Escort in Deep

“You know I’ll never understand how you do it,” my best friend Sammy shook her head when I put the phone down on our usual table where we had brunch every Saturday during the summer. “How I do what?” I raised an eyebrow at her and replaced my phone with the fork I’d been using to eat my fruit salad. “Do the work you do,” Sammy picked up her Bellini and took a sip. “You can say it,” I always chuckled at the way she avoided it, “I’m an escort. You can’t understand how I can be an escort.” “Yes, that,” Sammy rolled her eyes, “I just really don’t get it.” “And I don’t understand how you work long hours for next to no money and get touched up by your boss for absolutely nothing,” I shrugged and popped a juicy piece of kiwi into my mouth. That caused Sammy to scowl at me. It wasn’t an ugly expression. No expression could be ugly on my best friend’s face. She was horrendously beautiful and I always went to the trouble of telling her so. With naturally blonde hair, green eyes and a figure to die for, it was no wonder she was always being sexually harassed in the work place. “You can’t tell me the money is worth sleeping with all those sleazy old men,” Sammy visibly cringed and poked her fork into a slice of tomato on her plate. I chuckled even more at that. “Most of the men I sleep with are quite rich and at least half of them are fairly attractive,” I responded, “Don’t blame me for your soreness at the fact I earn in a month what you earn in six.” “I wouldn’t know,” Sammy looked at me from under her luxurious lashes, “You’ve never told me how much you bring in.” “Well, tonight’s job is five thousand pounds for a couple of hours work,” I explained. At one time that would have shocked me but now it was just the regular. I had lower paying jobs and even higher paid ones. It all depended on the circumstances. “You aren’t serious?” Sammy gaped at me in disbelief, “Leah, who the hell pays £5,000 to sleep with someone?” “Like I said,” I looked at my plate and skewered another piece of fruit, “Rich people and this someone is actually two someone’s.” “Hold up,” Sammy lifted a hand to stop me right there, “You are doing threesomes now?” “I’ve been doing them for a while now.” Again, it wasn’t a big deal. “Wow, I always knew you loved s*x but this is a whole new level,” Sammy exclaimed and dropped her fork as though she couldn’t bring herself to eat another bite. Whether that was because she was full or because she was nauseated by our conversation, I wasn’t sure. “I don’t just love s*x,” I reminded her, “I actually love my job. I mean, come on, how many people do you know in this day and age that can say that?” “Let me think,” Sammy tapped her bottom lip with a finger. “Let me know when you think of someone,” I smirked, “It might take you a while.” “Well I don’t personally know anybody but I am sure there are lots of people and at least half of them aren’t, you know, escorts,” she said the word as though it was dirty. Sammy had never hidden the fact that she disagreed with my choice of career, but I didn’t care. She had her opinion and I had mine. The fact that they didn’t quite meet was of no consequence to me. “I’ll never understand you,” she shook her head and her beautiful blonde hair shifted in the breeze. “Best you try not to,” I told her as I lifted my hand to gesture the waiter over, “Can we get the bill please?” “Certainly Miss Walters,” the young boy always looked me with a doe eyed expression and his gaze often lingered just a little too long on my breasts. I couldn’t blame him. I did have amazing breasts. It was one thing I was very proud of. “You are leaving already?” Sammy huffed, “I thought we were going shopping?” “I know and I’m sorry but I’ll have to take a rain check,” I told her as I pulled my Prada purse from the matching handbag that had always been my favourite. The seams were beginning to fray and I knew I would have to say goodbye soon, but I wasn’t quite ready for that. “As usual work always comes first,” Sammy leaned back in her seat. I picked up my designer glasses and slipped them on before placing a couple of notes on the table between us, “Tell him to keep the change.” “I can’t let you pay again,” Sammy protested and made to get her purse, but I quickly waved the idea away. “We both know that you can’t afford it right now,” I reminded her, “I’ll let you pay for the next one.” “That’s what you said last time,” she frowned at me and made to get her purse out again. “Don’t worry about it,” I rolled my eyes, “We both know I’m good for it.” I pushed myself to my feet and adjusted the waist band on my high-waisted jeans. “Fine, but I am paying for our next lunch no matter what you say,” Sammy insisted. I walked over to her in my thigh high heeled boots and leaned down to kiss her cheek as I always did in farewell. “You keep telling yourself that,” I whispered into her ear. I was a running game we’d always played no matter what our finances were. I knew it bugged her when I paid for everything, and so I always did whenever I got the chance. “You are infuriating sometimes,” Sammy was beginning to look furious. “Careful, or you’ll get frown lines,” I warned her and she quickly released her tense expression, “I’ll call you later.” “Make sure you do,” she took on her mother bear expression now, “You know how I worry.” “There’s really no need,” I shook my head, “I have everything under control.” “That’s what every woman says right before something goes wrong,” Sammy had always been overbearing and over protective and I loved her for it. “Take care of yourself,” I gave her a squeeze on the shoulder, “I promise I’ll call you later.” With that I turned and began to make my way down the street towards my apartment a couple of blocks away. There had been a time when I couldn’t walk a few steps in heels but now, after so many years doing my job, I could run miles in them. Something else Sammy could never understand. I waved her goodbye as I turned my attention back to my mobile to plug in my ear plugs and pop on some music for the walk home. With my handbag strap resting in the crook of my arm I walked as though everyone was watching. One never knew when a client might walk past. I always kept the front up in public. It wasn’t until I had walked the few streets to my apartment and shut the door firmly behind me that I finally let my hair down. It cascaded in loose red curls around my heart shaped face, and I realized instantly that I needed to wash it. That was just one more thing to add to my list of things to do before my clients arrived. “Darwin!” I yelled as I dropped my handbag, keys and phone on the side table in the hallway and peeled off my boots. The little Chihuahua came running with his favourite stuffed teddy bear in his mouth. The toy was practically the same size as him and he tripped over it several times before reaching me. “Oh, thank you, good boy,” I told him as I picked both him and the toy up to give him a cuddle. The little cream dog lapped at my face and wagged his tail doing his usual Chihuahua shake, “Now are you going to be a good boy for me tonight, Mister?” Many of my clients weren’t fond of dogs and that meant that I usually shut him away in the kitchen whenever I had company. He preferred it that way too. He wasn’t a very big people person. He barked at me in response although I knew it was really him telling me that his food bowl was empty. “Come on then, let’s get you something to eat,” I smiled as I set him back down on the floor and he proceeded to pull his teddy along with him into the kitchen. As soon as his food bowl was filled it was time to get on with the arduous process of getting ready for my job.