sat on one end and a fireplace big enough to stand up in was blazing the other. The space in between was filled with small parlor tables and couches, with plenty of darkened alcoves off to the side, some of them with curtains drawn for privacy.