Free Dark Escort by E. L. Todd

when you know nothing about me.” Her voice wasn’t cold, but it was void of emotion.
    “Let me get to know you.”
    She gave me a dark look. “I don’t understand you, Cato. You hate me but now you want to be my friend?”
    “Leave the past in the past,” I said. “I’m really a great guy. Please keep an open mind.”
    “I can tell you’re a nice guy. I’ve always known that even if other people were the recipient of that and I wasn’t.”
    I ate my food slowly, not really hungry. “Are you saying we can never be friends?”
    “Not at all.”
    “So, you’re willing to try?”
    “I wouldn’t be having dinner with you if I felt otherwise.” She took another drink of her wine.
    “Good. Because I think we could get along really well.”
    She gave me another smile. “Is this a genuine offer? Or are you just trying to sleep with me?”
    “If I wanted to sleep with you, I would have done it already .” And I already have.
    “Cocky, are we?” she asked with a chuckle.
    “Just confident,” I said. “When you no longer need my services, we should revisit this conversation.”
    “Maybe.” She shrugged. “Maybe not.”
    ***
    “Let’s get some ice cream,” I said when we left the restaurant.
    “Wow, this is really turning into a nice date,” she said with a pretty smile.
    “What can I say?” I said. “I’m a dreamy guy.”
    “And…now it went to shit.” She laughed while she looked at me.
    I nudged her in the side playfully. “You know I’m kidding.”
    “Actually, I don’t think you are. You are a dreamy guy.”
    “Well, I try…” I gave her a smile then looked away.
    “I knew it.” She crossed her arms over her chest while she walked.
    We reached an ice cream parlor and walked inside.
    “What are you getting?” I asked.
    “Milkshake,” she blurted.
    “Is that your favorite or something?”
    “Yep,” she said. “It’s not messy like a sundae and it’s delicious.”
    “Good point,” I said. “I’ll get one too.”
    After we ordered, we sat outside and watched the people walk by.
    She took a long gulp then sighed. “Man, that’s good. I can’t remember the last time I had one.”
    Her body was perfect so I suspected she didn’t eat junk often. “It’s pretty delicious.”
    “You look like you’ve never had a milkshake in your life.”
    An egotistical smile stretched my face. “Not necessarily. I just work out harder when I have one.”
    “Do you work out often?”
    “Two hours a day, seven days a week.”
    She cringed. “God, that sounds terrible.”
    I laughed. “It’s my job. What do you do?”
    “At midday, I jog around the vineyards. It’s a beautiful trail.”
    I nodded. “You have nice legs. I suspected you were a runner.”
    “Have you ever seen my legs?” she asked.
    Oh, I’ve seen a lot more than your legs. “You’re wearing a skirt now.”
    “That only shows the area below my knees.”
    “I have x-ray vision,” I said. “I know how you look.”
    “That must come in handy.”
    “It does.”
    She took another sip. “I need to stop. I’m going to drink this whole damn thing.”
    “You should,” I said. “I’m not judging you.”
    “Because I’m paying you.”
    I chuckled. “I was a dick to you and you were paying me.”
    “Touché.” She took another sip. “You know, you’re pretty cool when you’re being nice.”
    “You’re pleasant too.” After I spent a few hours with her, the playful side I used to know came out. She was actually fun and laid-back. It seemed to be a trait she didn’t share very often. “I like spending time with you.”
    “Again, because I’m paying you.”
    “Last time I checked, I was doing this for free.”
    She nodded in agreement. “True. So, tell me about being an escort.”
    “There’s not much to tell.”
    “You have to have some stories,” she said. “It’s such an usual profession. How did it start?”
    “When my friends and I graduated college, it just happened. Girls were