‘What’s this?’ I hold it up and read. ‘“Yours For the Night. Sexy, sophisticated brunette, new to escorting, will service your every need. To discuss rates, call –”.’
I put the card down, eyebrows raised. ‘You want to pimp me out?’
‘What are you worth, Sophie? How much should I charge?’
‘You know the answer to that. You know what I used to charge the guys in the hotel bar.’
‘Yeah. Nothing. Is that what you’re worth?’
‘I’m not a commodity. That’s why I didn’t charge.’
‘Well, for this task, you have to commodify yourself. So how much are you going to be worth?’
‘I don’t think I can say. Isn’t it a buyer’s market?’
‘What are you selling?’
‘My cunt.’
‘No, you aren’t. Not for escort work. You’re selling a service to the purchaser’s ego. He wants to be seen with a bright, smart, attractive, sexy woman. That’s what he’s paying for. If he wants cheap meat, he’ll go to a cheap meat rack.’
‘That’s a horrible way of putting it. I haven’t said I’ll do this.’
‘So a fail then?’
‘No.’
‘Right then. Put a value on yourself.’
‘What’s the market rate?’
‘I don’t know. Sky’s the limit. I believe the average for an overnight is around seven hundred pounds.’
‘Go for that then.’ I shrug, not wanting to prolong the conversation.
‘Sophie, are you thinking about this? I want you to really think about it.’
‘I don’t want to really think about it. Just line up the schmuck and I’ll screw him. Task over.’
‘No, that’s not what the task’s about.’
‘It’s about sex, isn’t it? Like they all are. Lead me to the sex and I’ll have it.’
‘You really think sex is always about sex? Just that? The meeting of genitals?’
‘I’m an uncomplicated girl.’
He laughs. ‘That’s the last thing you are, my love. Come on, now. Figures. Name your price. What’s a night with Sophie Martin worth to a man so tragic that he has to pay for female attention?’
‘What do you think? What am I worth to you?’
He shakes his head. ‘Don’t you dare.’
‘You can’t answer that?’
‘No, I can’t. And I don’t pay for it. Never have, never would.’
‘Well, look, I’m going for the market average. The seven hundred pounds. Though I can picture the guy asking for his money back. You can get one and half iPhones for that.’