Getting Ready

She glanced at the new message that popped up on her phone screen. It was her brother again, telling her for the nth time that the strange man would not leave in front of their gate.

Jake took a picture of the strange man and it was Trez.

She had messaged him last night, telling her that she was suffering from dysmenorrhea. And she might have skipped practice today.

However, she didn't expect him to come to their house, lurking like one of the loan sharks that frequent their place.

"What's the matter?"

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the worry in Dommie's face. It seemed that her distress didn't go unnoticed from his observant eyes.

"You have been sighing like you're going to back out. Ridge had already paid me handsomely when I assured him that you're coming."

Era chuckled under her breath. Dommie didn't try to hide the desperation in his voice not to lose the money he had already received from Ridge.

She has no intention to let Dommie know that her need for money is greater than his need for it. Dommie does not have a bunch of gangsters from loan sharks waiting for him, she on the other hand has. The image of Baby Shark and his threat comes to mind .

Era shuddered.

"Are you cold?"

"N-no, I'm fine. Just a bit worried. I know nothing of skiing and being with people who do this kind of thing as vacation."

Dommie chuckled. "Remember my dear, your main purpose is not to be the best skier. All you have to be is to look pretty."

She shook her head and muttered under her breath, "to look pretty never seems to be so difficult until I meet Ridge."

Dommie and the lady who was doing her nails snorted.

"No, no. I don't mean to say that I'm beautiful. What I'm trying to say is that I never want people to see me as someone who is just pretty. And now, it appears that my job is to look just like that."

"Well, for starters, this job gets us good money and a lot of people would die to be in your place—-merely looking pretty and you get to bring home cash."

Era exhaled a deep breath. She was feeling uncomfortable with their conversation. But she could not deny any of Dommie's words since he was merely stating a fact.

And she's being a hypocrite. Hence, she felt defensive and tried to reason out the idea of just looking pretty.

She was offered this job because she's pretty. Ridge would not choose her if she's not. And that's a fact.

Ridge would not spend a lot of money for her because he wanted someone who looks pretty next to him.

The reason why she was uncomfortable with all of it was because she didn't like the idea of earning money from doing nothing.

"It's not an easy job. Not everyone can handle the pressure of being someone's escort to an unfamiliar place. To act like you're part of a world that isn't yours is a job that needs proper compensation. And that's what you are doing.

Ridge wants that. And it's a service that you provide. You get paid for doing it. It's a decent job where you're not hurting or stealing from anyone."

Era meets Dommie's serious face and smiles apologetically. It seems like he knows what is running in her head.

The lady who was cleaning her nails nodded in agreement.

"I have your face and your brain, I would trade my job for your job. But alas, my talent is in making people's nails pretty. So, it's what I do."

She laughed. "Sorry, if I sounded condescending and unappreciative. It's just like, I don't like how being a paid escort makes me feel."

She didn't have to say that she felt like she's selling herself with this kind of job.

"Your moral values are your own. In this job, people can easily judge you—if they know. And secrecy is part of the job which gets us to be paid handsomely. Your client is a man who can get any woman to do his bidding. There's an important reason why he opted to get your service. Focus on that thought and don't poison your head with all that useless stuff. Besides, if you're worried about your morals, your client won't touch you without your permission. And you are not getting paid for that."

"You're not prostituting yourself!"

Era lowered her head in shame.

"Sorry for being shallow. I understand the nature of this service and I'm fully aware of my own reasoning why I agreed to this job—which is money. I'm in need of money. I'm just being judgemental because I'm feeling guilty with my motives for being here."

"Girl, we all need cash. Go get it!"

She laughed. "What's your name if I may ask?"

"Mirasol. My mother said, bless her soul, it means sunshine. She badly needed some sunshine in her life to name me after it.

Too bad for her, she was taken by the Creator too early to know if I'm really going to bring her sunshine or not."

"I'm sure you did. You brought her sunshine."

"I don't like where this conversation is going!"

Era takes her eyes off Mirasol and look at Dommie who stood up noisily from his chair as if he wants to break the air that thickens with the seriousness of her exchange with Mirasol.

"How about my clothes?" She asked to change the conversation.

"Are they ready, yet?"

"Yes. I'll go bring them out and show you how you should wear them before I'll have my assistant pack it for you."

Era watched Dommie's back who retreated to his inner office. His demeanor turns cherry when the topics went to clothes.

"I have no idea that clothes have to be so complicated."

Era threw her head laughing.

"Same girl. Same. But then, it's part of the job." She winked playfully at Mirasol who straightened her back, done with making her feet pretty.

She thought it was unnecessary because in a place where she's going, she could not see a reason for her feet to be seen.

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