Nobody Ends Up Dead in a Bathtub, Everyone Keeps Their Organs

Chapter 5

Damián looked for the lowest calorie meal on the menu. A cup of soup and half a sandwich would be 400 calories. Not bad. Pretty acceptable for a meal. And he could have black coffee with it to help curb his appetite, stopping him from wanting anything more until later in the evening and overall cutting down on how many calories he took in that day.

It would work. Sustainable and low cal. It was a good plan.

Alex was watching him. Damián tried pretending like he wasn't doing obsessive math in his head. Though, there was no reason for Alex to assume he was.

He was dieting like a normal person. He wasn't going too far. It was totally normal to be mindful of what he was putting in his body.

They ordered, and Damián pulled out a Moleskine journal from his bag. He had slaved over it all morning making lists and writing down numbers and asking Leo to double-check his math. Leo had asked why the charges were so low, and Damián insisted it was a simple client with a simple request. There was no reason to charge so much for a small office party when Damián's usual clients took him to large, crazy parties or bougie banquets for an entire night.

"I have a dozen things we should work through," Damián said. "And the prices. But we can talk about planning first."

"You've put more thought into this than I have."

"I'm a professional." Damián cracked open his notebook. "Item number one is, who are we letting in on this scheme?"

Alex pursed his lips. He pressed his hands together and tucked them between his knees. Their waitress came to the table and laid down Damián's black coffee. She left without saying a word or acknowledging Damián's thank you.

"I guess no one?" Alex said. "If that's okay with you?"

Alex raised his shoulders. He brought his hands up and unclasped them to grab one elbow. Damián wanted to hold him still. He wanted to tell him everything would be fine, that there was nothing worth getting worked up over.

A lot of people were nervous their first time hiring him, but Damián was great about calming people.

"Why wouldn't it be okay with me?" Damián asked. "This is all for you."

Alex's cheeks colored, but he nodded. He ran his hand through his hair which looked exceptionally flatter in some spots—mostly the spot his fingers had just passed through. It had been abused for a few hours now. Alex must have been worrying all day.

"This is the breakdown of the Boyfriend Treatment—which is what I call it. I pretend like we've been seeing each other, and it ends with the party," Damián went on. He pulled out a slip of paper from his notebook and slid it across the table. "I worked out some prices."

He could see Alex trying hard to suppress his shock. Alex's lips were tight, and his shoulders were tense.

"I figured, I usually charge about $250 an hour for the Boyfriend Treatment, and we probably won't be there for more than an hour—unless you want to stay longer, of course. And then I worked in some other fees. Another $75 for however much planning we need to do beforehand. So, that brings it all to $325. And I won't need the payment until everything is done."

It wasn't his usual method. He usually charged before anything even started. But with Alex, he was getting the pity special. Damián felt bad for him. He also enjoyed Alex's company from their brief meetings so far, and when he enjoyed a client's company, he was a little more lenient.

Damián was a great sex worker and escort but a bad businessman.

A waitress laid their plates in front of them. Damián's stomach twisted.