Escort

Chapter 42

I laid in my old bedroom as I dialed Anders' phone number.

I hoped he'd answer it but there was a chance he was working.
I prepared to hang up the phone.

But it picked up.

"Yes, baby?" he answered.

I took a deep inhale as my eyes watered again.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
"Yea..."
"You sound like you're crying, angel, what's wrong?"
"It's going to be a rough couple of days." I tried to laugh it off.
"How's it been so far?"
"Not good..." I sniffed and shook my head as if he could see me.
"Aw, I'm sorry."
"Yea..."
"Did they tell you what time the funeral was?"
"My grandmother said it was at noon on Saturday and the reception was after then the reading of the will."
"That's a lot happening on a Saturday."
"Yea. I plan to leave that evening."
"Not the next morning?"
"I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be." I explained.
"I understand."

I could hear him flipping through pages on the other line.

"You're working?" I asked him.
"Yea. Just tying up a few loose ends before the weekend."
"Then why did you answer?" I wondered. I didn't mean to distract him from business.
"Because you called me. Was I supposed to not answer when you needed me?"

I just laid there.

I didn't know what to say but it felt nice to hear I could depend on him.
I had to treat him like a best friend since my other was gone.
Anders was my comfort call now. I'm glad he accepted.

"Do you think you'll be okay?" he asked me.
"I'll try."
"Okay. I think you should get some rest, sweetheart. It's late."
"Yea..."

I knew he'd be adamant on me going to bed so I was tempted to ask if we could talk tomorrow. Then I was afraid he'd think I was clingy.

"Will you call me later?" he asked.

I smiled to myself.

"Yea..."
"Okay. Sleep well, angel. I want to talk to you tomorrow."
"Okay...goodnight."
"Goodnight." his deep voice replied.
We hung up.

____________________________________

I woke up the next morning and traveled downstairs.

My grandmother made breakfast but I just poured a cup of coffee.

Neither me nor my sisters spoke to each other.

"Goodmorning, sweet pea, how are you feeling?" my grandmother asked me.
"I'm getting through it." I answered.
"Yea, I know you two were really close." she stated and rubbed my back.
I nodded.

"Cameron, is Damian coming?" she asked my sister.
"He's trying. He had a meeting he couldn't miss this morning so he had to stay home another night."
"Oh okay."
"What about Charlie, Casey?"
"He got in this morning. I think I'm going to stay in his hotel room tonight."
"Okay."

I felt a hand on my arm and it rubbed up and down.
"What about you? Any special someone coming to help you through this? If not, you know you always have me." she smiled.
"Um...No. Not yet." I answered.

I haven't even found the time to look for someone who'd care enough about me to do that. I always think with my wallet. I think about making money not finding love. It's cute that both of my sisters are married and happy.
Well...one of my sisters is married and happy.
The other is just married.
I think I have a fear of that.
Trusting someone enough to settle down with them, knowing that at any point in time they could break that trust and I'd have to leave the person I thought I was in love with. That story has happened before. I didn't like it the first time. I mean, there is the option that I could stay like she does. Stay and fool myself into thinking it was an accident that they didn't mean to do and they'd never do it again. Constantly trying to trick men into loving me so I could feel something like she does. She's another reason I don't want kids. Not just because they're disgusting, but because I don't want to find out it's the only reason the man I love stayed with me.
Maybe that's why she's bitter. Didn't work out in her favor.

"Hard to find a significant other when you've been run through the entire country, isn't it?" Cameron uttered.
"There it is." I sighed and sipped my coffee.
"Sorry, did I say that out loud?" she asked.
"If you don't stop talking to me now, you won't speak at all in the next five minutes." I threatened.
"Oh, you'd risk chipping your whore nails just for me?"
"That's enough, Cameron! Go wake up the boys and tell them breakfast is ready." my grandmother instructed.

Cameron got out of her seat to head upstairs.

Casey finished her plate and dropped it into the sink.
She began cleaning it.

"I'm sorry about her. I don't know why she says the things she does. I'll talk to her about it." my grandmother told me.
"It's fine. I handle it well enough on my own, I think."
"If you'd like to consider threats, 'handling it well' then sure," she snickered.

"I have to go speak to the caterer for the reception afterwards and then I'm going to spend some time with Charlie." Casey stated.
"Okay, honey." my grandmother replied. "We'll see you later."
She left too.

I'll never understand my sister's distaste for me.

Cameron seemed to not be fond of me before I told her my occupation but I think the job just made it easier for her to not like me.
She never even asked if I've even let my clients penetrate me. I haven't.

Except Anders if you want to put him in the same category. But I think he's different.

She just immediately started titling me as 'slut'. I don't argue with her. She can think whatever she wants. I just prefer that I'm respected to my face. When that doesn't happen, I can't tolerate it.

Casey is just a loner. She doesn't speak much to either one of us. I think the reason she doesn't is because she doesn't want to be in the middle of our fights. Not because she hates us. Cameron tries talking to her and Casey is just as dry to her as she is to me. She doesn't interfere in our arguments and she doesn't join in. She just sits back and lets them happen with a sigh.