Masked Love

The city pulsed with a restless energy, its neon lights reflecting in the black sheen of a sedan. Ethan Lockwood's luxury sedan slid through the ever-bustling street.

Ethan gazed out of the tinted window, watching the late-night bustle of downtown life, feeling the weight of another long day. It wasn't just the fatigue of work but his personal life. His marriage, once the picture of stability was now crumbling in front of him into a bitter divorce. Peace was now a distant dream and all he wanted was silence.

It wasn't love lost and perhaps that should have been a consolation. Amanda had fallen out of love with him years ago and their relationship had boiled down to cold exchanges and silence. The divorce was impending but he never expected her to have fallen in love with someone else and for him to walk onto the sight of her cheating

As he mulled over this for the thousandth time, his fingers drummed lightly on his thigh, an unconscious tick.

Sitting in the back of the car was slowly starting to suffocate him and he needed out.

"Here." He spoke up and Henry, his personal driver, raised his brow.

"Here sir?" He asked, slightly confused.

"Yes..." he walked out and breathed in the fresh night air, almost feeling liberated.

"I'm going for a walk, leave the car with me and take a cab." He instructed Henry who did as he was told immediately.

The dimly lit street was a stark contrast to the bustle of the city. If Ethan wasn't mistaken, this was the Avenue. An area where women could be obtained for a night of fun.

It didn't matter much to Ethan who looked around the street as he walked. Women leaned against walls looking at passing cars with calculated gazes.

"You lost?" A calm voice asked with a trace of sarcasm.

A girl stood leaning against a light post, her raven hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore a short, form-fitting dress that hugged her curves and a sleek leather jacket that added an edge to her look. A lace black masquerade mask hid half her face but her intelligent eyes stared at him with curiosity and her red lips had a hint of a smile on them.

The glow of the streetlights cast a warm halo around her while her piercing gaze was almost magnetic.

Ethan paused, a hint of intrigue in his voice, "I am not...I... well yea, maybe I am lost." He admitted, not sure why he was saying this to a random girl who he knew wanted nothing but his money.

"Aren't we all?" she asked.

He tilted his head slightly, "what's your name?"

"Depends on who's asking." She smiled softly, almost seeming warm, "I don't tell my name for free..."

Ethan found himself intrigued, more so by the guardedness in her voice than in her appearance. She wasn't just selling herself; she was protecting herself.

"What if I pay for your time?" he asked softly, barely believing the words that came out of his mouth. Was he really doing this?

"And what will you be paying for?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in intrigue. He barely seemed like the kind of man who would pick up a girl from a back street. A tall man in a tailored suit who looked groomed and put together. His dark hair was styled neatly but tousled. His chiselled face was handsome but the deep-set blue eyes held an intensity that was often mistaken for aloofness.

But his handsome face wasn't the only thing that caught her eye. It was the fatigue behind his face and the subtle stress etched into him. He was a man who was tired, not just physically but emotionally. What did he want from her that he couldn't get from any woman he wanted?

"Time... that's all." He was nearly whispering now.

The girl nodded and waited as he brought his car around. There was a second of hesitation on his side as he watched her get into the car.

Truly, what was he doing?! He knew he didn't want any sexual favors from her... so why was he doing this.

As soon as she slid into the passenger seat, the atmosphere shifted, charged with an electric tension. The moment she settled into the plush leather seat, her scent enveloped the space mingling with the faint aroma of the luxurious interior. As the woody undertones of sandalwood flooded his car, Ethan knew he would go ahead with his crazy thought.

"Where are we off to?" She asked.

"I own a home close by, it was being used by a friend but he left yesterday. No one will notice." He replied, his eyes scanning the road as he drove.

"So a rich mysterious man in a beautiful car. Is the name a mystery too?" Sara asked, leaning her head as she looked at the beautiful night city.

"You haven't told me yours..." he chuckled still not believing that a prostitute sitting in his car.