Page 26 of Tobias

Getting to my feet, I point a finger at Jacob and say, “I’m not dancing.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he says in a tone that tells me I should have offered to dance instead.

An hour later, after standing in the background with my shirt off and letting the other guys take turns dancing on me while someone was close up in the camera lip-syncing words, I order another drink. That damn song is going to haunt me in my nightmares for years to come.

Pete slides me my drink and I take a seat, swiping my phone from the counter. This isn’t the kind of place you have to worry about your shit going missing. Not when all the regulars are here, anyway. Since it’s a Sunday night, that’s all who’s here.

As I sip my drink, rolling my eyes at the guys’ choice of music—Lady Gaga now—I scroll through my notifications,and tap on the one that says I have a new date request. I can’t help but smile when I see who it’s from.

There’s no denying Theo is a cool guy. I’ve been on a lot of dates with a lot of people, and it took time for me to keep business stuff business. There is a learning curve when working closely and intimately with people. It's hard to not get attached. I have the same problem at my other job.

At first, I tried to befriend everyone, but that’s not how you make it in this line of work. There isn’t a single person who's rented me that I’ve stayed friends with over the years, no matter how much I tried to nurse those relationships. This won’t be any different. Yet, I’d be lying if I said Theo feels like any other business transaction. There is something about him that I can’t quite pinpoint, but it’s something different that I’ve never felt before.

I feel for the guy, and we have enough in common that it was easy to hang out with him and forget that it was just a job. Which is why I invited him out. I shouldn’t have done that, but I didn’t hate it. I was worried it gave him the wrong impression, but since he’s paying for another date and not trying to get a free one, maybe I did everything right.

This isn’t the type of work where you try to get repeating customers, but it is the type of work where you want to leave a lasting impression, so they tell their friends. Most people only need us for a night or two. When their family is in town or they need to impress their new boss. Some just want to be taken out by someone who knows how to treat them. Repeatcustomers are strange, and I say that even though I have a handful of them. It makes you wonder if they’re right in the head. People fabricate things in their mind all the time, and it’s possible some people think this is real. It’s kind of scary sometimes, knowing what people are capable of. Thankfully, I haven’t had to deal with anything like that.

Theo doesn’t give off those vibes, but I don’t know the guy. Nothing other than what he told me, and he could be making all that shit up. Though, I don’t think that’s the case. He’s a genuine guy. There’s something in his eyes that tells me he’s just a normal person trying to live his life. Only he doesn’t really know how to do that.

I accept the date, and because he’s got me feeling all weird, I start an email to him, completely crossing the line with what I type out.

Miss me already?

I shouldn’t send it, but of course I do. I've had a few drinks already.

The confusion about his life, questioning whether or not he’s doing the right thing, has had me wondering about my own. Would settling down be so bad? Do I want to date people for the rest of my life? I like my job. Both of them, really. I’m happy with my life, but would it be better with a family? For the first time, those thoughts don’t have a definite answer. It was a solid no before meeting Theo. Now, as I’m getting older, as I see Theo struggling with where to take his life, it’s got me wondering.

Maybe if I found the right person to settle with, I could settle down. Maybe I wouldn’t hate the idea. Guess I just haven’t been so lucky, because no one has made me consider it yet.

I get an email in response rather quickly.

If I say yes, will you cancel the date?

I smirk, finishing my drink and gesturing for another from Pete, who is at the end of the bar. He nods and holds up a finger.

I glance down at my phone, wondering how I should respond. But the way Ishouldrespond and the way Idorespond aren’t the same.

If I wanted you to say anything other than yes, I wouldn’t have asked.

I click off the screen, but it lights up a moment later with an email, so I open it.

Are you flirting with me?

As if this email conversation isn’t inappropriate enough, I do something that definitely crosses the line. I go into his info on the portal and find his phone number. This could get me in a lot of trouble, but… I just need to know.

I don’t remember the last time I dated someone for me. The last time I liked someone enough to consider something personal. It's not that I’m thinking that with Theo. He’s engaged and has too much baggage for me to want to deal with, but testing the waters to see how it feels isn’t so bad, right?

I type in his number then tap in the bar to typeout a text.

So what if I am?

It takes just a second for the little bubbles to dance. Then his text pops up.

I think this is breaking the contract.

So complain to my boss about it.

Maybe I will.

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