Before I could decide, we rounded a corner, and the cafeteria came into view. Carter West, our third roommate, was waiting for us at a table near the window, his muscular frame impossible to miss despite his shorter stature. His cropped blond hair and chiseled jawline caught the sunlight, eyes narrowing as he spotted us. As we approached, I saw that he'd already loaded the table with food for all three of us: grilled chicken sandwiches, sweet potato fries, and freshly squeezed lemonade.
“Finally,” Carter said as we sat, his disciplined, no-nonsense tone matching his clean-cut appearance. “I was about to send out a search party.”
“My bad,” I said, genuinely touched that he'd thought ahead. “Thanks for the food, dude. Total lifesaver.” I grabbed a fry and shoved it into my mouth, realizing I was starving. My emotional crisis had apparently worked up an appetite.
“The food here is top-notch,” Kaiden chimed in. “Ibrahim insists on quality ingredients for staff meals.”
“Makes sense,” I said, taking another bite and telling myself to breathe. After a moment of comfortable silence, I glanced between them. “I think I’m ready to talk about it now. About my first client.”
Carter set down his sandwich, giving me his full attention. Kaiden leaned in, his usual exuberance dialed down to genuine concern.
“He was... a duke. Like, actual European royalty.” I fidgeted with my napkin, feeling every bit of the weight of all the drama in thatstatement. “And the whole time, I was just... a tool. Something to use and discard.”
“Oh, honey,” Kaiden said sympathetically, his eyes widening in all the right ways.
“The worst part is,” I continued, “I don’t even know what I expected. A thank-you card? A cuddle? It’s stupid, you know.”
“It’s not stupid,” Carter said. “But that’s about him, not you. Some powerful people compartmentalize sex as a release. It doesn't mean you're not good at what you do.”
“Besides,” Kaiden added with a wink, “you never know what's going on beneath the surface. I had a client once that acted cold for three sessions, then broke down in my arms on the fourth, confessing he was terrified of emotional intimacy.”
Damn, that made me pause. What was going on beneath the duke's polished exterior? What had brought him to a place like this?
“The most important thing to remember,” Carter said, his voice low and serious, “is that you're not just a body; you're a skilled professional providing a service. Like a massage therapist, but with, you know, more orgasms.”
That startled a laugh out of me. “I'm pretty sure my community college career counselor never mentioned that career path. Thanks for the heads-up, guys.”
“Their loss,” Kaiden grinned, popping another fry into his mouth. “Speaking of which, now that you’re seeing clients, we should all check in with each other every morning. Like a little family meeting.”
“A family meeting?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, we are basically family while we’re here, right? Chosen family.” Kaiden looked between Carter and me. “We look out for each other.”
Carter nodded. “This job can mess with your head sometimes. Having people to talk to helps.” He pointed at Kaiden. “This punk and I have nothing in common. He’s tall, I’m not. He’s soft where I’m hard. He’s loud, and I’m a hell of a lot quieter. But after two years here, he’s my best friend. I sleep better knowing he's always looking out for me.”
Kaiden preened at the compliment. “Aw, Carter, my short king,” he said, leaning over to kiss the side of his head. “But he’s right, and now we get to look out for you, our little twink.” He rubbed his hands together. “I always wanted a little twink of my own to raise and care for.”
All three of us laughed, and it felt good to know they had my back. It had been a long time since anyone besides Casey had cared enough to check on me regularly. “Thanks, guys.”
“Don't mention it,” Carter said gruffly, waving his hand. “So, what's your assignment this afternoon?”
I thought back to the schedule I'd checked that morning. “Last I saw, I'm assigned to the nightclub tonight. General companionship, whatever that means.”
“It means looking pretty, dancing with guests, and being charming,” Kaiden explained, dramatically fluttering his eyelashes. “Making sure everyone has a good time while they stuff tips into your g-string. If someone wants more horizontal fun, they can request you through the app.”
“I'm on the schedule for the club too,” Carter said, taking a massive bite of his sandwich.
“Let me guess,” I said. “Security? Bouncer? Professional scowler?”
Carter shook his head. “Go-go dancing.”
I nearly choked on my lemonade. “You? Go-go dancing? Like, on a platform? With music?”
Carter's stoic expression cracked into a rare smile. “What? You don't think I've got moves?”
Kaiden snorted. “Oh honey, our little muscle hamster here used to be a Chippendale.”
“I was never a Chippendale,” Carter corrected, throwing a fry at Kaiden, who caught it in his mouth with practiced ease. “Just... similar concept.”
