She smiles coyly.
“But what do you want to know?”
“Anything. Everything.”
Chrissy bites her bottom lip for a moment, like she’s contemplating what she wants to say. But then she smiles.
“Well, I’m not really that interesting. I’m just a girl from the suburbs of New Jersey. My parents are divorced, so my dad raised me on his own pretty much.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
She shakes her head and smiles ruefully.
“Don’t be because it wasn’t a tragic story or anything. My parents fell out of love a long time before the divorce even happened, and to be honest, my mom was never that interested in kids. So I was more of an afterthought, if anything. But my dad made sure I had a happy childhood, and we’re close to this day.”
I stare at the curvy girl for a minute. Not because her parents are divorced; that’s common in New York City. But I kind of expected her to have a more depressing backstory, given the fact that she’s working as an escort.
Chrissy grins wryly, reading my mind.
“I know what you’re thinking, and no, nobody abused me as a child.”
“I … I. Sorry,” I say, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.
She shrugs.
“Don’t be. I mean, I’m glad I don’t have a depressing, traumatic past, but I also get that that isn’t a common theme among a lot of the women in my profession. Many of them have a dark past, or at the minimum they really need money, but not me.”
I stare at her.
“So you aren’t working with Curves to raise yourself up and out of poverty or to get away from someone who treated you like crap?” I ask only in half-jest. “I suppose that’s a dumb question, isn’t it? The suburbs of New Jersey aren’t known for poverty.”
“No,” she shakes her head. “Although the suburbs of New Jersey can be really varied. But I had everything I needed and more. Actually, my dad is a successful dermatologist and we pretty much lived in a mansion. Money was never a problem, so I wasn’t lacking on that front.”
I stare at her curiously.
“Then why become an escort, sweetheart? I’m not judging your life choices. I’m honestly just curious.”
She smiles and shrugs, as her thighs continue to flex.
“No, it’s okay and I get it. This is an unusual career path for a girl like me who has choices. I guess I just like the freedom. I have no set schedule, and I get to choose my own hours. Plus, I meet folks like you because the agency has a rigorous screening process for clients.”
I nod, but I’m still confused.
“Yeah, but what does your family think? Does your dad know about what you do?”
She sighs a bit.
“Yeah, Hunter knows. And no, he’s not happy about it exactly. Who would, knowing that their daughter sleeps with men for a living? But he’s more or less supportive these days. Besides, his wife used to be an escort, in a funny turn of events, so it would be the pot calling the kettle black if he didn’t approve.”
My eyebrows go up.
“Are you fucking serious? Your stepmom used to be an escort?”
Chrissy smirks.
“Yeah, and it’s even dirtier than that. Actually, Dani’s my best friend, so I guess you could say that my dad is a total lech for hitting on a girl who’s literally his daughter’s age. But things between them sparked after the divorce, and now they’re married with a baby. It’s an untraditional match, but I love them both, and they make each other happy. So how could I not be happy for them?”
I pause for a moment, marveling at the revelation.
“You’re kind of amazing, you know that? Not everyone I know would be okay with their dad dating their best friend.”
She merely smiles.
“Yeah, but they have a baby now and little Cooper is the cutest thing. How could I hate my half-brother?” She smiles wide revealing dimples that show off just how cute she is. “Plus, as his big sister, it’s my job to spoil him and teach him all the best ways to drive my dad crazy.”
I burst out laughing.
“I love the way you think, sweetheart.”
She nods, pleased with herself.
“Yeah. I think I’ve got the win for best big sister in the bag.”
A chuckle erupts from my throat. “Oh, I’m sure you do, honey, and to be honest, your family sounds great. They’re accepting, and I can tell there’s a lot of affection there. I’d like to meet them one day.”
Her eyes go wide and I forget to breathe for a minute as my heart starts racing. Shit. Did I come on too strong? Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything about meeting her family because she’s an escort after all. One whom I’m paying for her time.
Yet, I do want to meet her crazy family. I want to meet her father, who married a girl half his age, and who is supportive of his daughter’s professional choices. I want to meet her stepmother who used to be a lady of the night, and even the baby who happens to share my name.