Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
A moment later, my roommate called, “Honey, I’m home!”
I went into the living room and exclaimed, “Hello, gorgeous! How was your night?” Jasper really was stunning. He was a dark-eyed brunet with glasses, perfect skin, and a shy smile, and in his deep blue suit and open-collared white dress shirt, he looked like a movie star.
“It was okay. The client took me to a nice restaurant, then back to his place, which was this incredible, mid-century modern split-level on Russian Hill. You and I should have started a tech company then sold it for millions like this guy. He’s set for life.”
“If only. Was he nice?”
“He was. Very polite, too. He even said thank you after he fucked me.” Jasper looked amused. He’d always been totally matter-of-fact about his job as a sex worker, and I admired that about him. “I’ll be right back,” he said, as he took off his jacket. “I want to shower and change.”
“Be sure to put on something sexy for our four-way.” When he glanced at me and raised a brow, I explained, “You, me, Ben, and Jerry. I needed ice cream in a big way tonight.”
“Nice. See you in a minute,” Jasper called, on the way to his room.
When he returned a little while later, he was dressed in light blue pajamas printed with smiling cartoon avocado halves. “You’re definitely bringing sexy back,” I told him, as I retrieved the ice cream and two spoons from the adjoining kitchen.
“You, too. That ratty old sweatshirt is making me hot.”
I petted the screen-printed rooster on the front of my sweatshirt and said, “Well, obviously. No one can resist my giant cock.”
Jasper had heard that joke before, but he was nice enough to chuckle as we both settled in on the raspberry-colored couch. He opened his carton, scooped up a big dollop of Chubby Hubby, and groaned with pleasure as he ate some. Then he said, “Thank you for this. I was starving.”
“I thought you went to a nice restaurant.”
“I did, but it’s not like I could eat much when I knew for a fact I was getting fucked right after.”
“That’s true.”
I opened my pint of Phish Food, and as I ate a big spoonful, he glanced at me from beneath his overgrown bangs. Jasper wore his hair short except for the bit at the top, and I really believed it was so he could hide behind it when he wanted to.
He asked, “So, how was Thrust?” The name of the club always made us smirk.
“The crowd was super high energy, which I loved. The only negative was when I decided to blow some guy on my break. Big mistake.”
“Was he a jerk?”
“No. I just really wasn’t into it. Actually, for the last few months, these random hook-ups have started to seem pretty pointless.”
Jasper grinned at me. “I think you’re having an ex-sex-tential crisis.”
I grinned, too. “Possibly. Or maybe I’m just getting old. I’ve been going to the clubs since I was eighteen, and I’m turning thirty at the end of this summer. That’s a long-ass time to be doing the same damn thing.”
“I thought you loved the club scene.”
“I love some parts of it,” I said. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than be a DJ. But there’s all this other stuff that’s always gone hand-in-hand with the job—getting drunk, partying, anonymous hook-ups. That’s all wearing thin. In fact, I think I’ve just been going through the motions for a while now, and it’s exhausting.”
“Sounds like you need a vacation.”
“God yes, but it’s not like I can afford to take time off. I’m barely making rent every month as it is.”
He ate another spoonful of ice cream, then said, “Oddly enough, I might have a solution for you.”
“Do tell.”
“I had an interesting phone conversation earlier today with a potential client. We spoke for half an hour, and he seems like a great guy. He needs a date to his brother’s destination wedding, which is in French Polynesia. It’s for nine days in all, because there are family events beforehand. I can’t make it, but I think you should consider taking the job.”
“Me?”
Jasper nodded. “I totally get that what I do for a living isn’t for everyone, but he was very clear about not wanting sex, so that makes this a pretty straightforward job. I’d absolutely go with him if I could, but it’s in less than a week and my passport’s expired. I researched getting a rush renewal and couldn’t get an appointment in time, but you have a valid passport, don’t you?”
“I do, from when my friends took me to Cancun for a bachelor party a couple of years ago,” I said. “But am I really the right person for this job?”
“Only you can answer that question. Just so you know, you’d be posing as his boyfriend, so there’d be some physical contact—kissing and hugging when you’re in public, that sort of thing. As far as compensation goes, I suggested two thousand dollars a day, eighteen grand total, plus expenses. He was fine with that.”