“That makes sense,” I said. “A little psychologically manipulative, but the intentions are good, so I won’t criticize.”
Luka grinned. “That means we have to find out about each other the old-fashioned way, so I’m going to ask what it is you did for a living before coming here. Oh, right, and you don’thaveto tell me. Just treat me as someone you barely know, and are trying to get to know, so you’re free to tell me what you want or that you don’t want to.”
“Hmm, wouldn’t opening up to you encourage the healing and development I’m supposed to be seeking here?”
“Well, yeah, but how does someone feel comfortable enough to heal if they’re forced to open up? Intimacy and vulnerability are supposed to happen because you want them to, not because we demand it.”
“Ha!” Reggie barked. “Sorry.”
Luka frowned. “What’s so funny?”
“I think Reggie realized there are some...synchronicities between your job and my old one,” I said, smiling when I saw Reggie give me a sheepish grin. “I was an escort.”
“Oh,” Luka said slowly, and his eyes fluttered as if it suddenly made sense. “Oh! That...okay, that makes sense. I guess you have experience making people comfortable enough to open up. Oh, wait, uh, maybe not a lot of experience. Or wait, is that a good thing for someone in your field?”
I exchanged an amused look with Reggie, who shrugged. Clearly, he wasn’t going to help the floundering Luka, so I decided to step up and do it for him. “It’s okay. You don’t have to beat around the bush about my work. Yes, sometimes my work meant spending time with someone, being arm candy, or just keeping them company because they’re lonely. But there was also sex involved, and plenty of it. Even if this place doesn’t want me to open up my heart and share my thoughts and feelings, I would still be honest about the fact that I was an upscale whore.”
Luka blinked. “Okay, well, not the word I would have used.”
“If the shoe fits,” I said with a shrug.
“Well, on that note,” Reggie said, turning toward the door. “You two seem fine talking. Try not to torment him too much, eh, Isaac?”
Luka sighed and rolled his eyes. “He’s such a shit sometimes.”
“The door isn’t closed yet,” Reggie called just as the door shut, sealing off any noise from the outside.
“And he knows damn well I said it so he could hear me,” Luka said with a snort. “Oh, right, I don’t know if he explained, but a lot of the rooms around here are soundproofed, and the private rooms definitely are. So if you like to listen to music loud, feel free, you won’t disturb your neighbors.”
“Hmm, that seems like something that could be easily abused,” I said with a tilt of my head.
“How do you figure?”
“I’m sure there’s any number of things someone could get up to in their private rooms.”
He stared at me for a few seconds before snorting. “Well, I don’t know if you mean sex, but if you did, that’s not prohibited. This resort isn’t meant to be a restricted rehab center or anything. Of course, we don’t allow drugs or alcohol because they don’t help people get better and cause more trouble. But sex? Well, that’s allowed, but obviously, use discretion.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said with a chuckle. I had zero intention of sleeping with anyone while I was here. There had been enough sex in my life, and it was nice not to have to deal with it anymore. “It won’t be a problem. I think it might be best for me to avoid sex altogether. In case it wasn’t obvious, I’ve had enough to last several years.”
“Mmm, no offense, but you’ve hadthatmuch sex?”
“It’s more like when you spend enough time treating sex as a job, as an obligation, sex starts to lose its appeal,” I said, leaving it at that. That probably was the place to explain that when it came down to it, sex didn’t just hold no appeal; it was abhorrent. It was precisely that realization that had pushed me to stop taking clients and start considering what to do with my life. It had been damn good money by the end, especially with a line of regulars who weren’t afraid to hire me whenever they needed company. I was doing quite well for myself.
But the question that had dawned on me was; what was the point of making all that money if it was going to ruin part of my life? A part of my life that would one day become an important facet of any relationship I might have. Sex wasn’t the end-all be-all of a relationship. Still, it was vital, and if I lost interest in sex and ended up finding it abhorrent, then any future romanticrelationships would start off limping out of the gate. It might have been one thing if it had changed my desire for sex, but it didn’t. So what happened when you still technically wanted sex but were simultaneously bored and disgusted by it? I wasn’t really sure, actually, and I wasn’t keen on finding out...well, no more than I already had.
“Well, either way, that’s something you can do if you want,” he said with a shrug. “And, I know you said you have no interest, but if you do find your interest again and find someone here you’re willing to sleep with, go ahead and drop by the medical ward. There are free, uh, supplies for anyone to grab without anyone watching, and no cameras. Discretion still exists around here.”
“Thanks,” I said, as I looked around the room, one corner dominated by the kitchenette and a small fridge and coffeemaker. Another corner housed a sitting area with a couch, a chair, tables, and shelves that were currently empty. There was a small table and chairs in the center of the room. And then there was a bed in another alcove in the opposite corner, shelves against , and drawers beneath it. Another doorway led to what I suspected was the bathroom, which I had been told had a standing shower, so I didn’t have to bathe publicly if I didn’t want to. “It’s probably in poor taste to say this feels more like a long-term hotel suite than it does a room at a wellness resort.”
“Have you been to many wellness resorts?”
“No, I can’t say I have.”
“Yeah, me neither,” he said with a shrug. “I was just wondering if you knew, to make the comparison.”
“I don’t,” I admitted as I stepped over to the bathroom door and peered in. It wasn’t nearly as huge as some of the bathrooms I’d seen, that was for sure, but it was perfectly sized for a single person’s needs. Habit made me glance at the mirror and check myself over. You didn’t do the job I’d been doing diligently foryears without being conscious of how you looked. My pitch-black hair had grown a little longer than I usually allowed it to get, the tips now brushing the tops of my ears. There were dark circles under my green eyes, but that was to be expected. I wasn’t fond of traveling because it took forever, and I could never sleep in any vehicle, not even a plane.
Once upon a time, I had been thin, young-looking, and able to attract attention by virtue of my age and good features. Not that I had much difficulty attracting attention nowadays either, but gone were the days of being lithe and skinny. My early twenties filled my body out. I’d been a late bloomer, so it wasn’t until my twenties that I had shoulders that could fill clothes properly. I’d gained a few inches, though I’d swear most of it was in my torso. After that, it was a case of making sure I took care of my body through exercise and trying to eat halfway decent food to put some muscle on, so I didn’t look like a broad-shouldered twig.
