Mentoring

"You did what?!"

Rebecca looked at me in shock as I told her what happened with that certain client of mine -- the one who got several hours' worth of companionship for free. Glancing around the restaurant, I told Rebecca to quiet down. The last thing we needed is some journalist on a lunch break making us his/her next story.

"I didn't mean to," I said, thinking of how much I sounded like an adolescent. "It just happened. After the sex we got to talking and before I know it..."

"Julian, that's totally unprofessional. Your 'companionship' comes at a price. You just give it away for free. That's what sluts are for."

"Good to know. So, has this ever happened to you? Finding a client attractive and all that?"

"Of course," Rebecca said, taking a sip from her iced tea before continuing. "But I never let my emotions get the best of me. Besids, he's not seeing the real me. The girl he pays to spend time with is another person altogether -- she's a fantasy, not a reality."

"Do you think I'm putting too much of myself into the work?"

"Could be. I mean, you don't use your real name -- thank God -- but you do need to put up a bit of a wall, you know? Or else things like this will continue to happen."

I wondered if Rebecca was right -- if perhaps my genuine nature towards my clients was putting me at risk. Then again, women are different than men in that they thrive off of emotional intimacy. It's different to satisfy a woman's needs than a man's. If I just focused on sex and left my clients alone in bed afterward, I wouldn't get any repeat business.

They like the fact that I give them what their husbands (assuming their married) don't: my complete, undivided attention. Hell, sometimes I even find their stories interesting, especially if they happened to work before getting married and becoming bored housewives.

Rebecca ordered a grilled chicken caesar salad, where I settled on a turkey wrap. As we waited for our food, she told me that I couldn't let our agent know about my unbilled time, or else she'd ask for commission and begin to suspect I was swindling her.

"She seems nice on the outside," Rebecca said, "but trust me, once money comes into the picture she's a different person entirely."

"Dully noted. Anyway, let's change the subject. Are you still planning that vacation to the Pacific Northwest."

"Yeah, I am. I'm still leaning more towards Seattle rather than Vancouver, especially now that you need your passports to enter Canada."

"Keep my posted, then. I wouldn't mind getting out of this heat for a week."

"Yeah, well, you better make sure to bill all hours with a client, or else you won't have enough money to pay for airfare and hotel."

"Sorry, mom," I teased.

"If your mother knew you were a whore I'm sure she'd say the same thing."

"It's a good thing this restaurant is practically empty," I whispered. "Otherwise, we might have some explaining to do!"