Page 2 of Fake Dating Daxton Hawk
“He said,She’s not mine. I’m paying for her by the hour.”
I laugh, because honestly, the situation is so ridiculous there’s no other option than to laugh. “Mina, if you’re going to tell Zac this story, you need to tell it properly. You forgot thedefinitelypart. Daxton said,She’s definitely not mine. He emphasized the word as if it were preposterous that he’d be dating me. So, the old guy asks if Daxton has fucked me yet—his words, not mine—and if I’m any good. Daxton gives the infamous response:She’s not the kind of girl I fuck. My tastes are very particular.And then…” I clap my palm to my forehead, cringing all over again at the memory. “No, I can’t say the rest.”
Zac raises an eyebrow. “It gets worse?”
“Yup,” Mina answers. “The old dude asked Daxton for Jordan’s contact details and said,I’ll hire her cunt for the night. Her ass too.”
He laughs harder than I’ve ever seen him laugh. “Okay, now I’m convinced you’re both making this up.”
“We’re not!” I flip him the bird, laughing at my pathetic situation too. “Daxton handed over my number without hesitating. So, yeah, that’s why I hate the bastard.”
Zac shrugs. “I’m missing the logic in why you continue to be his escort. Tonight will be your fourth date with him, right?”
“I need to pay rent.”
“I thought they paid you decent money dancing at the burlesque club.”
I finish creating the last curl in my hair and reach for the red lipstick to perform the finishing touches to my appearance. “I guess Mina hasn’t told you, but I got dropped from Club Noir last week. Too many dancers. I’m a no-name so I got axed.”
“Damn. But you’re also waitressing.”
Oh, boy. The details of my life keep getting better and better. I apply the lipstick and smack my lips together in a screw-it attitude. “I lost that job too, as of today.”
Mina gasps. “Babe, what? How did that happen?”
“The manager said I’m not reliable. I canceled three of my shifts last minute to go to dance auditions.”
“Fuck.”
“You’re judging me.”
“As if I’d ever judge you. I used to cancel waitressing shifts all the time to attend Broadway auditions.”
The difference is that all those auditions paid off and she’s now a famous Broadway star. On more than one occasion, I’ve thought about accepting defeat and becoming a stripper. Stripping isn’tthatdifferent to burlesque. The money is better. But my pride never lets me. Just like how I’ll never sleep with a man for money.
“Let us give you the money,” Mina says.
“No. Friends and money don’t mix.”
“What about your parents?” Zac asks.
My molars grind together at the mention of my parents. Zac and I are good friends, but in the several months I’ve known him, this is the first time my parents have been mentioned between us. So, I offer him a quick explanation of an entire childhood filled with trauma. “I don’t talk to my parents. Even if I did, they wouldn’t have the funds to help me. Vodka is their priority.”
“Oh?”
“Mina can tell you the details later.”
Zac takes the hint and drops the topic. “What about your brother? Ryan has enough money to lend you a hand.”
I blow out a huff of air, saddened by mention of Ryan—the only member of my family I’m close with, but have no means of contacting. “Sure. If you figure out how to find Ryan, let me know.”
The last time I heard from my brother was about four months ago before he embarked on his latest spiritual journey in the Himalayas with his girlfriend, Hannah. He said it was a technology detox, with the exception of his camera to film for his popular YouTube travel channel. It’s not unusual for Ryan to disappear like this for months at a time. It just sucks not being able to talk to him when I miss him.
“Stop worrying about me. I’ll be fine,” I tell Mina and Zac. “I’ll apply for another waitressing job and hopefully one of these auditions will land me a dancing job. In the meantime, I have Daxton’s money. He’s paying me two thousand dollars for tonight’s date.”
Tom Sanders is a safety net for money too. My name seems to be floating among the elite businessmen in New York City—thanks to Daxton handing out my number. When I mention to each of them I don’t do sex, they all back out. Except Tom, who I escorted for the first time last week in order to pay for electricity. But if I tell Mina and Zac about Tom, they’ll think I’m spiraling out of control. Which I’m not. I have everything under control. Everything is fine.
My phone vibrates on the bathroom counter, creating a burst of excited flutters in my chest. Okay, so there isonething that gets me excited in this life. One guy.
