Chapter Three: Keep You Guessing

"I've got to say, Kate. This really doesn't seem like such a good idea."

Kate held back a sigh as she turned on the coffee machine and began to rummage through the cupboard for cereal.

"You said."

"Do you know how badly this could screw you over? At least with one night jobs it's honest. They know what they're getting in to, but this..."

Kate shrugged, attempting to ignore her roommate's words. Shannon, who had fallen into hard times after the death of her father, had nearly as many misgivings as Kate had about the whole thing but was much more vocal about them.

"Tell Cooper you just want to escort. He can't make you con this guy."

Kate sighed.

"He can though. I mean, we don't have any money for ourselves. He has all of it. He could take this away at any time. And he practically threatened to turn me in," said Kate.

Shannon frowned, her arguments defused.

"I mean, I don't want to do this, but... What else can I do?"

Privately, Kate had to admit to herself that she hated escort work. It came naturally to tall, beautiful, Shannon. Who had grown up wealthy and had learned early on when to hold her tongue. Kate, who had never censored herself for anybody, still found it difficult to be simpering arm candy.

"Was he nice, at least?" asked Shannon hopefully. Kate smiled, suspecting that under her tough exterior, her friend was secretly a romantic.

"Yeah. Nice enough I that I wish I never had to see him again," she said regretfully.

"How are you going to track him, anyway? It's not like you need spinal surgery," said Shannon practically.

"Yeah. I'm going to go back to the bar," she said. Shannon raised her perfectly waxed eyebrows.

"You think he'll show up again?

Kate nodded, thinking of his hopeful expression as he'd asked for her phone number.

"I'm pretty much sure of it."

Kate left the kitchen.

"Sawyer's going to be furious," called Shannon, speaking to her retreating form. She sighed and went back to her coffee. She was fairly sure that Kate was playing with fire, but what was she supposed to do about it?

That night, as Kate attempted to get ready, she found herself completely at a loss.

It was frustrating to her. After a year of steady occupation, she'd grown very good at all these things. Now what she'd usually wear on a "date" - one of her skirts or dresses, her hair swept up, her face made up, conflicted with what had apparently attracted Jack to her. She wore what she'd generally wear on an evening hanging out with Sawyer. Jeans, a simple black top, her hair loose. Somehow she knew that Jack had no interest in shiny, subdued, escort Kate.

She slid into a different pair of jeans, knowing that this would be by far her most difficult challenge yet.

The crowd at the bar was smaller. She vaguely remembered a basketball game on TV the night before, and wondered if it was the reason why. It was easy for her to make her way to the bar. She waited apprehensively while Sawyer attended to another customer.

He grinned when he saw her, his big unapologetic Southern grin.

"Didn't expect to see you here again, Freckles," he said happily. She managed a smile. "Aren't you working most night?"

"I..."

Sawyer glanced up when the door of his bar opened, and he recognized the man from the night before. He glanced quickly back at her.

"What're you playing at, girl? Cooper would be furious if he..."

"He knows I'm here," she muttered quickly. Sawyer's eyes widened slightly as he took in their meaning. Kate waited, her eyes closed, while Jack walked across the bar and toward her.

"Hey."

Even before she looked at him, she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Hey, Jack."

"I didn't think I'd see you here again. You come here often?" he asked.

"Yes, you did. And no, I don't."

Jack laughed. "Well, maybe I did think I would. Hoped, anyway."

He said this last part honestly, his eyes looking deeply into hers. She looked away quickly, reminding herself that their flirtation was no longer innocent.

"How are you?" he asked. She looked back up at him.

"Good. Thirsty."

Jack smiled and turned toward the bartender, about to order when he realized that the other man was scowling at him. He quickly turned back to her.

"Do you want to get out of her?" he asked eagerly.

The two of them walked along in silence, sipping from cappuccinos they'd purchased from a street vendor.

"So. Do you really live around here?" he asked her. She laughed.

"Actually I do. I have a roommate, Shannon. She's blonde and high maintenance."

Jack smiled at this description.

"So I get to know the name of your high maintenance roommate, but I don't get to know yours?" he pressed. She looked down at her shoes.

"It's not any fun if it's easy, Jack."

"Do you really not hang out at the bar not that often?" he asked abruptly. She glanced sideways at him.

"What do you think?"

Jack paused, evaluating the expression on her face, wishing he could read it better.

"I think you like me," he stated. Kate nodded. She'd wanted him to think that.

"I think you like me, too."

"I agree," said Jack, laughing.

He stopped walking, putting his hand on her arm to stop her as well.

"Go out with me?" he requested. She shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Then..."

He stopped as she grabbed a pen from her purse, pushed back his sleep and scrawled a number on it in black ink. He grinned.

"Thank you."

Kate nodded, and began to walk the opposite direction of the one they'd been walking, back toward her apartment.

"Tell me your name!" he called after her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to him.

"Kate!" she yelled back, over the noise of the traffic. He grinned, and studied the number scrawled on his arm. Things were looking up.

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews! Hope you guys are still enjoying it.