DISCLAIMER: This story is a Twilight spin-off/crossover of the movie made for TV in 2000 titled Sex and Mrs. X. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, dialogues, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Soft Curve

Alice left the room to try on another dress, and I took the opportunity to ask a few more questions.

"Do many of your girls marry your clients?" I asked, opening my laptop and getting ready to type her answer.

I was surprised when Madame Esme closed my laptop.

"Let's get something straight, shall we?"

She took my laptop and put it on the coffee table, slightly out of reach.

"Girls, clients… I do not care for the way you say those words. The young lady you just met is Alice; you know where she is from already. You should also know that she is a fabulous dancer and loves to bake. She collects fabric samples and she never leaves the house without a sketch book in case inspiration strikes her."

She sat down right next to me, her back straight and legs crossed at the ankles.

"Her fiancée is Mister Jasper Whitlock, an industrial, globetrotting, financier from Houston, Texas. He has a horse ranch and two dogs. He has a sweet tooth and collects splendid oil paintings."

I sighed. "Well, it all sounds very impressive when you wrap it up in a nice bow, but it's still just about sex, isn't it?"

I was pushing her buttons, and by the smirk on her face, she knew I was doing it on purpose.

"Isabella," she chuckled, shaking her head. "I do not set up sex. I set up the dream."

"Which is?"

"Romance, companionship, devotion…. almost anyone can get sex. Sex is easy."

I nodded and sat back, watching her closely. "But you do teach these girls how to seduce their men."

Madame Esme stood up and pushed my laptop across the coffee table until it was within my reach. I picked it up and opened it, quickly starting a blank page in Word and got ready to type.

"Isabella, ma chérie, there is something you should know." She sat down across from me on the same armchair as before. "Seduction is an emotion, not a physical act. Sure, it requires a certain degree of touch, but not necessarily in the way of sex."

"So, these girls don't sleep with their men on the first date."

"Do you sleep with a man on the first date?"

"I don't see how's that relevant."

"Just like anyone else," she waved her hand. "If you like the gentlemen, you do as you please. If you don't, you kick him to the curb."

I chuckled. "So, what's the point?"

Madame Esme sighed. "Oh, Americans… What is the fastest way from point A to point B?"

Though I knew it was a rhetorical question, I still answered.

"A straight line."

She tut-tutted. "No, ma chérie. It is a soft curve." She grinned and then stood up. "Come, Isabella. Let's go get some lunch."

I stood up and started gathering my things.

"Leave it, Simone will take care of it… just bring your little recorder."

I nodded and did as she said.

As we walked down the hallway, I continued with my questions.

"Why did you agree to this interview now?"

Madame Esme smiled. "How could I ever say no to Mr. McCarty's dimples?" she joked.

I laughed at that, knowing how sweet and charming Emmett could be.

"Though, I am curious… I know you are not used to topics with sugar on top. I am not Bill Gates, nor President Obama, and I am certainly not a single mother raising four children in the middle of the Syria conflict."

I gaped at her. "You've read my book."

"You are not the only one to do research, Isabella. But why did Mr. McCarty pick you for this article?"

I shrugged. "I suppose it's because I always come back with a solid story. "

She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Somehow, I believe you were chosen for another reason. There is something in your voice, like an unfinished thought, that tells me there is more to you than what meets the eye."

It was scary how well she could so easily read me, it had never happened to me before, but I didn't feel threatened by her; it was actually the total opposite. It made me wonder who Madame Esme really was, and if I would ever be able to read her as well as she read me.

BETA: Mauigirl60 | PRE-READER: Alterite