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“Jasper, it’s not so simple,” I say, my tone low. “I’m a forty-five year old man who was avoiding relationships. That’s why I was using City Girls. And besides, you don’t have to do everything that I do. You’re your own person, and you should find your own way in life.”
But my son shakes his head.
“Yes, but I haven’t found my path yet, so I wanted to be like you, Dad! And it worked out because one of them left a business card on the kitchen table. Who knew that escorts had business cars, right?” he asks, looking more chipper now. “But I called City Girls, and they said they cover New Jersey in addition to New York, so they sent over Hannah. You know, the lady that was here.”
I pause.
“Did you specifically ask for someone older?”
Jasper nods happily, his eyes sparkling a bit.
“Oh yes, and she was wonderful, wasn’t she? Hannah’s maturity made her worth every penny. I loved every second with the old cougar.”
I sigh.
“Jasper, you have your entire life in front of you, and I’d hope that you don’t have to use escorts. Again, I’m a divorced middle-aged man, so my circumstances are different. I was using professionals to fill a particular hole in my life. But you’re eighteen! You should be dating girls for real. What happened to Celine?”
His face falls.
“Oh, she was actually seeing three or four guys at once. She told me it’s the French thing to do, and that I shouldn’t be disappointed,” he says in a dull voice.
I hear a noise from beside me and look at Lucy. But she’s not angry. Instead, her expression is one of pity for my son, and I take her hand and squeeze it gently. The gesture isn’t lost on Jasper.
He looks up, his eyes glimmering with tears. “You get everything, Dad. You got Lucy, after all, and she’s the girl I should have kept. Why wouldn’t I want to follow in your footsteps? I’ve messed things up enough on my own.”
I exchange a glance with Lucy, and she steps in then.
“Jasper, you didn’t mess up because we were never meant to be. Honestly, it’s true. I know we thought we were in love, but it’s nothing compared to what I share with your father. With time, you’ll see it too. It was just puppy love between us.”
Jasper looks at her with a confused expression.
“You think so?” he asks with hope in his voice.
“I know so,” the curvy girl says firmly. “You have a lot of growing up to do, but you know what I was impressed by? The fact that you were attracted to Hannah. Not everyone wants a woman who’s in her fifties, but if you admired her maturity and strength, then that says a lot about you. You’re much more than just a teenage jock.”
Jasper visibly brightens then.
“I am, aren’t I?” he says softly, a smile beginning to break out on his face. “Yes, I’m definitely into cougars. Who knew City Girls would have such a great selection?”
But that’s when I step in.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page now, but I want to be totally clear: I no longer hire escorts and I don’t use the agency anymore. I love Lucy, Jasper. She means everything to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. What you do is up to you, but again, I’m in love with Lucy.”
The curvy girl gasps and looks up at me, her eyes shining. “Really?” she whispers.
I nod. “Really, sweetheart.”
“I’m so happy,” she murmurs, placing her hand on my chest. “I love you too, Brandon. This is a dream come true.”
I kiss the top of her head, dying to take things further, but then I remember that my son is still in the room. Together, we turn to look at him and it’s kind of a pathetic sight. Jasper’s still sniveling a bit with the sheet wrapped around his waist, and I sigh.
“Son,” I say, “I know you have a lot going on, but I think you need some help, and I want to assist. I’m going to look into psychiatrists for you to potentially meet with. Does that sound like a solution? Or part of a solution at least? I think you could really benefit from talking this over with a therapist because the circumstances are unique to say the least.”
Jasper sniffles again but nods. “Okay, sure.”
Then there’s a long stretch of silence, punctuated only by Jasper’s weepy sniffles. Lucy turns to me awkwardly and says with a bright smile, “I, um, brought over some banana bread. I’m going to go cut us some slices downstairs. Brandon, do you want a drink?”
I cast a sidelong glance at Jasper. “Sure thing honey, I’ll be right down. Just give me five minutes.”
Lucy nods and flashes a hesitant but still dazzling smile at me, and then heads downstairs.
