Page 65 of Escorted

“And he’skeepingyouas a client?”

“Yeah. Hehasn’t said anything about canceling my appointments. We’ve got the rest of themonth scheduled out.”

“Hmm.”

Lori jerked herhead over to glare at her cousin. “What doesthatmean?”

“Nothing,” Sabrinasaid, feigning innocence. “I was just thinking.”

Gritting herteeth, Lori resolved not to dignify her cousin’s teasing with a response.

“But,seriously,” Sabrina continued, “You had a good time with him in Quebec? It wasn’t weird or awkward?”

“Why would itbe weird or awkward?”

“I don’t know.Belinda told me that she took him on a weekend to London and the businessmatters kept getting in the way of the sexy thrill.”

Lori swallowed,trying to channel her irrationally conflicted emotions into her workout. Itwould be far wiser if she just dropped this subject completely. “What businessmatters?”

“Oh, you know.Sorting out exactly what his role would be. Keeping track of all the sexualactivity so she could pay him at the end. Getting a suite with two bedrooms sohe could sleep in his own room. All the logistics.”

Lori stoppedmoving, her legs sliding to a slow, heavy stop. “What?”

Sabrina sloweddown too. “Whatwhat? Why do you look so gut-foundered?”

Lori didn’tanswer. She just stared blindly ahead of her and tried to process this newinformation.

Apparently, Sabrinacould put the pieces together on her own. “Didn’t he do all that with you?”

“Yeah. No. Idon’t know.” Unable to get her legs to move, Lori climbed off the ellipticaltrainer and picked up her towel to wipe off her hot, red face.

“Lori?” Sabrinagot off too. “Tell me.”

“We shared aroom,” Lori admitted. “And we didn’t spend much time talking about money.”

“Why not?”

Lori feltmortified all of a sudden—for no good reason. She couldn’t even look Sabrina inthe eye. “I don’t know. It all just sort of felt...natural.”

“Natural? Aweekend with a male escort?” Sabrina’s voice conveyed ironic skepticism.

“I know itsounds weird. But it did. We like each other. I think. I mean, we’ve gotten toknow each other. And so it doesn’t feel so much like...like an impersonalbusiness transaction.”

“Oh God,” Sabrinagroaned into her towel. “Pretty Woman.”

“It’s not likethat,” Lori snapped. “I’m not stupid. But we get along well. And so most of thebusiness stuff just sort of falls to the side and we just have a good time.”

“He has a goodtime too?”

“I don’t know.”Lori tried not to squirm with embarrassment. “Sometimes I think so. It’s hardto tell—because he has such good instincts about what a client wants fromhim—but I’m pretty sure he has a decent time with me.”

“That doesn’tsound like a normal scenario with a male escort and his client.”

Lori scowled.“How the hell doyouknow what’s normal with a male escort? I don’t evenknow. I’ve never been with another one.”

“Well,” Sabrinasaid, her face softening with humor. “I guess that’s true. Who’s to know whatnormal behavior consists of when it comes to male escorts? But it sounds alittle suspicious to me. Like things aren't entirely professional."

"They areprofessional," Lori insisted, "I pay him every evening. He's justreally good at his job. He gives women what they want."

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