“What about a foster home? Did you consider that?”
He stared at her for a second like she was stupid. “No. I’d rather be on my own.”
“How did you reach the point of,” she searched for a polite way to phrase the question, “considering
prostitution as a source of income?”
“Some of the kids I knew were whoring, but I wouldn’t at first. I was sure I could find a job. But the
days went on and I had no money. This kid, Donnie, convinced me sucking cock was a pretty simple
way to make fifty bucks. So one night I did it.”
Megan swallowed. “How did you feel about it?”
“I didn’t feel anything. He was right. It wasn’t such a big deal and I had enough money to eat for a few
days.” His voice was perfectly steady and emotionless.
Megan felt the cold reality of his answer hit her in the chest. Jesus, what kind of a life was that for a kid?
She stared at her notepad, scribbling a few words, afraid he might see the pity in her eyes. “So how old
were you when you did that? When you first sold sex?”
“Sixteen.”
He hadn’t been on the game all that long then. Megan remembered what she’d been like at sixteen when
the whole focus of her life was school, she had an unrequited crush on the captain of the football team
and her knowledge of sex was still mostly theoretical except for a little fumbling with Ray Marsden at a
house party one summer evening. And even then, nothing much had happened.
“May I ask about your early sexual experiences?” She referred to her list of questions. “How old were
you when you first had sex?”
“Fourteen.” Again, his answer was succinct, and Megan had to ask him to elaborate.
“Kristina Taylor. Eighth grade formal. In back of the gym. Less than five minutes.”
“How did you feel about it?”
“Embarrassed. But she was cool about it and it was better the next time and even better after we’d had
more practice.” There was a hint of humor in his tone despite his blank face.
“When did you realize you were gay?”
“I’m not.”
Megan paused, taken by surprise. “But your clients are male.”
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“What I do is work. Doesn’t mean I like it. You know anybody who works at McDonald’s and loves