Page 9 of A Little Light

Rachel smiled at Andi as she looked back down at her pancakes. She could really get to enjoy being here with her. Andi was easy-going, unproblematic. Honestly, she was bloody gorgeous. Rachel pushed that from her mind. Andi was selling her the loft, not going on a date with her.

“Can I ask you something?” Andi suddenly eyed Rachel, chewing her bottom lip.

“Sure. Ask away.”

“How do you juggle life with the career you have? It must be unpredictable.”

“I’ve been doing it for a long time now. I have a schedule I work to, providing the clients are there, at least. I’ve already worked my planned number this month, so anything else I take on is a bonus. It wasn’t so easy in the past when I was building my client base, but now I have a lot of regulars on my books, and I generally know from week to week who I’ll be seeing.”

“What made you go into escorting?” Andi pushed her empty tray away, clasping her hands on the table. The plaid scarf she wore high up her neck didn’t seem to be doing the trick. She had the rosiest cheeks and nose. “If that’s okay to ask?”

“I saw the money I could make, and it instantly drew me in. I can hold a good conversation, and I love to wear fancy clothes, so it seemed like my kind of thing. Don’t get me wrong, there’s always people out there wanting to take advantage or to test how far they can go, but it’s mostly enjoyable.”

“I think what you do is fantastic.”

Rachel regarded Andi with another smile. She’d never met anyone who had this opinion of her. It was a breath of fresh air. “Thank you. It’s just a job like everyone else has. Nothing special.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m going to assume most people who book you are lonely in some way?”

“Correct. Most of them are.”

“Then you’re doing a good thing. I know loneliness, and I know the mind games that come with it. I know the depression and the fear of leaving the house because you can’t convince yourself that life will ever be worthwhile again. Those people who book you may well feel the same thing. So, I think you’re doing great work.”

“I really appreciate that, but you don’t have to be so polite about my job.”

“Polite?”

“People have their opinions, and I completely understand that. I find it hard to believe that someone like you, someone who is definitely a romantic and someone who believes that love conquers all…would agree that escorting is a respectable job.”

“I have no right to judge anyone. Nobody does. Do you live a happy and fulfilled life through your job?” Andi lifted a brow.

“I do. Most of the time.”

“Then that’s what counts. Life is far too short to work an office job you hate or to stay in a career that makes you miserable. If you enjoy doing what you do, then I think that’s great.”

Oh, dear. This was going to be an interesting relationship to build on. Because as Rachel sat across from Andi, she had to wonder if Andi was the perfect woman. There had been a time when she thought Juliet was, but Juliet had been right. She was nothing more than a client, and that was where it ended.

They’d crossed the line and started sleeping together when Juliet was going through personal stuff, but Rachel didn’t regret it. She had fallen in love with her client. But this was different. Andi wasn’t her client. She also didn’t have an issue with who Rachel was or how she made a living. Rachel had to be careful here. A woman like Andi could easily sway her into wanting love again.

Again? You’ve never been loved in return.

Rachel cleared her throat, studying every inch of Andi’s gentle face. “Answer me one question then.”

“Okay.”

“If you were looking for a relationship, would you date someone who escorted? Not as their client, but can you honestly say that you could sleep soundly at night knowing your partner was out to dinner with other women?”

“If I was interested in them, then sure. Why not? We can’t go through life believing that everyone is out to hurt us.”

No, no, no. Rachel wanted to hear the miserable opinions about her. Not the incredibly sweet things Andi was saying.

“You seem bothered by my opinion.”

Rachel stared down at the almost empty tray of pancakes in front of her. “I’m just surprised that you feel that way.”

“Why?”

Could Rachel be honest here? This was supposed to be nothing more than her buying a loft from Andi. Was a heart-to-heart really thrown in with the deal? “I’ve been doing this for eleven years. In those eleven years, I haven’t been in a relationship.”

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