“I don’t think you’re really listening to me.”
“Sure I am, Meals, but I’m listening to what you mean, not just what you say.”
“No matter how smart you think you are, you can’t read my mind, Levi.” In all honesty, he’d pretty much hit the nail on the head, but my cousin was insufferable enough. He didn’t need any more ego stroking. “Forget I said anything. Let’s just focus on finding this killer, so I don’t get stuck here for the rest of my life.”
He draped an arm over my shoulder and gave me a squeeze. “Would that be so bad?”
I elbowed him in the side. “Yes.”
“Ouch. Shots fired. Here I thought I was growing on you.”
“Like a cyst.”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “I can’t believe they let you teach third graders. Those poor little kids. They probably need antidepressants after you rip into them.”
“I donotrip into my students. I bribe them, and they love me for it.”
“Do you like teaching?”
“Yeah. I really do. I was hoping not to have to renew my contract, though.”
Shifting to lean against his desk, he watched me. “Why not?”
“I became an escort to pay my university tuition.” Memories of my first time with Rishi floated through my mind. I could still recall the fear I felt as I closed the door and put myself at the mercy of a strange man who’d paid me for sex. It wasn’t like I had no other options—I did—but selling my body was the most lucrative, and I was desperate. “I studied successful nineteenth-century courtesans to build my business model.” Like me, courtesans were from meager backgrounds and had to elevate themselves. They had to ditch their country accents and learn how to be refined, classy women.
And if they were good enough, their lovers took care of all their financial needs.
“You’re a real entrepreneur, aren’t you?” Levi asked with a smile.
“What can I say? After having my heart ripped out of my chest and stomped on by Billy the Bastard, I was ready to extract some revenge. Besides, it was a show of freedom to be able to fuck whomever I wanted, whenever I wanted, reaping the benefits of their pocketbooks. Fancy dinners, lavish gifts, outlandish rates, you’d be amazed at the things men are willing to pay for in exchange for sex.”
Levi blinked. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
I shrugged. “Once those bills were taken care of, I kept my side hustle going to save up enough money to move back to the states and get away from that lifestyle completely.” I loved sex and all the benefits that came with the job, but about two months into the life—right as I was getting comfortable—a client took our play time a little too far. Ignoring my safe word, he slapped me around, busting my lip and bruising the hell out of my face and shoulder. Janae had blacklisted him, but she couldn’t undo the damage to my psyche. Realizing my safety wasn’t guaranteed, I drew up my exit plan that night. If I had stuck with it, I could have been out of the lifestyle years ago.
But I was my own most treacherous saboteur.
“How much of a nest egg are you lookin’ to raise?”
“Five hundred grand.”
He coughed. “Jesus, Meals. That’s not a nest egg, that’s a house. Maybe not in Seattle, but in most anywhere else in the country. Think you set the bar high enough to keep yourself from reaching it? Why not go for a mil?”
“You don’t understand what it was like. After growing up under the reverend’s thumb, Billy came along and took over the reins. He was amazing at first, and then… I had to depend on him for everything, and he used that against me. Once I got away from him, I… For the first time in my life, I’m living on my terms. My body. My bank account.”
Levi met my gaze. “Until some asshole stones you to death.”
His words hit me right in the gut, but I refused to flinch. “Every occupation has risks. And I’ve almost made my goal. Soon, I’ll be out for good.” Since I wanted Levi to take me seriously, I neglected to mention the self-sabotaging shopping sprees and non-essential expenses. It was better if he thought I was committed to change. “If I was home working, instead of here sitting on my ass, I’d hit my goal by the end of summer.”
“What happens now that you can’t work?” He asked.
“Hopefully we can find the killer before school starts, and I’ll try again next summer.”
“Why not just get out now?”
Since he clearly wasn’t listening, I broke it down for him again. “Because I haven’t reached my goal.”
“Bullshit.”
