Whoa… “Say what?”
She smirks knowingly. “Now I’ve gotten your attention.”
“You get paid a thousand dollars to go out with a man for a few hours?”
“More depending on what I agree to.”
“I thought you said you don’t have sex with them.” I give her a stern look.
“I don—” I raise a single brow, daring her ass to lie to me. “Fine… I have a few times, but it’s not that bad. I know it sounds slutty, but it’s just sex and the money is well worth it.”
“How worth it?” Call me curious.
“Triple what you make for a night out.”
Holy Jesus, mother of God! “Why the hell are you still living at your mom’s place if you’re raking in that much dough?” She works several nights a week.
“You know my dream is to open up my own yoga studio downtown. And I don’t want to have to take out a loan. Most businesses fail their first year because they don’t bring in enough revenue to stay afloat and I want to make sure I lower my chances of that happening.”
I smile at my friend, proud of her... and a bit envious. There was a time I had a similar dream, only mine was to open up a small boutique that sells all types of things like women’s clothing and shoes, perfume, and makeup—all the latest trends—but now, it’s nothing more than a fantasy. “That’s awesome. You can totally do it.”
“Thanks. I have a long way to go, hence me living with my mom, her nasty boyfriend, and their roommate, but I’ll get there.”
“So why do you need me to go out for you?”
She clears her throat and, if I’m not mistaken, blushes. “I met this guy…”
Oh no… Nothing good ever comes from that. I know it firsthand.
“His name is Todd and we hit it off. He asked me out and I really want to see where it goes… But Lucinda called me into work since I told her I would be available. I don’t want to cancel on him. It will look bad and—”
“And what if it does work out? Are you going to quit your job?”
Yasmin flinches, as if she didn’t even think about that. “I guess... I’ll just see where it goes and then go from there. Maybe it won’t even turn into anything, but it’s just been so long since I’ve been asked out.” Her lips curve down into a frown and I move from my chair over to the couch next to her, setting my cup down and taking her hand in mine.
“I’m proud of you for moving forward.” Her last relationship ended badly. I didn’t know her then, but she confided in me how terrible it was. Thankfully, she got out of the shitty situation alive and moved in with her mom and has gotten her life back together.
“Thank you,” she murmurs. “He was really sweet. I met him downtown when I was window shopping storefronts for my yoga studio. He asked me to join him for coffee and we spent hours talking, then he asked me out.” The look of hope in her eyes is my undoing.
“I’ll do it.”
Her brows kiss her hairline. “You will?”
“Yeah. What the hell...? I need the money and you deserve to go out on a real date.”
Yasmin engulfs me in a bear hug. “Thank you so much! There’s only one catch...”
Oh boy, here we go...
“He has to think you’re me.”
“Yasmin!”
“It’s not that big of a deal. All the girls use fake names. I’m Jasmine.”
“Like the Disney princess?” I groan at her cliché choice of name.
“Yeah, it’s close to my name, so it’s easy to remember.”
“Okay, so I’m Jasmine for the night. I take it Lucinda doesn’t know about this?”
“No way, she’d kill me. Luckily, from the information she sent to me, this guy has never used Fairy Tales before and he made it clear it’s only a one-time thing. So, you’ll go on the date for me, make an easy grand, and I won’t have to cancel on Todd.”
“Why did you say this could be a permanent solution?” I can’t possibly take over for her permanently. She has to make a living, and this is her only source of income.
“Lucinda mentioned they’re hiring. I know the only reason you won’t apply is because the thought of going on a date with a stranger makes you uncomfortable, but once you see it’s really not that bad, you might be more comfortable and apply. And with how much it pays, you’ll have no problem paying your bills. Maybe you can even go back to school without taking out any loans.”
Everything she’s saying makes complete sense, but I still can’t imagine ever being okay with going out with a man I have zero chemistry with, and I definitely can’t fathom having sex with a stranger.
“We’ll see. Let’s just get through tonight and pray neither of us gets caught.”
“We won’t,” she insists. “He’s expecting a brown-haired, green-eyed woman, and we have similar features. As long as you go by Jasmine, what can go wrong?”
“Famous last words,” I mutter.
“What do you think?” I twirl around in my black shimmery Saint Laurent off-the-shoulder evening gown and matching heels Yasmin lent to me from Fairy Tales. Since the women are expected to play the part, they’re given clothes to wear that go with the situation. Based off this dress, I’m guessing we’re going somewhere formal, maybe to dinner or a show…
Yasmin glances over at me from applying her eyeliner and grins. “You look perfect. Like a fairy tale princess.” Her phone chimes with an incoming text. “It’s the call service. The driver is here to pick me... you up.”
Suddenly, a pack of butterflies attacks my belly. I’m really going to do this. I haven’t been on a date in almost a year, and now I’m about to go on one with a wealthy man who’s expecting a professional escort.
“Stop,” she says. “I can see it written all over your face. You’re freaking out. Just pretend like it’s a blind date. These men only want a woman to have on their arm. I’d be surprised if he says more than two words to you the entire night. Enjoy yourself. Eat the expensive food, drink the expensive alcohol.”
“I’m not even twenty-one!”
She waves me off. “You will be in a couple weeks. Besides, you’re me, and I’m twenty-seven.”
“Oh, God. This is going to go so badly,” I groan.
“It’s going to go perfectly,” she says slowly, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Take a deep breath.”
I do as she says, inhaling and then exhaling slowly.
“There. Now go. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”
I nod once and take another deep breath. “Okay, do I need your phone for anything?”
“Nope. At the end of the night, the driver will drop you back off here. Once you’re home, text me and let me know how it went and then I’ll check in with Lucinda and she’ll never know any different.”
“All right.” I wrap my arms around her. “Good luck on your date.”
“Thanks. You too.”
Grabbing the clutch Yasmin lent me, I toss my phone inside of it in case of an emergency—like if this guy turns out to be a creep and I need to call for an Uber—along with my keys and head downstairs.