This is what you get for thinking a man would like you for anything more than what you can provide for him. It’s your own fault for letting yourself get carried away by some ridiculous fairytale.
And yet…Itriednot to get carried away. I fought so hard not to fall for the dream that Nico spun. The dream that I could be my own person, a woman valued beyond the size of my waist and the services I can provide on my knees. That I could be ahuman being.
I should’ve known it was all a fantasy. Clearly, even Nico didn’t believe it.
Leaning back, I suck in a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I need to get out of here. I don’t want to run into Nico again, but even more, I just want to get home. I want to curl up in a ball and forget these past few weeks even happened. I want to go back to my life before Nico and his pretty dream.
My life before Nico.
I don’t know why that thought startles me. I may have been empty before him, but at least I had a grasp of reality. I knew who I was and what my purpose was. I knew what my days would look like.
Now, I don’t know anything.
I mean, where do I even go from here? I haven’t worked in over a week, haven’t fully committed in over three. I’ve been too busy falling for Nico’s lie, venturing outside of my apartment to discover interests that don’t matter.Wastingmy time.
I should’ve just stayed with what I knew.
With timing only the universe is capable of, the door opens. And Amara walks into the restroom.
“Scarlett,” she says softly. “I thought that was you.”
I swipe at my cheeks, feeling them burn with embarrassment. “What are you doing here?”
“Networking,” she says simply. She hesitates for a moment, then takes a seat beside me and brushes a strand of hair out of my face. “I didn’t expect you to be here, cara. Who are you here with? And how did they upset you? You know if it’s a client?—”
The sheer ridiculousness of the comment—of thismoment—has me laughing bitterly. “You have no idea how complicated that question is, Amara.”
I feel her studying me. “It doesn’t look that complicated, Scarlett,” she says with tenderness in her eyes. “And it’s not like I haven’t already guessed.”
My brow furrows as I turn toward her. “What does that mean?”
The only thing I told her was that I needed to take a hiatus. She pressed, of course, but I told her I needed a break, both physically and mentally. That after three years of working consistently, never taking time off, I was burnt out.
In hindsight, maybe framing it as a leave of absence instead of just quitting was my subconscious telling me things with Nico were too good to be true.
Amara sighs and drops her hand. “Scarlett, I’ve been in this business for twenty years. Iworkedin it for ten. I am not blind to the temptation of certain clients.” She gives me a knowing look. “Not to mention, I know what they all look like.”
My gaze drops to my hands in my lap.
“Look, I get it, okay? You’re young, the lifestyle is intoxicating, themenare intoxicating—you’re not the first girl to fall for a client’s bullshit. These men, they…” I see the moment Amara goes into her own memories. “They spin these stories,make us fall for their lies, and then the second we don’t fit the type of woman they want, they leave us in the dust.”
My eyes slide closed, a tear running down my cheek. It sounds insane to describe Nico in this context. Of all the men I’ve met, all the assumptions I’ve made about people…he’s the absolute last one I ever would’ve thought would fit into this category.
Amara gives me a pitying look as she brushes a hand over my hair. “I hate to say it, but every girl will have one of these. We all go through it. There’s always one man who manages to convince us that they’re not like our other clients, that they love and respect us. It’s practically a rite of passage.”
But that only makes the tears flow quicker. “I thought he was different,” I whisper.
“Oh, cara…” Amara wraps an arm around my shoulders, and when she pulls me against her, I both hear and feel the sigh that wracks her body.
For what feels like forever, she just holds me. And then in a broken whisper, she says, “I’m so sorry, Scarlett.”
I don’t know what she’s apologizing for, so I just curl into her embrace.
But her apology continues, her words full of regret and guilt. “I’m sorry you’re in pain. I’m sorry he hurt you. And I’msosorry I put you in this position.”
I pull back slightly with a confused sniffle. “What?”
Amara’s eyes take on a sheen as she says, “I know this will sound ridiculous coming from a madam, but I’ve only ever wanted the best for you. That day we met, I really did want to help you. I only mentioned the agency because you were stressed about money. I never meant that you needed to?—”
