Page 30 of Sexy Bad Escort

“Andit’s going all right? Hedoesn’t seem to have any issues in that department?”

Okay,now we’re going too far. This conversation has strayedfrom reasonable but weird tojust no. I am not about to explain to my mother, of all people, howamazing Danny is inthatdepartment.“What’s going on, Mom? What’s gotten into you?”

“Well,it’s just that I was having lunch withHazel. You know how we catch up once amonth.”

“Mom.” Igrit my teeth. What isshe skirting around?

“I thinkhe’s gay, honey,” shesays, her voice tinged with worry.

“He’swhat?”I gape at thephone as I drop into a chair at the dining table. Did she reallyjust tell me she thinks Danny is gay?Where the hell is she getting thisidea?

“Helikes other men. Andyou’re, what did he call it again?” She snaps her fingers. “Ohright. A beard. I don’t get it, but that’s what he was saying toErin, which was weird too because he was making out that she wastrying to get in his pants, and—”

“Whenwas this?”This hassomething to do with Rent-A-Danny. I’m sure of it. It wouldn’t bethe first date where Danny has used unorthodox methods to solve theclient’s problems.

“Thisafternoon. AtMama’sBoy. You know, that Italian restaurant with the greatrosé?”

“He’snot gay.” I sigh.That’swhere Danny was meeting up with Karen. I can only imagine how thesituation must have played out for my mother to come to theconclusion that the guy I’m screwing isn’t actually interested invagina.

“Heisn’t?”she asks,uncertainty coloring her words.

“No.” What arethe chances I can get through this without actually having toexplain what Danny and I are now doing for a living? Perhaps Ishould tell her, if only to give her something credible to bescandalized by. “And he’s not dating other women. Well, not the wayyou’re thinking.”

“Oh,that’s good.” The reliefis tangible. “I didn’t want to draw conclusions, but I wasworried.”

Sheseems to skip right overthe fact that I didn’t say he wasn’t dating other women at all, herfocus clearly taken up by my love life. It’s probably for the best.As much as I like to imagine the shock that would bug her eyes outand tie her tongue, if I came right out and told her about my newcareer, I don’t think I could handle her disappointment.

“Is thatit, or do you want the nasty details?”

“No. I’mokay with not knowing everythingabout my daughter’s life,” she says. “So I wonderwhat he was doing then. He had his arm around another girl’s waist,and he was meeting her mother. Don’t you think that’s weird if he’snot gay?”

“How isthat not weird if he is?”I frown. Does she know how ridiculous thatsounds?

“Maybeyou’re right. That is a bit weird. Still, I can’t shake thefeeling something isn’t rightwith him.”

I dropmy head into my hand and groan. “Mom, everything is fine.” Unlessyou count the fact Iwill eventually have to explain to her that I’m dating anescort, and on top of that I’m the one running the show. “Danny wasthere for work.”

“I don’tunderstand,love. Dannydoesn’t work.”

Thatalmost makes me chuckle. Of all the things to pull from thisbizarre conversation,she grabs onto the fact that our favorite layabout now has ajob.

“Sowhat’s thejob? I hope it has insurance.”

I swearI can hear the cogs turning in her head, already trying to work outhow Danny’s going to support me so I can give her grandchildren.“Not yet,Mom.”

“Howabout benefits?”

If thatincludes sleeping with his business partner, then hell yeah, there are benefits. “Ofcourse.”

“We shouldcelebrate,” she says.

Igrimace. That’ll go well. I can only imagine the expressions on mybrothers’ faces and theribbing that will go with it when we’re forced to explain whatDanny’s job, and therefore mine, includes. “I don’t think that’s agood idea.”

“Frostfamily dinner,” she says, and it is too late to stop this runawaytrain.“I’ll call yourbrothers and organize it.”

“Great,Mom.” I grind my forehead into my palm. “Can’t wait to tellDanny.”

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