this"—she motioned between us—"work. They appreciated that I've publicly rebounded in less than twenty-four hours. They said you've gotten me amazing approval ratings—better than before my, er… incident. So I need to keep you around and make the most of the press momentum."
"So that's good," I said, grinning at her. "You keep getting paid; I keep getting paid."
"We can't let anyone find out about us." Worry creased her forehead. "If it gets out that we knew each other… that our parents were married… that you're my escort … I'm dead. Tori's the only one who can know. "
I swung my feet over the water, back and forth, nervous energy bubbling through me. "Tori's not the only one who knows."
She looked stricken. "Did you tell Ellie ? 'Cause she's really sheltered. She probably really can't handle that—"
"I didn't tell Ellie," I said. "I told my father."
She looked stunned. " What? Why?"
"So he wouldn't blackmail you into firing me, Lo."
She looked at me, surprise and anger playing out on her face. "You told him the truth ? We have an agreement. A non-disclosure agreement."
She shifted her weight as though she was about to stand up, but I put my hand on her. "Wait. Please." I held my breath until she'd sat back down. "He'd already seen the pictures. I didn't know it, but he's had his assistant keeping track of me."
She looked at me, waiting.
When I was pretty sure she wasn't going to run, I continued. "He called me this morning. He threatened to call the press, to tell them that you're dating your ex-stepbrother— if I didn't break up with you immediately."
"Would he do that? To you?"
"I think my father has gotten into the habit of trying to protect me from my own bad judgment." I scrubbed my hands over my face. "I had to explain to him why it was in his best interest to keep his mouth shut. It wouldn't look too good for his latest business venture and his upcoming feature in Forbes if the press found out that his son's an escort."
"He didn't know?"
I shook my head.
"What did he say?" she asked quietly.
"At first, he didn't say anything. I think he was in shock. But when he came to, he said that he was glad he'd disowned me, that he'd rather give his fortune to a pet shelter or a distant third cousin than to me."
"I'm so sorry, Kyle."
"Don't be. I'm a fucking prostitute , Lo. All the bad choices I've made have led to this."
"You lost all your money. You had no education. It's not like you had a lot of options," she said, trying to console me.
I snorted. "I was a drunk-driving party boy until my dad took my inheritance away. But you want to know how I ended up here? I was giving surfing lessons, and a woman I was teaching asked me out. She was older, and I wasn't interested, but I was hungry. So I let her buy me dinner. No big deal, right?" I stopped and stared at my hands, feeling sick.
"Are you okay?" Lowell asked.
"Not really. I slept with her afterward, because she seemed to expect it. And then she offered to buy me breakfast the next day. Are you getting the picture?"
She nodded.
"She asked me stay with her, so I did. For a weekend. That turned into a week. And then a month. I was like her little… pet. I ate her food and lived in her house and did what I was told. Because it was… easy."
"It doesn't sound easy," Lo said. She sounded as if she felt sorry for me.
"It was easy until I got so disgusted with myself that I couldn't stand it anymore. After I left and Elena asked me to come work for her, I didn't even hesitate. I knew it would be better than what I'd had with that woman. Cleaner. I have a contract with my clients. They pay me in exchange for my services. That's it. No one's pretending it's anything else."
"Just because you made bad choices doesn't make you a bad person." She patted my shoulder. "At least, I hope that's true—for my sake too."
"Thanks." I smiled at her. "But I made my own bed where my father's concerned. I lost his respect a long time ago, and I've only
"So that's good," I said, grinning at her. "You keep getting paid; I keep getting paid."
"We can't let anyone find out about us." Worry creased her forehead. "If it gets out that we knew each other… that our parents were married… that you're my escort … I'm dead. Tori's the only one who can know. "
I swung my feet over the water, back and forth, nervous energy bubbling through me. "Tori's not the only one who knows."
She looked stricken. "Did you tell Ellie ? 'Cause she's really sheltered. She probably really can't handle that—"
"I didn't tell Ellie," I said. "I told my father."
She looked stunned. " What? Why?"
"So he wouldn't blackmail you into firing me, Lo."
She looked at me, surprise and anger playing out on her face. "You told him the truth ? We have an agreement. A non-disclosure agreement."
She shifted her weight as though she was about to stand up, but I put my hand on her. "Wait. Please." I held my breath until she'd sat back down. "He'd already seen the pictures. I didn't know it, but he's had his assistant keeping track of me."
She looked at me, waiting.
When I was pretty sure she wasn't going to run, I continued. "He called me this morning. He threatened to call the press, to tell them that you're dating your ex-stepbrother— if I didn't break up with you immediately."
"Would he do that? To you?"
"I think my father has gotten into the habit of trying to protect me from my own bad judgment." I scrubbed my hands over my face. "I had to explain to him why it was in his best interest to keep his mouth shut. It wouldn't look too good for his latest business venture and his upcoming feature in Forbes if the press found out that his son's an escort."
"He didn't know?"
I shook my head.
"What did he say?" she asked quietly.
"At first, he didn't say anything. I think he was in shock. But when he came to, he said that he was glad he'd disowned me, that he'd rather give his fortune to a pet shelter or a distant third cousin than to me."
"I'm so sorry, Kyle."
"Don't be. I'm a fucking prostitute , Lo. All the bad choices I've made have led to this."
"You lost all your money. You had no education. It's not like you had a lot of options," she said, trying to console me.
I snorted. "I was a drunk-driving party boy until my dad took my inheritance away. But you want to know how I ended up here? I was giving surfing lessons, and a woman I was teaching asked me out. She was older, and I wasn't interested, but I was hungry. So I let her buy me dinner. No big deal, right?" I stopped and stared at my hands, feeling sick.
"Are you okay?" Lowell asked.
"Not really. I slept with her afterward, because she seemed to expect it. And then she offered to buy me breakfast the next day. Are you getting the picture?"
She nodded.
"She asked me stay with her, so I did. For a weekend. That turned into a week. And then a month. I was like her little… pet. I ate her food and lived in her house and did what I was told. Because it was… easy."
"It doesn't sound easy," Lo said. She sounded as if she felt sorry for me.
"It was easy until I got so disgusted with myself that I couldn't stand it anymore. After I left and Elena asked me to come work for her, I didn't even hesitate. I knew it would be better than what I'd had with that woman. Cleaner. I have a contract with my clients. They pay me in exchange for my services. That's it. No one's pretending it's anything else."
"Just because you made bad choices doesn't make you a bad person." She patted my shoulder. "At least, I hope that's true—for my sake too."
"Thanks." I smiled at her. "But I made my own bed where my father's concerned. I lost his respect a long time ago, and I've only
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