Callie and Ryan

Callie wasn’t sure what to say. He had admitted he wanted to be with her and concluded that it would never happen, all in the same breath. The bartender set their drinks on the table. She picked up hers and took a long swallow. She wasn’t sure what to do. She knew he would never be with her as long as she continued to prostitute herself. And she couldn’t quit. She was finally making enough money to have hope that her debt would be paid off at some point.

                “I accept your apology,” she repeated. She took another deep drink and set the empty glass on the table.

                “Callie, I really like you,” he admitted quickly before she could leave.

                She froze. Why would he say that, even if it were true? She was confused. What did he want from her? She was getting angry again. She was attracted to him, and maybe if he didn’t know what she actually did each night, she could have led him on for a while. But he knew, and she knew he couldn’t overlook that, as much as he wished he could. She needed to find a way to make him stop pursuing her. He deserved closure. She slid around the bench so she was now next to him. She placed her hand on his leg and could feel him tense under her touch.

                “But could you forget?” she said softly. “What I do at night? That men hire me to have sex with them.” She moved her hand higher up his leg, but he didn’t flinch this time. “And that I have been with many men, maybe even some of your colleagues or coworkers. And that my sole purpose is to ensure they are satisfied by the end of the night.”

She was leaning close to him, her breast gently brushing against his arm, and her hand moved to the inside of his thigh. He was reacting to her as she intended. She decided to close the deal with him. She leaned in and kissed him, and he responded immediately. She felt his hand on her waist. She carefully moved it up to her breast as she reached across and softly touched his face to hide his fondling. She allowed it to continue for a few moments, noticing from his breathing and the strain in his pants that he was becoming aroused. For a brief moment, Callie wished it were real. But Ryan was longing for her, and she had aroused him enough to control him, and Damian was proven right once again. She pulled away before things could escalate.

“Would you be able to endure the idea that I do that and more with other men for money?” she whispered into his ear.

She pulled away from him and saw a look of torment in his eyes. He didn’t say anything as he got up from the table. He tossed cash on the bar as he walked by and left without a word to her. Callie sat alone for a moment. She hated what she had done, but at least Ryan would now have closure. He didn’t have to worry about the moral conflict of being attracted to a hooker; she was sure she had scared him off. She noticed he hadn’t touched his drink. She finished it and then left.