I narrow my eyes at her.
“How could you possibly know that?”
Chrissy takes a deep breath and meets my eyes.
“I know this is going to come as a shock to you, Dad, but it’s because I’m also working as an escort for Three Hole Girls.”
Loud, clanging bells ringing my ears, and my whole body starts shaking until I can’t hold it in anymore. I bring my hand down, slapping the top of my desk.
“That better be a fucking joke, Chrissy. Why the fuck would you do something so degrading?”
My daughter stays admirably calm.
“It isn’t degrading, Dad. I go on dates with men who can afford to pay for my company. It really isn’t much different from regular dating except I know the men I meet have been screened ahead of time, and I get to earn money for my efforts too. So I think you should stop and think before you judge Dani because your own daughter is in the same line of business.”
Sitting back in my chair I cross my arms and stare at Chrissy. What the fuck is going on? My world is exploding.
“Aren’t you dating Mack?” I growl through clenched teeth, my hands closing into fists. “I thought you were serious about him.”
Chrissy lets out an amused trill.
“Oh no. Mack and I enjoy each other very much, that’s true, but we’re in an open relationship kind of thing. In fact, he knows that I see other men for money and has no problem with it.”
I jolt forward in my chair, my eyes bugging out of my head.
“No problem with it? Are you fucking serious? What kind of man is this guy?”
Chrissy merely shrugs.
“I think he’s very evolved and a true feminist, to be honest. Mack wants me to be happy and isn’t looking to tie me down or anything paternalistic like that. I actually feel like I’m getting the best of both worlds by having a steady boyfriend on the side, while also seeing a number of different men. Variety is the spice of life, after all,” she winks.
This is too much. I bury my head in my hands again, literally tearing at my hair. These women are going to be the death of me. But then I look up.
“But still, Chris. You don’t need the money so why the fuck are you doing this?”
“For the reasons I mentioned earlier,” she replies in a light tone. “It’s empowering and it allows me to make my own money. I need that, too.”
I snort.
“I pay all your expenses! You live in my house! What the fuck could you need money for?”
My daughter rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to live a life where I’m dependent on you forever. I want to be independent and take care of myself. I’ve been looking for a job forever, but I couldn’t even get hired at Burger King because you know they had that whole thing about getting your flu shot by October, and I missed the deadline by a month. But the escort agency hired me without any issues, and I’ve been working with them for a while now. It’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed it.”
She’s been working for them for a while? Realization hits me like a train.
“All those nights you were gone, you were actually working as an escort, weren’t you? Or were you with Mack?”
Chrissy shrugs.
“It depends. I didn’t have very many appointments at first, so I was spending a lot of time with Mack in the beginning. But I’ve been getting requested more and more often now, so yes, I’ve been seeing a number of men. It’s been really great actually, and I wish you’d be happy for me.”
I drop my head and rub my temples. This is too much. No father should know this about his daughter.
“Dad.”
I look up and Chrissy’s staring at me with a determined look on her face.
“I’ve told you about my job so you can understand that this isn’t something you should punish Dani for, especially if she stopped once you two were together. It’s not such a huge thing. She needed money, and working for the agency isn’t bad per se. So I think you should re-frame the situation and try and come to terms with it.”
I swallow hard.
“I don’t know if I can,” I say in a low voice. “Did Dani get you into Three Hole Girls, by the way?”
Chrissy shakes her head. “No, I found them on my own. They’re the biggest and best agency in New Jersey, so it’s not exactly a secret. But again, Dad: what are you going to do to fix things with my best friend?”
I’m utterly miserable and hang my head.
“I don’t know that they can be fixed.”
Chrissy crosses her arms and looks at me pointedly.
“Well, you have to try. At the very least you need to go talk to Dani, and it sounds like you probably owe her an apology for being an asshole without even giving her a chance to explain.”