Perfect Ten (16 page)

* * *

What the ever-loving fuck was wrong with me? I knew she wasn’t ready for phone sex. She’s not that type of girl. At least she doesn’t think she is. I believe, buried underneath that insecure layer of hers, she’s hot as hell.

So, great. Now she feels like she did something wrong. I heard her let out a sob before she hung up, and now I’m stuck with this raging hard-on. To add insult to injury, I feel like such a shit. I don’t even want to whack off now. I glanced down at the offending organ.
That’s right, big guy, just deflate yourself and go to sleep
.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be my day. My shining moment. Dinner is going to be fucking perfect. I am the master of my world, and I will make goddamn sure I’m the master of my dick for the entire day. I think I need to try reining it in. I’ll make her so hot for me with subtle moves that
she’ll
be the one trying to get in
my
pants. Perfect. I was made for this.

T
he predawn breeze
coming in through the open balcony door soothed my nerves while I sat at the breakfast bar nursing my first cup of coffee. As cool as I pretended to be, I still got nervous. I feel like dinner at the Graham’s could make me or break me with Faith. As determined as I was to be a perfect version of myself, in reality, I wasn’t one hundred percent confident that I could pull it off.

Heidi thumped her tail against the kitchen cabinet, reminding me that I had yet to take her out to use the facilities, such as they were. The one thousand square feet of grass in the back of my building was used by all four hundred units. It was damn near impossible to take your dog out without running into several other tenants. For that reason, I invested in one of those leashes with the attached bags for picking up after Heidi and took her for walks instead. I wouldn’t want to have to share a bathroom with a hundred others, if not more, and I didn’t expect her to. So off we went for a walk to the park, coming back home through the meandering streets of the adjacent neighborhood.

“Hi, Joe!”

“Hi, Mrs. Entwistle.” I had gotten to know a few of the residential neighbors through the years.

Amid the couple of high-rises in my area were the park and some older homes, mostly inhabited by seniors. It was a quaint neighborhood where everyone knew each other.

Each house had a small plot of land with a postage-stamp lawn. I would say almost all of them were well kept. Flower boxes adorned windows and colorful awnings offered shade from the midday sun. Every house, without exception, boasted a narrow porch, just wide enough to place two chairs and one small table.

“Come on up for a cup of tea, dear.”

What the hell? I had hours and hours to kill before I could pick Faith up. Heidi gave a happy bark when I led her up to the porch.

“Oh, aren’t you a darling puppy.” Mrs. Entwistle scratched Heidi behind her ears and pulled a biscuit out of the pocket of her housecoat. There were a few ladies in the neighborhood who were prepared with treats for Heidi—and you better believe she knew who each one was and where they lived.

I looped Heidi’s leash around a post at the end of the patio and took a seat next to Mrs. Entwistle.

“So, why are you up and about so early this morning, Joe?”

“No particular reason. I just couldn’t sleep anymore, I guess.”

“Any big plans for the weekend?”

She knew I was an escort, but thankfully, she thought I was simply an escort. She didn’t give me that disgusted look that most women gave me when they learned of my profession.

“I have two appointments this weekend, and then one more next weekend, and then I’m done. Forever. I’m going back to school to finish my degree.” I knew she’d be glad to hear that. She’d been telling me for years to go back to school and do something that I really loved.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you, Joe. What’s her name?”

“Huh?” These seniors had a sixth sense. Nothing ever got by the ladies in the neighborhood, I swear.

“Well, something big must have happened to make you want to hang up your fancy tuxedos and go back to school. You want more from life. Why now? Who is she?” She sat on the edge of her chair, hands folded in her lap, waiting expectantly for me to answer. I knew some of these ladies were lonely. They didn’t all have family to visit them and longed to hear stories they could share with each other.

“How do you ladies do that? You always know when something changes. It’s amazing. You should be detectives.” She laughed, as I knew she would.

“And?”

“Her name is Faith. And you’re right. I want more. I want it all. I’m tired of being alone. I mean, I have my mother and sister, of course, but I want someone to spend time with, you know? And I know no woman would date a man who goes out with other women, right? So I’ve decided to make a change.” Every time I told someone, it felt more right. And I only had three dates left. Of course, one of them was a doozy. I still can’t believe I had to see Sophia again.

She sandwiched my hand between both of hers. I don’t know what it was about seniors, but they made me feel like a little boy again, and all I wanted to do was please them. Some hard-ass I am, huh? “I think that’s smart, Joe. You deserve a nice girl. You’re going to have a great life, dear. Mark my words.”

We chatted for a few more minutes, and after Mrs. Entwistle fed Heidi another biscuit from her pocket, we were off again.

The sun was fully up when we ventured back home. As I looked around my ultramodern condo, it just felt cold.

Black granite floors ran throughout the entire space, even in the bedrooms. Most of the walls were painted in different tones of gray and all the trim was stark white. It was definitely a bachelor pad. The only real touch of color was the glass tile backsplash in the kitchen, and those colors were a mix of gray, black, white, and slate blue. Even the kitchen cabinets were gray.

Faith would hate it. She’d never say so, but she would. I’d be willing to bet her house was full of comforts. I got a quick glance when I’d picked her up for the wedding, but I can’t say much registered for me other than that amazing creation she was wearing.

I made a mental note to call a Realtor on Monday. I knew I could get a good deal on my condo because I was in a very sought-after building with little turnover. Buying a house, though, would be tougher. I wasn’t exactly sure yet what my plans were for income while I was going to school. If I went to school full-time and didn’t work, I’d have to juggle some things around. I could do it; I just needed to decide which path to take. Either way, I think the Audi R8 was going. I’d miss her, but that money would supplement my investment income quite nicely.

Believe it or not, I had no idea what to wear to Faith’s for dinner. I had to assume, knowing Mrs. Graham’s stuffy nature, that they dressed for dinner. But I didn’t want to overdress and look like I was trying too hard. Maybe it was time to clue my mother in to the decisions I’d made. She’d be beyond happy. I’m sure you would imagine she hated what I did for a living.

With a fresh cup of coffee in hand, I grabbed my phone and headed out to the balcony.

I was just about to hang up after the fourth ring when my mom answered, sounding out of breath.

“Hi, honey. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I don’t think she did it on purpose, but I always felt guilty when I called. Sons don’t call their mothers enough, and I’m no different.

“You’re out of breath. Did I catch you on your way out or something?”

“Uh no. Phil and I were just… I mean…”

“Oh God. Never mind, Mother.” Why?
Why
couldn’t she just have said she had to run to get the phone? I needed bleach for my brain.

She laughed at my discomfort. Laughed! “Oh, honey. It’s only natural, you know. What do you think? That when you hit a certain age—”

“Stop. Enough! Do you, um, want to call me back?” Did I mention ewwww?

That earned me another, louder chuckle. Then it hit me, she was doing it on purpose. Probably because I hadn’t called in a while.

“Relax, Joe. I was on the treadmill. So, what’s up, honey?”

“You’re evil, you know that, Ma? That’s just not right.”

“So would you like to tell me why you’re calling, or do you want to know more about Phil and me?” Oh, wasn’t she the funny one?

When I finished telling her my news, she cried. She actually cried. I felt like a total shit. I had no idea my career choice bothered her as much as it did.

“Thank God! I’m so glad you’re done with that crap. I always worried you were going to pick up something from one of those girls that you couldn’t get rid of.”

Great. Now I felt like a scumbag too. Stellar day.

“Mom, it’s not like that. I mean it was
sometimes
, but—”

All I heard at that point was, “La, la, la, la. I can’t hear you.” Yes, that’s how my mother has always dealt with things she didn’t want to hear. Guess I couldn’t blame her. I can’t imagine she’d want to hear about my sex life any more than I would hers. I needed to finish this conversation.

“Okay! I get the point.”

“So when do I get to meet this girl? I already love her. She must be something special for you to give up that job.”

“She is. And I’m having dinner at her house tonight with her parents.” Of course, I didn’t mention the fact that I had a date afterward with slutty Sophia and Vaughn. Makes me shudder just thinking about it. Like I would
ever
be in a threesome with another dude.

Never.

Going.

To.

Happen.

“I don’t know when you’ll meet her. We haven’t even had a real date yet. She was tricked into the dinner tonight. Our first real date isn’t until next Sunday, after I’m finished with my obligations at Perfect Ten.”

“Obligations, as in dates?”

“Yes. I have just three more, and then I’m done forever. I can’t wait.”

“Couldn’t you just quit?”

“Tried that. Didn’t go over so well. There’s more to it, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll be a free man next Sunday. Anyway, what I need to know is what should I wear to dinner? They’re rich. I mean filthy rich. Richer than even we were before Dad fucked everything up.”

“Joe! Don’t start that. Do
not
talk about your father like that. Ever. And watch your language. Do you hear me?”

It was a good thing she couldn’t see me, because there’s no way I could’ve held back my eye roll or my head shaking. She was loyal to a fault. He fucking bankrupted us and killed himself. He didn’t deserve her loyalty.

“Sorry, Ma. So, what should I wear?”

Luckily for me, she let it go without any further berating. “Let’s see. I think a nice pair of beige slacks with a darker-colored shirt. No tie, but maybe a casual dinner jacket. And dark shoes. Not suit shoes, but slip-ons. like those shoes you wear with your dark jeans.”

I knew exactly which shoes she meant, and it sounded good to me. Now that I got the assurance I needed that I wouldn’t be over- or underdressed, I wanted to hang up and go pick out my clothes. Yeah, I can be such a girl sometimes, but it’s important to me to look good for Faith.

“Great. Thanks, Ma. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Uh-huh. Sure, sweetie. Have fun.”

* * *

I only had about two hours left before Joe picked me up. Every minute of the day so far, I’ve wondered why I ever agreed to dinner. How on earth were we going to pull it off? My mother would never believe we’d been dating. I’m thinking about just telling her the truth.

I really don’t think I can do it. I’m a horrible liar. One time, near the end of the eighth grade school year, Gracie and I cut. That wasn’t something either of us had ever done before, but she had found cigarettes in her older brother’s backpack, and we were curious what all the fuss was about. She also grabbed a mostly full bottle of vodka he had hidden in his closet.

We were dropped off at school by my mother’s chauffer as usual, walked in the front door, strode down the long main hallway and right back out the rear door. I swore I was going to have a heart attack. My heart sounded like it was going to burst, its beating was so frantic. Not Gracie, though. She was cool as a cucumber.

“Relax, Faith. We’re not going to get caught.”

“Just go,” I whispered as I pushed her from behind. If we were going to do it, which apparently we really were, I wanted to get out of the view of the school.

We heard the homeroom bell ring and squatted down so we wouldn’t be seen through any windows as we crept around the side of the building to the relative safety of the bus lot.

We made it to the bus yard with shocking ease. With each step we took, I was sure someone would bust us and haul us into the principal’s office. My mother would have flipped her lid!

“See? Nothing to it.” I couldn’t recall Gracie ever being afraid of anything. It was reassuring but terrifying at the same time. Her bravado never faltered, even when she was caught dead to rights—she just didn’t care. I’m not saying she was a bad kid or anything; she just took her lumps as they came. If she deserved the punishment—and she knew when she did—she accepted it without rancor.

“Well, now what? We’re not going to stay in the bus lot all day, are we?” I gestured to the pack of slightly smashed Marlboros she had taken out of her pocket. “We can’t smoke them here. Someone will smell them.”

“You’re probably right. Okay, follow me.”

Gracie led me to the back of the lot, where there was a jagged opening cut in the fence. “How did you know this was here?”

“This is where Scott Langley and I used to make out back during gym class.” She winked at me like she was a woman of the world, instead of an almost-fourteen-year-old eighth grader. Back then, she was my hero. Heck, she still was.

We carefully scooted through the fence and made our way back to her house, which we knew would be empty until dinnertime. She walked into the backyard, me following closely on her heels. “Hurry up! I want to get off the streets.”

“Faith, you have to chill out. We’re not going to get caught! I promise, okay?”

I didn’t see that I had much choice at that point. I certainly wasn’t going to sneak back to school. “Yeah, okay.”