Rough Play Read Free

mouth had netted her a steady trickle of clients, but even that was drying up.
    The good news: All her other clients were deliriously happy, and the fact delighted her. The bad news: Gail was the one who remained unmatched.
    Charlotte peered at her phone. Late again. C’mon, Gail. Let’s get it over with.
    In the near future, she promised herself, she’d have so many clients she’d have to beat them away with a stick. Nicer clients than Gail. Which wouldn’t be difficult.
    As if conjured, the phone rang, flashing Gail’s too-familiar number.
    Too many months, too few repeat dates.
    It wasn’t the woman’s looks, at least not completely. Gail was a pretty, well-preserved thirty-five-year-old. The few crow’s feet certainly didn’t create an online-dating deal breaker. Especially with Charlotte’s help writing the flirty e-mails.
    No, the problem began once Gail met the men. Her attitude repelled them.
    Her attitude repelled everyone, including Charlotte.
    But Gail always paid Charlotte on time.
    Charlotte flipped the phone open. “Hello, Gail.”
    Gail’s brisk voice drilled into Charlotte’s ear. “Hi. How are you? I’m so glad you were available. I sent winks to all the Heartlink candidates. I sent questionnaires to the Connections ones. Nothing all week. No winks, no notes, no date for this weekend.”
    Charlotte spoke carefully. “Was there something urgent you wanted to discuss, too?”
    “That’s not urgent enough? You know the statistic. A woman over thirty has a better chance of being struck by lightning than getting married and having kids.”
    “I don’t think that’s quite accurate.”
    “Trust me, it is. It’s definitely getting worse as I get older. Thirty-six next week. Guys simply prefer younger women. Good thing I like older guys, huh? I just wish they weren’t so picky. Sometimes I don’t know why I keep looking.”
    Charlotte knew exactly why Gail kept looking. Unlike herself, Gail still believed in love.
    Gail added, “I sometimes wonder if he’s really out there. My Mr. Right.”
    The rare wistfulness in the woman’s voice tugged at Charlotte’s heartstrings. “Okay, look. Everything will be great. We’ve barely scratched the—”
    Gail cut her off. “Enough of the pep talk. I e-mailed you the latest batch.”
    From experience, Charlotte knew what Gail’s irritated tone meant. It meant this would be a challenging session.
    Charlotte would’ve rubbed her temples, but her arm was bent at an awkward angle to keep the phone in position against her ear. She cocked her head to the right, pinning Gail’s voice to a spot between shoulder and head. She liked to keep her hands free to type.
    Time for Charlotte to say something sweet and enthusiastic. Gail sounded positively sour. “All right, Gail! Good job. I’m sure everything will work out. You’re a great catch for the right guy.” She tried to ignore Gail’s rude noise of exasperation. “You just need to be patient. Let’s see . . .” Charlotte typed on her notes, then clicked on Gail’s e-mailed list of men found online.
    “Uh-huh. Yes . . .” Charlotte reviewed the images and profiles of handsome, young, rich, intelligent single guys.
    Problematic.
    “These seem awfully, um, athletic for someone like you. You’re an ‘unashamed homebody who enjoys lounging and cooking.’ That first one, Reggiedawg? He looks so conceited and tacky with his shirt off. He has a smug smile, don’t you think so? Hmmm,” she added as if she’d just noticed. “Most of them are your age or younger than you, Gail.”
    “You think the guys I pick are too good for me, don’t you?”
    “I didn’t say that. These just aren’t, um, they’re not the environmentally concerned, house-handy, pro-family, progressive, activist, children-loving, vegetarian type you want, mostly. But, he’s out there, somewhere. We’ll find someone wonderful for you. You’re smart, funny, you’re super cute when you wear feminine clothes that show off