“You’re already paying me a huge salary, Micah.”
“That’s not enough. When the six months are up, I want two things—for us to part as friends, and to know I had a lasting, positive impact on your life. It’ll help that this isn’t actually a relationship. All of mine have been unmitigated disasters, but this will be different. We’ll take care of each other, without a bunch of expectations and emotions getting in the way and complicating everything. It’s exactly what I need, and I hope it ends up being what you need, too.”
I murmured, “It sounds perfect.”
I’d been doing this job a long time and was confident I could keep my emotions out of it, even if Micah was pretty incredible. All I had to do was make it six months without getting attached. Then I’d walk away and start a whole new life.
What could go wrong?
Chapter 4
We ended up sleeping in the next morning. After he made me breakfast, I told Micah I was going to go home and pack some things, and he called a cab for me.
I got dressed in my rumpled suit from the day before, and as he walked me to the door, he asked, “Will you be back in time for lunch?”
“Definitely.”
A smile lit his dark eyes. “Okay, good. I’ll see you then.” He was still standing on the porch when I reached the sidewalk and the wooden gate swung shut behind me.
When I got home, I found Ash on the couch with his laptop. “Hey,” I said, as I crossed the room to him. “Is Doc McHottie at work?” His boyfriend was a pediatrician and all-around overachiever. It was a good thing I liked him, because it would have been easy to feel intimidated by someone like that.
“Yup. He’ll be home at the usual time, and then for dinner we’re planning to have a picnic in Golden Gate Park. Want to join us? The weather’s been amazing, and we want to soak up some sunshine.”
I sat down at the opposite end of the couch and said, “Thanks for the offer, but I have plans. They’re going to last about six months.”
Ash shut his laptop and put it on the coffee table. “Explanation, please.”
“I agreed to a six-month exclusive contract with the man I met for dinner last night, and it actually includes being his roommate. I’ll obviously keep paying rent and hanging out here, but I’ll be spending most of my time at his house in Presidio Heights.”
“Is this a good idea? He’s someone you met for the first time yesterday, right?” I could tell Ash was trying to be tactful, instead of asking me what the hell I was thinking.
“I have a good feeling about him. He’s a nice person, and he’s fun to be around. If it proves to be a mistake I can always bail out, but this is an incredible opportunity. He’s offering me a life-changing amount of money.”
“Would it be rude of me to ask what he’s paying you?”
“Three hundred grand, if I stick it out all six months.”
Ash’s eyes went wide. “Wow! What are you going to do with that much money?”
“I’ve barely had time to think about it. All I know is, I can finally quit being a sex worker and make a fresh start.”
“I guess I’ve been pretty clueless,” he said. “I didn’t realize you were that eager to make a change.”
“I don’t hate it, but eight years is a long time to treat sex and my body like a commodity, and I know it’s had an impact on me. It’s probably the reason I’ve never had a relationship, or even dated. Most men wouldn’t want a partner who’s a sex worker, because they’d have to share me with other men.” I stopped to think about that before saying, “Then again, maybe I could have found someone, and I just used the job as an excuse. But I’d like a chance to find out who I am apart from this line of work, and in the new year I’ll finally be able to do that.”
Ash shifted around and tucked his bare feet under him. He was dressed in his usual at-home uniform of gym shorts and a tank top, and I felt out of place in my wrinkled suit. “Tell me about the guy who hired you,” he said. “What’s he like?”
“Before I say anything else, I need you to swear you’ll keep this confidential.”
“Absolutely.”
“So, his name is Micah Mazari, and he used to be a rock star.”
As both a DJ and the biggest music lover I’d ever met, of course Ash knew exactly who that was. He bounced up onto his knees and shouted, “No fucking way! Holy shitballs, Jas, tell me everything!”
“I don’t know what to say, except that he seems like a nice guy, and I think I’m really going to enjoy spending time with him.”