Chapter 4

NERTHUS

“No long stares.”

I nod, picking up a peanut from the bowl in front of me.

“No girlfriend experience.”

I plop another peanut into my mouth and chew while nodding again.

“No small talk.”

I point to Jenna, forming a gun with my thumb and my index. “That’s actually my favorite.”

She giggles as she takes a sip of her white wine and wrinkles her forehead. “What are kawaii voices?”

I point to my mouth, circling as I swallow. “It’s when you talk like a child. Some men like that, though.”

Jenna distorts her face, taking another sip. “Oh, God. Yes. I once had a client I had to dress in a tutu for. And every time I got out of that hotel room, my vocal chords were bleeding.”

I laugh, nodding. “I had one that wanted to be whipped while I talked to in such a voice. It was really disturbing.”

“Gotta love the creeps.” Jenna says, taking a peanut.

“But well, I prefer them to the brutes any moment.”

Jenna sighs, munching. “Yeah.”

She lies my phone back down on the counter and I take it, closing my digital planner and lock it.

“Well, it’s just once anyway. Apparently, he has another woman every time.”

“Uuuuh. Spicy. I hope he is not too much of an ass.”

I shrug, taking a sip from my wine glass. “As she gave me the don’t look at him too much rule, I guess he is an ugly goblin with a narcissistic personality. Luciana told me that he is influential.”

“Ugh, those are the worst.” Jenna scoffs as I giggle.

“Doesn’t matter to me as long as he pays well.”

I grin at my friend, and she clings her glass to mine. “Amen, sister.”

Jenna is my first true friend after a long time. We met when I started working for the agency a few years ago and we have been inseparable since then. The struggle with my job and my past is that not everybody can take it. I often wear my heart on my tongue, but unfortunately, speaking the truth often gets people angry. And I’m certainly no people pleasure that just tells you what you want to hear. Well, at least not for free. Jenna is a total contrast to my appearance. In and out. Her dark hair and hazel eyes give her the divinity aesthetic she rocks as a natural beauty. While I wear my red hair straight, she has hers styled in wild locks. I’ve never been sad about my light green eyes, but she looks so much like a Mediterranean goddess that I could die for it.

The money that I would have made until now if I had her looks.

Another thing that is completely contrasting to me, is that Jenny is more of good standing. She comes from a middle-class family and, as I got from her so far, she still has a really good relationship with her parents. She started working as an escort next to her studies and continued even after getting her degree as it paid better.

I don’t know what makes me feel like she grew up on the streets like me, but something in her essence just felt like home.

Well, not my home, fortunately.

“How is your leg, by the way?” I lift my thigh slightly off the barstool, showing her my faint scar. “Better. I nearly can’t feel it anymore.”

“Did the phantom pain stop, as well?”

I nod, putting my leg down. “Yeah. Nearly entirely.”

She smiles relieved as she looks back up at me. “I’m glad.”

I smile back at her.

A few weeks ago, a client attacked me with a knife. He ended up cutting me rather deeply as I was straddling him. Sick shit, but yet not the worst fetish I had to endure. I’m not the gal to be scared off easily, but this episode sits deep. I’m actually scared of the moment a client will want a riding session, but I guess I’ll take it out of my repertoire for a while.

“Ladieeees, what’s with your glasses? Why aren’t they empty and ready for a refill yet?”

We laugh as GiGi appears in front of us behind the counter. Driving a hand through his long light brown hair, he leans against the counter.

GiGi, who reminds me a lot of the young David Beckham with slightly longer and lighter hair, came into my life with Jenna. They have been friends since their teens, and he owns a fantastic and actually hella successful pub downtown. As I got accepted as Jenna’s bestie by him, I got an extra friend. An awesomely handsome extra friend in an exhaustingly good temper. He is the only man I can stand for more than a few minutes without getting anything out of it. Maybe it’s because he is proudly gay or maybe because he always knows how to make a broken doll smile.

“Sorry, babe. It’s a slow night for us. We have important work tomorrow.” I squeeze his arm, but he rolls his eyes unimpressed, “Nothing is ever slow with you, my beauties.”

After gesturing to a client, signaling him that he would be with him right away, he leans forward, his blue eyes flashing mischievously. “That’s how you earn so much money so fast, right, ladies?”

With us giggling, he already steps away to take his new client’s order.

“One way or another, I want to know everything about the king of the world as soon as you get home tomorrow night.”

“Sure, I’ll call you right away.” I giggle, taking another sip.