Page 2 of How We End
I laid my head on the back of the couch.The crystals in the ceiling reflected the light back like stars.“I wish.He could do a little more work there.But that was better than listening to his almost two-hour tangent about his ex-wives and how they never worked.Which then rolled into my career choice and how I took the easy way out.I mean, how hard could it be to have sex for a living?”
“What did you say?”Margo was half listening as her fingers flew over the screen on her phone.
“Nothing.He doesn’t pay me to think or have an opinion.”Those were his words.The actual sex was the easiest part of my job.It was all the shit before.Theforeplayof pretending I gave a shit about what men like Richard Valentine were talking about.Or that I was turned on by a sixty-five-year-old man who took the easy way out and had surgery instead of exercising.
“The confidence with which some men speak is something that should be studied.”Margo finished typing on her phone before tossing it down.“As much as I would love to hear all Dickie’s theories on women, I have my own dick I need to talk to you about.Maverick has a few events he wants you at.There’s this hockey thing next week, and then the annual Maverick Sands Halloween party.He wants his ‘best girls’ at both.”
“I’m not one of his girls,” I said, watching my distorted reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows of the suite.Richard’s words were gaining more strength every minute I sat with them.In the blurry reflection, I couldn’t see the imperfections.But I knew they were there.I saw them every morning and every night.The fine lines around my eyes and mouth.The fact that I had to work so much harder now to keep up my appearance.I also saw it in the girls who were waiting to take my place with men like Richard and Maverick.
“What if he’s right?”I was always the prettiest whore in the room.I didn’t know how to handle being the oldest.
“He is.You are one of his best girls.”Margo glanced up at me.
“Not Maverick.Richard.What if I am too old?”
“For sex?I don’t think that’s possible.And Dickie will be singing a different song next month when he has blue balls.Now, back to your schedule.It looks like you’re free on that Friday the Coyotes are going to be here.And what about Thanksgiving?Maverick will want his time.”
“He needs sex on Thanksgiving?Maybe he should spend it with his wife.Remind him I don’t work holidays.”I laid my head back on the couch, not really listening to Margo rattle off the dates and what Maverick wanted.As much as I hated what Richard said, he was right.My age was catching up with me.I was never supposed to be still doing this at thirty-five.When I was nineteen, I told myself I would do it until I had enough money saved to go back home.Then at twenty-three, I was going to quit at twenty-five.Then twenty-five came and went.Then I told myself thirty.Now thirty had come and gone, and I still had no idea what the future would hold.And at thirty-five, I should’ve had a plan.
“How old is too old?”I asked.
“For dinner?”Margo frowned at me.
“No, for this.I’m going to be thirty-six next year, and after that comes…” I didn’t want to think about what came after thirty-seven and all the other numbers.Hell, I didn’t want to turn forty.I wasn’t even sure where all the days and years went.How I had let so much of my life slip away.“How long before the rest of my clients notice I’m not twenty anymore?”
“Since most of them are in their sixties and probably have cataracts, never.”
Typical response for Margo.“Forget it.”
“Do you want to quit?”
I brushed the wrinkles out of the designer silk robe I had on.It cost me two thousand dollars.The dress I had entertained Richard in, seven thousand.The shoes, another three.The tequila I drank, three hundred a bottle.Not to mention the thousands of dollars of skincare and hair products I had.All of it bought and paid for with sex.I didn’t want to go back to a normal-priced life with a nine-to-five and shitty apartment.“Not unless someone is going to pay me four thousand an hour to answer phones.”
“They might, but you might have to be naked.”Margo’s fingers moved quickly over her laptop.“It looks like Noble’s has a seven fifteen on Friday.An hour for dinner, that puts you and Maverick back here at about eight thirty with traffic.His thing with the teams starts at… eight.So he can make his grand entrance.”
“Yes to dinner, no to the hockey team.I don’t do athletes.”I tried once.I thought the sex would be better.Athletes were generally in much better shape than my normal clientele.But they also had egos and thought I should be thankful they chose me.Like Richard.Maybe it wasn’t just athletes.Maybe I should add plastic surgeons to my do-not-book list.
“No, but you do rich white men, and there will be plenty of them there.The owners, the GM, the investors, and all their rich buddies will be there.You could use some younger clients.You’re going to run out of old white men before you’re thirty-seven.”Margo didn’t look up from her phone as she quickly texted something.“You ever thought about adding women?”
It took me fifteen years to build up this client list.I trusted all of them.I knew their likes and dislikes and knew what to expect.They were safe.“Younger clients bring problems.And no women.I can’t even get myself off.I don’t want to worry about another woman.”
“What?”Margo squeaked out.“You don’t get off, not even with Maverick?”
“Between you and me, no.It’s been years since I finished with a man.”When I first met Margo, I thought she, too, was sleeping with Maverick.And it was her, not Maverick’s wife that would be my competition.But Maverick had a type.Tall and blonde.Margo wasn’t short, but she wasn’t blonde, nor would she get on her knees in the back seat of a limo to suck him off.
“Shit.And I thought I didn’t have job satisfaction.All that work for nothing,” Margo teased.Her phone buzzed.“Speaking of needy dicks, it’s Maverick.”She stood.“Don’t forget about the Halloween party.It’s James Bond themed.Maverick ordered you a dress,” she said, answering her phone.“Yes, Mr.Sands.I’m coming.”Or not,she mouthed as she left.
I drained the tequila and sat in the quiet room, alone.That was a side effect of this job.
Loneliness.
Post-Game Report, St.Louis vs Las Vegas Final Score 3-2
City Center Arena, Las Vegas, NV
October 9
“And there you have it—St.Louis comes out on top with a three-two win over your Las Vegas Desert Coyotes.I’m Jon Lafayette alongside Shawn Hofstadter.Tough one tonight, Shawn.”
