humor. “I’m nearly done.”
“Oh.” I honestly hadn’t thought of that.
“Do you have any health problems I should know about?” He re-opens the folder. “Heart conditions, things like that?”
“No,” I answer quickly. “I mean, I get headaches sometimes, but it’s no big deal.”
“Okay…” The scribbling of his pen against the paper becomes faster. He’s writing it all down.
“Why are you consenting to do this?” He asks this when he’s not even done writing down the answer to the previous question.
I stare at my knees. “I don’t know.”
His pen stops moving. He glances at me for a second. “Yes.” He looks back down. “You do.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “The money, I guess.”
His pen stops again. “That doesn’t seem entirely true either.”
I sigh. “My dad’s sick.”
I hear the folder close so I look up at him. “With what?” he asks.
“That’s not on the form,” I say. “Is it?”
He just stares. When I don’t say anything else, he picks up the papers again. “And you’ll be here for two weeks?”
“Yes.” I say. “Uhm…” I try to find the words. “How often do you…need me?”
His smile is almost reassuring. “A few times a week.”
I nod, let that sink in.
“And…you’re still okay with only a few thousand?” he asks after a while.
I shrug. It would be enough to pay some of the medical bills at least. Enough so my parents won’t have to worry. “‘Only ?’” I try to joke.
He surprises me when he laughs. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but I can afford to give you a few thousand for each session.”
I smile so he can’t see how uncomfortable I am. Hopefully. “That could work.” My parents could pay my medical bills as well as some of Dad’s that way.
Jonah turns his attention back to the folder, seemingly pleased about shoveling money at some girl he’s just met.
“Okay,” he says, handing me the folder and all of the papers it contains. “All you have to do is sign here, agreeing to the terms we’ve discussed, as well as agreeing that any false information will be a breach of contract, resulting in termination.”
He hands me his pen, and I sign the three lines he indicates.
Finally, he closes the folder for good and sets it on the coffee table. “Are you tired?” he asks.
“No,” I say. “Why?”
He moves a little closer.
I have to say, I could be doing this with someone a lot worse. He isn’t bad looking for an older guy, and he’s pretty nice, too.
“You’ve been staring at your legs for the past fifteen minutes.”
“Oh.” I laugh nervously. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay,” he says. “Want me to show you to your room?”
I nod before I can tell myself I should leave.
***
“So,” I said to Gina the day after I set up my profile page and information. “You met someone on MyTrueMatch right away?” We were in the bathroom this time. I had just spent the past ten minutes in a stall, unraveling a roll of toilet paper until my nose stopped bleeding. “How long did it take?”
She was fixing her lipstick in the mirror as I washed my hands. “Oh, I’ve met more than one,” she said. “It took a few weeks, I guess.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “The guys on there are hungry. You’ll meet one soon.”
***
The room he shows me is upstairs, and he carries both my suitcase and backpack, walking ahead of me. He opens one of the doors, revealing a medium-sized room with a queen sized bed. It’s simple, like the rest of the house. White sheets and comforter, wood floors. Blank walls except for a brown dresser sitting against one of them with a matching nightstand on the right side of the bed.
There are two doors: one is to a closet and one is to a bathroom. He leaves me to change in there. Gina told me to wear something sexy for the first night I was here, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I slip into a tank top and blue sweatpants. I throw
“Oh.” I honestly hadn’t thought of that.
“Do you have any health problems I should know about?” He re-opens the folder. “Heart conditions, things like that?”
“No,” I answer quickly. “I mean, I get headaches sometimes, but it’s no big deal.”
“Okay…” The scribbling of his pen against the paper becomes faster. He’s writing it all down.
“Why are you consenting to do this?” He asks this when he’s not even done writing down the answer to the previous question.
I stare at my knees. “I don’t know.”
His pen stops moving. He glances at me for a second. “Yes.” He looks back down. “You do.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “The money, I guess.”
His pen stops again. “That doesn’t seem entirely true either.”
I sigh. “My dad’s sick.”
I hear the folder close so I look up at him. “With what?” he asks.
“That’s not on the form,” I say. “Is it?”
He just stares. When I don’t say anything else, he picks up the papers again. “And you’ll be here for two weeks?”
“Yes.” I say. “Uhm…” I try to find the words. “How often do you…need me?”
His smile is almost reassuring. “A few times a week.”
I nod, let that sink in.
“And…you’re still okay with only a few thousand?” he asks after a while.
I shrug. It would be enough to pay some of the medical bills at least. Enough so my parents won’t have to worry. “‘Only ?’” I try to joke.
He surprises me when he laughs. “I know it doesn’t look like it, but I can afford to give you a few thousand for each session.”
I smile so he can’t see how uncomfortable I am. Hopefully. “That could work.” My parents could pay my medical bills as well as some of Dad’s that way.
Jonah turns his attention back to the folder, seemingly pleased about shoveling money at some girl he’s just met.
“Okay,” he says, handing me the folder and all of the papers it contains. “All you have to do is sign here, agreeing to the terms we’ve discussed, as well as agreeing that any false information will be a breach of contract, resulting in termination.”
He hands me his pen, and I sign the three lines he indicates.
Finally, he closes the folder for good and sets it on the coffee table. “Are you tired?” he asks.
“No,” I say. “Why?”
He moves a little closer.
I have to say, I could be doing this with someone a lot worse. He isn’t bad looking for an older guy, and he’s pretty nice, too.
“You’ve been staring at your legs for the past fifteen minutes.”
“Oh.” I laugh nervously. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay,” he says. “Want me to show you to your room?”
I nod before I can tell myself I should leave.
***
“So,” I said to Gina the day after I set up my profile page and information. “You met someone on MyTrueMatch right away?” We were in the bathroom this time. I had just spent the past ten minutes in a stall, unraveling a roll of toilet paper until my nose stopped bleeding. “How long did it take?”
She was fixing her lipstick in the mirror as I washed my hands. “Oh, I’ve met more than one,” she said. “It took a few weeks, I guess.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “The guys on there are hungry. You’ll meet one soon.”
***
The room he shows me is upstairs, and he carries both my suitcase and backpack, walking ahead of me. He opens one of the doors, revealing a medium-sized room with a queen sized bed. It’s simple, like the rest of the house. White sheets and comforter, wood floors. Blank walls except for a brown dresser sitting against one of them with a matching nightstand on the right side of the bed.
There are two doors: one is to a closet and one is to a bathroom. He leaves me to change in there. Gina told me to wear something sexy for the first night I was here, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I slip into a tank top and blue sweatpants. I throw
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