“I don’t know,” Chloe said, exasperated.“That’s why it was weird.”
“Maybe they know him.”Bailey sat down in the chair across from the couch.“Does anyone want to split an order of sesame chicken?”
Chloe leapt up.“What?”
“Sesame chicken.I want some, but their portions are huge.”
“Uh, I don’t think she’s talking about food,” Gwen said.
“Oh, my God.Oh, myGod!”
“It’s just a theory,” Bailey began.
“Do you think he told them?”
“Told them what?”
“That I was trying to hire him to have a threesome!”
“I’m sure he didn’t,” Gwen soothed and shot Bailey a quelling look.
Chloe shoved her hands in her hair, wishing it was still long so she could tear it out by the roots.“If he did I’ll die.I’ll just die.”
Bailey pointed a finger.“First, there is no shame in hiring a sex worker.Second, you won’t die.”
“I will,” Chloe insisted and began to pace.“I’ll stroke out from embarrassment.”
“That’s not a thing.Will you sit down?”Bailey demanded.
“If I die, you can have the pearl earrings my parents gave me for college graduation.Gwen, you can have the sapphires.”
“I want the pearls,” Gwen protested.
“We’ll swap,” Bailey told her and shoved Chloe back down on the couch.“Put your head between your knees before you hyperventilate.”
Chloe obeyed.“You guys could show a little more concern over my pending demise,” she mumbled to her kneecaps.
“We’re very concerned,” Gwen assured her.
“We are not, because there’s nothing to be concerned about.Is someone going to split this chicken with me or not?”
Chloe picked her head up.“How can you say that?”
“She’s still not talking about the chicken,” Gwen advised.
Bailey sent Gwen an exasperated look.“Because A—we don’t even know that they know Sawyer, that’s just a theory.And B— even if theydidknow him, he’s not going to tell them anything.”
“How do you know?”
“Because sex workers have to be discreet,” Bailey told Gwen.“How long do you think they’d stay in business if they went around blabbing about their clients?”
“That’s a good point,” Gwen admitted.
“Okay,” Chloe said, panic receding a little.Then another thought struck.“But if they know him, then they probably know he’s a sex worker, and he wouldn’t have to tell them anything, they’d already know!”
Bailey looked at Gwen.“She’s spiraling.”
“I know.”Gwen grimaced.“I should’ve poured the vodka down the sink.”
