by Claire Adams
While we played, my phone rang sharply, interrupting our fun. I jumped up and hurried over to my desk.
“Hello, Dirk Mathis speaking,” I said into the receiver.
“It’s me,” Stan said. “Got a minute?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m just about to get out of here, though. Josie and I are headed to dinner.”
“I’ll make it quick,” Stan said. “Looks like the plan is to leave from La Guardia on Monday. Eloise has the jet scheduled to fly out first thing in the morning.”
“Alright,” I said. “Not a problem.”
“You’ll be there?” Stan asked. I could hear the skepticism in his voice.
“Relax,” I said with a laugh. “I’ll be there. With Josie and Marissa in tow.”
“Don’t flake,” he said. He hung up without another word.
I laughed and shook my head as I placed the receiver back on the base. As irritating as Stan was, I couldn’t blame him for doubting my word. After Amelia died, I became notorious for canceling plans and bailing on events. I just didn’t have it in me to maintain a proper social life.
Now though, I was looking forward to a vacation. I hadn’t had a real one in years. I made sure to take Josie to different cities whenever I could, but those trips were mostly for work. This would be the first time in years that I was getting out of the city just for fun. It was both exciting and terrifying.
As I packed up Josie’s things, I worried my cover would get blown. I felt confident that Marissa knew what she was doing, but I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Stanley and Eloise found out the truth about her profession.
How would that affect my relationship with my friends? And worse, how would that affect my relationship with Josie?
Josie was young enough that I doubted she would even understand what an escort was, but that didn’t help calm my nerves. I held her hand as we left the office, my eyes constantly flickering to her face. She was so young and full of innocence.
“Who am I meeting tomorrow?” Josie asked suddenly.
“Oh,” I said. “Her name is Marissa.”
“Will I like her?”
“I hope so.”
Chapter Six
Marissa
Saturday morning arrived much sooner than I would have liked. George had kept me out late the night before, making it impossible to get enough sleep. When my alarm went off first thing Saturday morning, I hit the snooze button four times before I stumbled out of bed. I climbed into the shower in a haze of exhaustion, my eyes barely open. I sighed deeply when the hot water hit my face, enjoying the sensation as it flowed over my skin and gently coaxed me into full consciousness.
When my shower was over, I felt ready for the day. Dirk and Josie were meeting me in Central Park a couple hours before lunch. We had initially planned to meet at lunchtime, but Dirk called to change the time, wanting to give Josie some time to enjoy the animals before it was time to eat. Every time he proved himself to be a good dad, I felt myself soften toward him even more. It was already hard to think of him as just another client. I knew after an entire day with him, it would be even more difficult.
As I got dressed for the day, I thought about Josie. All I knew about her was that she was a sweet three-year-old girl. Dirk talked about her warmly, but most parents believed their children were little angels, despite the reality others experienced. I worried Josie would be difficult to handle. With the money Dirk had and considering the loss of her mother, it would have been easy for Josie to be spoiled. The last thing I wanted was to deal with a spoiled brat for an entire month. Despite what I said to Dirk in his office, I wasn’t at all sure that Josie would love me. In fact, the last time I dealt with a client’s child, it didn’t go well, at all.
It had been over a year before, but still, the memory stuck out vividly in my head. Grayson Thomas was the client, and his son was the worst child I’d ever encountered. He was seven and awful. Everything he said was rude and malicious. He even went so far as to punch me in the stomach when his father’s back was turned. After that disastrous date, I refused to be Grayson’s escort. I passed him off to another girl and never thought twice about it. As I prepared for my day in the park with Dirk and Josie, I prayed Josie would be well-behaved and kind.
In my personal life, I was preparing for a career in child psychology. The field was fascinating, and I adored working with kids. But, when it came to my escort services, I hated the idea of children being involved. Dirk was the exception to that rule, and I hoped more than anything that Josie would be as great as he thought she was.
I threw on a pair of tightly-fitted jeans and a comfortable t-shirt. Today was a casual outing, and I didn’t want to try too hard. I tied my long hair up in a ponytail and dabbed on a light layer of makeup. After I checked myself in the mirror, I grabbed my purse and stepped outside.
***
The park was bustling with people when I arrived, and I hurried toward the spot where Dirk and I planned to meet just outside the Central Park Zoo. I arrived before Dirk and Josie, so I found a bench and waited.
Sunlight warmed my back while I scanned the crowd for a sign of Dirk. The weather was beautiful: warm without being miserable. It was the perfect day for a trip to the zoo.
My eyes roamed back and forth, searching for Dirk and his little girl. I didn’t know what Josie looked like, but I pictured a miniature version of him. When I finally saw them walking toward me, I realized my mental image was almost entirely wrong.
Dirk appeared suddenly, walking toward me from across the street. I smiled and stood up as he waved. My eyes lowered to take in the little girl hanging off his arm. She was tiny, small for a three-year-old it seemed. Her light blonde hair held bouncing curls that would be the envy of all her friends as she grew up. Her features were delicate and not at all like Dirk’s hard, chiseled lines. I was surprised when I first saw her. She looked nothing like her father.
When she saw me, she whispered something to her father. Dirk nodded, and Josie’s face lit up. She waved enthusiastically, hurrying toward me with a wide, infectious grin.
The closer they got, I saw a resemblance between the two after all. While Josie clearly favored her mother, her blue eyes were the exact shape and color as Dirk’s. I grinned back as they hurried over to me.
“Hi,” Dirk said. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Of course,” I said. “I’m excited to hang out with you guys.”
“This is Josie.” He put his hand gently on the back of Josie’s head. “Josie, this is my friend Marissa.”
I focused my attention on Josie. She was staring up at me, smiling brightly. I worried she would be nervous to meet me, but she just looked excited.
“Hi!” she said.
“Hi, Josie,” I smiled. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Can we go see the animals?” she asked quickly.
“Yes,” Dirk laughed. Then, he turned to me. “Sorry. She’s been looking forward to this since last night.”
“I totally understand,” I said. “The animals are the whole reason we’re here.”
Dirk smiled gratefully and led the way through the gates. The three of us walked through the zoo, admiring the animals and stopping every so often to let Josie rest her legs.
She was more intelligent than I could have imagined. While I had expected a slightly spoiled little girl, Josie was anything but. She was sweet and polite, with excellent manners. She never once used a rude or harsh tone. For someone so young, she was already kind and thoughtful. I was amazed.
“What do you like to do for fun?” I asked her as we strolled through the zoo.
“Well,” she said. “My nanny Darla has been teaching me French. That’s really fun. And, I’m getting pretty good. Il fait beau aujourd’hui.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. I’d never been very good at French.
“It means ‘the weather is beautiful today,’” she explained.
“Wow,” I said. I glanced up at D
irk with wide eyes. “That’s really amazing. I can’t believe you can already speak French.”
“I heard that learning languages at a young age is really beneficial,” he said. “I thought it would be best to start her off now. She’s doing really well with French, and we just started German as well.”
“German?” I raised my eyebrows.
“It’ll help her in business later,” he said, raising his shoulders in a shrug.
The last thing I wanted to do was judge Dirk’s parenting techniques, but it seemed odd to prepare a three-year-old for the business world.
“You’re really smart,” I told Josie with a smile. “Do you like learning this stuff?”
“I love it!” She nodded her head vigorously. “Speaking French is so much fun! It seems way nicer than English.”
“As long as your dad isn’t pushing you too hard,” I said. I glanced at Dirk again. He was frowning, but he stayed silent.
“He’s not,” she said, casually. “I think I want to learn Mandarin next. That way I can go to China one day.”
“What about Spanish?” I asked.
“Spanish?” Josie frowned.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s pretty, like French. And a lot of people speak Spanish in the United States.”
“Do you?”
“I do,” I said, with a smile.
“Could you teach me?” she asked.
“I would love to,” I smiled again.
Josie grinned and led the way toward the rest of the animals. Dirk and I fell slightly behind, keeping a close eye on Josie to make sure she didn’t wander too far. From the way Dirk fell silent while I was talking to Josie, I worried I’d overstepped.
“I’m sorry if I crossed a line back there,” I said. “I think the psych student in me just reared its ugly head a little bit.”
“You didn’t,” he said. “But, that is something I’ve worried about.”
“What is?”
“That I’m pushing her too hard too soon,” he said. “I know she’s just a little girl, but she’s so smart already. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that she’s only three. Her intelligence is so far beyond the other kids. I just want to make sure she’s challenged, you know. Fulfilled.”
“That’s amazing,” I said, completely honestly. “She seems so happy. It would be one thing if she hated her lessons, but she obviously doesn’t.”
“Look!” Josie yelled, pointing wildly at a cage full of rabbits. “Bunnies!”
Throughout the morning, I hadn’t seen Josie act her age, but when she saw the rabbits in the petting zoo, her childlike innocence shone through like a beacon. Her eyes lit up with wonder as she sprinted toward the bunnies, cooing and laughing as she tried to stick her tiny fingers inside the cage.
I laughed and hurried after her, bending down to talk with her while she stroked each and every bunny. Her excitement, like her smile, was infectious. It wasn’t long before I found myself sticking my own fingers through the bars and stroking the animals myself.
“I take it she likes bunnies,” I said to Dirk when we finally left the bunny cage behind.
“They are her favorite animal,” he said with a nod. “I keep meaning to buy her one for a pet, but I’ve never gotten around to it.”
“She’s so sweet,” I said, speaking more to myself than to Dirk. Josie was nothing like I had expected. Meeting her was more than just a pleasant surprise, it was an absolute pleasure.
“Thank you,” Dirk said. “I’m so glad you two are getting along. It makes everything so much easier.”
“You were right,” I said. “She can get along with anyone.”
He laughed, “She’s not the only one.”
Our eyes met for a fraction of a second and the world disappeared. I could hear Josie’s footsteps running circles around us, but even those faded to the back of my mind as my eyes locked on Dirk’s. I don’t know how long we stood there staring at each other, or what it was that finally made us look away, but when we did, my head felt fuzzy and my stomach was clenched.
“Who’s hungry?” Dirk asked brightly. In an instant, it was like nothing had happened. I shook my head and cleared my throat as we ushered Josie toward the exit.
On the way out, we passed by a small gift shop. A stuffed bunny caught my eye, and I quickly ducked inside. I paid for it and hurried back out to meet Dirk and Josie. I don’t know what made me buy the gift. It wasn’t like me to spoil my clients, but I told myself it wasn’t about Dirk. It was for Josie.
“Here you go,” I said, handing the bunny to Josie.
“Oh my gosh!” She jumped up and down with excitement, hugging the bunny to her chest. “I love it! J’aime ca! J’aime ca!”
Her reaction warmed my heart. I watched her closely, enjoying her happiness, but also eager to avoid Dirk’s gaze.
I didn’t know what that moment earlier meant. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking while our eyes were locked on each other, but I knew it wasn’t something that could happen again. That look was more than just a look between an escort and her client; it was more than just a look between friends.
“How does pizza sound?” Dirk asked.
“Yummy!” Josie said quickly.
“Pizza sounds perfect,” I added.
He nodded and led the way. I followed quickly behind him, holding Josie’s hand and trying to forget about our moment.
Chapter Seven
Dirk
I led Josie and Marissa toward a pizza place across the street. They followed close behind me, holding hands and laughing together. I knew Marissa was special the first time we met, but seeing her with Josie only solidified my opinion.
She was amazing with Josie. Not many people could hold Josie’s attention for long periods of time. She was easily bored and hard to entertain, but Marissa didn’t seem to have any trouble keeping up with my little girl’s vibrant personality. In fact, her own personality mirrored Josie’s so well that I could easily see the two of them spending more time together.
They talked easily and laughed often. Marissa seemed to genuinely enjoy Josie’s company. Watching the two of them together sent waves of warmth through my chest. I told myself that it was just business. Marissa was there to do a job, nothing more… But I found myself believing that less and less as the day went on.
We slipped into the restaurant and quickly found a table. Marissa got Josie settled while I hurried up to the counter to order our pizza. Josie was unlike other kids in many ways, but when it came to pizza, she was exactly the same.
“Cheese!” she said when I returned the table. “Did you get breadsticks, too?”
“Of course,” I said with a grin. “You think I would forget the best part?”
“Sometimes, he does forget the breadsticks,” Josie said to Marissa. Marissa laughed and helped Josie grab a slice from the box.
We spent an hour eating and talking, making jokes, and telling stories. I was worried that after our moment at the zoo, Marissa would feel uncomfortable. But if she did, she never let on. She was the same positive, kind woman I’d grown to know. Her conversation with Josie was sweet and funny, making me laugh every few minutes.
I loved watching Josie and Marissa interact. It meant our trip to California would be effortless and fun. More than that, though, it meant that Josie wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of having another woman around.
Until Stanley brought up the trip, I had never thought to ask Josie how she felt about my dating. I wasn’t ready to put myself out there, so it didn’t matter. Now, I wondered what was going on in my daughter’s mind. How did she feel about it? Would she be okay seeing me with someone who wasn’t her mother?
As we ate, these questions and more flooded my mind. I was distracted until Marissa’s dark brown eyes drew me back down to earth. She looked at me from across the table and smiled gently.
“Here,” she said, handing me a napkin. “You might need this.”
“Grease?” I asked.
“All over your face.
” Marissa laughed.
I felt my cheeks redden slightly as I took the napkin and ran it quickly over my mouth. Josie was finished eating, sitting quietly beside Marissa. Her eyes were growing heavy the way they always did when she was ready for a nap.
“She’s getting tired,” I said softly, nodding toward Josie.
“I can tell,” Marissa said, “she had a big adventure.”
Just like that, Josie’s head fell to the side and rested on Marissa’s shoulder. Marissa smoothed Josie’s blonde curls and cuddled closer to her.
“You’re really great with her,” I said. “I feel so much better about this trip.”
“Me, too,” Marissa said. “Honestly, I was pretty nervous about meeting her.”
“You were?” I raised my eyebrows. She never acted anything other than sure and confident, so I was surprised to hear she’d been nervous about anything.
“I wasn’t entirely honest with you before,” she said, with a soft chuckle. “I’m studying to be a child psychologist — that much is true — but when it comes to dealing with my client’s kids, I don’t exactly have a stellar track record.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well,” Marissa said. “There was this one client. I can’t say names due to confidentiality and all that. But anyway, his son was just awful. He was only seven and already thought he could run all over everyone around him. He was demanding, bratty, and just plain spoiled. I only lasted one date with that client because his kid was just too much to handle.”
“Sounds like the client’s fault, not yours,” I said with a shrug. “He should’ve handled his kid better.”
“Oh, trust me,” she said. “I know. The kid actually punched me in the stomach when his dad wasn’t looking.”
“He hit you?”
She nodded. “Hard. It was crazy.”
“Well, I can promise that Josie will never hit you,” I laughed, and she quickly joined me.
“I can’t imagine her behaving badly,” Marissa said. “But I was really worried she would be spoiled or something.”