Chapter 5
Romeo
Julien slides the basket of fried pickle spears my way. “Have you tried these?”
“Nope.”
“Try one. They’re more addictive than the expensive blow I snorted the other night.”
A small, crooked smile forms on my face, and my mouth suddenly waters as I grab a one.
“Dunk it in the ranch dressing. It’s the best.”
I do, and I take a tentative bite. It burns my tongue for a second, then the briny flavor fills my mouth. My eyes burst wide. “Whoa, this is good,” I say with my mouth full. “It’s tangy, salty, and crunchy.”
“Told ya. My parents never let me eat shit like this except whenever I snuck it in. I have to be perfect in all ways, including my weight.”
That’s something I can totally relate to. “Yeah, if I’m out, I use my small allowance, but I eat what he tells me to. I have too many clients, so I have to be careful. Sometimes I’ll come here for a burger when my shift is over.”
Julien scans me up and down again as he chews. “He keeps you too skinny. That’s going to change while you’re with me.”
I smile at that and soon start to relax as I finish my pickle and dig into the burger that was placed in front of me.
“So, I’ve got the next two weeks of my life all planned out,” Julien says out of the blue.
He shoves several fries into his mouth, washes them down with his iced tea, then wipes his mouth with his napkin.
“Here’s the deal. I’m nineteen, and there’s so much I haven’t seen or done.
Yeah, I come from money, but you have to have parents who give a fuck about you to take you places.
Now, I have no time to travel to other countries.
I have a deadline, so I want to do some things here in LA, and then take a road trip to the Grand Canyon.
I want to spit off the edge of the world, like that song by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.
It seems like the best place to do it. It’s just a big ol’ fuck you to the world.
You’re going to be my companion through it all. ”
“Is this a bucket list thing or something?”
“Something like that.” Julien takes a bite of his burger as I nibble on mine, ignoring what he told me. He’ll probably want sex, because they always do, and I don’t want to get too full, no matter how hungry I am.
As if reading my mind, he points at my meal. “Eat it. You don’t have to finish it, but don’t just peck at the crumbs. You can relax. No sex today. Promise. I’m not up for it anyway. I also want to do it right and not rush it.”
Resigning to his rules, I take a larger bite. It’s so fucking good, and it’s hard not to groan around my food.
“So, you’re hiring me to be your friend for some last adventure before college? Don’t you have other friends? Guys like you tend to have a lot of them, right? Or… I assume. I mean, you have money, clearly, and you’re attractive.
“Yeah, but not real ones.”
“But… I’m not a real friend, either. I’m not trying to talk you out of this. Only to understand, ya know?”
He finishes chewing before wiping his mouth again.
Julien is refined with manners. He never talks with his mouth full or with grease on his face.
“This is also about sex. No one knows I’m bisexual.
I haven’t been with a guy before, not sexually, but I want to experience it all.
I think if I have that at least once in my life, I’ll be… happy.”
What does that mean? And am I to be his experiment?
That part should be easy. He looks like he’s just graduated from high school.
He’s probably off to some prestigious college and wants to fuck around to get some experience before he meets his eventual boyfriend or girlfriend at school or something.
Makes sense. Honestly, it could be fun. Better than my other jobs, that’s for sure.
“I want to have sex, but I also want you to fuck me, too.”
I start choking and coughing on my bite of burger, so I snag my soda to wash it down. The bubbles go right up my nose, then I start sneezing. “Ugh,” I groan before blowing my nose with a napkin. “You want me to… fuck you? Ah…”
“You okay?” he asks with surprising concern.
I blow my nose again. “Yeah.”
“Haven’t you fucked someone before? I thought you were a paid sex worker.”
I give him a deadpanned look. “I mean, I am, but men fuck me. Not the other way around.”
“Oh,” he sighs, wipes his hands on his napkin, and looks at me pointedly. “I’m drawn to you for some reason. It has to be you. Can you at least try?”
For that kind of money? Definitely. “I’m just shocked, is all. Yeah, I’ve done it before, but I’m not so good at it.”
“You don’t have to be.”
“Not to be… ungrateful, but why me?”
Julien points to his eye before pointing at me.
“That. Your bruise. Someone hurt you. Someone hurt me… a lot of someones, especially my stepfather. I bet you’ve suffered, too.
I feel connected to you. It’s… hard to explain.
” He thinks about his words as he pops more fries into his mouth and swallows his bite.
“It might sound a little fucked up, but if I’m doing this, I need someone I can relate to.
It can’t be just anyone. I also need to be attracted to the person.
As soon as I saw you, I knew it was you I’d choose.
And I find you very attractive, pretty, even. ”
I suddenly can’t look at him. His compliments are completely ignored as the shame fills me.
I play with my hands and nod. He saw my pain and my failure at life.
I’m not very educated, but I know enough that my life isn’t normal.
Then there’s another side to it. It hurts to know that we have to suffer so he can connect with me. No, it’s definitely not fucking normal.
“Hey,” he says forcefully enough for me to lift my eyes to him. “I know that look more than anyone. It’s not your fault. It wasn’t mine either.”
“Okay.” Despite my response, Tito has always been clear about whose fault it is when he beats me. ‘Your fault’ is branded into my soul every time he takes his fist to my body.
I’ve eaten only half of my burger, but I’m too full now.
“Can I ask if you’re clear of STIs and shit? I mean, I got condoms.”
“Yeah.” I pull out my wallet and then the slip of paper inside it. I hand it to him, and he reads it. “Those are my latest test results. I make sure everyone wraps up. I’m also on PrEP. My handler has me tested regularly.”
“Cool. I got recently tested too, since my girlfriend cheats on me a lot. I also wrapped up, so I’m all good.”
“You have a girlfriend?”
“I guess I should’ve said, ‘I had a girlfriend.’ Dumped her yesterday. It wasn’t going to work out anyway. I didn’t like her enough, so it didn’t hurt that much. She only wanted me for the money.”
“Oh.” I’d rather have those wealthy problems. I’d trade my life for his any day. I could take the suffering if I could run.
Our server returns to our table and asks if we want anything else. We don’t, so she drops off the check.
“Did you get enough to eat?” he asks.
“Yeah, I’m stuffed… Ah, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Julien drops some cash onto the table to pay the check and gives our server a large tip.
When we step outside, the sun is starting to set, casting a warm glow on everything.
Julien takes my hand again and starts heading down the street. “First, I need to grab your cash, then pay your… prick of a handler.”
“There’s a cash machine two blocks away.” I point in that direction, and we start walking. “It’s next to a drugstore. Can we stop there? I have an idea.”
He looks at me and nods. “Sure. What’s your idea?”
“I think if we’re going to be going out and doing stuff, we should cover up our bruises. I don’t have my makeup with me. I also need… things to prep with.”
“Sounds good. Afterward, we’re heading to the Santa Monica Pier.
I’ve never been. My mom and stepdad felt it was too trashy to go to.
Too touristy. My useless friends weren’t much better, fucking snobs.
But I want to ride on the Pacific Wheel, play some stupid games, and buy a shitty souvenir, like one of those plastic snow globes, you know?
Is that cool? I’ve got reservations at a nice hotel, and we’ll hang out at the beach tomorrow. ”
“Yeah, that sounds fun, actually. I’ve never been. I don’t get to do fun things.”
He looks at me strangely and squeezes my hand.
“Well, that’s about to change. You and I are going to have an epic time for the next two weeks.
We’ll get you some nice things to wear tomorrow, too.
I’ll want to take you to some nice restaurants.
Can’t take the snob out of the wealthy boy, I guess. ” He winks and smiles at me.
“Is this like a Pretty Woman thing?” I think my roommate Jinx and I watched that movie a thousand times, wishing we’d find someone like Edward Lewis, the millionaire, to take us out of our hell.
Julien chuckles at that; the humor dances genuinely in his eyes. “Nah. I mean, sure, there will be clothes, delicious food, nice places to stay, and fun things to do, but we’re not going to get married, have a relationship, or find our happily ever after.”
My face heats, and I look away. “I…I didn’t mean…”
“It’s nothing personal, Romeo. I’m not… I only have two weeks.”
I don’t want a relationship either. He’s only a job, but what he said also makes sense. If he’s off to college soon, then he wouldn’t want to get involved with anyone. I don’t even know why I brought that up. So stupid. So fucking embarrassing.
We come across the ATM at the bank next door to the drugstore. Julien looks in both directions before dropping his card into the machine. As he punches the buttons, I lean against the building and stare at him. He’s so cute.
“What?” he asks, catching me.
“I bet you played football in high school and were one of the popular kids.”
He huffs a laugh and grabs the cash as the machine spits it out. “You could say that. I was actually on the swim team. Did you go to school?”
I shake my head and finger my hair behind my ears. “No. My only job is to be a hole.”
“Jesus… If I didn’t worry about you needing money, I’d call this thing off. You’re a fucking human, Romeo. Not a damn hole.”
I shrug as if it’s no big deal when it kind of is. “That’s all I’ve ever known.”
“Well, I hope your life’s about to change.” Julien hands me the cash nonchalantly. “Do you have a wallet?”
“Yeah, I have to if the client pays in cash.” I pull it out of my front pocket, take the money from him, and put it back in my jean shorts.
“There. Money for a kiss,” he says.
“Are you going to kiss me now?”
“Soon. Your wallet is going to get full fast, so you should set up a safe place to put your money. In a couple of days, I’ll find some time to help you set up a bank account, if you want.”
“Okay.”
God, this will be the best job I’ve ever had.