Swipe Right - The Chronicles of an Unpaid Prostitute

Chapter Eighteen

"Cheers, to a fantastic launch – hits have more than tripled. I wasn't expecting such a massive reply."

"I think that was supposed to be a compliment so I'm going to take it as one."

Ben laughed. "It was meant as one."

My phone vibrated on table. Remembering the last humiliation I decided not to even look at it, and put it away in my purse. "How's it is going with the dating app?"

Damn it. I put on my best mockingly shocked face. I couldn't believe he just asked me that question. I laughed. "I don't know why they call it a dating app. It's not dating. No one dates anymore, they don't go out for dinner and drinks just to get to know someone or for good conversation. There is nothing that goes into choosing someone. You have to base your initial decisions on their photos because you know they just copied and pasted their 'about me' section from some blurb on the internet."

"Is that what you did?"

"It doesn't matter what I did," I argued, fighting a smile. "Regardless, the first photo is usually blurry or half of their face and the second photo is a shirtless picture."

"Naturally."

"Yes, and then the third is some picture of them holding a fish, or a puppy or someone's kid to make you think that they are a good guy, trusting but really, all you can hope for is that the rest of their face matches the first half and they marginally come close to the one witty sentence in their profile."

"And do they?"

"Do they what?"

"Come close?"

"Haven't found one yet." He laughed, and I continued telling him about some of my recent stories. Toward the end of my tirade, Ben looked completely appalled which made me laugh even harder.

Feeling daring, I asked Ben about the girl at the party and if they were still together. He looked confused then realized what I was talking about. "Oh, Sam? We're not together. No, we work together."

"Are you sure she knows that?"

Ben laughed. "Yes, I am."

We stared at each other for a long minute. "You're a fun guy Ben Davis," I told him, the celebratory drinks making me feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy.

"I am?" He looked surprised and I laughed.

"Yes, when you loosen your tie a little." He instinctively reached up to find his tie loose around his neck causing him to frown as if he didn't realize he'd tugged at it earlier. At the same time, his phone rang.

"I'm sorry, Maddie. I need to take this, I'll be just a minute." As he walked away, the sober part of me began a pep talk. I knew I was too drunk and he was still a client. The night was heading in the wrong direction, well beyond unprofessional.

"Well I should go," I said as he got back to the table.

"Yeah, okay. Can I drive you home?"

"I don't think either of us should be driving."

"Well by me, I meant my driver."

Of course you did. Who has a driver? "I can just take the subway home."

"I won't take no for an answer." I raised an eyebrow at him, pursing my lips. As I stood to pull my jacket on, I looked him up and down making him chuckle. "Please."

As I slid across the soft leather seats, I leaned in to tell driver my address. I could feel him looking at me as I stared out window. "I'm glad you're happy with how today went," I said into the quiet.

"More than happy. You're brilliant and I couldn't have hoped for anything better." The silence stretched on. I opened the window, staring out at the white twinkling lights in the tree lined streets. I closed my eyes and smiled into the warm January breeze. As the car pulled up to my building, I got out and bent down to look into the still open window thanking him for ride. "Thank you for joining me tonight. I had a good time."

"Me too," I told him.

"I hope you get your real date soon ma-d85." My jaw dropped. It literally dropped. Oh my god, he knew my screen name. "We'll talk next week." When I didn't answer or move, he smiled. "I'm not leaving until I know you're inside." I blinked and turned. My mind was spinning as I climbed the stairs. Nothing made sense, none of it. Okay Universe, what did it mean?

Jamie wasn't home. I grabbed a glass of water, feeling like I was on a mission. A drunken mission, but a mission nonetheless. Picking up my phone, my sober self slapped it away from me knowing the drunk texts were fighting to get out. And with sloppy questions to one business man who continued to get hotter by the minute. Oh god, that could have been bad, I thought as I gave my phone a dirty look. I quickly changed and jumped into bed with my laptop. I pulled up the dating site. I needed to find him, what was he doing on the dating site?

After an hour of searching I found nothing. Falling back onto the pillows behind me, I stared up at the ceiling. "Ben Davis... who are you?" I was starting to think there was more to him than just a stuffy, too busy business man. But what? And why did my vagina think so too?