Page 16 of The Arrangement

I received a text back almost immediately.

"Oh, hi! I'm Natalie. Seb told me about you. I'd love to chat. Want to meet in person? I always feel like that's better for these types of conversations."

I staredat the phone in disbelief. On one hand, the woman on the other end was right. Seeing her face-to-face could add some legitimacy to Wol—Sebastian's business ethics. But this was going fast, and I honestly hadn't even expected a response.

Once again, not a commitment. Just coffee. But not at The Grind, which was too close to home.

"Sure, there's a shop on 9th? I'm free today until eight or tomorrow?"

The little blinking dots showed the woman, Natalie, was typing and my stomach rolled. Maybe I shouldn't have said tonight. That was awfully short notice and probably rude?—

"Oh, great! I love that spot; I have time this evening. About two hours? Coffee’s on me."

I like-reacted to the message and stared at my phone in disbelief. I was actually doing this. On my way to talking myself out of the meeting already, I spied the pamphlets I had set down last night.

Straightening, I looked at myself in the mirror; I looked presentable enough…and two hours would give me time to do what I do best.

Research.

And research I did.I spent the next forty-five minutes reading forums, comparing incomes from other online sex workers and cam stars doing similar work. I compiled a few videos to watch later that night about the ins and outs of the industry and how to keep yourself safe.

Suppose I was going to do this. I was going to do this right. Tossing on my beanie, I walked out to the cab that waited for me, feeling more in control than I had only a few hours prior. I armed myself with my notes app and desire for knowledge. And money.

The coffee shop I had picked was a modern cafe with large ceilings, a huge lobby, and expensive lattes. This late in the evening, the coffee shop switched to a low-key bar that offered mood lighting with a backdrop of tropical plants. It was perfect. Everyone was caught up in their work or their date to notice me talking to anyone about…online sex work. And that's exactly the anonymity I needed. It didn't matter that the cab ride was two hours of my coffee shop pay; it was worth it to be outside of my normal bubble.

"I'm in a green hoodie and black beanie," I texted, trying to ignore the shaking in my fingers while I sipped on my free water, ignoring the eye roll of the guy with the extensively curled mustache behind the counter.

"Walking in! White top!" came the reply, and I looked up, hoping to God I wasn't making a huge mistake, to see a beautiful blond wearing an outfit I could only describe as chic. Natalie waved at me as soon I caught her eye, and a bit of my nervousness waned, but the self-deprecation began. Here I was, in a hoodie and beanie at 7 p.m. on a random Thursday, probably still smelling like coffee beans, and Natalie looked like she had stepped out of an after-ad on one of those makeover videos.

I stood awkwardly as she put her arms out and drew me into a hug. Fuck, she smelled like coconuts.

"It's so great to meet you! I'm sure you have so many questions!" Despite the fact that I was wildly jealous, I instantly loved this woman. Sometimes, as a girl, you just can feel other women out. Natalie? She was a girl’s girl. I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet before she waved a manicured hand. "Oh, I am so rude. Tell me about yourself!"

I was at a loss for a moment before I smiled and wrapped my hands around my water cup. "I work at a bookshop in the city, I live with my cat and I know Quinn from high school, technically. He's my next-door neighbor now. That's how I got your number."

Natalie nodded, smiling. "Fantastic! I knew he was looking for someone; it's nice that you have history, too. So important."

I just nodded, not really knowing what to say to that.

"I met Seb towards the end of college—that’s when he started hisbusiness. College, you know?" Her laugh was infectious, and I smiled despite myself. "But I just got a job offer in Europe, so it's time for me to hang up my hat, so to speak. I really only did it to pay off my student loans."

I opened my mouth, quickly shutting it as the waiter took our orders. I looked around as if anyone would even be interested in our conversation before I continued.

"Can I ask…did you ever get found out? Like your identity, I mean?" I asked, lowering my voice, releasing the most pressing matter on my mind at the moment.

Natalie's face got serious, and she leaned forward. "Absolutely not. We are very cautious. It is 2024, and this kind of work is more widely accepted, but—while I don't feel ashamed at all about it—I did appreciate the anonymity."

I took a deep breath, her seriousness calming my nerves on the subject. "And can I ask what Quinn was like?…Working together, I mean?"

Another pause as I leaned back, our drinks set down in front of us while Natalie smiled politely at the bartender.

Natalie took a sip of an espresso martini before answering, "Oh, he's a doll. Very big on communication. He has a sister and had a very close relationship with his mom, and she must have taught him well because he's very big on privacy and consent. This is also a business to him; when he started, it was just thirst traps on video sites that took a turn after his grandfather—well that's up to him to tell you, but I had a great working relationship and friendship with him."

Slowly, my nerves were calming, the anxious voice in my head quieting to a dull roar instead of a violent scream.

"How…I don't know how to ask this," I admitted, resuming picking at my nail again. Natalie smiled and raised an eyebrow, finishing for me. "How much did I make?"

Sighing deeply, I nodded, grateful for her taking the reins on this sensitive topic. She smiled and dug in her clutch, pulling out a thin, black notepad and pushing it over to me. Curious, I opened the notebook to find her handwritten income from the past three years.

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