After New Year’s Eve, Christina went back to washing dishes in the back of her pub for the month of January and tried not to think about what she could be missing working as an escort. After all, not every date had been like the last one with Mark Lewis. Yup! She didn’t think about what Mark’s kiss had been like or how he held her while they danced. She didn’t think about his eyes or the way his hair fell into them. Nope! Not one bit! 

Best of all, she didn’t think about the money she was missing out on while she worked her honest minimum wage job. At least, not until her January paycheck came in. When she saw the numbers and did the accounting in her head, she computed just one fact—she was in trouble.

Mindy was reading a magazine in her recliner when Christina limped into the apartment after getting her pay stub. Mindy instantly flipped the glossy cover shut and took her headphones out of her ears to ask Christina, “So, how was work? Did you get paid?” 

“I got paid,” Christina sulked.

“Not enough?” Mindy inquired as she put her arms behind her head and stretched her body out. “You already owe me six hundred and twenty bucks and that’s on top of February’s rent. Do you think you’re going to be able to make good? I’d hate to have to call Auntie and ask her to make up the difference for you. I can’t pay for this place by myself.”

“Yes, you can!” Christina countered noisily. Mindy made tons of money. She was just trying to bully Christina into going back to the escort service. “You could easily pay for this place by yourself.”

“Ah,” Mindy said. She sounded bored. “I suppose that’s true, but I can’t think of a good reason why I should have to pay for your housing when I have such good plans for my hard-earned money.”

“I could pay you back!” Christina claimed.

“When?” 

“After graduation—”

“Whatever,” Mindy interrupted. “I’m not telling you what to do. You can get the money to pay me however you want and I guess whenever you want. I’m not heartless enough to call your parents and insist that they pay me. I just wanted to tell you that Valentine’s Day is coming up and there has been a request for you through the agency.”

“Really?

“Yeah. A request for Tina! Do you feel like doing it?”

“What's the hourly rate for the job?” Christina asked. Not all jobs paid the same. She had made thirty dollars an hour during the Christmas holidays, except for New Year’s and Christmas Eve. On those nights she had made fifty dollars an hour. “Valentine’s is worth how much?”

“Fifty,” Mindy said. “Except that there has been a miraculous turn of events in your favor. There wasn’t just one request, but two.”

“Two?” Christina asked, stunned. “What happens when there are two?”

“Well, you can either go out with the highest bidder, or you can go out with the one you like, or you can go with the one who made their appointment first, or whatever. You can flip a coin if you want. Feel like working?”

Christina crossed her fingers and said, “If either of those guys is Mark Lewis, I’ll go on the date.”

Mindy’s eyes lit up. “That’s a charming development! We’re not supposed to have favorite clients, but it’s inevitable. I have some I like better, but I’m probably more mercenary than you are. I like the ones that pay more.”

“Was Mark one of them?” Christina asked impatiently.

“Yes, he was.” 

“YES!” Christina cheered with her arms in the air. “I’ll go! Yay!”

“Wait, Darling,” Mindy continued. “Get off the ceiling and listen to the rest. Hey!” she yelled, to get Christina’s attention. “Sit down!”

Christina forced herself to sit cross-legged on the floor, but her cheeks were burning. She was so excited she was practically bouncing. Another date with Mark! Hooray! 

“Calm yourself. Mark has only offered to pay the standard fee because he was the one to make the appointment before the other guy called and you got double booked. The other guy said he wanted you, too. So, we asked him if he was willing to outbid your first request for that night.”

“Did you book me not knowing whether or not I’d be able to come in?” Christina questioned, feeling like she knew the answer before Mindy told her.

Her cousin winked. “Naturally. I didn’t take you off the books. You still owe me money.”

Christina groaned and Mindy went on.

“Anyway, he offered one hundred dollars an hour—into your pocket.”

“A hundred dollars… an hour! You must be joking. A guy does not pay that much without expecting sex!” Christina exclaimed.

“This guy does. When he offered that much, the rules were firmly explained to him and he said he wanted you for a date and nothing more.”

“Have I met this guy before? Did I go on a date with him?”

“I don’t think so. He said he saw you at the New Year’s Eve party. I guess your date was with Mark that night? Anyway, he thought you were interesting and he wants to take you out. His name is Dominic Figura. So, which will it be?”

Christina shrugged. “I’d rather date Mark, but that’s a lot of money. Does he only want me for an hour then? Could I go to both?”

Mindy shook her head. “If memory serves—both of them wanted from seven to midnight. So, pulling a doubleheader is out of the question, but I’m proud of you for asking. You’ve got a dirty mind after all, don’t you, Tina?”

“Shut up! I’m trying to make money here!”

“Then date Dominic. You’ll make twice as much and cover five hundred dollars of your debt to me in one night. Even making a hundred dollars an hour, that won’t even cover half of what you’ll owe me by then. I’ll tell you what I’d do. I’d date Dominic, stop being little miss goody-two-shoes, and work for the agency until you get a real job. That way you’ll be out of debt when you graduate and you can move forward in your life with pride.”

“You just want me to swallow my pride for now?” Christina asked, feeling heavy.

“Everyone should do it a time or two,” she said before she claimed she needed a shower and left the room.

Christina sat alone in the living room. She felt flat. She really wanted to go on a date with Mark on Valentine’s Day, but crappity-crap-crap-crap, she’d have to bail. She needed the money too much to take an opportunity like a hundred dollars an hour for granted. But, if she turned him down, would he ever call and request her again? She doubted it.

Yep! She was right the first time. She was in trouble.