“I need your help, Court.”

Court sighed and switched his cell phone to his other ear before dropping to the sofa.  “Hello to you too, Cal.”

“I’m serious, Court.  This is an honest to God emergency.”  His twin brother’s voice was filled with urgency.

“What is it this time?”  Court asked.

“I need you to meet with one of my clients.”

Court sat up.  “What?  No.  Not a chance, Cal.”

“Court please,” Cal begged.  “I’m on thin ice with the agency as it is and if I miss this meeting, I’ll be fired for sure.”

“Just reschedule the client meeting, for God’s sake,” Court said harshly.

“I can’t.  The meeting is in an hour and if I try and reschedule or cancel, Vanessa will straight out fire me.”

“Jesus Christ, Cal!”  Court ran his hand through his dark hair.  “What is wrong with you?  First you even take a job at an escort agency and now you can’t even keep it?  If Mom knew about this…”

“She’s not going to find out,” Cal interrupted impatiently.  “Please, Court.”

“What’s so important that you can’t make your – what the hell do I even call it – fuck session?”

“It’s not like that, Court!  I have the chance to meet with a guy, someone who can change my life, man.  If this goes well, I won’t even have to work at that stupid escort agency.”

“What guy?”  Court asked suspiciously.

“Just - don’t worry about it, okay?  Please, can you take my place?”

“She’ll know it isn’t you, Cal.  There’s no way I can - ”

“She won’t!”  Cal assured him.  “We’re identical twins.  Our own sister can’t tell us apart half the time.”

“I’m not having sex with some pathetic, desperate woman, Cal.  I’m tired and hungry and it’s been a bitch of a day.  Our shipment of lumber didn’t come in and we’re way behind on the construction of the Stanton building.  I’ve got two guys out with injuries and I have four meetings tomorrow.”

Cal sighed heavily.  “You don’t have to have sex with anyone.  It’s an initial meeting.  It’ll be half an hour tops.  You just have to meet her, be your usual charming self, and then go home.  That’s it, Court.”

“Cal…”

“I am begging you.  If this thing doesn’t work out tonight, then I need that job at the escort agency more than ever.  You know I’m drowning in debt.”

“And whose fault is that?  If you hadn’t - ”

“I know, I know.  Give it a rest, would you?”  Cal said wearily.  “Please, Court.  Half an hour, that’s it.  All you have to do is talk with her.  She won’t be expecting anything else.”

Court hesitated.  He wished bitterly that he hadn’t answered Cal’s phone call.  “Cal - ”

Sensing weakness, Cal forged ahead.  “The woman is super cute, Court.  I’ll text you her picture.  Who knows, you might even enjoy yourself.  It’s been months since you and Janine broke up.  All you’ve done is work the last six months.  C’mon, I need your help.”

“Goddammit!”  Court said.  “You owe me, Cal.  Do you hear me?”

“I know,” Cal said eagerly.  “I’ll text you her picture and the address of the coffee shop.  I’m supposed to be there in under an hour so get your ass in the shower.  And wear something nice – not your usual jeans and a t-shirt.”

Before Court could reply, his twin had hung up, and he tossed his phone onto the couch beside him and groaned.  What the hell was he getting himself into?

 

* * *

 

“How are you feeling?”

“Nervous as hell,” Julie replied.  She studied herself in the mirror as she held her phone to her ear. 

“Don’t be nervous.  What are you wearing?”  Mary asked.

“Jeans and a t-shirt.  The guy already knows I’m desperate.  I didn’t want to look even more pathetic by dressing up for coffee.”

“What t-shirt?”

“What?” Julie frowned.

“What t-shirt are you wearing?”

“I don’t know - a t-shirt. It’s blue.”

“Change into that pink shirt.  The one that I bought you a couple of years ago.”

“It’s too small,” Julie replied.

“It isn’t.  It makes your tits look awesome and with your dark hair and pale skin, pink is your best colour.”

“Mary - ”

“Change, Julie!  I mean it, or I’ll come to the coffee shop with the damn shirt and wrestle you into it in front of him.”

“Fine!”  Julie dug through her closet until she found the shirt.  She dropped the phone on the bed, yanked off her shirt and struggled into the pink one.  She picked up the phone as she frowned at her reflection.

“It’s too small.  It makes my gut look huge,” she grumbled.

“No, it doesn’t.  Besides, he’ll be too busy staring at your breasts to even notice your stomach.  Now, don’t overthink this all right?  Just go, meet the dreamboat that is Cal, and have a good time.  Think of it like your interviewing him for a job.  If you don’t like him, there’s plenty more fish in the escort agency sea.  Make sure he’s the right one for you, okay?”

“Oh my God,” Julie groaned.  “What does it matter?  I only need him to be good in bed and show me what the hell I’m supposed to do, remember?  Who cares if I don’t like him?  Besides, he’ll probably take one look at me and run screaming.”

“He’s already seen you,” Mary said patiently.  “You sent that picture to Vanessa, didn’t you?  That means he’s seen it and obviously he likes what he sees because he’s meeting with you.”

“Or, he really needs the money,” Julie muttered.

“Stop it, Jules.  Go and have fun.  Don’t think about losing your virginity to him, at least not at this meeting.  Just enjoy having coffee with a good looking guy, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.  Listen, I have to go.  I’m supposed to be there in half an hour and if I don’t leave now, I’ll be late.”

“All right.  Have fun, Jules.”  Mary made a kissing noise into the phone and hung up.

She stared at her reflection again and started to reach for the blue shirt before stopping herself.  So what if this one showed off her belly?  The guy would possibly be having sex with her – he’d be seeing a hell of a lot more than her stomach.

 

* * *

 

Court, slightly out of breath from his dash across the parking lot, rushed into the coffee house.  He was nearly ten minutes late and he scanned the room anxiously, looking for a woman who even remotely resembled the picture Cal had sent him.  Knowing his luck, the picture was ten years old and she wouldn’t look anything like –

“Excuse me, Cal?”  A low voice to his right had him swinging around.  He stared down at the woman standing beside him.  She was wearing jeans and a pink shirt and he thanked God that he hadn’t listened to his brother and dressed up.  He had worn his customary jeans but had swapped his t-shirt out for one of his few dress shirts. 

He let his gaze travel over the woman.  She was short, although at 6’4” just about everyone was short to him, and curvy in all the right places.  Her shirt hugged her breasts and he had to force his gaze not to linger on them.  She was wearing open-toed sandals and he could see her toes, their nails painted a soft pink, peeking out from them.

He checked out her breasts for a second time.  He was a boob man, always had been and always would be, and the woman standing in front of him had an impressive rack.  He could almost picture how they would look as he cupped and kneaded them.

The woman cleared her throat nervously and he tore his gaze away from her chest and to her face.  To his horror she was bright red with embarrassment and looked like she was about to cry. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.  “I think I should leave.”

“What?  No, wait.”  He held up his hands.  “I’m Cal.  You’re Julie, right?  I’m sorry that I’m late.  Traffic was terrible and I didn’t realize how long it would take me to get here.  Please, forgive me.”

“I – that’s fine,” she whispered again.  She still looked like she was going to cry and he groaned inwardly.  If he blew this, Cal would lose his job. 

Get your shit together, Court!  He berated himself fiercely.

He took a deep breath and smiled at the woman.  “Let’s get a coffee and talk.”  He put his hand in the small of her back, frowning at the way she was trembling, and led her to the counter. 

“What would you like?”  He asked.

“Oh, um, a latte would be fine.” 

Her voice was amazing.  Low and husky with a warm richness to it that made his groin stir.  It was a voice that practically forced a man to think about sex.  To imagine hot nights and the naked flesh of a warm and willing woman underneath him and moaning her need.

He cleared his throat roughly.  Jesus, he had to get control of himself.

“Great.”  He gave her another confident smile and ordered her latte and a black coffee for himself.  They waited patiently for the coffee, neither of them speaking, before he led her to a small table near the back of the shop.  It wasn’t overly crowded in the shop but he had a feeling the woman wanted privacy.

Julie, her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold onto her cup, sat down with a thump.  She stared down at her coffee and willed herself to calm down.  Cal was even better looking in person and she felt even fatter and frumpier than usual next to him.  He was like some sort of ancient God, all tanned skin and hard muscles, and she was acutely conscious of her pale skin and the way she jiggled.  She took a quick peek at him.

Surprisingly, he looked as nervous as she did, and a thread of despair went through her.  He obviously didn’t like what he saw and was trying to figure out a way to get out of the meeting.  He was ten minutes late, she was about to leave when he came rushing in the door, and he could barely look her in the eye when she had approached him.

She blinked back the tears that were threatening.  So what if Cal didn’t like her?  She would simply find another escort who did.  Although, perhaps she wouldn’t aim quite so high this time.  She’d find someone else who didn’t look like a model with his perfect teeth and cheekbones and clear green eyes that –

His hand touched hers and she jerked and hissed with pain when coffee sloshed out onto her hand.

“Oh my God.  I’m sorry.”  He mopped the coffee off her hand with a napkin and gave her a sheepish look.  “I didn’t mean to scare you.  Are you okay?”

She nodded and inhaled sharply when he took her hand in his.  Her hand was swallowed by his large one and as he stroked the spot where the coffee had burned her, she shivered at the feel of his rough calluses.  He didn’t have the hands of an escort, she thought vaguely.  He had the hands of a man who worked outdoors for a living, of a man who made his money through hard labour and sweat and –

“I’m sorry, Julie.  Let’s start again, okay?  My name is Cal.  It’s really nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well.”  She forced herself to look at him.  He was giving her an easy, confident grin and she tried to return it.  It came out more as a grimace than a smile and she flushed again.

“You’re a little nervous, huh?”  He said gently.

“Yes.  I’ve um, I’ve never done this before.”

“That’s all right.  I haven’t either,” he replied.

She stared at him in confusion and he grinned and winked at her.  “Sorry, I was going for funny.”

“Oh, of course.”  She gave him a more natural smile and he squeezed her hand before releasing it.

“So, what do you do for work, Julie?”  He asked.

“I – I don’t work,” she replied.  She could feel the blush rising over her pale skin again and she cursed inwardly.

“Are you from around here?”  If he found it odd that she didn’t work, it didn’t show on his face.

She nodded.  “Yes, I was born and raised here, actually.”

“Me too,” he replied.  “Do you have any siblings?”

“No, I’m an only child.  How about you?”

“A brother and sister.”  He took a sip of his coffee.  “Being an only child, you must be close to your parents.”

“My mother died when I was a baby and my father died six months ago.”

“I’m so sorry.  Jesus, that’s rough.”  He gave her a look of sympathy.  “Do you have any other family in the city?”

“No.  My mother was an only child and my father has a sister but they weren’t close.  I’ve never even met her.”

He was still giving her that look of sympathy and she forced herself to smile at him.  She didn’t want his pity, especially not over a dead man that she had both feared and loathed.  “Are you close to your parents?”

“Yes.  Actually, our entire family is close.  My mom and dad both come from big families and most of them live here in the city.  We have family get togethers at least once a month.  It’s hectic and chaotic and there’s about fifty kids running amok, but it’s fun.”

She smiled wistfully at him.  “It sounds like fun.”

He took another drink of his coffee before setting it on the table.  “So, what do you like to do for fun, Julie?”

“Well, I um, I like to read and I – don’t say knitting, don’t say knitting – and I like to knit.”

Goddammit!

“What do you knit?”  He asked politely.

“Oh, mostly scarves and hats.  Sometimes I get real crazy and knit a blanket.”

He laughed and she blushed again.  “It’s kind of an old lady hobby.”

“Not at all.  My mom knits.”  He hesitated.  “Wait, that didn’t come out right.”

She laughed, she couldn’t help it, and he grinned boyishly at her.  “My mom’s not that old, I swear.”

“Right.”  She was starting to relax a little and she took another drink of coffee, happy when her hand didn’t noticeably tremble.

“Who’s your favourite author?”  He asked.

“Stephen King.”

“Me too!”  He gave her a look of delight.  “I used to save up my allowance to buy his books when I was a kid.  I’d have to sneak them past my mom, she didn’t think they were appropriate, and I’d stay up all night reading them.  Scared the hell out of myself more than a few times.”

She smiled as he continued.  “I’m not as fond of some of his newer works.  His classics though, I can’t get enough of them.  I’ve read them numerous times.  Which book is your favourite?”

“The Stand.” 

“That’s in my top five.  I really loved the gunslinger series, but I hated how it ended.  Did you hear they’re thinking of turning it into a television mini-series?  I can’t see how they would manage that without destroying it.  I mean, it’s difficult at the best of times to turn King’s work into - ”

He paused and gave her a sheepish look.  “Sorry, I’m running off at the mouth.  Let’s talk about you.”

“There isn’t much to say,” she replied.

“I don’t believe that.  A pretty girl like you must have lots of great stories.”  He winked at her and she blushed so hard she could feel sweat breaking out on her forehead.

This wasn’t working.  She had no idea what to say to the incredibly gorgeous man sitting across from her and she felt like a complete and utter fraud.  He was doing the best he could to make it feel like a coffee date when it really was nothing more than a work meeting for him.  She took a deep breath.  She didn’t want to pretend this was a date, it would only make her feel more pathetic.  It was better to lay out the cards exactly as they were and let him decide if he wanted to continue or not.  She didn’t know if they were given a choice or not by Vanessa, but she wanted to make damn sure that the man in front of her knew exactly what she was looking for.  If he wasn’t interested he could simply tell her, and she would find someone else at the agency.

“Julie?”  Cal gave her a look of concern.  “Are you okay?”

She nodded and gathered her courage.  “I am.  It’s – well, I appreciate that you’re trying to make me feel like this is an actual date but I’d feel better if I told you exactly what I’m looking for.”

He nodded.  “All right.”

“I don’t know if you’re allowed to say no to a client’s request so I wanted to give you a heads up.  If you’re not interested, you can tell me right now, and I won’t say a word to Vanessa.  I’ll tell her that I’m not interested in you and would like to meet another escort.  Okay?”

“Okay,” he replied simply.

“I hired an escort because I’m a virgin and I’m looking for someone to, you know, deflower me,” she blurted out and then stared anxiously at Cal.

Court stared in shock at the woman sitting across from him.  He wondered for a moment if he had heard her wrong.  She seemed a little shy and introverted, but there was no way a woman who looked like her could be a virgin.  She had to be in her late twenties at least, and with that voice and body, how could anyone resist her?

He realized that Julie was standing and gathering her purse.  He blinked in surprise and stood up, grasping her arm gently.  “Julie?  Where are you going?”

“It’s obvious what your answer is from the look on your face.”  She looked close to tears yet again and he cursed himself once more.

“Julie, wait.”

“It’s fine.”  She tugged timidly at his hand.  “I get it and I’m not insulted, really I’m not.  I’ll find someone else at the agency to uh, help me with my, um, problem.  It was very nice to meet you, Cal.”

He refused to let her go.  “Sit down for a minute, okay?  Please, Julie.”

She bit at her bottom lip and then nodded and returned to her seat.  He sat down and eyed her carefully, not entirely sure she wouldn’t make a break for the door.

“I’m, well I’m a little surprised.  That’s all,” he said.

She laughed bitterly.  “Really?  Why?  Because I’m thirty?  I – I’ve led a bit of a sheltered life.  My father was very domineering and controlling and I had a hard time making friends, let alone go on a date with a man.  Now that he’s dead, I want to live my life.”

“It’s not because of your age.  I have a hard time believing that a woman as beautiful as you, has never been with a man.”

She finally met his gaze, her mouth dropping open, and she stared wide-eyed at him.  “I – I’m not beautiful.”

“Yes, you are,” he replied immediately.  “I can’t believe you don’t see it.”  He let his gaze wander over her thick dark hair that fell nearly to her waist before staring at her eyes.

“You’re gorgeous, Julie.  Honestly.  You’ve got amazing hair and eyes the colour of the ocean and your body is…”

He trailed off, his eyes dropping to that magnificent rack, and she crossed her arms nervously over her chest.  “I know what my body is.”

He frowned but let it drop as he leaned forward and captured her hand.  “Julie, can I ask you a question?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Are you sure this is what you want?  What you’re offering to me is a gift.  Do you really want to give it to someone you barely know?”

“It’s not a gift.  It’s a burden,” she replied.  “You’re being nice to me because you’re paid to but you know as well as I do that as soon as a man finds out I’m thirty and still a virgin, he’ll run screaming.  I want to get rid of it and maybe learn some tips on how to,” she paused and blushing, looked away from him, “please a man in bed.  I – I have enough self-confidence issues as it is with being heavy, I don’t want to have to worry about how I am in bed too.”

She suddenly gave him a pleading look.  “I’m not asking for romance or flowers or anything like that.  I don’t want to go on a date.  I just – I want to rid myself of the hassle of being a virgin so I can find Mr. Right.”

When he didn’t reply, she sighed and picked up her purse again.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t blame you for not wanting to do this and it really is fine.  I’m sure there will be someone at the agency who can help me with my problem.”

He felt an odd twinge in his stomach at the thought of one of the men at the escort agency taking this beautiful, fragile woman’s innocence. 

“It was nice to meet you, Cal.” 

She was walking by him now and, without stopping to think about the consequences of his actions, he caught her by the arm and tugged her to a stop.  “Stop, Julie.  I’ll do it.”

She gave him a look of surprise. “I – you will?”

He nodded. “Yes.  But on one condition.”

“What do you mean?”  She returned to her chair and stared tentatively at him.

“I’ll do what you ask, I’ll take your virginity and teach you how to please a man in bed, but only if you let me take you on a date.”

“Are you serious?”

He nodded.  “Yes.  Let me take you on a date, Julie.”

She hesitated and he could have smacked himself.  “If it’s about the money, I can - ”

“The money isn’t an issue,” she interrupted.  “Will we, um, have sex after the date?”

He watched the blush creep up her throat and stain her cheeks a bright red. 

“If money isn’t an issue, then give me two dates.  The first date we’ll get to know each other, and on the second date we’ll sleep together.  Okay?”

“Okay.”  She glanced at her watch.  “It’s been over half an hour.  I’d better let you get back to work.”

He stood as she did and she held out her hand and gave him a faint smile.  “Thank you.  I, uh, I’ll give Vanessa a call and set something up.”

“Sounds good, Julie.  I’ll see you soon.”  He shook her hand and held it a moment longer than necessary.

She took a shaky breath and tugged her hand free.  “Bye, Cal.”

She left the coffee shop and Court sat down.  His heart was thudding in his chest and he rubbed at his forehead.  Cal was going to kill him.