Page 141 of Role Play
“Partly.” She gives a short laugh. “I love the idea of scandalizing his arrogant, blue-blooded family. But it actually started with something else—my own encounter with an escortfour years ago. I would’ve never done something that daring and risky, but…” She trails off, getting lost in some memory.
I blink, terrified she’s about to give me details about a risqué night she had with a hired date. In a weird way, Rina can pimp me out no problem, but hearing about her sex life is quite frankly like hearing about my own mother having sex. I can’t think of anything more uncomfortable.
“Um…”
“Now, I don’t kiss and tell?—”
“Thank god,” I mutter a little too loudly, and am met by her icy stare.
“But,” she continues, still glaring at me, “one night changed my entire perspective on life. I was inspired to change people’s understanding of what being an escort means. It’s not all about sex. It’s about connecting and companionship. Sometimes you need the right person, at the right time, to pull you out of a rut you didn’t even know you were in. I like the idea of giving people an opportunity, even if it’s just for a night, to be valued, cared for, loved, protected, fought for… It’s sad there are so many women out there who need that fabricated because the men in their real lives are so severely lacking. But nonetheless, while it’s fleeting, it doesn’t mean it’s not real. Even a momentary feeling can inspire big change.”
“So, you mean you didn’t sleep with that escort? You just talked?”
She levels her gaze, face completely straight. “No, Hawkins. I rode the hell out of him. All night. Then, the morning after.”
“Dammit, Rina.” I cup my hands over my ears like a child, so I can watch her fall into a giggling fit.
“Sorry,” she says through breathy laughter. “My point is, one person changed my entire life for the better, even if he did end up breaking my heart. So, if this young lady is somebody worth changing your life for—do it.”
“But you said he broke your heart…your guy.” I watch the last flicker of humor disappear from her eyes as she’s taken over by something a bit darker.
She nods. “Because I couldn’t keep him. That’s all.”
“What was his name?”
“Dalton,” she answers simply, back to tight-lipped Rina when it comes to her personal life. “You lose yourself helping everybody else. Dakota, Hannah, your dad, and now Sora. You’re selfless to your detriment. But I see the man you could be if you weren’t constantly scrambling to keep your head above water.” She gestures to the folder. “Consider this an investment in that man.”
My throat tightens with emotion I can’t quite name. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll be smart about this. That you’ll use this to set yourself up for something great.” Her expression grows stern. “And then say you’ll definitely pay me back.”
A laugh escapes me, half relief, half disbelief. “You’re something else, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told.” She picks up her whisky again. “Now, about this Sora. Tell me everything.”
I finally reach for my own glass, taking a grateful sip. “She’s nothing like anyone I’ve ever met. Brilliant, funny, completely neurotic in the best possible way. She writes these romance novels that she thinks aren’t good enough, but they’re actually amazing—full of heart and humor and these characters that feel so real you forget they’re made up.”
“And she’s completely upended your life in what, two weeks?” Rina’s tone is teasing, but her eyes are kind.
“Two months.” Although truthfully? Two minutes. I knew from the moment she narrowed her eyes at me in Papa Beans that this woman was going to star in my dreams for the foreseeable future. “It sounds crazy, I know.”
“Not crazy.” Rina swirls the amber liquid in her glass. “Inconvenient, certainly. Potentially foolhardy. But not crazy.”
“That’s reassuring,” I say dryly.
“She must be quite special for you to risk everything.”
“She is.” The certainty in my voice surprises even me.
Rina studies me for a long moment, then nods as if confirming something to herself. “Well then. I suppose there’s only one question left.”
“What’s that?”
“Does she feel the same way about you?”
The question drenches me like a bucket of ice water. In my rush to make this grand gesture, to reshape my entire life around the possibility of a future with Sora, I haven’t actually confirmed that she wants that future too.
“I…I think so,” I stammer. “We haven’t exactly had that conversation yet.”
