A Different Kind Of Love [18+]

Chapter Sixteen

Jade

I walked over to the door to greet Meg and the girls just as they walked into the apartment. They ran over to me and I crouched down to hug them.

"Did you have fun with auntie Meg?"

"Yes..." they said in unison and broke into a tale talking animatedly about what they did while not in my care.

I looked over their heads and raised my brows at the bags in Meg's hands.

"What?" She asked. "I couldn't help myself."

"You had them for one day."

"Enough time to go shopping," Meg said with a grin.

"Alright kiddos. Let's go put away your things."

I stood and took some of the bags from Meg and we followed the girls into their room. After putting away their new clothes we left them to play with their new toys.

"You dirty girl," Meg said from behind me as we walked into the living room.

"What?" I plopped down on the couch.

"You slept with Drew," she said and sat down next to me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I tucked my feet under me and looked at her with my most neutral face.

"You're still walking bow legged. Did he invite Sean or was it just Drew?"

I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes.

"Who did I have my date with?"

"So just Drew then. I have to know and I'm assuming by that little limp in your walk that he's massive. He's massive isn't he? It would be a shame for a guy to be that big and not be... big."

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Don't get shy with me now. I couldn't ask you before because you were drunk that night. Your memory couldn't be trusted. Unless you were drunk last night." Her brows raised in question.

"I wasn't drunk."

"Good. So tell me."

"Meg?"

"Come on. I have to live vicariously through you. I'm not doing anything."

"You could be."

"And that would make me a prostitute. No thank you."

"Then why do you do it?"

It was a question I had asked Meg before, but I had to ask again. Not just because I wanted to change the subject from my night with Drew but because I wanted answers.

Embracing my sexuality had never been easy for me. I didn't think of myself as a prude but by most people standards I was. Hell, in college everyone wondered if I was asexual because of the lack of dates or non interest in anyone. It was never that I was uninterested, it was that I didn't want to lose focus. My career was important to me. And I'm introverted. Putting myself out there and talking to people terrified me. I had gotten better but I was nothing like Meg.

She was totally extroverted and people flocked to her. People sought her out. She could have slept with a variety of people. So why didn't she?

"Do you ever think of getting out of the... business?"

"No. I love what I do. I'm helping people."

I raised my brows at that part.

"Seriously. That first client I ever had back in New York? I helped him. If I hadn't gone home with him to see his family he would have cracked and came out before he was ready to."

"You don't know that."

"But I do. He brought his girlfriend, me, and his family had all types of questions about our relationship. The only reason we survived was because we had a cover story in place. His sister was there, solo, and his family went on and on about how it was her turn because she had never brought anyone home either. She couldn't take it anymore and came out."

"Wow."

"Yeah. He's out and proud now but all those years ago he wasn't ready."

"How do you know he came out?"

"We keep in touch." She shrugged her shoulders as if to say no big deal.

"He wasn't forced out was he?"

"No. He fell in love," she said with a smile.

"Why do you look so proud?"

"Because I may have set him up. And now he's happily married." Meg looked really smug and proud of herself. "So yes. I do help people. Sleeping with anyone would taint the whole thing and make it dirty."

"But you don't even accept money. Does it even count as prostitution if money isn't exchanged?" The answer was yes. I was aware. I just didn't understand how Meg could spend time with all these attractive people and never be tempted. One date with Drew and I had let him take me. Hell, I let him take me after buying me one drink.

"That's not entirely true."

"What isn't?"

"Me not taking money." Meg bit the side of her bottom lip as my mouth fell open.

"You said that first guy was your only cash transaction."

"That was true. Then. But I had a client who wanted to pay me and after discussing the terms and the fact that me escorting him for cash was not illegal."

"Is that what you consider yourself? An escort?"

Meg and I had never talked in detail about what she did for a living. I think she thought I judged her. I didn't. I was actually secretly jealous of her. People gravitated to her. She didn't really fear much or worry about what people thought about her. The complete opposite of me. I was glad she was sharing.

"Yeah. I think escort is the right title. I'm marketing myself like that. I still don't seek people out. My jobs are usually word of mouth."

"I can't believe you never told me you started accepting money."

"I lied. Get over it. And now that we've talked about me, we can go back to you."

Damn.

"I appreciate your ability to change the subject but I didn't forget. Is Drew packing or not?"

"I'm limping aren't I?"

"Ooh. You so nasty." Meg laughed at her joke and I rolled my eyes.

I couldn't help joining in and laughing. She had gotten as much details out of me as she was going to get.